MOT time and ive got an indicator problem

[RobMorris]

Chaps

Car is a '99 Passat

What I thought was just a blown bulb has turned out not to be the case.
Drivers side front indicator..
I polled the unit out and the bulb looked fine? I turned the ignition on and put the indicator on and it worked!?
So I though loose wire? I put it back together and it didnt work again?
Took it out again and it worked and I left the indicator on whilst I fitted the unit back to the car - all good..
Tunred the car on/off a couple of times whilst checking and I thought all was well..
Went to work this mornining - doesnt work again

Ive got MOT this saturday and I need to fix this problem out quick! Any ideas?

[crazymonkey]

sounds like a dodgy connection or something along those lines if it works then doesnt (bulb holder possibly?). I know our old passat was an electrical nightmare

[RobMorris]

so would i splice another bulb holder on do you think? got to the scrappy perhaps?

[stealthstylz]

Put another bulb in i've had that happen with 'good' bulbs before. 501 sidelight bulbs usually do the same thing, i'd imagine that there's something broken inside that makes a contact sometimes.

Matt

[30psi]

Check the quality of the earth

[barty]

both of the above, check for a good earth and change the bulbs, they are anly a few quid so no great cost there.

[bl1300]

Check the earth sounds very much like a bad earth fault to me. If you can unbolt the earth clean it with some wet and dry and then refit. This quite often works.

Something that I have to do on my own car from time to time admitadly on the side lamps is to push the possitive wire into the holder and that makes it work again.

Oh and as others have said change the bulb again as some are duff as new

[panelbeaterpeter]

Does it work if you hit the hazard switch? that would narrow down the fault finding mission..

[mrabody]

Jun 22, 2011 9:50:47 GMT stealthstylz said:

Put another bulb in i've had that happen with 'good' bulbs before. 501 sidelight bulbs usually do the same thing, i'd imagine that there's something broken inside that makes a contact sometimes.

Matt

Try a couple. A couple of months ago the nearside stop lamp in my wife's jag quit working. I tried an extra bulb - nothing. Swapped in the bulb from the offside stop lamp - still nothing. Dropped it off at my mechanic and asked him to get it sorted.

"It just needed a new bulb mate"

[RobMorris]

The new bulb did work although I still failed the MOT :sad:

Drivers side front wishbone excessive play
(Ive bought both the front and back to replace - £63 for the both)

Rear pads 'low' although braking power fine?
Anyway new rear pads cost me £15

And a headlight bulb was out... Well its 'intermitent' I gave it a whack and it come on...
Ive since replaced that bulb and seem fine now?

+ £50 to get the above fitted by a mate/mechanic and fingers crossed!

[bl1300]

Jun 26, 2011 20:39:18 GMT RobMorris said:

The new bulb did work although I still failed the MOT :sad:

Drivers side front wishbone excessive play
(Ive bought both the front and back to replace - £63 for the both)

Rear pads 'low' although braking power fine?
Anyway new rear pads cost me £15

And a headlight bulb was out... Well its 'intermitent' I gave it a whack and it come on...
Ive since replaced that bulb and seem fine now?

Point number 1. That play is most likely a worn bush or two can you not just replace the bushes rather than the whole wishbone?

Number 2. sounds like that would have been an advice to me, but it best fixed now before they wear all the way down to the backing and start scoring the disc.

Number 3. If it comes on by whacking it, its probably a bad earth. Beware though that the tester is may do exactly what you did on a retest and give it a whack, if it flickrs when he does it, it will fail again.

[stealthstylz]

Headlight bulb might have broken down internally same as I said for the indicator if a new bulb fixed it.

Matt

[ChasR]

Bulb had blown in the past most likely!

Arms are cheaper and easier to change over bushes.

Regarding the indicator fault I had a similar issue with the 205. Random in operation etc. Turned out to be a dirty bulb holder. Some switch cleaner (WD40 may do if you are stuck) later and it has been fine.

[murran]

tossers, these don't have wishbones as such. they have suspension arms... two upper and two lower, you cant buy the bushes or the ball joints separate.... did they not say which arms?.... upper arms can be an as the top bolt on the hub carrier can seize in.
upper front arms you have to unbolt the carrier/top mount from the inner wing to get the bolt out.
the lower curved arm you need to drop the subframe slightly to get the bolt out. let me know how you get on....

....... if i had a penny for how many times ive changed suspension arms on these passats/a4's/a6's in the last 10 years...... i'd have about £102.06... I'm not joking!!