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Nearly lost wiring loom to a short circuit somewhere...
John.Taylor - 16/2/09 at 12:46 PM

I've finished wiring up my Sierra stalks but there seems to be a problem.

When I connected the battery, everything was OK at first, but after playing with the stalks (lights & indicators) for a minute, the +12v from the sidelight switch to the fuse box (which then distributes to the light themselves) went up in a cloud of smoke.

I quickly pulled the lead of the battery and investigated, but everything seemed to be wired up correctly so I re-wired it with the permanent live to the switch through a fuse this time!

I unplugged all the relays (inc. flasher one) before connecting the battery back up just in case, but when I connected the battery, the red hazard warning light on top of the steering wheel lit up???

Is this a default setting if you remove the flasher relay to warn you that the indicators won't work as I suspect the sidelight wire burning up was something to do with the indicator wiring as when I activated the stalk they didn't flash - they just came on and stayed on.

Also, I thought that the lighting switch was earthed via spade B on the picture below and that wires A on the picture were for the horn? Can somebody tell me whether the horn in the middle of the steeting wheel should carry +12v or an earth signal as mine is wired to carry and earth signal?


Mr Whippy - 16/2/09 at 12:59 PM

Blimey dude your jumping all over the place...first it’s the sidelight then the hazard circuit next the horn?!

How can these all be related??

What circuit actually overloaded


John.Taylor - 16/2/09 at 01:01 PM

In writing the post I think I've sussed my mistake. I've wired the horn as a switched earth!

Would this cause problems with the stalks? Rescued attachment DSC00317.JPG
Rescued attachment DSC00317.JPG


BenB - 16/2/09 at 01:17 PM

It would if you accidentally pressed the horn ten minutes in


Howlor - 16/2/09 at 02:26 PM

I thought the horn was a switched earth though.


mad-butcher - 16/2/09 at 06:08 PM

sorry above size of pics but a reference to switched earth/switched live wiring in them from my old premier wiring harness Rescued attachment premier 1.jpg
Rescued attachment premier 1.jpg


mad-butcher - 16/2/09 at 06:09 PM

and Rescued attachment premier 2.jpg
Rescued attachment premier 2.jpg


John.Taylor - 17/2/09 at 12:45 PM

Everything was wired as it should be and I've found the faults having tested all the wires and connections.

The shorting out of the side light feed to the fuse box was as a result of the crimped connection poking out from beneith the Premier Wiring fuse box shorting against the chassis!

The indicator problem was a duff flasher relay - must have damaged it somehow as it worked on the donor Sierra.

The horn was wired wrong but as I hadn't pressed the button it hadn't shorted and I've now wired it correctly!