Self inflicted wound, need some help

[roofman]

I am installing a new dash panel in my 72 TR6. All electrics worked fine before I took it apart.I added a new ignition switch, new turn signal assembly in steering column, and a new hazard switch.
Now I have no temp guage, turn signals, erratic hazards, and keep blowing a fuse ( second from the top in panel ).
I have Dan Masters book and am quite sure that the hazard and turn signal switch is wired right.
My qustions are:
1. Tach is out. Do the tach lights complete a ground when installed to the tach that could cause problems, like on the tail lights?
2. Turn signal switch from TRF has 3 wires. One is different color than original lucas. I hooked the same color wires up as shown, and the odd one to the left over connection. Does this seem right?
3. Can seat belt buzzer have any thing to do with my problem? Seat belt wires have long ago been disconnected, but I have no way of testing buzzer still installed.
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Brosky]

1. I don't think that will matter. But I never had my tach out and tried what you're doing so I defer to the experts.

2. Swap them around and see what happens, but not likely the problem.

3. Annoying buzzer is wired through door jamb switches and should not affect your other gauges. etc.

It sounds to me as though a wired is crossed or shorted out (possibly pinched or cut and grounding against metal). I know you probably have done this, but take each wire and check it's position on the switches and relays and then make sure nothing is pinched or rubbing from the re-installation process.

Keep us posted....

 

[roofman]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just needed to get that out.

I love my tr6, I love my tr6, I love................

 

[Tinster]

Roofman:

I think you might have seperate issues.

The hazzard and turns are green circuit and
what you describe as erratic is probably related
to the ground wire of the new flasher you installed.
Check ALL your new connections looking for any
bare wire. Double check your ground-both ends.
I just installed a new turn signal switch and
it sounds like you got it correct.

Temp gauge and gas gauge both on green circuit also.
Does your fuel gauge function?

Tach light is red circuit and probably out due
to a bad ground. Yes, they fit like the tail lights
but are more difficult to get a good ground.
I installed a seperate new ground wire for each gauge
and panel light before they all functioned.

The blown fuse appears ignition circuit related back
to the new ignition switch you installed. I had exactly
the same problem with my new switch. Kept blowing fuses.
It drove me nuts. I finally got it right by trying several
combinations. (My ignition switch was aftermarket)

The disconnected seat belt wires should have no effect
UNLESS the cut wire stubs are bare and giving you
intermittent shorts. Go find the stub ends and shrink
wrap to be safe.

I hope this helps a bit.

regards,

dale

 

[roofman]

What color is the ground to the hazard?
Fuel guage is functioning.
What are the several combinations you refer to on the ignition switch?
How did you ground your guages?
Loose seat belt wires appear to be taped at end ,will check them but nothing with them has changed since I started.
Thanks Jim

 

[Tinster]

Roofman,

Let's do one item at a time.
Turn signals.

Your turn signals run thru the hazzard
switch. OK? Begin diagnostics here.

Do your turn signals function at all when
you have the ignition switch in the "on"
position? Can you hear the doink, doink
of the flasher can ??
Up lever w/ doink?
Down lever with doink?

Yes

no

it blows a fuse?

Let me know

d

 

[roofman]

Zero on the turn signals.It is like they are totally dead.
The hazards now work and you can hear them in the relay in
the engine compartment. Then the fuse blows. But it doesn't really blow. The element wire inside is still intact. Put in another fuse and the same thing happens. But the flashers still work on hazard, you just can't hear them.
Today I verified all conections are correct on hazard, turn signal switch, and wiper and washer switches, as well as temp guage. Then my bride wanted to go to the movies.
So tommarow I will get back under the dash and check all there especially the turn signal connectors.

 

[Brosky]

See, I told you an expert would appear.

Great job, Dale!!

 

[Tinster]

Roofman:

Mine was a total car wire harness
replacement. I never could figure out those
gizzmo boxes for testing electric circuits.
I'm a practical guy.

I bought a 12 volt motorcycle battery and a
set of alligator clips. If I wired something,
I tested it with the battery.

Light on- it is wired correctly
No light bad wiring somewhere
Hot wire on the alligator- short somewehere.
Wire melts- totally bad wiring setup.

If your both turn signals do not function:
A.) no juice is making it thru the hazzard switch
B.)or your flasher can is bad-
C.) My guess is no juice

Three wires come out of the turn signal column switch.
1 for right turn lights
1 for left turn lights
1 for power to make a circuit.

