LS400 Indicator chaos on dashboard

[MHT]

I just went out in the LS400 and there appears to be a gremlin present in the electrics.

Firstly, the indicators are working from the outside correctly. Move the stalk to indicate left and all outside lights work as they should.

However, on the dashboard all sorts is going on. With the headlights off indicators were displaying correctly. With them on if I indicate right the left arrow will illuminate and vice versa.

I’ve searched through the forums but all I could find were posts about total failure, normally linked to relays.

Any ideas? I’m hoping it’s some sort of anomaly caused by cold weather that will self heal!

 

[cruisermark]

Hi

Most likely or failing Battery - get the Battery checked out - if needed give a good charge and hopefully all should be well.

If the Battery is ok and you still have the symptoms then it could be damaged wiring around the right hand side boot hinge 

hope this helps

[Tinonline]

Yup Battery can cause chaos...check terminals are clean and lightly greased...top of Battery clean to prevent tracking. Recharge.

Spray wd40 on earth/ electrics to connectors near aircon pump and underneath this area where there is an earth lead bolted to a bottom bracket next to and part of fan carrier bracket...might need a clean.

[Herbie]

Disconnect/unbolt any earth connectors you can see and give them a good clean before you bolt them back up tightly. Because the whole body is the earth, if one earth path fails or goes high resistance then you can get backfeeds through other systems.

I remember being in the garage at the factory where I served my apprenticeship and one of the skip truck drivers came in to see the auto electrician and said, "Watch this". Every time he pressed the footbrake the windscreen wipers did one wipe cycle and it was traced back to a faulty earth connection.

[hockeyedwards]

Had something a little similar but not indicator related. Think it was narrowed down to dodgy connections in the boot by the hinge. Ended up taking all connections I could get my hands on apart, drowned in contact cleaner and toothbrushed lightly. Hey presto all working again...

Also might have been coincidence seeing the Battery related comments above, but the Lion Battery (big paperweight) was duff so was replaced as well.

[MHT]

Thanks for the replies. The Battery is about a year old from Lexus so hopefully is still good. The car had been sat for two weeks though so I guess it could be low, and the trip was only about 20 minutes so wouldn’t have given it much time to charge.

I’ll put it on the conditioner this week and check the earth connections as a starting point. 
 

Thanks guys. 

[Tinonline]

On 1/24/2021 at 8:41 PM, hockeyedwards said:

Had something a little similar but not indicator related. Think it was narrowed down to dodgy connections in the boot by the hinge. Ended up taking all connections I could get my hands on apart, drowned in contact cleaner and toothbrushed lightly. Hey presto all working again...

Also might have been coincidence seeing the battery related comments above, but the Lion battery (big paperweight) was duff so was replaced as well.

An auto electrician declined to visit my stranded Jag a few years back...he was fed up with attending Lion Battery failure.

I was a bit sceptical. It was a leakage of voltage and this is often caused by systems not fully shutting off that often caused issues. The Battery was mid life.

Give Eurocarparts full credit they refunded me and I bought a premium unit.
 

Problem solved.

[rich1068]

Check the alternator too for signs of damage caused a by a leaking PAS pump. I had crazy dash light behaviour a little while back due to a failing Battery which was caused by a failing alternator which in turn was caused by a failing PAS pump.

[hockeyedwards]

9 hours ago, Tinonline said:

he was fed up with attending Lion battery failure.

Amen, haha! I didn't realise mine had a Lion Battery as the labels had semi scratched off. Usually get Yuasa from Halfords as I have a trade card 😄