Electrical gremlins - indicator/headlight flash

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thomasbrown92
Joined: Tue 05 Feb, 2013 18:55
Posts: 36

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: South Shields

Electrical gremlins - indicator/headlight flash

Post by thomasbrown92 »

Hi folks - hope you're all keeping safe and well!

Been suffering with some electrical gremlins over last couple of months. Originally it seemed to be quite sporadic and the symptoms were under normal engine load, the ignition would momentarily cut out as if stalling for a split second, but come straight back to life. Last winter, I had some mice nesting in the crevices of the intake manifold, so am worried there could be some nibbled wiring at play!

After the car had been away for a number of weeks being seen to for a separate issue (though I did reference this intermittent problem) I was driving the car home (25 miles) and noticed that this problem was happening more frequently, but also when I was using indicators or flashing headlights to let people in/out (call me knight of the road...) not on every use, but this is when the problem was becoming apparent.

I sat with the car running on the drive and the main headlight and hazard light functions seem to be unaffected, so by layman's diagnosis I seem to have narrowed down to the wiring/switching behind the left-hand steering column stalk.

Has anybody experienced anything similar?

Anybody know how to check this wiring or how to get to the steering column?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Tom
Tom
2001 BMW Z3 2.2 Hellrot Red
2018 BMW 420d M Sport Gran Coupé [F36] Black Sapphire Metallic
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Electrical gremlins - indicator/headlight flash

Post by Gazza »

I had cutting out issues as described on my Z4, it was a loose negative battery connection.
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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thomasbrown92
Joined: Tue 05 Feb, 2013 18:55
Posts: 36

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: South Shields

Re: Electrical gremlins - indicator/headlight flash

Post by thomasbrown92 »

Gazza wrote: Mon 05 Oct, 2020 20:40 I had cutting out issues as described on my Z4, it was a loose negative battery connection.
Problem solved!! (I think...) your reply prompted me to check mine and both + & - were slack!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tom
Tom
2001 BMW Z3 2.2 Hellrot Red
2018 BMW 420d M Sport Gran Coupé [F36] Black Sapphire Metallic
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