Bad Earth???

[Purple AK]

Sean. Sounds like a high resistance in the ign fed positive side if you can make it go away by powering from another source. Either (and would have thought others would have the same problem) the cable is not man enough that feeds the ign circuits of the fuse box. OR Are you still using the original Sierra Ign Switch? If so the Ford connector on the short loom of switch wires are renowned for the connectors breaking down! Worth a wiggle

[GUMBALL]

Chris,

Not using the Sierra switch but an original Lucas one - just doing some tests around here as it is possible that may be the problem. Either way, I'm getting closer to a fix hopefully!

I agree with you regarding others would be having the same problem - if they have noticed would be another matter, as I didn't!

Sean

[GUMBALL]

Ignition switch seems fine -

So I'm assuming it's the feed to the ignition switch as putting in a heavy duty cable in place of the thin cables supplied as part of the loom makes no difference either.

Strangely enough (or maybe not so) with all this unconnecting and reconnecting of wires the situation seems to have improved to the extent that it is hardly noticeable.
I'm now wondering if it was just some light corrosion on some terminals as I haven't been using the car anywhere near as much as I should over the winter???

Is that likely?

Do we have a "pulling hair out" smiley???

Sean

[Purple AK]

Light corrosion or maybe a dodgy crimp is certainly a possibility.

Best I can manage on the smiley

[Neil O]

Sean, sounds like you've nearly fixed it anyway, but.....
if you get hold of a battery conditioner/charger, you could do your testing with it connected to the battery instead of running the car.
Assuming you're not checking the charging sid eof course.

[GUMBALL]

Thanks Neil, good idea!

Anyway - I have now bypassed everything with heavier cable to eliminate EVERYTHING.

and put it all back as it was and it seems to be near as damn it perfect.

Now, if I turn the lights off in the garage, close the garage doors, so it is pitch black in the garage, I can't see any dimming of the brake lights at all. But if I cup my hands around the tail light and put my eye up against my hands (I know some of you are laughing at this image!) I can very faintly see a very very slight flicker at the beginning of each click of the indicator (I think emphasized in my head by the clicking noise making me think it is dimming also).

So, I think that's good enough for me. As I have now eliminated everything I think I can say that it is normal and it must have been a poor connection somewhere in the system that I have found without realising it.

Thanks to all those that helped.

Roll on evening driving around LeMans!!!

Sean

[Purple AK]

You can be the Pace Car with all your lights flashing at once

[GUMBALL]

In that case I'd better put some dirt back in all the terminals!