Thanks for the reply.

I'm certainly finding this fault very confusing, partly because (in terms of which lights work when), it keeps changing, making me think there might be an "evolving" breakdown of the wiring loom, or my manipulations (I've swapped fuse panels and steering column switch units. Fault changes but doesnt change back the same when I swap them back) are causing further damage.

After quite a lot of floundering around, I'm starting again and trying to simplify things as much as possible, but I probably over-simplified my explanation to the point of ambiguity.

With all fuses out, battery disconnected, and ignition off, circuit 5 has multimeter buzzer triggering continuity with the chassis (which is what I meant by Earth) from the upper fuse socket, as does circuit 7,

Circuits 6, 7 and 8 have multimeter buzzer triggering continuity with the chassis (which is what I meant by Earth) from the lower fuse sockets.

This is what I meant when I said that circuit 7 has Earths both sides of the fuse.

With the fuse panel completely disconnected from the car and all fuses out, fuse 7 sockets have 1:1 continuity with two matching numbered contacts on the back of the fuse panel.

However, with all other fuses apart from fuse 7 in place, the upper fuse 7 socket has continuity with 7 contacts on the back of the panel. The lower fuse socket's continuity is unchanged.

I dont know if this is normal, though I'm assuming it is because both fuse panels are currently the same.

There seems, however, to be the worrying possibility that I shorted out my spare fuse panel by putting it on the broken car, so they are the same because they are both broken in the same way.

So my question remains: Is it normal and expected to have continuity between separate fused circuits on a fuse panel, as there seems to be here?

Edited by edlithgow on 19/02/2023 at 01:49

About the same as anybody else on this question, it would appear.

Anyway, while cutting back the tape to expose some wiring loom, (my wee girlie seam ripper isnt hefty enough for this. I need a more macho seam ripper, maybe made for the sails of a 3 masted schooner) I noticed beaucoup movement in the connector block from the multi-purpose column switch to the back of the fuse panel, with some of the contacts looking loose in the block

Could this explain the (variable) brokeness? Worth a try

Dont have the special insertion tool serendipitously mentioned recently, so had to content myself with shoving the contacts home with an artery clamp. Maybe I should have also tried wedging them with bits of bamboo toothpick.

hooked it up to an old motorcycle battery via a 10 amp fuse for testing, with the column switch a bit loose on the column, and the indicators worked perfectly, just before mosquito happy hour stopped play

Today, all hooked up properly, back to broken.

Dont get it, Very unlikely those contacts were disturbed meantime

Its like its doing it deliberately

Things are evil.