Folks, I seem to have a ghost warning light in my series 1 156 that indicates I have a blown bulb somewhere, yet I have checked them all and they seem to be working fine. Same happened a few months ago, and warning light went off on its own after a couple of days. Any ideas?
I bet is the number plate globes that is your Casper. Or you have a broken filament in one or more of your globes that is landing on the stem again intermittently. I stand to be corrected, but I don't believe it needs to be switched on to to register on the canbus. Turn the lights on and give them each a wriggle, maybe loose or corroded wiring at the bulb holder or connector. Are any of them dimmer than the rest? Maybe it came on because an idea popped up in your head ;)
Cheers, will give it a go. Actually never thought to check the number plate globes.
Number plate lights get you every time. Had a mate swap in canbus compliant led tail lights on his BMW which kept coming up with a globe failure warning. After filling a mini skip full of a weeks worth of swearing it was the damn number plate globe.
Thank you Jesus ...
my 147 shows a rhs front side light warning every now and then, and bulbs are fine. It's an alfa, gotta luv em!
I think the series 1, [97-2002] 156 had conventional wiring and the series 2, [2002-2004] had the canbus wiring system, first introduced in the series 1, 147, pull the number plate lights out and give them a clean, as they live outside the car with all the weather.
The number plate globe holders, pull down on one side, sometimes they automatically fall out by themselves, clever little buggars.
The canbus wiring system saved weight by eliminating about 6 kilometres of wires, the way it works, [or doesn't], the switch sends a signal to the computer, say drivers window down, and the computer directs power to the drivers window electric motor, Colin.
thanks all.
ET that's the small Parker globe, same here. Its a bitch to get to and I found it must be made of unobtainium, considering its cost. Wouldn't surprise me if the wiring to it is a little loose due to its location.
Col, if there's no canbus on poo's 156, how is he getting a globe out warning?
Poobah, definitely a series 1?
My series 1 telltale light comes on every time I indicate left and then goes out when I put my foot on the brake, and all this only when the headlights are turned off, no drama when headlights are on. All lights and indicators are functioning perfectly, it's just the car itself that doesn't think so. It wouldn't be an Alfa if it didn't have some kind of electrical gremlin
Definitely a series 1, though its a late 2001 build, so right at the end of the line. Parking lights and number plate globes are working but I haven't jiggled or pulled anything out yet to see if that's the cause.
Save your jiggling and pulling for the bedroom thanks ::)
Seems you're not alone with this one Poobah?
I've got a garage full of swear words at moment with my spider, but I'll leave that for my thread on the issue, hopefully with a resolution this weekend.
Actually, before you get jiggy wit it, I'd wait until the next ghost warning and see if any globes are dimmer than the rest. Logic would suggest the warning would come on when it's occurring? Or see if you have someone nearby with multiecuscan to check error codes?
Just had another thought with Col's advice. Being conventional wiring, it could also be a loose or corroded earth for the light wiring? In any case, unless you fluke it, considering all possibilities you could be in for filling a few bags of swear words yourself.
Cheers for the additional thoughts. I will warn the neighbours to keep doors and windows closed. After several hours, no doubt I will end up saying F@*k it! and wait for it to disappear of its own volition!
The series 1 - 156 had conventional wiring, but has warning lights for blown globes, sometimes if the wrong wattage globes are fitted they will throw up an error.
I fitted non canbus LED globes to my canbus 156 and had the blown globe warning light come up as the LED's don't drain as much power as conventional globes.
The Rev counters in the 156's can be a problem as if they go bad they can throw up errors and or short out and send your battery flat as thats where the globe blown warning light is, Colin.
Well, the.mystery is solved. It is actually a dud parking light, which must have been on the way out and has now blown. I will now turn to col's prior thread re fixing the buggers, which appears rather difficult. Diligent readers of that thread will know I did indeed put the mockers on myself! I also note with amusement that according to my owner's manual, the 156 doesn't have parking lights! I can only presume they are an Australian requirement, and not on Euro cars.
I have blown a few parking lights on the JTS, very difficult to change with large hands like mine, last time noticed that globe fit in holder wasn't good, so i put 1 layer of electrical tape around globe so that it actually sat in holder properly without wobbling about, which is part of the problem, as the vibration ruins the filament and the globes are hard to buy as well, Colin.
Cheers col, have already discovered my hands just get in the way. Much swearing as well...
I still think that 156's blow a lot of globes due to the high voltage alternators they put in, you look at modern cars like VE Commodore's, every second one has a blown headlight, never happens in the 33...alternator can barely run wipers, except with the lights on, it can't even move them, but doesn't blow globes, Colin.
Hmmm, not sure which I would prefer. I owned an FC with vacuum wipers and the best way to clear the screen was actually an old bent coat hanger with a footy sock on it....
Ahh yes vacumn wipers, another stupid idea, mostly used by American car makers, parents had 2 FC Holdens in the day, go up a hill and the wipers stop, go down a hill and they go flat out, American Motors were still using these in the early 70's, they don't make em like they use to.....they wouldn't dare, Colin.