Wedge TR8 Electrical Issue

[RSMTR8]

Ok, so I am out driving my 8 tonight it was beautiful here, and it was late so I had the lights on, and after about 30 minutes of driving listening to a little Eagles on the Cassette Player, all of the sudden my headlights start to dance, the Eagles start to sound like they are in a time warp (super slow) and the lights on the dash are very dim! This lasted about 30 seconds, then everything went back to normal, but did it again when I pulled in to the garage, and turned the lights off, they did a dance, the lights and radio in the car flashed on and off a few times, then finally went off like they are supposed to! Suggestions?! New alternator needed? If so, what does everyone recommend? It is the original one, maybe something a little more powerful?!.........Any input would be appreciated! On a positive note, the car is running great!


Thanks!


Rod

 

[tr8todd]

Sounds like a loose battery connection, or possibly a bad ground. I know this will sound strange, but if the tail lights are not grounded well, all kinds of weird things can happen when your lights are on. You will notice that there is a male spade connector on the tail lamps. You can run a secondary ground from the spade to one of the screw holes for the black cardboard tail lamp covers.

 

[RSMTR8]

Hmm............very interesting, I will check the battery connections tomorrow. As for the grounding issue, not sure exactly what you mean. The lights have spade connectors running to them. So how do I run a ground? I am sorry, but I am leraning as I go along with this car. I was thinking alternator, because this problem has ONLY happened at night when the lights are running. SO I figured a larger load was being put on the alternator and maybe it wasnt able to handle it due to being old and possibly worn out........or maybe even the voltage regulator was faulty or worn out, and in that case I would just replace the whole thing I think and be done with it. I will check the battery connections first thing in the AM. But any additional details on how to run another ground wire in the trunk for the tail lights would be GREATLY apprecaited. I was wondering, any idea how many amps the original alternator is rated for? I know the one most people replace them with is the 85 amp Range Rover unit.

Thanks!!


Rod

 

[tr8todd]

12 volt DC power is sent to the tail lamps through various wires. The bulbs ground against the metal tail lamp housing. The tail lamp housing grounds to the body through the six bolts. The bolt holes are covered in paint and don't ground well. The body of the car acts as the return wire to the negative terminal of the car. If any part of this chain is weak, electricity won't flow. Grounding problems are very common on British cars.(specially those that sit and allow corrosion at the grounding locations) The spade terminal of which I speak is on the housing itself, not on the bulbs which srew into the housing. It is smack dab in the middle. It would seem that the engineers saw this as a potential problem, but the additional ground wire was never installed. I have seen things like rear lights and dash lights going out when the headlight are turned on. I have also seen lights going dark when a radio or wipers are turned on. An alternator problem will cause a slow lose of power, not a sudden on/off. Your problem sounds like an interuption in power supply or grounding. Start with the battery terminals, move onto installing the rear grounds(14 gauge wire with a female terminal on one end and a ring on the other), and then to the relays and headlight motor harness connections.

 

[mailbox]

Look at it this way. A 12 volt system works on a loop. You must have a way for the power to get back to the battery (sorta). You can have all the power wires you want, they will do you no good without a ground. It is just as important to be properly grounded as it is to be powered. I don't mean to "dumb it down" but a lot of people have a problem with this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tr8todd]

Lucas 17ACR is rated at 36amps.(non ac cars) Lucas 25ACR is rated at 60amps.(ac cars) Others I know of are 15ACR=27amps, 16ACR=34amps,18ACR=43amps. Theses were used in other British cars. I don't know for sure but I think the 20ACR is also 60amps.

 

[RSMTR8]

I was told an Alternator from a 1987-92 Range Rover will bolt right on, and it is rated at 85A. I was told this by Brad from WedgeParts. He is VERY helpful and knowledgable!

Rod

 

[tr8todd]

Could be. I am pulling a 3.9 with 138,000 miles out of a 1990 some time this week. I saw it at the local junkyard on Saturday and the guy only wants $150.00 for the complete motor. I'll let you know if the alt bolts up.

 

[PATR8]

There is a smaall trick to fit a GM alternator to the Triumph. All you have to do is create a small spacer using a peice of copper piping. I was even able to do this myself. I will see if I can find the web site I found this off of but if not I will take a pic and post it later. Much cheaper and probably more reliable

 

[RSMTR8]

You are gonna think I am an idiot, I do not see the terminal. Can you send me a pic? Thanks again!


Rod

 

[tr8todd]

Look again. I am holding one in my hands now. It is a spade connector, located between the bottom two light sockets. It is located on a boss that is on the structural webbing of the lamp housing. It is held on with a rivet and juts out at a 90 degree to the lamp. Remember, it is on the silver metal lamp housing that bulb holders screw into. If you still can't find it, I'll drag out the camera, charge the battery, take the pics, load the pics onto the computer, find your email address, and send you the photos. I might even have to recruit one of my kids to help out with all of the technical stuff, so I think I am the idiot here!

 

[RSMTR8]

Thanks, I will look again when I get home. Just to conmfirm we are talking about the rear brake lights, in that area correct?! The outside of the housing is black.



Rod

 

[tr8todd]

Sort of, but not really. The hosing is silver pot metal and is covered/protected by a black paper/cardboard material. On mst cars, the black cover is long gone. Any way, directly beneath the lamp, on the trunk floor, is a screw hole that is used to secure the previously mentioned black cardboard panel. That is where you attach the new ground wire to.

 

[RSMTR8]

I will check it out tonight. I know the drivers side still has the black cardboard cover, but the passenger side near the battery, does not. So I will try to use that side to do the ground.


Rod

 

[RSMTR8]

Ok, I found the spot you were talking about on the passenger side of the trunk, and ran a gorund wire from the spade connector to the screw that the car battery is ground to, will that be ok ya think? or should I use a different spot to ground that wire? It was already there, so i figured what the heck.


Thanks!

Rod