Wiring problem

[Ron]

Guys I have a dilemma that I can't resolve and would appreciate your help. The wiring loom has been installed in my Vitesse project for some while but not all of it has been connected as I've been waiting to get some new headlamp bowls and lights, I managed to get 4 bowls complete with bulbs for £5 from Stafford, a bargain. Now they are in I've been trying to get the lights to work and have come across a problem that I think must have been there since I reinstalled the loom but has only now come to light since I've tried to get the lights sorted.

Firstly the car starts through the ignition switch, no problems there. However with the brown wire that runs from the fuse box to the ignition switch connected it blows the fuse (it glows red hot and then melts). This of course puts out the circuits protected by that fuse, which includes the headlights.

I've disconnected every other circuit individually to isolate the problem but it only stops when the ignition circuit is disconnected so I can't think that it can be anything else. With that wire disconnected the other circuits work, whereas they wouldn't with it connected. Now those of you with an electrical mind will know that the brown ignition wire runs from the fuse box to the ignition switch, which is then connected to the solenoid, which in turn is connected to the control box.

Which part of that circuit then could be causing the problem, bear in mind that the car starts through the same circuit.

HELP!

[thescrapman]

Ron

The headlights should not go through the Ignition switch I am sure

I'll check a wiring diagram.

Cheers

Colin

[Ron]

Colin,

You're right in that the headlights don't go through the ignition switch but they are fused to the ignition wire side of the fuse box, so if that fuse blows then there's no headlights.

Ron

[thescrapman]

Quick recap.

Before you got the light bowls, it never blew a fuse with the thick brown wire connected. Is that correct?

Now you have connected teh lights to the wiring under the bonnet it blows the fuse. Is this as soon as you connect the brown wire, or when you operate something (switch ign on or turn on lights? )

looking at a wiring diagram the master light switch comes straight off the battery, so should stay working even with a blown fuse. The feed is common with the feed to the fuse box at the B terminal on the control box. The ignition switch feed is commoned at the fuse box with the wire to the B terminal.

Something is connected wrong I suspect.

Cheers

Colin