Why is fuse #4 (indicators) blowing?

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:34 pm

Hi, I'm struggling with a bit of a problem on the 318. A few days ago my indicators stopped working and I quickly traced the fault to a popped fuse. Replaced fuse and everything was fine. Today, I've found myself with no indicators again, I've tried replacing the fuse, but it blows as soon as I turn the ignition on. I've found that by removing fuses 6, 21, 22 and 23, fuse 4 stops blowing and the indicators work.

Any ideas?

Regards
Iain

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:01 pm

Hi mate
spent last week trying to sort the same problem out, turned out to be the interior light causing it, disconnected the interior lights and now they work. just got to replace the interior lights now.

p.s. do your hazard lights still work all of them ok with this fuse blown ? as mine still worked to show the light unit and bulbs were all ok.

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:31 pm

Cheers Andy, did you just disconnect the plugs to the interior lights? What about the lights to the window switches, they are linked to the interior lights on my car, (and the electric windows work with the ignition off...)is that normal?

BTW, The hazards still work fine

Regards
Iain

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:33 pm

My problem was the same as andyP's; the drivers side interior light was shorting out on the body work

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:35 pm

C33 wrote:, I've tried replacing the fuse, but it blows as soon as I turn the ignition on. I've found that by removing fuses 6, 21, 22 and 23, fuse 4 stops blowing and the indicators work.
Iain

Whatever the reason your indicators now work, it's NOTHING to do with removing those fuses!

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:38 pm

andyp wrote:, turned out to be the interior light causing it, disconnected the interior lights and now they work. just got to replace the interior lights now.
.

Faulty interior light will blow fuse 21. NOTHING whatsoever to do with the indicators.

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:42 pm

Do your hazard lights work properly without blowing any fuse? (24, in this case).
If so, and assuning your car is post mid '88, then carefully inspect your glovebox lamp, which shares fuse 4 (the handbook lies!), with the indicators. It is so constructed that it tends to short its supply if the bulb is removed.

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:02 pm

I had exactly the same problem, switch indicators on, and pop goes the fuse.

It was the glovebox light that was causing the problem, the wire was touching the metal the bulb holder sits in.

Post Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:13 pm

Glove box light it appears to be!!!

Had a poke around eventually found the glovebox light floating about somewhere in the area above the glove box. I've taken the light out (I can believe it was shorting out) and put a couple of lenghts of heatshrink over the two wires...seems to of done the job.

Thanks for all your help, it would of taken me the whole weekend trying to sort that!

Regards
Iain
(P.S. the car's from a 1989 F plate)