I've just had my MOT on my 2004 Micra K-12 and it failed on the left indicator tell tale light. The indicators themselves are fine and all the other lights on the dash are fine but this one is out. After expressing disbelief that it could be failed on something so minor (particularly since they passed it in the same state for the last two years), I asked the garage if they could fix it. They said it was likely to be a fuse and they'd check but when they did they couldn't find it under the bonnet. They said there was likely to be another fuse box inside and I should check it myself. I've now checked the fuse box next to the steering wheel and the one next to the battery and the indicator tell tale isn't listed on either of them. The manual doesn't list any other locations for fuses but is it somewhere else in the car?
Indicator tell tale light on dashboard dead
- Thread starter ninebelow
- Start date
Dragonmaster_uk
K12 NUTTER
are they serious ?!!! failing it on one blown dash bulb thats petty an i wouldn`t think it legal an advisory maybe but definately wouldn`t have thought it a fail
back onto your problem though i`m not sure what it would be but i`ll have a look at the nissan service manual and see if i can shed any light onto if the bulbs replacable etc
with it being just the one bulb tho i wouldn`t hold up too much hope
might be worth looking into a new set of dials if this is the case which style do you have fitted
back onto your problem though i`m not sure what it would be but i`ll have a look at the nissan service manual and see if i can shed any light onto if the bulbs replacable etc
with it being just the one bulb tho i wouldn`t hold up too much hope
might be worth looking into a new set of dials if this is the case which style do you have fitted
So if there isn't a separate fuse and the other tell tales are working fine then it isn't the fuse. Perhaps the loose connection Eliot mention.
I thought about a blown bulb too. Unfortunately the facia is sealed in modern Micras so there's no way I can get at it, the owner's manual doesn't even mention the possibility. I rang my local Nissan dealership to ask whether they could fix it or advise and they said they'd have to take the whole dashboard off (at a cost of £90) just to look at it.
The dead tell tale doesn't effect the safety or road worthiness of the vehicle, it seems I just got a tester in a bad mood. Is it worth going to a different garage and gambling on it passing as is? It'd certainly be cheaper than taking it to the dealership.
I thought about a blown bulb too. Unfortunately the facia is sealed in modern Micras so there's no way I can get at it, the owner's manual doesn't even mention the possibility. I rang my local Nissan dealership to ask whether they could fix it or advise and they said they'd have to take the whole dashboard off (at a cost of £90) just to look at it.
The dead tell tale doesn't effect the safety or road worthiness of the vehicle, it seems I just got a tester in a bad mood. Is it worth going to a different garage and gambling on it passing as is? It'd certainly be cheaper than taking it to the dealership.
Shaun
***StaGGeRed***
Dragonmaster_uk
K12 NUTTER
The dials do come out quite easily and there is some bulbs on the back of them however i'm not sure which ones i'm on my phone atm but i will grab my laptop before i go sleep for the night an do a quick guide for removal
I'd agree with k12fixer. We have had to send the dial unit out to have it fixed on a few K12s.
Main beam warning not working is a fail. Indicator warning not working is not a failure.
Main beam warning not working is a fail. Indicator warning not working is not a failure.
More info as to fail or not read from this link, http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/c...nualsandguides/mottestingmanualsandguides.htm, sellect, Inspection Manual for Classes 3, 4, 5 and 7 Vehicles, then next page at the top, followed by section 1, then 1.4, you will see that the MOT tester check that by Operate the left and right direction indicators in turn and check: a. the driver’s ‘tell tale’ warning device for presence and operation.
So is that a visual tell tale or audible one?
So is that a visual tell tale or audible one?
I agree with k12fixer I downloader the MOT spec and it states "Direction indicator ‘tell tales’may be audible or visual.
the Spec does not ask for both so if the audible one is working it should be a pass in my opinion!
