Help me find the right wires!

[DaveH]

I need to wire up a fog light on the back of my 207D van, but I'm not sure which wire to look for. I would like to use the standard light switch as it appears to work OK (ie. lights up when you pull it to activate the fog light). It has had a fog light at some point because there's a bracket for one. Does anyone know what colour wire I should be looking for and where?

Also, my drivers side headlamp does not work on dipped beam (sidelight and main beam are OK). It is not the bulb as I have tried swapping the right and left side bulbs, so I guess it is the wiring again. Can anyone tell me where the feed to the right and left headlights splits so I can try and trace the fault?

Hope someone can help me.

 

[Matt Crooke]

If its an aftermarket fog lamp switch, then simply remove the switch from the dashboard, note the wire coloures then trace them from there, i would imagine, if it had a lamp in the bracket before, the wires are probably lurking around there somewhere anyway.

worth a look.

 

[DaveH]

Thanks for the reply. It's the standard circular light switch on the right of the dashboard - turn once for sidelights, turn again for headlights and pull out (small orange light comes on) for foglight. I have tried to get the switch out so that I can have a look at the wires, but I have no idea how to get it out of the dashboard!

 

[Matt Crooke]

Ahh i see, im with you now. As i say, have a look around where the light used to be, to see if there is any trace of the old wires, if you have no luck there, im not sure how that switch comes out, ive got the same one in my 190, but the fog lights are built into the back light clusters, have you checked yours to see if there is a place for a fog bulb in the rear clusters at all?

 

[DaveH]

Sorry, should have said in my original post that it's an '89 F reg van (older style). These have no provision for a fog light in the rear clusters. These vans always had a separate rear fog light. I have had a look around where the bracket on the back is but couldn't see any obvious loose wires. If no-one can help I'll probably try and find another van and have a look under the back!

 

[Matt Crooke]

Andy is the man in the know on here, he will be able to let you know whats what. If you dont have any luck, then, yeah, try to have a look at another van......just dont get caught in Tesco's car park doing it, as it may be a bit embarassing!!!!!!

Good luck!

 

[DaveH]

Just bringing this back to the top. I partly dismantled the dashboard last night to try and trace the correct wires but I couldn't get the light switch out. I have been told that the bit you turn just pulls off to reveal a nut, which when undone allows you to withdraw the switch from behind the dashboard. Can anyone verify if this is true? It seemed very reluctant to come off to me and I don't want to break it. I think it is the same type of switch as used in Mercedes cars of the same period. It is round and from left to right has two parking light positions, the off position (straight up), sidelights, then headlights, and pull it out to switch on the foglight (orange light in middle of switch lights up). I hope it is as simple as I've been led to believe.

 

[DaveH]

OK, problems solved. Thanks Matt for your input.  I found a short length of wire coming out of the chassis rail where the rear light wires come out. It turned out to be the fog light wire so I have now fitted my foglight successfully.

The feed for the headlights splits at the fuse board. I turned out to be a bad connection for the driver side dipped beam fuse. Although the fuse looked OK, I replaced it and cleaned up the connections and the headlight is now working OK. I am a few steps closer to my MOT now! Just got to get the horn working, fit the seatbelts, weld a small patch, replace a handbrake cable, refit the exhaust downpipe . . . .

Oh, and the knob for the light switch does just pull off (I prised it off with a screwdriver).

 

[Matt Crooke]

Dave,

Glad youve got the problem sorted now...time to start on the others i see!

Good luck!

cheers