Here I am again.

Having a lovely trip in the Deuche as usual apart from yesterday I found myself with the bonnet up on the M5 in the hammering rain because my wipers stopped.

They did this when I turned on an indicator, which they've done a couple times since too.

I checked all the connections to things but made no difference. I unplugged both relays and plugged them back in, one of them 'seemed' to be the culprit so I assumed slightly bad connection. It's done it again since though.

I am ashamed to say that in owning this car for 27 years or whatever, I don't know what those two relays do. My car has two, near the battery. Hopefully I just need to change then.

Two relays. One is blonker for indicators, and the other is voltage regulator for alternator...

Has the car had "dim-dip -headlights", they used to have two relays also..?

But, any of these doesn't affect to wipers or indicators. More likely, fuse, fusebox or bad connection on those. Original glass tube fuses may look OK but still doesn't work...

I had an issue that the engine stopped when I turn on the head lights. Turned out to be poor grounds.

Wow. Thanks guys I. I do have dim dip. Oddly one of these relays near the battery does seem to be the culprit but it hasn't done it again today. I have no actual proof though other than that is what I unplug and plug in again and things work again. It could actually be coincidence!

A couple weeks ago I cleaned and checked every available connection in the engine bay, as maintenance. I spray WD40 on them and wipe it off. I wondered if I basically used too much because I've done something similar on another car last year using dielectric grease as maintenance on electrical plugs. Used a bit too much and it was counteractive.

I did remove and clean the fuses and contacts but new fuses would be an idea. They looked fine but I did wonder if I should just replace anyway. If I have some in the car I'll do that tomorrow. I'm still away in it.

@Ianredspecial

Are you in Devon?

You need to clean fuse holders as well.

As the fault occured when you turned on an indicator, there is a good chance the fault lays with the indicator circuit. Check the grounds there. If I recall, they are often grounded at a cheek piece bolt, but they can corrode at the indicator holder, or even where the bulb connects.

Roger I am indeed. I'm the Totnes area.

I see what you're saying. I did clean the fuse holders when I did the other stuff. I used some very fine sandpaper.

I'm not sure what you mean by a cheek piece bolt though. Whatever it is seems to be what I should look at!

The indicator earths I usually have run up to the front-most bolt on the side triangular vent panels. I got fed up with age-old indicator problems in the winter so renewed the units themselves and all the related wires, a few years ago. I made everything nice and shrink wrapped etc. Crimped connections with plugs rather than soldered though.

Now I'm wondering if the actual indicator units themselves are not attached well to their earth leads. I do spray that end if things with a scant bit of WD40 from time to time but it was shockingly wet on the roads on the way down.

I shall investigate! I do have some tools.

Let me know if you get stuck. I will see if I can pm you my mobile number

Just when I think it isn't going to do it again, it did it. Of course it's in the pouring rain, because that's why the wipers were on. Hahaha.
I do think the relay is a red herring since no amount of fiddling with that would sort it this time.
I wiggled lots of things but the wiggle of the main loom as it comes from the battery area seemed to be the thing. Although even that could be a coincidence.

Oh well, I was able to get where I was going, just a bit of bonnet up in the pouring rain is all. It needs a good going over, I have a heat proof sheath over the loom sections, I will need to take that off and see how it's doing underneath. I'm camping though and not near the car at all so it'll be another day.

I spent a whole afternoon last week calmly going over every connection I could find and removing the earths, sanding them with fine sandpaper and reattaching. And the drive home that day the headlights were still noticeably flickering - a problem that's been around for ages. More, if anything.

Today the starter motor did the very slow turning thing it randomly does but it still normally starts. (New battery. Recently-ish rebuilt starter motor so I got him to inspect it and apparently it's perfect so he suggested an electrical problem.) But then it stopped turning at all, it's like the ignition is off, although the red oil light was illuminated. It didn't dim. As I turned the key, just no reaction at all. Had to get a lift to work!

I have to say I'm lost on the testing of electrical stuff so my boss is going to help me on Monday with his multimeter and we'll follow Rogers advice from another thread I made.