Hi All

We have an indicator fault on the left-hand front.
2000 XJ Sport 3.2.

Turn in indicator/hazard lights, All ok expect the front left in the bumper.
Changed bulb, not fixed.
Checked both bulbs on a separate wire to the battery, they illuminate.
Checked voltage to bulb socket. All ok, 12V. Checked with A sealey auto probe. Get flash and beep in time with the other lights flashing.
So the voltage is there, but the bulb(s) do not illuminate, but they do if wired directly to the battery.
Not the gray bulb holder (despite being a VW part), replaced with spare and it does the same.
Sprayed with electrical contact cleaner. No change.

Any ideas what is causing this?
I suspected an earth fault, but I bypassed the earth wire to the socket with another wire, plus the autoprobe shows the good green negative signal. No change.

It's driving me nuts. It has to be something simple, but its nothing obvious.
One of you chaps must be able to suggest where else to look or have seen this before.
Cheers in advance.
James

 

If it is the bulbs with a pinched glass end the wire ears can be bent out to make better contact in the socket

There are 4 identical 13 wire black square connectors below and in the corners of the car that can corrode

If you have some corrosion going on you may see 12 volts with a meter but not enough current to run the lamp

you can work the sliding connector sockets dry several times to abraid the surfaces before adding contact cleaner

The number I have is Econoseal brand EC13KM

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I suspected something like that but did not really feel like risking taking the bumper off to remove that part of the loom for a clean. But maybe I can get to it without removing the bumper.

I have found out that the fog lamp on the same side is also not working. There is a common link to earth at connector BL1-1.

Time to find that connector and clean it.
Cheers

 

Fixed. It was connector BL1-1, dirty, and a little corroded.

Cleaned up and all is ok. Fog also now working.

The connector is accessible through the wheel arch with the lower half of the arch liner pulled out. It was just "sitting" behind there and the bumper.
Cheers