Bill Ball

Really.

A week or so ago, my headlights started to flicker on and off when I went over bumps. Fortunately I was only a block from home. Last Friday night it happened again, but 35 miles from home. I was worried, pulled over and jiggled a few things (light switch, headlight combo relay, ignition switch). I got one brief flicker off while jiggling the ignition switch. After that the headlights worked fine (I will take a closer look at the switch later) and have not flickered since.

ANYWHO, on Saturday night I had a nightmare that I was driving home from work and all of the sudden the car lost ALL electical power EXCEPT that it was delivering a powerful electrical shock to me, resembling the intensity a shock from a wall socket. Then last night I had another nightmare that I was driving home and I could not get the headlights to come up. On one glance, it looked like the headlights were illuminated, on another it didn't. On a third glance, the headlights were oddly angled back. I can remember troubleshooting the possibilities in my head as I drove along in total darkness both times.

My car has had so few problems, electrical or otherwise, that the headlight flickering incidents must have burrowed deeply into that area of the brain that only old Lucas and 928 electrics are able to stimulate.

MGW-Fla

Oh man, thats sounds scary Bill, not ever heard of a Shark shocking its owner like that. Would think that if anyone can sort that out between you and Dave we'll all be waiting for the souce of this problem. Good Luck!

AO

Mel-
I think the shock was an actual nightmare - i.e. he dreamt about it. Still a scary thought.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Bill the next time you dream that you have electrical issues check the small wires on the battery positive terminal plus lay off the Pizza just before bedtime....

danglerb

Maybe he needs some time on the couch with someone knowledgeable in 928 electrical systems?

Bill your car isn't named Christina by any chance is it?

MGW-Fla

oh man, I'm so gullible! Shame on you Bill!

the flyin' scotsman

Lucas.........prince of darkness; except when the Jag catches fire.

Bosch.......the Omen

Bill Ball

I actually didn't intend this, but I see it's unclear to fast readers that the headlight flicker was a real event, but the other two were the dream type of nightmare, at least so far. They aren't that far from reality, though, are they? When it comes to good ole Lucas or P928 Bosch electrics, just about anything could and has happened.

Mike Frye

Bill,


Hmm, the car lost all power but somehow grounded through you, interesting. Almost like you had become a channel for it's power, uh-huh, uh-huh. Next the headlights aiming back into your own eyes, that's interesting.
You looking out of the car at the world, then not seeing anything, then the world looking back at you illuminated by your own headlights. Interesting.

You weren't smoking a cigar in this dream were you ?

Jim bailey - 928 International

Relay, Relay, Relay for the real flickering headlights...Relays can do weird things 91 BMW 318 the other day it turned on the headlights all by itself and only the headlights, stayed on until I wiggled the relay in the box under the hood so much nicer than crawling under the dash

Bill Ball

Oh, Jim, I thought relay immediately, of course. The combo relay looked like the culprit the first time, as I found it a bit loose in the socket. The lights only flicker when driving. Wiggling the relay, pulling it slightly out of the socket, trying to emulate what I thought was the cause the first time, the lights stayed on steadily. Only a slight wiggle of the ignition switch caused a blink, and only one. It may just be a corroded contact that needs some contact cleaner or some other wear to the electrical part of the ignition switch. Anyway, after I wiggled the three possible cuprits, the lights were fine for the rest of the trip home on Friday. We'll see if my nightmares come true on the way home tonight.

SharkSkin

Bill, did you check the additional power wires that come off the + terminal at the battery? Good advice there about the pizza too.

I'm not busy tomorrow after work if you want to swing by & pound on the relay, switches, bulb, etc with a BFH. You can always make it home on the fogs or driving lights, eh?

About getting zapped -- That's interesting. Maybe it's a symbol of some suppressed fear that if you ever have a really serious electrical problem with the car it will end up like the '79's wiring. Maybe the part about the lights leaning back was really you leaving your body so you could check the lights without having to lift the BWAAAHHH pedal. Maybe your next dream will have the wiring diagrams smothering you like a net.

Charley B

Time to get out the rubber skivvies, Bill.

Andre Hedrick

Don't stick your finger in the lighter socket wet!

Andre Hedrick

Okay, I was joking but it is now 10PM do we need to send out a search party for Bill?