Dodgy electrics?

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My F78 Trak has just started something strange. Maybe nothing to worry about? Any thoughts?

On starting up, there is a loud relay/switch type click 2 or 3 times, comes from the top of the o/s arch near the battery. Has been doing this for a while.

Just recently, when switching the lights on, lights come on immediately, but the dash lights take a second or so to illuminate. Used to come on immediately. Anything to worry about?

Cheers

The clicked by the battery

The clicked by the battery is the heater plug relay, so long as they are working normally and the engine starts well its nothing to worry about. I wouldn't like to comment on the lights.

Spot on about the heater

Spot on about the heater relay. As for the lights... Thecontacts on the lightswitches them selves do get burnt up sometimes. I've had this couse trouble more than once with the headlights them selves. But for it being the dash lights I'd be more inclined to guess at a lose conection on the conecter block going to the lights them selves. My Sporti sometimes needs a 'gentel' wake up call with the flat of the hand on top of the dash to make the dash lights come on. And this isn't the first Daihats I've had this problem with. Good old emergency repare procedure 1.
Last one like it I ended up tapping the conecter block taking the power from the light circuit to the dash area together, as it was very lossely holding together. Could make the lights go on and off by wobeling it. Think I remember (was some timew ago) having to take the instrament pannel out to get to the offending connection. Not to bad a job as the instrament pod on a 4trak (as that one was) unbolts from the main dash.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Bits of burnt stalk

Ive had my indicator stalk burn out before because of dust/dirt this stalk also does the lights and i had to replace the unit, then i coated everything well with good old wd40 then some damp start ignition sealant after cleaning up a second hand unit, no problem since, when it happened it did strange things to my lights too because its all to do with circuits and connections in the board of the stalk housing, dead easy to work out when you take it apart and look, i would suggest alot of cleaning around connector areas!! electric 'glitches' happen on any car and it is due to dirt build up.

Full of ideas but no time to do them!!

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Well, as if to spite me,

Well, as if to spite me, last night all the dash lights went off whilst driving home.
Also, the day before one of the indicator dash lights came on, but not blinking, went off when I flicked the stalk.
Scratch one-s head

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent Had

'94 Fourtrak Independent

Had a look at the fuse box. Will the dash illumination be the fuse marked 'guage'? If so, it looks ok.

'94 Fourtrak Independent

I think th one marked guage

I think th one marked guage is for the guages them selves. Tje dash lights come of the side light circuit, and fuse. Ie, if it was the fuse gone, the side lights would be out too.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Ahh, thanks. No problems

Ahh, thanks. No problems with the actual side/headlights. Seems like it might be a dodgy connection somewhere? I am asuming that there is more than one bulb for the dash illumination? Otherwise, if only one bulb, that could be blown?

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent

after a bit of tinkering,

after a bit of tinkering, removed dash cluster and checked bulbs were ok.

Further to my last.....

Did some more checks and realised my sidelights werent working, nor tail lights! So checked tail fuse and it was blown. So the sidelights must use the tail light fuse, as there is no sidelight fuse marked. Someone mentioned the dash was run off the side light circuit.

soooo.....put another 15A fuse in the tail socket and hey presto the dash lights came on.......briefly, before the fuse blew! >Sad

So.....what the buggery is up with it?

Help

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent

The misery of electrics

Hi.

Suggest you have a wire which has scuffed through the insulation, causing a short, first place I would check is the rear light clusters area,salt water corrosion can also cause the wires at the connector blocks to fail, its a case of isolating each component to find the cause, just have a handfull of fuses ready !!. The rear part of the wiring harness also has a main connector block under the carpet near the passenger seat as in the case of my '92 Fourtrak, look near the carpet joins.

Edward (ews)

Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX

Thanks Edward Have had some

Thanks Edward
Have had some trouble already with one of the rear light cluster, one of the brake lights wasnt coming on, and on breaking the tail light on that side went out. Somewhere in the connections it was dodgy....jiggling the wires into the cluster fixed it. Hopefully the problem is here somewhere, so I just need to sort the wiring out?

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent

O'h the joys of a wiring fault.

Hi.

I had a similar problem. I split the wiring harness under the carpet, pass seat area to see which end of the truck was giving the problem, replaced fuse and all was okay, reconected rear harness and fuse blew. Next I disconected the rear light clusters, replaced fuse and reconnected each side, checking fuse until I found which area was giving the problem.

Q- is the fuse okay until you switch on the lights or touch the brake pedal, or select reverse gear

The lighting circuit does not use the body of the truck for an earth, there is earth return wire to the switch/circuit. I am no auto electrician, so may be some one can come forward about this.

Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX

Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX

Thanks again Edward. Will

Thanks again Edward.
Will take that approach. Will have a look at the rear light clusters for anything obvious. then disconnect the lot and work through them, have just bought a ton of 15A fuses. What fun.

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent

one step forward......

took both rear clusters off and disconnected.
Put new fuse in.
Lights on.....side lights OK & dash illumination OK.

Gave all the connections a bit of a clean up and check over. Cant see anything obvious (apart from some interesting DIY on the off side cluster by previous owner, not sure why?)

Re connected near side cluster - all OK
Re connected off side connecter - all OK

Think I've got it!

Drive off and within a minute the fuse pops.
New fuse in when I get home....all OK.

So I sit and fiddle with all controls to mimic an average drive. On one occasion the near side indicator stuck on and shortly after the fuse blew.
New fuse and did same again.....fiddled with all controls and eventually near side indicator stuck on. switched lights off and which sorted it, but fuse didnt go this time.

Scratch one-s headScratch one-s head

So have box of fuses in glove box and will see what happens.
I think I may have exhausted my electrical ability.

Any Help very much appreciated!

'94 Fourtrak Independent

Result (hopefully)

Well.....fingers crossed the problem id sorted.
Got a rear light from Fleabay. (new genuine part from Daihatsu is £107 inc VAT Shok ) Fleabay light was from a 92 model, I hoped it would be OK. No, silly me, Daihatsu decided to change the connectors between 92 and 94 :mad:
Quick visit to a mechanic I know and he swapped the connectors round on the old/new light.....jobs a carrot!

Just got to hope the next problem is a long way off....what with the incoming snow.

Thanks for all the advice chaps.

'94 Fourtrak Independent

'94 Fourtrak Independent