Calling ALL K10 owners - Important question

[Micra 110]

My car failed the MOT on a few things. One being that the rear lights tend to 'dim' slightly when the Hazards are flashing.

I've checked the lights on 2 of my Micra's and they both do exactly the same thing which is 'Dim' slightly

So now I need you to do something for me please.

What i need you do is actually take the Bulb and Holder from the Rear cluster, switch on the Hazards and sidelights (1st notch) and have a look closely at the Bulb and I want you to give me a definitive answer.

Does it DIM?

YES or NO?

If after viewing the results I see that the Majority 'DIM' when the Hazards flash then I will be printing them off and taking the results down to the Testing station.

Hope you put some input into this as I might be able to get the fail changed.

Thanks in advance

 

[jc1234]

does it matter when rear lights dim slighty when flashing, never notice if my does or not, is this a new mot place you took it, i found always best to mot here the cars always been.

 

[Andy652]

mine do slightly, though I've never noticed it before going out and checking now, and I passed my MOT like that just over a week ago.

 

[Micra 110]

JC: it really wont matter where I take it tbo. I chose to take it to this place because after Booking on-line i saved myself £17 although it now seems that after making the changes i'll be out of pocket anyway.

It does matter about the lights as it does say in the MOT booklet that one light must not be affected by the running of another.

Could you check yours please JC?

Thanks for checking Andy

It's something I've never noticed too, in fact it's never been a fail on an MOT before......ever.

 

[nexussteve]

Just a quick question...does the engine have to be running?

Well, just checked (without engine on) and mine dim very slightly too!

 

[curtis]

Without engine on mine do too, but they should have then engine running tbf

 

[superls]

id say that due to how its wired that 99.9999% of k10's will dim, its almost impossible not to, the same thing as when you have a sub and the bass makes ur headlights dim, its a sudden surge on the power down small wires with bad earths.

 

[jc1234]

but some people are more picky, like national auto center, took it for a full service and there wanted to replace my battery becuase it wasnt the proper type, it got some kind of rubber holding it in place, and my brake wanted replacing, but f1 centre gave it a clean and said there will pass.

i just think some mot's place will be more double checking, while other will think it only dims slighty and can be seen proper.

 

[ollyc98]

The only way I got mine to stop dimming was to get e-marked LED bulbs on the brake/ tail lights

 

[Micra 110]

id say that due to how its wired that 99.9999% of k10's will dim, its almost impossible not to, the same thing as when you have a sub and the bass makes ur headlights dim, its a sudden surge on the power down small wires with bad earths.

Interesting

so if i connected a wire onto the Black wire coming from the Loom will it get rid of the 'dimming' ?

I'm missing an Earth wire on the Grey K10 but not on the Red but they both Dim.

I'll replace that Earth wire and see what happens, probably nothing

The only way I got mine to stop dimming was to get e-marked LED bulbs on the brake/ tail lights

Snap! But ours still dims.....:doh:

 

[Arnold]

Mine Dim

 

[joesouthgate]

my ones used to dim aswell

 

[ollyc98]

Led Bulbs!!!!

 

[frank]

Led Bulbs!!!!

good idea that olly , there,ll be a far smaller voltage drop with led bulbs

 

[ollyc98]

I've had mine in for 6 months and one MOT no problem, you only need to change brake and tail lights (one bulb per side) Mine came from ring automotive

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prism-360-Degree-380-Red-Led-Stop-Tail-Brake-Light-Bulb_W0QQitemZ190250130507QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190250130507&_trkparms=39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A2|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[frank]

if it,s the hazzards dimming the tail bulbs, then 2 led indicator bulbs should sort it

 

[ollyc98]

But then you have the system thinking a bulb has gone, easier to replace the other bulbs

 

[frank]

olly

the might cause the flasher unit to run at a different rate, but they would cause less voltage drop on the tail lights

 

[ollyc98]

But then the car will fail cos the flasher is goin too quick, you can fix that with a ballast resistor but then you are back to square one.

 

[frank]

olly

with normal front bulbs, i think it would only be slightly faster.
or you could ballast the front bulbs only ?

