MOT test

mynameisowen · Post by **mynameisowen** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:52 pm

hi all,

Time has come, my prelude is back in a driveable state, however it is not yet legal. It's insured but no tax or MOT.

This is the current concern list for passing an MOT test:
1: headlight electrical fault
2: SRS check engine light
3: driveshaft boots
4: drivers side trackrod balljoint boot

I need some advice on the 1st and 2nd especially:
Here is the history. I crashed the car into a tree, which essentially obliterated the front driver side headlight and the loom which goes to it up until the shock tower. For reference the lights were on when this happened.
I have since replaced the headlight and the loom from another BB8 prelude, however this is a 2000 spec car with the H22A8 engine. the loom feeds the air con and radiator fans, as well as the drivers side headlights and indicators. The loom runs alongside the inner wing and goes through a hole into the drivers foot well where it connects into the main wiring harness. there is also an earth which is on the loom, I ensured that I cleaned the surface where it mounts onto the chassis well and I cannot imagine this is causing the issue.

The connectors are visibly the same, I can see no other difference in the loom, however according to Lings Honda there is a slight difference in part number…

currently I have no side light bulb in the headlamp. So I can't check its operation.
however once I switch the dipped beam on on the stalk, there is no light.
When I turn full beams on, both dipped beam and full beam illuminate, however the dipped beam is extremely dim with a really faint orange light. As you know dipped beam should turn off once full beam is switched on.
The lights for the passenger side are fed by a different loom and are working perfectly.

I really have no idea what could be causing this, apart from that everything on their car works fine. There was a weird spasm in the windscreen wipers once even though they were not turned on. However that seems to have gone away.

What can I check? Could it be that when I crashed the car with the lights on it short-circuited and blew circuitry within the switch or wiring? Maybe a relay? It can't be a fuse because the lights do come on, just at the wrong time and not bright enough.

2: SRS warning light is on as both my airbags blew when I crashed. I have replaced the airbags. I have followed the instructions for resetting the SRS warning light,the procedure is to connect and disconnect a short-circuiting connector (similar to resetting the 4 WS), however in this case you are disconnecting the connector rather than turning the wheel to 45°. the light goes on and off as I disconnect the connector but does not blink twice on the final removal.

In any case I believe in doing it correctly but it is not blinking to let me know that it has erased the memory. I believe that having an airbag warning lights on as an MOT failure so really need to get this sorted ASAP. Does anyone know what I could be doing wrong?
Pretty stumped here and really Wanna get the car MOTed then back on the road, at the moment I have nothing

Please also see my other post if you have a driveshaft or Cypress green body panels for sale:
http://www.ludegeneration.co.uk/post188923.html#p188923

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:22 pm

The connectors are visibly the same, I can see no other difference in the loom, however according to Lings Honda there is a slight difference in part number…

Have you compared each wire colour, individually by terminal, between the new and the old loom? Do they match exactly?

mynameisowen wrote:currently I have no side light bulb in the headlamp. So I can't check its operation.

Swap the sidelight bulb in from the other side and see if that makes anything behave any differently is one quick thing I'd suggest to try before going any more in depth at this stage. Do 5th gens have dim/dipped? If so, not having the sidelight resistance in circuit may make the dipped beam behave strangely? (like when if you have an indicator bulb blown on some cars, it makes the indicator flashing speed go mad).

Post by **Vtecmec** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:26 pm

wurlycorner wrote:If so, not having the sidelight resistance in circuit may make the dipped beam behave strangely

I've seen some odd behaviour on cars when a headlight fuse is blown, with both lights working but dimmer than usual, some sort of backfeed thing.

mynameisowen · Post by **mynameisowen** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:24 pm

thanks for the quick replies.
Right thanks I will check those 2 things ASAP for the lights.

I would've thought that if the headlight fuse was gone then the circuit would be completely cut?

mynameisowen · Post by **mynameisowen** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:58 pm

Update.

I have resolved both issues. For the headlights the issue was a fuse

it must have blown when I crashed and short-circuited to the body.

For the SRS warning light I had to replace the control module. Resetting was not enough. The control module stores the crash information and so without wiping the control module (or replacing it) the vehicle will remain with SRS warning light on (prompting you to get it checked over by an expensive Honda technician).

The vehicle is now going in for an MOT. Fingers crossed.

will let you guys know what happens…

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:05 pm

Glad they're sorted

good luck for the MOT!

Post by **vanzep** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:32 pm

yep good luck with MOT and lets us know how u get on