Rear Foglight Switch Fault Diagnosis Anyone?

[9bar]

Hi there

Apologies to anyone who has viewed this post in the Carina section....I'm re-posting in here out of sheer frustration/desperation...maybe some one has got the answer I'm after....

I recently picked up a Jap import Carina E GLi 1.6......fog light switch does not appear to be working....it does not light when depressed/pushed in......headlights on dip/dim, engine running.....no instrument panel light is visible.....swapped for another switch, checked bulb s in both......still nothing...I'm guessing it's possibly an open-circuit wiring fault somewhere.......anyone any ideas on anything simple I may have overlooked before I go rooting in the car innards...and anyone any advice on a painless and hair-preserving method of tracing the wiring fault also?

I downloaded the Carina E manual from the net, it's helpful re: wiring, but some of the terms for the location of the earth points on the car body are a bit vague...e.g. RH 'kick panel' anyone?

I'm looking to swap out the rear foglight relay....5 J8.....does anyone know from previous painful experience where I might find same on/in the car, and the earth points E8, E12, and E14 also?

*****************************************************************************

Follow up post:

To anyone who might is interested and might be able to help me, read on......

Here's my findings so far......I picked up another fog-light switch and fitted same...nothing happens.

Used a multimeter to check voltages, continuity etc. on the orange connector the switch fits into with the lights on.....there is voltage at the green wire, and the red and black wire.....both nothing at all at the red and yellow wire terminal.

I tested the black and white earth terminal...it reads 0 when tested, though I did not disconnect the Battery when doing same so maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Here's the interesting part.....when I test the red and black wire for current (500mA setting, with the black probe in the B/W Wire/earth terminal of the orange connector) ) the instrument panel clicks/turns over, and the fog light panel warning light lights up...hurray......but then the fuse in the multimeter blows.

I'm sure by now you've worked out from this rambling post that I'm not much good at electronics....the real killer is I can't find the Fog Light relay (I assume it's buried behind the dash somewhere horribly awkward to get at no doubt) and I don't have the Carina handbookto refer to either.

Can anyone help me at all?

********************************************************************************

**

And yet more of the same to further confuse y'all.....

A wee update.....

I had a tow bar fitted (by the previous owner)....I checked the wiring in the boot to find it was joined to the car electric loom running across the inside of the boot just above the bumper serving both the rear tail lights.....I didn't check the tow-bar socket, I just disconnected the cable/splicing altogether......then checked the fog light switch...still nothing.

Before disconnecting the tow-bar cable I used a multimeter to check the orange switch connector for the fog light in the front dash panel....it was reading 6V voltages with the headlights on for the green wire, the black and red wire with full continuity across the black and white earth wire.

There was nothing at all for the yellow and red wire, even with a wiggle test.

After removing the tow bar cable I checked the orange connector again....there was voltage across black and red wire, nothing across the red and yellow wire as before, but this time no voltage for the green wire either.

I don't know what the correct voltage should be for these wires, or what they do (except for the earth wire obviously)....but here's the interesting thing......testing current across the red and black wire using the black probe in the earth socket there is a click and the orange fog light instrument panel indicator lights up....as do the rear fogs......hurray....so current is flowing......but two different switches I picked up from a scrapyard still don't work, and it's unlikely that both are broken.

I'm guessing it is likely to be an open-circuit fault, but and pretty peed off re: tracing same...I have the Haynes manual and have checked for an earth fault, though I'm pretty sure it's not the latter.....

E8: RH Kick Panel Passenger Compartment.....??? Any idea where is it located?

Is this near the pedals at the front of the drivers foot well?

E12:Luggage Compartment Centre Panel....Checked and found to be OK

E14: Base of RH 'C' Pillar...Any idea where same is? I'm guessing somewhere near the rear seat belt connector on the right/offside.

I just don't know where the damn Fog Light Relay is...I can see the door relay and the light reminder relay with the centre fascia/stereo panel open.....I really don't fancy having to rip out the front fascia to chase the wire....I don't suppose I'd be lucky enough that the Fog Light Relay is of the three clustered at the passenger fuse box? I changed them around (they are all identical with similar markings) in any event and still no joy with the switch.

At the rate I'm going I'll be bald by XMas unless someone has a moment of clarity and can enlighten me....I love my Rina and really don't want her to fail the NCT in January.....more to the point I've come so far as a complete mechanophobe and learned so much along the way I don't want to let this get the better of me......

Thanks for your time and apologies for the duplicate post

Cheers

Jonny