Spitfire 76 Spitfire dash light help needed

[Mike1234]

Just purchased a 76 spitfire. Dash lights not working. I cleaned up the connections a bit & now the my EGR light is the only light on the dash that works. It lights up all the time. Brake & Seatbelt lights flash when the engine is started. The temp, spedo, ... & gas tank lights are not working. The bulbs work.

headlights, brakelights, turn signals, plate lights... all work


I think it's the dimmer switch, maybe the wrong bulbs.. the bulbs in there are screw in... they seem to fit...... any advice?

 

[Basil]

Welcome to the forum Mike. Since you're asking a specific Triumph question, I'm moving your post to the Triumph forum. Use the intro forum to, well, introduce yourself.

Basil

 

[TR3driver]

The dimmer "switch" is a very common failure on later Triumphs, so that's where I would look first. Try temporarily connecting a jumper between the red and red/white wires, and see if that fixes the lights. Radio Shack sells a nice pack of test jumpers with alligator clips on each end, that are very handy for working on Triumphs (I keep a couple in the glovebox, along with a cheap DVM, all the time.)

If that pops the fuse (so the park and marker lights no longer work), then there is a short in the dash wiring somewhere (which is what killed the dimmer rheostat). Wrong replacement bulbs can also kill the rheostat; they're somewhat fragile.

Check out
https://www.triumphspitfire.com/wiring.html
for a wiring diagram for your car.

 

[Mike1234]

76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

What is causing my rear tires to lean out on my 76 Spitfire? I remember seeing these cars on the road in the 70s with this issue. Is it a simple fix (new shocks) or a bigger problem?

 

[Fishplate]

<span style="font-style: italic">Just purchased a 76 spitfire.</span>

Congratulations! A wise choice...I've got two myself...

<span style="font-style: italic">Dash lights not working. I cleaned up the connections a bit & now the my EGR light is the only light on the dash that works. It lights up all the time. Brake & Seatbelt lights flash when the engine is started.</span>

The EGR light is controlled by the Interval Timer, the white box on the firewall that the speedo cable passes through. You might have one that actually works properly. There's some trick to resetting this box but I forget what it is...I expect you can safely remove the lamp.

<span style="font-style: italic">The temp, spedo, ... & gas tank lights are not working. The bulbs work.

headlights, brakelights, turn signals, plate lights... all work </span>

As suggested, the dimmer is probably bad. Look at the wiring diagram referenced, and jumper the red to the red/white wires; that will almost certainly get them going. Then you can decide if you want to try to repair or replace the dimmer.

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.
https://fishplate.org/vehicles/

 

[Fishplate]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

What is causing my rear tires to lean out on my 76 Spitfire? I remember seeing these cars on the road in the 70s with this issue. Is it a simple fix (new shocks) or a bigger problem?

Your spring is sprung, and yes, it's very common. some folks add air shocks (for a Corvette application) to correct/mask the problem, but in my opinion, a replacement spring is called for. Though right now, I drive mine with the lean...keeps the wheels from tucking, don'tcha know...

 

[Andrew Mace]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

My own opinion is that the 1974 and later "Federal" cars, with the rear frame extensions and increasingly heavier bumpers and such, were just a bit too much weight for the original springs. There are "heavy-duty" replacement springs -- same spring as used on the last of the Mk3 GT6 models -- available for little (if any) more than the cost of the OE spring; they're likely worth it.

p/n 159640 (or 311539) for the original spring. Canley Classics in the UK shows this as only for the "short axle" (1971-72) Spitfires, while other vendors simply show this for all 1971-on Spitfires. p/n 159654 is for the heavy-duty/GT6 spring.

 

[eejay56]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

Welcome, Hooray for Spitfires. Spring replacement is not too tough a job. Get the Bentley manual.

 

[DeltaAir423]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

Congrats on your purchase!

I just bought a 1980 Spit, and I had the same tire lean problem.

Like others have said, get the Bentley manual for the leaf spring replacement. Two people make this job a whole heck of a lot easier. A vise and a c-clamp (at least 6 inches) are a MUST for the job. Otherwise, you'll never get the shackles installed. Also on the center locator pin, mine had mushroomed on the threads from the spring being wore out and pressing down on it for so many years. You cannot get this piece. I had to replace mine with a 3/8" (IIRC) allen head bolt, and had the machine shop turn it down on a cam shaft grinder to the correct OD, then after the pin was installed in the spring, I filled the allen head recess with JB weld.

 

[Mike1234]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

Thanks for your help

 

[LarryK]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

The EGR reset has a reset button that you insert a key an return mileage to 000. I used a piece of wire as a key.

 

[myspitfire]

Re: 76 Spitfire - back wheels lean out

Good answers & questions.If I might suggest,check the middle fuse on the fuse block this fuse controls the dash lights(it may be loose,it may be loose contacting the copper clip contacts)(green corrosion on the contacts).Also get a can of electrical spray cleaner & flush the reostat on the dimmer(don't get carried away!turn-it left & right while you spray it see if that makes a difference.Their is now a NEW(more reliable)'SOLID STATE VOLTAGE STABILIZER'available from "BRITISH WIRING"on the web,that just plugs in...Good Luck.
Ken(1979 Spit)