240 DL 1986 Warning Light Electrical Issue

godfather835 · Post by **godfather835** » 23 Apr 2009, 22:52

As I was driving down the freeway, all the warning lights in the cluster went on (bulb failure, brake failure, low oil, alternator, etc..) They then flickered off, but came back on intermittenly for a while. Would anyone know where this fault may be coming from? My only thought is that the wiring harness, which is in pretty lousy condition, may have got shifted around when I changed the oil a couple days ago and had wires touch. Any ideas?

Post by **billofdurham** » 24 Apr 2009, 11:33

It may well be the wiring harness which is prone to disintegration on these models but another cause may be a worn electrical portion on the ignition switch.

When you turn the ignition to the start position can you turn it just a little bit further? If you can the spring in the switch has weakened. This can cause havoc with warning lights and electrical units not working as advertised.

Bill.

godfather835 · Post by **godfather835** » 26 Apr 2009, 22:20

Yeah, i'm pretty sure its the wiring harness. Tested the ignition switch, and its not the problem. So I looked at the harness in more detail, and the insulation on most of the wires is ruined. Multiple wires are touching eachother, and when I tested it today, the injectors began to misfire as well. Looks like the brick will be sitting on the sidelines until i put a new harness in...

Post by **billofdurham** » 27 Apr 2009, 14:31

Unfortunate but a common problem on '83 to '87 series 2 and 7.

This gives some insight and how to tackle the repair:

http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/ ... ine_Wiring

Bill.