 

[ollyc98]

Yeah that probably would work but I know doin the other bulbs definitely works so it would save time and money if your idea doesnt work

 

[frank]

olly

i beg to differ, the voltage drop is caused by the draw of the 42w of the 2 rear flasher bulbs on the rear loom, that,s where the led,s would lower the amperage

 

[ollyc98]

But the other bulbs would be less affected by voltage drop cos they'd be LED. Personally I would stick an 8 gauge earth wire on the cluster lol

 

[frank]

olly

i see your point

 

[quickdraw]

to be honest, going on about the LED stuff is not the way forward, yes it is a fix but not a resolve.

alllllll K10's i have seen and had the rear lights dim slightly, and it is simply due to the power supply running to the rear lights taking load when the hazards flash, i have had 28 k10's and every one of them has done it,

aslong as the lights do not go out, non visible it should not affect an MOT.

i personally would pop into another MOT station and ask the question

just simply say, can someone just have a look please, they will be more than happy to help im sure

but you will find that it is purely down to the fact that the k10 is not earthed properly throughout

there is an earth inside the boot frame, bottom left as you look into the boot

make sure this is still intact and not corroded etc, also check were the earth comes from the battery straight onto the body work of the inner leg, this rusts up quite bad and i have found that this stops alot of earthing issues also

you might find the exhaust earth snapped too should be one from the heat shield to the front cross member

 

[ollyc98]

My exhaust earth snapped, I figured it was still earthed off the engine so all good

 

[Micra 110]

Thanks for your input everyone (Y)

Just hope the MOT place will agree with the findings.

 

[dock10]

mine dim

 

[john279]

My car failed the MOT on a few things. One being that the rear lights tend to 'dim' slightly when the Hazards are flashing.

I've checked the lights on 2 of my Micra's and they both do exactly the same thing which is 'Dim' slightly

So now I need you to do something for me please.

What i need you do is actually take the Bulb and Holder from the Rear cluster, switch on the Hazards and sidelights (1st notch) and have a look closely at the Bulb and I want you to give me a definitive answer.

Does it DIM?

YES or NO?

If after viewing the results I see that the Majority 'DIM' when the Hazards flash then I will be printing them off and taking the results down to the Testing station.

Hope you put some input into this as I might be able to get the fail changed.

Thanks in advance

I don't believe this, I think my Micra has just failed on the same thing !!!!!!!

Was put down as "rear position lamps adversely affected by operation of another lamp".

When I checked rear lights afterwards, I could not see sidelights being affected by hazards/indicators in any way !!!!
.

 

[Ed]

Perhaps have a moan to VOSA. As im sure this is quite normal on a K10.

 

[john279]

Possible explanation -knackered battery

Perhaps have a moan to VOSA. As im sure this is quite normal on a K10.

I thought about that, thought here we go, someone else has been failed on this & thinks it may be wrong, thought maybe MOT tester was being picky.

He spent whole half hour tapping with small hammer under my car looking for corrosion !!

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Then I thought about it & realised there may be another explanation.

My old battery was knackered, got a 2nd hand battery from scrapyard to get by, as I was changing headgasket & not sure of outcome.

When I finished headgasket, went for test drive, stopped in garage, left headlights on for 5 min. Went back to car, battery was flat, car would not start, starter solenoid was clicking (that's what it does when battery is flat).

So the 2nd replacement battery was flat, even though I had charged it overnight with charger previous week.

So my 2nd battery that was in car at MOT is almost certainly knackered.

In fact during MOT I heard the starter solenoid click few times at one point, as if battery was almost flat, maybe after they had headlights on & were starting/stopping car. The car did start & they completed MOT, but maybe it was close that battery was flat & car might not have started.

So if battery was almost flat during testing of rear lights, maybe the rear lights would flash with the indicators/hazards giving the failure "rear position lamps adversely affected by operation of another lamp"

You don't really want a flat battery during MOT, as I think MOT could not be completed & would be abandoned.

I don't think battery is tested directly in MOT, but knackered/faulty battery could cause other faults in lights/electrical system.
.

 

[Micra 110]

Surely the MOT tester should've stopped when realising the Battery was flat? But then again greed drives the stupid.....

If you do get another Battery check the Earth wire just inside the Boot on the left hand side behind the rear light, that might be corroded.

I'd like to see an Indicator on an old Austin light up when other lights are on, I bet it's less than candle power....I think VOSA expect TOOO much sometimes that it takes the wee.

 

[john279]

Surely the MOT tester should've stopped when realising the Battery was flat? But then again greed drives the stupid.....

If you do get another Battery check the Earth wire just inside the Boot on the left hand side behind the rear light, that might be corroded.

I'd like to see an Indicator on an old Austin light up when other lights are on, I bet it's less than candle power....I think VOSA expect TOOO much sometimes that it takes the wee.

It was only at one point during MOT, that starter solenoid clicked few times, before it started.

You wouldn't obviously know battery was flat from that, you might just think it's general problem starting.
Also battery recovers charge or gets charged at other times, so problem may not reoccur.

I know that clicking starter solenoid indicates flat battery as I have had it before, my alternator failed, with battery going flat, could not start car got clicking starter solenoid, left car for 1 hour when battery recovered charge enough to start car, drove on with lights which drained battery, stopped car, could not start as battery flat again, got clicking starter solenoid & so on.
.