front indicators not working

[e30mtech]

as above any ideas why this has happened?

cheers

bulbs fine. plugs are connected

[TPS]

Fuse(s)?

[e30mtech]

which one i had a look but seemed ok

[DHFiS]

Do they work with the hazard switch?

[Grrrmachine]

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... Indicators

[e30mtech]

Do they work with the hazard switch?

nope

[Grrrmachine]

Glovebox switch would be the main culprit then. If it was only one side I'd check the plug/socket for corrosion, but for both to have failed it's either the glovebox or the hazard socket.

[e30mtech]

dont have a light at all in glovebox, for some reason,

there are 2 small wires in glove box with spade connectors on them, there is half a switch but no connectors, etc on the back side, think i will have to re-strip the glovebox and have a look see.

[TPS]

That sounds like the Glovebox light connectors, I remember those arching on the metal frame & causing allsorts of problems in an Old E30 I had.

[Barx325i]

dodgy alarm fitted?

on a cynical note, I wouldn't worry about indicators, if you indicate on british highways people will only point and laugh

[e30mtech]

i ripped 2 dodgy alarms out, and a crap locking kit, had to re-wire majority of the car from bodged conversion so maybe have to have a wee look around dash again. nightmare as that the only electrical problem i have now,

[Barx325i]

sounds suspiciously like a post alarm rip-out wiring issue.. do some 'probing' around and see what you discover..

[e30mtech]

here is some of the seriously crap wiring i had to sort when i got the car i removed miles of nonsense wiring.

[Barx325i]

juheeesus, seriously crap is an understatement.. This should be picked up by Brian if I'm honest, but I'd start from the front and check continuity. Was it possible both indicators were working at the same time before they stopped?

[e30mtech]

like i say they worked when i got the car, i re-wired it all fitted new engine etc etc then got it all running fine couple months ago but only just noticed this yesterday when i was checking stuff before i mot it,

not had chance to check much just lugs, fuses and bulbs, i will delve deeper tomorrow after work, not often i accept defeat

i had many discussions with brian when striping all that crap wiring out lol

[Barx325i]

judging by the mess up there you stare defeat in the face, you'll have it pinpointed in no time. Can't really offer much more help from where I'm sat. Looks like it could have been an existing problem from when you sorted that spaghetti out..

[Brianmoooore]

Front indicators, right up to the plugs, are hard wired to the rear indicators, so if the rears work and the fronts don't, the fault is usually right at the indicators themselves.
Fairly common for the wires to have been stretched by someone removing the front bumper at some time and not realising it has wires attached, or to have been partly cut through here they run over the front of the chassis as a result of accident damage at some time.
Try adding a temporary extra earth wire from the base (the bit with the two locating pins on it, NOT the centre terminal on the bottom) of the bulb to a good body earth, and see if that makes it work. Just take the lens off, and hold the wire against the side of the bulb.
One possibility, considering the butchered wiring, is to check if and where the indicators were connected to an alarm system. They may have cut right through the wires going to the front to connect the alarm, and the join could have failed.
You are looking for blue/red and blue/black wires.

[Barx325i]

my thoughts there Brian, whereby they were severed as part of the alarm install...

[e30mtech]

all fixed now, it was none of the above..................................................

an before you say, no i didnt have the spotlight plugs and indicator plugs the wrong way round after rebuilding my car .................. honest