Faulty indicators, speedometer, handbrake warning. What's the solution?

[flashist]

Hello, My sisters car have been having some strange problems today. I got a call when the Handbrake light went on and the car had started beeping. I Told her to check the fluid levels and handbrake and when it all seemed good and brakes seemed to work, she could try to drive home and consider it a signal error and I'd have a look at it. Now she called me again, however this time the speedometer has stopped working, she is unsure if it worked before she stopped earlier  :think:.

 

Normally I would consider this to be ABS, either controller, sensor or wires/fuse. However the list of symptoms goes on:

 

- the '0' state of the light switch; not park or normal lights, is in Norwegian cars ( not all imports ) supposed to turn driving lights on when ignition is on, and off when not. Now it doesn't work, so it has to be set to the normal light state.

 

- The indicators are malfunctioning, it's uncertain if just the indicators at the dash, or if the actual lights are failing too.

 

To me, all coming at ones, it sounds unlikely that they are unrelated. Also unlikely that a fault in any ABS system can cause the last two symptoms. So I wonder, to you who might have more experience within this brand of car, is there some controller or signal processing unit that can be tied up to all these separate systems? Preferably one that has its own fuse that may have caused it for cheap repair 

 

 

Thanks in advance

[Anddenton]

Sounds like an earth fault, but could be a failing dash pod.

[Steven89]

I'd also go with a faulty earth or a dry joint in the instrument cluster

[flashist]

Thank you for your replies, I will try to do some measurements when the car is here. Apparently the normal driving lights would not turn on at all, acting as if the ignition is off and either turning off or turning to park lights. In case anyone has the schematics in their head, or is able to give me a link to some electrical schematics for this car. Is there any sentral spots where you could imagine these different units would be soldered or joint together for grounding? Since everything else in the car works perfectly it has to be some joint that they would not share with too many other parts. That being lights/indicators controller whose state depends on ignition, speedometer and possibly handbrake switch, brakefluid level switch or anything else with the ability to enable the brake warning light. ( I would put my money on something that at least could explain the two first, as for the last, I wont really know how correct her assessment of fluid levels and such are so it may possibly be unrelated ).

[flashist]

it seems to have been caused by a relé next to the battery that had a poor connection. Unsure if this can have caused the handbrake warning, but it's currently not present.

[Anddenton]

Good find, glad you got it sorted.

[Ambient7]

Speedo not working can be No 7 fuse , was with mine 

 

 

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[Simplesoul]

That does sound like a major electrical supply fault and not an individual system fault. The hand brake warning light and buzzer will normally come on if either you are driving with the hand break on or the break fluid level has dropped to a critical level. Its difficult to see the actual level of the brake fluid (at least on a TDI) but just one small wheel cylinder leak will be enough to set it off and braking will not show any deterioration. However get it looked at as its not funny when a seal goes completely especially on the rear as the drums will be contaminated with fluid and the hand brake will not help you.