Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: terry paget on 08 July 2014, 20:36:29

Title: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 08 July 2014, 20:36:29
OE03 EWW 3.2 petrol manual police saloon
In the lower display panel (upper displays date, time and temperature) a lamp facing left comes on with ignition turned on, then after a few seconds it goes off, and stays off . I start the engine, it stays off. Then I reverse the car 5 yards out of the garage, and the light comes on. This performance is repeatable.

I used to think this meant a failed stop light bulb, but both bulbs are on. I have changed both bulbs, cleaned up both both bulb holders. Fault remains.

What could it be?
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: Omegatoy on 08 July 2014, 20:55:39
bulb out in reverse lamp? :o
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 08 July 2014, 21:28:49
Sadly, no. Both reversing bulbs OK. Number plate bulb OK too.i
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 08 July 2014, 21:40:55
Reading my car handbook (old rule, if all else fails read the handbook) it looks like it could be the headlight automatic levelling system. I recently changed the nearside wishbone, to which is attached the self levelling sensor. I wonder if it has come adrift.
 
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: chrisgixer on 08 July 2014, 22:04:55
Halfords bulbs? Or a bulb that doesn't fit or is tight in the holder?

Had this on my old cdx, as did several other members at the time. Stop using Halfords bulbs. No more problem.

Suspect you have a slight flickering or bad connection with the bulbs or in that circuit somewhere.
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: 05omegav6 on 08 July 2014, 22:06:03
Plods only have two lights in that display iirc, one is brake pads, tother is headlight leveling so your probably onto summat :y
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: chrisgixer on 08 July 2014, 22:11:38
Ah, thought we where talking headlight tail light. :(
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: 05omegav6 on 08 July 2014, 22:35:38
Ah, thought we where talking headlight tail light. :(
If you're lucky the basic TID only shows time, temp and radio station (if fitted) ;D
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 09 July 2014, 07:57:56
It was the wishbone height sensor. The operating arm had fallen out of the switch body. I have popped it back in, and now the fault has gone. Of course it will fall out again. Can I glue it in? Or should I just buy a new sensor?
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: chrisgixer on 09 July 2014, 08:13:30
No it's supposed to rise and fall with the suspension, and therefor turn in the sensor body, hence its sees the movement and adjusts the headlights accordingly.

...although that would stop the fault showing ;D then again, the lights won't adjust as designed, if the boot is full for example, you'll be blinding everyone. Its bad enough with normal headlights miss aligned, but hids are way too bright for that.
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 09 July 2014, 09:00:02
Thanks Chris. I appreciate what the sensor does. I don't know how it works. The end of the arm attached to the wishbone is a disc a bit like a chocolate Smartie but smaller, which pops into a matching cavity in the sensor body. Mine now pops out again.

I imagine the cavity is a cylinder that rotates in the body of the switch, moving a carbon track resistor and thus advising the electronics where the suspension is. If I am right, then gluing it in should work. Perhaps I could wedge it in. If all else fails I buy a new sensor.
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: 05omegav6 on 09 July 2014, 12:08:11
Glue it carefully, but do it soonest, else you'll be wanting a new sensor :y
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: Entwood on 09 July 2014, 16:43:25
Strategically placed cable tie can often hold the little bugger in whilst still allowing full and free movement .. :)
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 10 July 2014, 18:37:47
Thanks for advice gentlemen. I have stuck it in with Loctite super glue, and it's still there after one day's motoring. If it fails, I shall try a cable tie. Now you mention that, entwood, I think I saw a cable tie holding the arm on the sensor on JAP188. car I bought in May.
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: terry paget on 13 July 2014, 16:36:51
Thanks chaps, all seems to be well now. I have done 200 miles since gluing the arm into place and the lights is remaining off. I raisd the wishbone to central position before gluing it in, and hope this was correct.
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: TheBoy on 13 July 2014, 18:51:39
Sorry, late to this, but the warning is the Fld/Vision warning that MIDs/GIDs and CIDs show, and nought to do with stop lights (TID equipped cars lack Check Control, so do not monitor and bulb).

So it has HIDs and a TID, thus ex plod :)
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: Linixs on 14 July 2014, 17:02:08
I have a brake light warning light come on every now and then. It would of failed its MOT at kwik fit but I paid £5 for new bulb if they fitted it, it would pass MOT.. umm.
So did it and 2 days later warning light on again.. if I press the brake fairly hard the light goes out and stays out for a few days before warning me again.. so I was thinking about the brake light switch ,seems as all 3 brake lights work..
I could be wrong but gotta be worth a check?
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: TheBoy on 14 July 2014, 17:30:55
I have a brake light warning light come on every now and then. It would of failed its MOT at kwik fit but I paid £5 for new bulb if they fitted it, it would pass MOT.. umm.
So did it and 2 days later warning light on again.. if I press the brake fairly hard the light goes out and stays out for a few days before warning me again.. so I was thinking about the brake light switch ,seems as all 3 brake lights work..
I could be wrong but gotta be worth a check?
Better quality bulbs may help, but also clean up the bulb holders :y
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: Linixs on 14 July 2014, 17:44:33
Yeah tried that before the mot.. the bulb that was in it was working if I pressed the pedal.. yet warning light would still come on.. just didn't work on mot day.. go figger.
Bought new one still the same..
I had cleaned it all before the mot just to make sure..
the bulbs are probably all made in some factory somewhere and sold to different companies who put there own packaging on it and sell it to us..
You could pay £0.99p for a bulb or £5.99p. For another but inside the pack could be identical bulbs.. how would we be able to tell?
Title: Re: stop light warning light mystery
Post by: TheBoy on 14 July 2014, 18:09:17
GM bulbs are known to be good. Personally, Hellfrauds bulbs now work OK for me, though never used to a few years ago, bringing on the check control warnings.