Indicator bulb gone?

[chrisBoid]

A few days ago, when indicating right the indicator light in the car flashes at double speed and on further inspection of the light unit, the front drivers side indicator no longer flashes but the side light flashes instead (as indicated in attached picture).

Does this mean the indicator bulb has gone?  Or has the wiring paddled up a certain creek?

I assume the bulbs can be found at the nearest Halfords?

Is it by design that the sidelight flashes instead?

Oh and Merry Christmas!

Thanks

Chris.

[chrisBoid]

Boosting this thread up the list in an attempt to get an answer.  Posting on Boxing day may not have been a good idea - not many people around to see it!

[GaryS]

Have you tried actually removing the indicator bulb to see if it has gone ?

[MikeLMR]

I would check the earth and the wiring on that light ... a bad earth can cause all sorts of weird effects !

[chrisBoid]

Removed the indicator bulb, cold not visually decide if the bulb had gone.  
Put the working passenger side indicator bulb into the drivers side bulb, no joy, returned it to passenger side, but it stopped working
Tried the drivers side sidelight bulb in the drivers side indicator lamp, didn\'t work and upon putting back into sidelight lamp-didn\'t work

Trip to Halfords to buy various quantities of new bulbs of the following specifications: -

Sidelight/parking bulb : 12V 21W
Indicator bulb : 21V 10W

Discovered that the sidelight bulbs they sell are too big to fit behind casing (the glass bit of the bulb is too bulbous ), had to settle with 12V 10W bulbs all round.  Sidelight is noticeably dimmer though (obviously!).

Now when the sidelights are on, the sidelight and indicator lamps are on.
When I indicate right, the indicator and sidelight flash >sigh< :confused:

Had a look for the fuses related to the lights but could not find them.  Will get it checked out by a garage in the know.  

Perhaps they can dig up some correct Wattage bulbs that will fit too...

[grinder]

im would look at a bad earth aswell - its sounds like it

i had the same problem on an astra and an escort !

check the wires at the back of the lights and see if they share an earth wire , if so make sure it is well earthed to the body

thanks

stu

[chrisBoid]

I had heard that it could be the earth before, thing is I know very little about wiring and getting to the lights is a bit of a pain.  But what I could see was a wire bolted onto the body - but it and the surrounding area was quite rusty - could that be the source of my problem?

[grinder]

that could be the culprit !

remove the bolt , get a screwdriver or file and remove the rust,paint from around the bolt

put bolt back in

the bolt needs contact with the body , and the rust and paint will make it a bad connection

try it and see what happens - it cant make it worse put it that way !!

[chrisBoid]

Cleaned the rust away from the bolt and bodywork etc around the earth connection, but unfortunately it didn\'t cure it It didn\'t make it any worse though

I will open up more of the car around the lights and try and spot any other culprit, as the earth wire was all I could get to without much effort.