On the the hazard tell tale the spec does ask for a light and if one tell tale light is working as is normally the case then I believe it has met the requirements
However reading all the posts about this common fault and the fact it appeared to cost a few £hundreds to get a new dial unit I was ready to have a battle with the MOT tester. Then I had an epiphany, I thought lets see if I can have a go at fixing it. (Spurred on by the problems of compatibility and the new milage display issues with fitting a whole new dial unit seen in other posts)
My micra is a 53 plate K12 (my daughter's low insurance run around and to be honest I thought my days of fixing cars had gone but my teenagers changed that mis conception )
Reading the posts most people have a problem with the left dash indicator aka tell tale dash light (usually at MOT time) therefore I was reasonably sure it would be a circuit fault rather than just a bulb (if a bulb fault was the root cause then my guess is you would have mix of posts - 50/50 right and left).
I took the dash apart (actually not too tricky and didnt take long with haynes manual) and the bulb was fine so it was the circuit that was dead as suspected. So what next ?- further take the dial unit apart and try to trace for a broken circuit or component - that may be possible but I was not up for it. So I had a John Wayne/ Clint Eastwood Idea: - the actual external left indicator still works all I need to do was get this signal to the dash and bingo. - The automotive engineers among you please dont judge this isnt going to be pretty
So I removed the indicator light from the side of the front wing (simple to lever this out) and it exposed 2 wires - I then used those "tap in" connectors (the ones you squash with pliers) to run 2 new wires back that effectively would allow me to put a new bulb in parallel behind the dash. The route of these wires was in through a hole in the wing into the engine compartment then in through a grommet used for existing wiring in the bulk head and hey presto you are virtually at the back of the dash - you can easily see it all when you have taken the dash to bits (really its not too tricky). (I used a bit of stiff garden wire to act like a needle with the electrical wire temporarily attached to it to thread it through these tight spaces)
Then solder your existing bulb from the dash board that is probably still working (with 2 bulb terminals exposed) to the end of these 2 wires - you could get a different bulb if needed. Note - You cant then put this modified original bulb back in the original hole as you would now get a short and damage your dash circuits unless you insulate the bulb so that it does not contact the dash circuits/electronics. I did this simply with some electrical tape at the side of the hole in the dash (covering the copper tracks) and further modified how the bulb went into the hole so that it nicely located but did not make contact with the copper tracks around the edge of the hole in the circuit board. I am sure there must be other ways of lodging the bulb in place given a bit of time and effort.
My 2 wires were simple bell wire so enough resistance to limit current flow and I also put an in line fuse in place in the positive wire just in case and used electrical tape to secure the wiring to existing looms (yeehaa ) Disconnect battery for safety before starting any of this work
Finally test that the bulb works then re-assemble the dash board - all sorted and only took me about an hour even with a few mistakes - the next day it passed like a dream without a fight or a big bill
No guarantees but I hope this helps someone and saves the expense of a new unit - this is pay back for all the hints and tips I have relied on over the years on this and other forums
This MOT failure was a result of taking the car to a council garage that now offers MOTs to the public - big mistake - despite the dream that they would be impartial and not trying to upsell lots of repair work - as soon as it failed on a combination of minor/debateable issues they quickly quoted for the repair work
Next time its back to a trustworthy garage that has a sensible relationship with the MOT test station
the Spec does not ask for both so if the audible one is working it should be a pass in my opinion!
On the the hazard tell tale the spec does ask for a light and if one tell tale light is working as is normally the case then I believe it has met the requirements
However reading all the posts about this common fault and the fact it appeared to cost a few £hundreds to get a new dial unit I was ready to have a battle with the MOT tester. Then I had an epiphany, I thought lets see if I can have a go at fixing it. (Spurred on by the problems of compatibility and the new milage display issues with fitting a whole new dial unit seen in other posts)
My micra is a 53 plate K12 (my daughter's low insurance run around and to be honest I thought my days of fixing cars had gone but my teenagers changed that mis conception
)Reading the posts most people have a problem with the left dash indicator aka tell tale dash light (usually at MOT time) therefore I was reasonably sure it would be a circuit fault rather than just a bulb (if a bulb fault was the root cause then my guess is you would have mix of posts - 50/50 right and left).
