Frazzled wire.

I was doing some jobs on my S3 FFR Lightweight this afternoon and after giving up on trying to get a gas tight seal on the joint between the front pipe and the new Sh##part exhaust manifold (going to try some exhaust putty) i decided to check her over as shes due her M.O.T. so i put the lights on al o.k except o/s front sidelight so leaving the s/lts on i unscrewed the lens and gave the bulb a poke. Big flash then bulb comes on for a few secs then dies.At this point my attention is drawn to the area under the still open bonnet by a sizzling sound and then clouds of smoke from frying wire so i pull the bulb and dive into the cab,pull the battery box lid and useing the spanner kept in there whip the poss conection off (whilst cursing myself for not fitting the isolater switch i brought months ago)and grab the fire extiguisher but did not need to use it as the frying sound and smoke had subsided.The cause was the centre contact in the holder breaking of and shorting when i wagged the bulb which i replaced a few weeks ago at which time i cleaned the holder with W.D.40 as usual. Preliminary inspection shows damage to the wire from switch to side light (Toast)but im puzzled to why the 5 amp fuse did not blow so im going to check the rest of her wireing although it all looks as it should and theres no sign of the dreaded black wire disease except for the now fried sidelight one

Incredible ... it goes on and on.

Our old Minis suffered like this in 1959 and forever after, and the cure was easy and cheap.

Stuff the whole fitting with plain yellow grease.

Just fill it up, and shove it in with your finger, so lots of grease goes behind the spring loaded plate with the contacts on it. Get the hole where the base of the bulb fits reasonably clear of excess grease, and shove in the bulb. End of problem.

Now grease the screws when you put the lens back.

It works.

CharlesY

Thanks Charles y .I will do thatwhen i replace the bulb holder but as i said i usualy take the bulbs out and give the holders a spray with W.D.40 a couple of times a year and put a bit of grease on the lens threads as they are the screw on types but it the first time i have had the centre piece drop out of the holder and ive run ex military landys for the last twenty years(still havent learnt to leave the bloody things alone although after many years of truck and leaf sprung landy driving i have brought an old 110 to save whats left of my spine)anyway thanks for the tip. Tony