What type of end connectors or splice connectors
are you installing?

I had trouble with the hazzard switch until I tore
all the wires out, soldered new end connectors and
then heat shrink wrapped every end connector.
Tight spaces on that switch for many wires. I was
geting shorts until the solder and shrink wrap.

d

 

[Guest]

Dale, I too am impressed! Dang, 6 months ago, you couldn't even <u>spell</u> Triumph. All your reasoning is very sound. (You would make a good architect, or something. Not a dentist, we don't use reason.) The one question that I have, and this scares me a bit, is what kind of fuses is he using. If they are Buss fuses from the local autozone AND they are blowing slowly, then he has a major dead short. A ground issue won't cause him to blow fuses like that. The only way to determine (or one way) is disconnect each electrical gizmo that blows and reconnect one at a time, with a large handful of Lucas fuses. The Buss-type fuse can carry a heck-of-a lot more current than the Lucas for the same advertised load. The Lucas will blow instantly with a dead short. Putting in a new dash required removing all gauges. Something got cut and shorted or his aftermarket new switch is garbage, which is not unlikely. Sometimes, even the connectors on a switch get distorted and the thing shorts out. Might be better off popping out the passenger seat and lay out a nice thick comforter to lay on to work on dash.

 

[Tinster]

Yeah Bill, that fuse thing had me baffled as well.
I have the Power Block with lighted fuses and they
go off in a heartbeat when something is wrong. I
used them as an expensive diagnostic tool.

Dead on about the Lucas vrs US aftermarket fuses.

I had just enough slop in wiring my headlamp switch
that I blew fuses until I shrink wrapped a few
connections.

I also installed a new wood dash. BUT---
I installed all the new wires and refurbished
the gauges on a workbench outside the car.
Tested everything with the 12V motorcycle battery
and then installed the dash. That's how I discovered
the original gauge lights were poorly grounded.

Still had a few problems and bugs to deal with
after the install.

I too think Roofman has a dead short somewhere.
Wiring the flasher switch is tricky.

I do my diagnostics from the light-- back to the source,
connection by connection. If a battery lights the light,
I go backward from there.

d

 

[roofman]

I am using Lucas fuses, 35 amp w/ 17 amp regular draw. A while back there was a big discussion on these vs. american fuses here on the forum and I checked and did indead have american buss fuses so I took them all out and replaced them with lucas fuses from either Moss or the roadster factory, can't remember. Did not have these problems before or after the fuse replacement. My problems started when I replaced the dash, hazard, and turn signal switches.
I will try the recommended steps, but it is Sunday and wifey wants to do stuff today. May have to wait till tonite or tommarow afternoon to dig back in.
Thanks for the help so far and encouragement.
Is there a way to test a fuse?

 

[martx-5]

Is there a way to test a fuse?

With an ohm meter...Zero ohms, it's good...infinite ohms, it's no good.

 

[DrEntropy]

heheheee!!! Yup. "go, no-go"... emperical. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[Tinster]

Art:

Isn't an ohm meter one of those gizzmo boxes that
smokes and melts in your hand when you connect
it to the car's battery terminals to try to figure
out how it works?

I went thru three of them before I switched over to
a 12V motorcycle battery and alligator clips and light bulb.

d

 

[Harry_Ward]

Art:

Isn't an ohm meter one of those gizzmo boxes that
smokes and melts in your hand when you connect
it to the car's battery terminals to try to figure
out how it works?

I went thru three of them before I switched over to
a 12V motorcycle battery and alligator clips and light bulb.

d

Dale,

You made my day. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

The light bulb is a good thing to tell you sometin's wrong or not working but a good digital multimeter can tell you why.

 

[trrdster2000]

roofman, one thing that seems to be consistant when rewiring a signal switch is a pinched wire from the little cover under the steering wheel, that would be the next thing to check.

Wayne

 

[roofman]

That's on my list also, thanks.

 

[Guest]

is a pinched wire from the little cover under the steering wheel

That's why I don't got one of those little thingys.
Too, the wire has to make a close call though the metal dash behind the wooden one. Perchance, do the fuses burn with nothing on except the ignition or when one of the switches is activated, like hazard or turn. I once found the detent wire in the wiper motor was shorted. Only blew a fuse when the wiper was activated.