I took the dash apart (actually not too tricky and didnt take long with haynes manual) and the bulb was fine so it was the circuit that was dead as suspected. So what next ?- further take the dial unit apart and try to trace for a broken circuit or component - that may be possible but I was not up for it. So I had a John Wayne/ Clint Eastwood Idea: - the actual external left indicator still works all I need to do was get this signal to the dash and bingo. - The automotive engineers among you please dont judge this isnt going to be pretty
So I removed the indicator light from the side of the front wing (simple to lever this out) and it exposed 2 wires - I then used those "tap in" connectors (the ones you squash with pliers) to run 2 new wires back that effectively would allow me to put a new bulb in parallel behind the dash. The route of these wires was in through a hole in the wing into the engine compartment then in through a grommet used for existing wiring in the bulk head and hey presto you are virtually at the back of the dash - you can easily see it all when you have taken the dash to bits (really its not too tricky). (I used a bit of stiff garden wire to act like a needle with the electrical wire temporarily attached to it to thread it through these tight spaces)
Then solder your existing bulb from the dash board that is probably still working (with 2 bulb terminals exposed) to the end of these 2 wires - you could get a different bulb if needed. Note - You cant then put this modified original bulb back in the original hole as you would now get a short and damage your dash circuits unless you insulate the bulb so that it does not contact the dash circuits/electronics. I did this simply with some electrical tape at the side of the hole in the dash (covering the copper tracks) and further modified how the bulb went into the hole so that it nicely located but did not make contact with the copper tracks around the edge of the hole in the circuit board. I am sure there must be other ways of lodging the bulb in place given a bit of time and effort.
My 2 wires were simple bell wire so enough resistance to limit current flow and I also put an in line fuse in place in the positive wire just in case and used electrical tape to secure the wiring to existing looms (yeehaa
) Disconnect battery for safety before starting any of this workFinally test that the bulb works then re-assemble the dash board - all sorted and only took me about an hour even with a few mistakes - the next day it passed like a dream without a fight or a big bill
No guarantees but I hope this helps someone and saves the expense of a new unit - this is pay back for all the hints and tips I have relied on over the years on this and other forums
This MOT failure was a result of taking the car to a council garage that now offers MOTs to the public - big mistake - despite the dream that they would be impartial and not trying to upsell lots of repair work - as soon as it failed on a combination of minor/debateable issues they quickly quoted for the repair work
Next time its back to a trustworthy garage that has a sensible relationship with the MOT test station
Just an update for anyone thinking of doing this quick repair and saving the cost of a new control panel - its over a year now since I fixed this and the dash indicator is still working like a dream
Thanks to all those who contribute as you have helped me with a faulty ignition switch and a leaking rear light cluster that turned the boot into a swimming pool
Thanks to all those who contribute as you have helped me with a faulty ignition switch and a leaking rear light cluster that turned the boot into a swimming pool
Exactly same problem in the almost same spot after removing the sticker (clean with alcohol ). A small portion of the circuit was melted. I use your method and it works perfectly. I strongly believe that is a fault from the fabrication process and in the exact same spot the copper was to thin and just melted or the glue from sticker cause a short somehow but one thing is clear exact same problem multiple K12 same issues probably all caused from the melted circuit under the sticker or not...However this method is much easy to implement than completely wire the bulb to the outside of the odometer. Thank you!
Blinding - Thanks for your video and solution - My daughter's car had exactly the same problem (left indicator fault on dash clock, bulb not faulty)
I followed your method on the video - circuit had weak spot under the removed barcode sticker - and i soldered a wire to overcome exactly as you outlined. All working perfectly again. Thanks again
