Hi all,

Went for a drive your Mini Day last night and my headlights, parkers, taillights and dash lights stopped working totally, checked the fuse is all good, the wire connection seems ok, could it be the headlight switch? Any idea?

Check your switch but what wattage lights are you running an does your car have a relay for the headlights

You need to get a multimeter or even a test light and see if you have power to the light switch and then from the switch , follow the wires back until you find where the power stops and see what the problem is there . If it's a clubbie/leyland have a look for an inline fuse up behind the carb (nearly always forgotten) but that should only be for the park/tail and dash lights .

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its a late Rover.... no room to put a dollar in that engine bay!

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Here am I sitting in my tin can far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do...



“A turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.” - Jeremy Clarkson

Hey, I was thinking about you guys on my way home and I lost all my lights for all of 3 seconds too!

When it happened, my instant reaction was to bash the switch off the on again, and it worked.

Then I realised that I had this problem a while back and it was a dodgy switch, I was able to batter it or give it a prod to get it going again for a few months until i finally bought a replacement switch

I had what weevel had, bought a new switch from MG Spares (the MGB used the same switch as the later model Rovers).

The problem described in this thread is far more wide spread, and I'm willing to bet that it is all related to the recent installation of HIDs in that car.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

its a rover as all the lights are out its has to be the main wire to the switch or its the switch as you have checked the fuse and connection. As you have changed over to the HID please recheck what youhave done prior

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Could well be the switch.. my van does the same thing and that's the problem.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

yep turn the Ign and tape away with the switch

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Well is good now, replaced the headlight switch. Just looking at the old switch the base of the pins are all melted, what caused these? This is the third headlight switch I replaced, so it happens before I install the HID headlights. Any ideas?

I don't think its a short circuit as this would melt your light gauge wiring long before it gets the thick spade connections on the light switch. Suspect that its the switches not handling the voltage drain - try fitting a headlight relay. This is a good idea any way (at like $30 for a good quality headlight specific relay) especially if you are running expensive HID units for which a fused relay will provide short protection and constant voltage. But if you want just try and use good quality, fused regular automotive 4 pin 30amp relays (and keep them on the firewall away from water) and see if it fixes the problem. If it does then you can get the proper headlight relay unit.

I like the New Era (Japan) headlamp relays, they are good quality and have 2x 30A blade fuses plugged in.
Supercrap used to sell them, but now they only seem to have a cheapo Chinese one...
Try Autobarn...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Do you have relays on the lights?

When I installed my relays earlier this year I asked for the New Era one at Supercrap, Autobarn, Repco and Bursons -- they all looked at me like I was asking for a Big Mac. In the end I used a normal-looking 30A fused one.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

I have bought 2 at Supercrap, and 4myego bought one at Repco. But this was a couple of years ago, they used to know what things were then.
Nowadays if it ain't Bling they ain't got it, or dunno what it is.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.