Series 3 Intermittent fault with indicators... any ideas??

Hi everyone, recently replaced the indicator stalk on my SIII lightweight which seemed fine to start with but now I have a strange problem where everything works fine for about 5 mins of driving and then the indicators stop working, along with the horn. The hazards work completely fine, and the headlight dip/main beam all works fine while the indicators are dead. The weird thing is that everything is always fine when the landy's been sat for a while but after 5 mins on the road the indicators die without fail.
Someone suggested there might be a problem with the relay, but the hazards and indicators all seem to be on the same relay so seems strange that one works when the other doesn't? And also that the horn stops working at the same time.
I was going to replace the relay anyway but I've just found out that lightweights have a specific one which costs about £40 so not going to be too hasty just yet!
Electrical stuff is not my strong point so if anyone has any ideas it'd be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

When it is in a failed state identify lead Light Green with Brown trace going from turn switch to hazard switch. Test if you have voltage there. If not test that you have voltage on Brown that feeds the hazard switch. If you have voltage there you have a hazard switch fault. Also check if you have voltage on Brown with Blue trace that goes from hazard switch to auxiliary relay

Ok thanks I'll give that a try. As I say electrical stuff is not my strong point so I'm not too hopeful... Cheers.

fv1620 said:

When it is in a failed state identify lead Light Green with Brown trace going from turn switch to hazard switch. Test if you have voltage there. If not test that you have voltage on Brown that feeds the hazard switch. If you have voltage there you have a hazard switch fault. Also check if you have voltage on Brown with Blue trace that goes from hazard switch to auxiliary relay

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I've been having a good look at a cicuit diagram I found online and tallying it with what you said there. Am I correct in thinking that the circuit for the indicators etc goes through the hazard switch first (from brown lead) before it gets to the indicator switch (via light green/brown)?
If so then I think I see what you're getting at. Cheers.

Yes. I do hate these symbols that are just a circle or a square. I much prefer to see what the switch contacts actually do inside as it would make it much easier to see how the circuit functions!

This is quite helpful as it gives arrows to show the supply route.

Great thanks that's a really useful diagram. Where did you find it?

I took the dash panel off earlier to have a look at the hazard switch. Found the blue/brown wire was a really really loose connection which affected the indicators in the exact same way. Fixed the loose connection obviously assuming I'd found the problem, but it came back as usual when driving!!! So back to square one. Waiting to get hold of a multimeter so I can properly check things out...

The diagram is an amplification of one of many diagrams here: http://www.land-rover-lightweight.co.uk/lrl k.html
When you get a multimeter get one with a buzzer for continuity tests. Most these days are digital I much prefer a moving coil multimeter. The problem with digitals is that they draw very little current & it may detect some weedy voltage that is of no significance as it may not be a voltage that can deliver much current. Many digitals don't even read zero they can be so sensitive there are random displays without connecting the test prods which is confusing if you are trying to hunt for voltage to know if there is an intermittent low voltage or if it is just the meter.
Don't buy an analogue one under £10 as the switch is likely to be unreliable. I am in a minority most people prefer digitals, but I do have a military spec expensive Fluke meter but I still prefer a basic meter. I generally use an Avo 12 but that is rather old & heavy, but at least you can measure voltages without having to worry whether the battery goes flat as in a digital!

PS These are super meters for the price. Quality seems good, accurate & not too small, has buzzer & a 10 amp range which many smaller meters both analogue & digital do not have. Much as I like my Avo 12 it is a bit bulky, so I carry the Maplin one around in the vehicle. I was so impressed I bought another to put in another vehicle.

Maplins stopped selling them in shops but you can still get them:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/mt-2017-large-analogue-multimeter-n60lk

When the fault is there do the hazards still work?

Thanks FV for all the info on multimeters. Unfortunately I've already got a digital one on the way so I'll just have to see how I get on with that but good to be aware of possible misleading readings etc. Cheers.

Blackburn said:

When the fault is there do the hazards still work?

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Hi Blackburn yes the hazards work as normal when the indicators have failed. The horn is the other thing which stops working at the same time. When out for a drive last night I was fiddling with the stalk to see if that helped and noticed that if I force the stalk down with a bit of effort it kills the headlights too, so I have started wondering if the new stalk is a bit dodgy and what's causing the problem (after all there was no problem until I put the new one in...)

I'll just have to see what the multimeter finds out...

Being really impatient I just borrowed a multimeter and went round the landy poking it in various places just to get the idea what I'm doing. Had a look at the aux relay while I was under the bonnet. I gave the brown/yellow wire a little rattle and it came away in my hand, with the connector bit from the relay still attached, corroded to buggery!
So I'm thinking a new aux relay might be a good place to start...

Well spotted. It certainly needs fixing & may well be the cause of the trouble. Just out of interest is it 12 or 24v?

fv1620 said:

Well spotted. It certainly needs fixing & may well be the cause of the trouble. Just out of interest is it 12 or 24v?

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It's a 12v model.
Been looking at this diagram on the lightweight website and going by the chart of relay types I guess I need SRB113 (Four connectors and "normally open"). Found one on ebay for £25 so not too bad...

Yes that's the job. I just asked as I have a particular interest in the ignition & charging on 24v systems.

Great I'll get one ordered and start crossing my fingers! Thanks again for all your help. If things go the usual way this won't be the end of the matter but I'll let you know how I get on.... Cheers.

Oh yes there will always be something else waiting to happen. Maybe once this problem if fixed for certain do a bit of prodding & checking similar connections to be one step ahead!

fv1620 said:

Oh yes there will always be something else waiting to happen. Maybe once this problem if fixed for certain do a bit of prodding & checking similar connections to be one step ahead!

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Haha probably not a bad idea. Actually while we're on the subject of electrical stuff I'm just looking at new spade connectors and wire etc. Do you know off-hand what size the spade connectors are generally? Didn't realise there'd be a choice! A lot of them seem to be 6.3mm which sounds about right?