Left indicator works...but turns high beam on aswell!?

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:12 pm

When I turn the left hand indicator on the high beam comes on aswell....when I turn it off/or it turn of upon straightening of the wheel, the beam goes off too.

I know the left hand stalk controls the high beam and i've made sure i'm not pushing or pulling the stalk whilst indicating, so it's definately a car fault!

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:15 pm

Assuming its only recently started doing this. Try and get a new stalk from somewhere. (if its used make sure it works before hand)

thats what I reckon it will be, the internals broken and making 2 contacts at the same time.

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:18 pm

okay...it's going in for a service tuesday at a BMW specialists, do you think they will have a stalk...or should I get one and ask them to fit it?

I've only had the car 2 days and didn't notice it when I bought it because it was the middle of the day

Luckily indicator works if i hold the stalk down without it clicking into on mode.

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:28 pm

ouch eurocarparts price is Ã‚£63 for the indicator stalk with OBC switch

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:43 pm

Unlike parts from other lesser manufactuers, there are very few parts on BMWs which frequently fail. This means that whatever part you need, you can obtain a second hand one, and be fairly confident that it will be in perfect working order. (There's always an exception to a rule, and for E30s it's 325 cylinder heads).
Failure of the indicator stalk on an E30 is very rare, so get one from a scrappy, although, if you want one for an OBC, then you might have to search a bit.

Post Sun May 07, 2006 11:52 pm

It doesn't really bother me (that it's broke) and I shall probably get a standard stalk...

...my main worry is....will this fail the car on an MOT test?? (due soon)

Post Mon May 08, 2006 12:04 am

camcc wrote:It doesn't really bother me (that it's broke) and I shall probably get a standard stalk...

...my main worry is....will this fail the car on an MOT test?? (due soon)

Don't think the MOT actually covers the possibility of the headlamps switching on with the headlamps! No reason why you can't run with headlamps on all the time, so I can't see it being a problem.

Post Mon May 08, 2006 12:11 am

sorry to drag this out........even if it's the high beam that it's switching on? (not the standard lights) bearing in mind this can be blinding to other cars at night

Post Mon May 08, 2006 6:21 am

I had exactly the same problem and it definately will be the stalk, as brian said they hardly ever break. problem is to change but you will need a soldering iron. get a scrap one cutting off the wires at the scrappy. then remove yours with a soldering iron and replace the wires one at a time. they cannot be unplugged unfortunately as the loom joins another and goes deep under the dash.

i also tried to drive around this problem cause i was too lazy to solder st first and it rapidly becomes annoying (well actually my wife was in that car at the time), eventually the switch will fail completely and the high beam will stay on all the time (mine did), you will also grow tired of people thinking you are flashing them!

oh yeah before you start take a picture of wiring (and try to focus better then mine!!) so you know where to go back to if there is a cock up, and you will need a mate or else as i found out (with no mates) you will burn each and every finger several times

mrlee

Post Mon May 08, 2006 9:11 am

Soldering iron?? Indicator switch has about 300mm of loom attached to it, then terminates in a white multi pin plug which connects to one of the sockets stacked together on the clip on the steering column.
If it has OBC, this has a short single wire with a blue connector.
Switch also has a short loom to the indicator relay socket as well.
Two cross head screws and the switch comes off.

Post Mon May 08, 2006 10:13 am

Mrlee, that's quite funny that you had the patience to do all that to the wiring, and you could have just un-plugged it!! I'd never have the patience to do that!!

Post Mon May 08, 2006 3:50 pm

trust me when i tell you there was no plug anywhere!!!! i even had the dash almost entirely apart. it also shared a partial loom with some other bits and pieces (including the indicator relay), but to be sure i will check again but i am feckin positive!!!

Post Mon May 08, 2006 9:27 pm

mrLEE30 wrote:trust me when i tell you there was no plug anywhere!!!! i even had the dash almost entirely apart. it also shared a partial loom with some other bits and pieces (including the indicator relay), but to be sure i will check again but i am feckin positive!!!

It should be clipped to the steering column, and plugged into the wiper stalk too, they all come apart from each other.