Z20 Soarer night-time corner indicator replacement

**gz20tt** · 17-01-2006, 12:10 PM

Hi guys,
I've been getting the "Lights" warning for a while and I spent ages trying to chase down which globe was out. The warning light would only come up when I flicked the parking lights switch on - so I knew it wasn't one of the regular indicator/stop lights.

I checked each of the parking/brake lights too and they were fine.

I finally chased it down to the corner lights.
When you have your headlights on and you hit your indicators - there is a little light that comes on and illuminates the inside corner where you're turning - to help you see if there is anything in that blind spot.

Anyway - my question is this - it's not a regular incandescent globe - but it doesn't look like an LED - so WTF is it - and any idea where I can find a replacement?

If you need to look - it is wired in as part of the main front light cluster - a unti completely covered in plastic, with a flattened "front" that looks like it's made up of small cells - like a beehive - quites small in diameter - like a pencil.

Can anyone help?

Frankie

**ndgcpr** · 17-01-2006, 12:35 PM

2 things

1. can you take a pic? it isn't a wedge bulb or something?

2. Soarers are nutorious for having the lights warning light come on. mine has it all the time. however mine is not "lights", but states "rear lights". the problem is is that there is a little sensor which measures the amount of current. when this current falls below a set limit it turns on the warning light. mine comes on due to errosion in the light sockets causeing less current to flow and the warnig linght to come on. i would either live with the light warning or pull the bulb out on the dash (or short the computer if you can find it). FIXING THE CORNER BULB WILL NOT FIX THE PRBOLEM!!!! due to the fact that the corner bulb is not on all the time but your warnign light is.

**ndgcpr** · 17-01-2006, 12:41 PM

i am also 99% sure that the warning is only to do with the rear lights. you could pull them out and clean up the corrosion on the holders and that should also fix the problem, until it corrods again

**Admiral coFF33** · 17-01-2006, 02:12 PM

mine isnt corroded at all and i have the lights msg on the dash when i turn my lights on ..

i think it comes on to just tell you that you have your lights on ... coz every single one of my globes on the car is 100% perfect ..

**gz20tt** · 18-01-2006, 11:25 AM

Actually, in all the time I've had a Z20 (8+ years and I'm on to number 2) my warning light only ever came on with a bung globe (indicators and all) - it even showed up when the aftermarket high-mount stoplight I installed blew a globe. Every time I replaced a globe it would then go off with no problem.

I'll see if I can take some photo's of the offending light tonight.
I forgot to mention - when I was checking my lights - I found that the corner light on the other side was lighting up - which led me to beleive that the non-lighting one was causing the warning light to come on.

Frankie

**rvrolla** · 18-01-2006, 03:46 PM

Allot of Cressida guys get this problem also. Apparently if the bulb is the wring wattage it can cause this also. I have never had the problem on my Cressida or my old MZ20, as mentioned above, the only time I did was because the bulb was gone. Having said that, a mates MZ20 always has the warning light on as did another mates MX73! Even after replacing almost every bulb and ensuring every one was working.

Cheap trick, remove instrument cluster and remove bulb for offending warning

**ndgcpr** · 18-01-2006, 08:41 PM

Like i said, it has to do with the amount of current flowing through, so lower wattage bulbs will draw less current. As a basic math sum say you have 4 lights which pull 10W each. the sensor will sense 40W and 30W if a bulb blows. Change all you bulbs to 8W and you are pulling 32W which is close to one bulb blown, so it throws and error.

Originally Posted by gz20tt

it even showed up when the aftermarket high-mount stoplight I installed blew a globe.

This extra light will add to the current draw, its expecting 40W and you added another 10W so it is way over the threshold. The wiring has got some added resistance somewhere so when you "extra" light blows, your car has the same number of lights as your friends car and the warnign light comes on. hence why his light is on all the time.

I think you will find this setup if flawed and thats why the cressida's have it too. I would go as far to say that any make that has this sort of setup, there will be a majority of people who have had this problem.

EDIT: woops sorry it wasn't you mates it was rvrolla's