lights not working

[ichthos]

Hello,
I am still trying to get my 69 TR6 roadworthy. I am currently working on the wiring. When I bought this car, just about every wire was diconnected. It has definitely been a challenge for me. I finally have all the running lights and headlights working, but I still have three problems that have left me totally baffled (the car is currently not running by the way.) 1) When I turn the ignition key to the right, all the lights stay on except the tail lights. 2) When I put on the turn indicator for the right or left, the front blinkers will get brighter but do not flash. The rear blinkers do not come on at all. (I installed a new flasher and there was still no difference.)3) When I put the transmission into reverse, I can only get one light to light at a time. I bought new set of sockets and bulbs, and cleaned all the connections. There is still no difference. I am no electrician - can anyone give me some tips?
Thanks, Kevin

 

[Guest]

Kevin,
Neither am I an electrician but I have noted that my lights need plenty of amps to get the system juiced and for everything to work properly. Everything will work better with the system receiving a charge, ie, engine running with alternator charging the battery. You might consider switching to a fresher battery with plenty of cold cranking amps.

Bill

 

[martx-5]

Are you working with a wiring diagram?? Click here for a pdf of the wiring schematics. Maybe it will help with the color coding of the wires. This is from Advance Wirings website. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[DougF]

Make sure all of your ground connections are clean. After cleaning with emery cloth or light sandpaper, put some dielectric grease on the surfaces to keep them from corroding. Do the same with all of your butt connectors.
The biggest problem with the electricals on these cars is poor connections. Everything is exposed and corrodes. This step may not solve your problem, but should save you a lot of headaches in the future.

 

[ichthos]

Thanks for the tips. I'll be going at it again when I get home tonight.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Agree with all the above, especially checking and cleaning all contacts and double-checking for proper color codes. I'll also add that there might be a problem in the "hazard" circuit, which is kinda funky on these in that it's strangely interconnected with the turn signals (hard to describe, but sort of a pass-through arrangement). If there's a problem with that hazard switch (and that's a somewhat common problem area), this could have an effect.

Meanwhile, the only lights that are dependent upon ignition being on are the turn signals (NOT hazard circuit, though) and brake lights.

 

[Andy Blackley]

In addition to the above the turn signal circuit on the TR is very sensitive to having a working signal flasher of the correct type installed.
As Andrew suggests above the Hazard Switch is also a culprit because it is so seldom used and the switch internals corrode/oxidize enough to cut the circuit. The remedy is to simply turn the switch on and off repeatly until it functions again.

 

[DougF]

If the problem should be the hazard switch, you can pull the dashboard away from the metal backing plate by unscrewing the visible screws on the dash face. From there you can remove the two screws that hold the hazard switch backing plate and remove the switch. Keep track of which wire goes to which terminal end. This is very important, because if they go back together wrong, nothing will work correctly. The '69 should have a four wire switch.
You can then very carefully disassemble the the switch, paying close attention to how it came apart and making sure not to flex the plastic cover enough to break it.. There are only a few parts, and the plastic is generally fairly flexible. I'm making it sound tougher than it really is to this point, but care must be taken, since I doubt that you want to have to look for a replacement.
From here, take a pencil eraser an clean off the contact points and reassemble. Should work like new.