I have an old ford cargo horse box. On the speedometer there are two red lights. one on the bottom left next to an exclamation mark in a triangle. the other is on the right of the speedometer and comes on when I get to 50mph, that I understand. The light on the left, however, has recently started coming on about 10 mins into my journey and stays on for about 5 mins, then flickers for a bit, then goes off sometimes coming on again later. I am just wondering what this red light is telling me? It has only started doing this in the last 3 or 4 months!

Anne Louise, January 2011

mine has just started doing this with the red light on the right hand side of the speedometre ..it had a new alternator fitted last year ? any ideas

dee, August 2022

If u pull the fuse, number 15 i think on a cargo 0813, this will cut power to the tacho and stop the battery draining....

pat, January 2011

If you put a tachodisc in and close it the light will go off.

phil, January 2011

it is indeed because you are driving with no charts in the tacho ,but it will not drain batteries ..though horseboxes as someone said don't require them ,you will if you move other peoples horses ,as it is then classed as driving for hire and reward so be careful

norb, January 2011

Is this light on the bottom left hand side of the mileometer? If so mine is on constantly unless I isolate the battery, then it goes off. I was told this light is to do with the tacho, which although as a horsebox we dont have to use but it does stay on constantly. This is why lots of Horseboxes have battery problems as if there is no isolator fitted then it is a constant drain on the battery.

lou, January 2011

Thanks. We had a new alternator fitted in about September and thinking about it, although we had serious battery problems, we did not have this light coming on before the new alternator was fitted! Hopefully it is just a wiring problem which would explain the light coming on eratically and flickering! Would this happen if the new alternator is fitted?

Anne Louise, January 2011

Sounds as if your alternator / dynamo is on the way out and not charging your battery sufficiently. You could check the leads first for looseness but I suspect that the brushes have worn right down.

Should be able to get it reconditioned (there are specialist firms) or a replacement recon unit.

ChicksFan, January 2011