• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!

    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Two Electrical Questions

Aldwyn

Jedi Warrior
Offline
Ok, let me preface by saying that I am quite intimidated by electrical stuff. I have been zapped enough times to be gunshy, and in part, it's because I dont understand the diagrams very well, color codes, etc... so bear with me, please, and be kind to the newbie! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

1) My stereo doesnt work. I am thinking it's not getting power, but I am not sure. The wiring is a little off putting too. Here is what I have coming from the radio: Ground, red wire, brown wire, and two gray wires (with with red stripe).

The the two gray split and lead to the speakers. So I know what those are.

The brown and the red follow each other until they reach a blue clip. The clip looks like some sort of jumper that 4 wires can attach to. The red continues on to another blue clip, and on the other side of the clip it exits with a red wire that is two inches long and is hanging with no connection and a white with red stripe wire. This wire then leads behind the dash area, up near the stearing column, and is taped up with many more wires. I cant tell if it is going to the engine compartment or the ignition, as the bundle goes to both, and there are several white wires in each set. Back to that brown wire... that ends at the first clip and goes no further.

There is also a brown wire coming from the ignition with a bullet end on it that is not connected to anything.

Any clues? Or should I take her into a streo store and just have them replace the whole unit and let them deal with it? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


2) The PO has the OD switch upside down. The wires are TIGHT under the stearing column someplace, so I cant pull the slack out and turn the thing rightside up. Indeed, all of the wires coming up the stearing column (horn, lights, turn signal) are TIGHT and have no room for play.

What is holding all of those wires tight? Where can I loosen the wires so I can pull some of the slack to allow me to turn the OD switch around?

Thanks!
Aldwyn
 
[ QUOTE ]

2) The PO has the OD switch upside down. The wires are TIGHT under the stearing column someplace, so I cant pull the slack out and turn the thing rightside up. Indeed, all of the wires coming up the stearing column (horn, lights, turn signal) are TIGHT and have no room for play.

What is holding all of those wires tight? Where can I loosen the wires so I can pull some of the slack to allow me to turn the OD switch around?

Thanks!
Aldwyn

[/ QUOTE ]

Try tracing the wires from the switch to somewhere under the dash and just reverse them. Voila, now it won't be reversed!

Oh, and when you say reversed, what exactly do you mean, direction of on/off?


The aftermarket switches actually come reversed, that is, down is on, up is off. Unlike what you OE manual will state.


Bill
 
Aldwyn:

The wires in the steering column run thru a compression sleeve of sorts. The sleeve is held in place with a sort of clamp.

There are two nuts on either side of the steering column on the bottom side, just behind the dash board line.

Feel for them. They loosen just enough that you can get some play from the sleeve. Still it will be a bit tight.

Can't help you much with the radio. I know zero about TR wiring electronics. But maybe you should have a in-line fused hot wire (red?) and a ground wire (black?) that goes from the radio case to the steel frame or engine. One hot wire for sure will run to your acc. ignition key. Probably 2 speaker wires somewhere.

d
 
[ QUOTE ]
Probably 2 speaker wires somewhere.

d

[/ QUOTE ]

Whatever you do, don't start pulling up on the speaker wires like Tinster did! Look what he hath wrought!

Caveat Emptor!

Bill
 
Well Bill,

If I'd a known then what I know now, I'da kept all them miles and miles of speaker wires and had them smelted down into a copper ingot the exact shape of a driver's side floor pan.

d
 
I'm on your side, Dale. I feel for you. Wish you didn't have all the problems you are having. I guess we are all living vicariously through you, each having his own set of problems. It just seems that you have them all.

Hang in there.

Or pray for a very selective hurricane that will only take out your garage (contents only) with really good insurance.

Several of our Katrina members had total losses. The only insurance companies that came across were the collector car insurance companies, all others failed miserably.


Bill
 
Hey Bill,

A buddy of mine on the street used to drop by almost
every day to check the status of the Crypt car. He'd
kinda chuckle with me about the latest PO mess I had uncovered. But my buddy moved away two weeks ago.

I got a call last night from my pal. He was very upset.
It seems he moved his family into a Crypt House. Week No1
the kitchen cabinets fell off the walls due to termites.

Week No. 2 the kitchen sink collapsed and the roof
began leaking into 2 bedrooms.

The PO and his one year warranty?? nowhere to be found.

My buddy has price quotes of $50,000. to correct the PO
hidden disasters. After only two weeks!!

Puts the Crypt Car into perspective.

d
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

2) The PO has the OD switch upside down. The wires are TIGHT under the stearing column someplace, so I cant pull the slack out and turn the thing rightside up. Indeed, all of the wires coming up the stearing column (horn, lights, turn signal) are TIGHT and have no room for play.

What is holding all of those wires tight? Where can I loosen the wires so I can pull some of the slack to allow me to turn the OD switch around?

Thanks!
Aldwyn

[/ QUOTE ]

Try tracing the wires from the switch to somewhere under the dash and just reverse them. Voila, now it won't be reversed!

Oh, and when you say reversed, what exactly do you mean, direction of on/off?


The aftermarket switches actually come reversed, that is, down is on, up is off. Unlike what you OE manual will state.


Bill

[/ QUOTE ]


Ahhh! Maybe that is the deal, as this switch is a replacement. (I mean on and off... right now, down is on)

Just doesnt make sense that the replacements would be upside down. Weird! Crazy!

I suppose I COULD cut the wires, and tape them up the other way around, though. That's ok?

Dale: I think I found one of the bolts you are refering to... but it seemes to be siezed. Not to mention hard to get the socket into because of the ignition being in the way! I'll try again tomorrow after some WD40.

Somwhere along the line while I was plying behind the console, I shorted the drivers side courtesy light. It now comes on when it's not supposed to! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif So now I have to figgure that one out.

And perhaps I will just take the ol TR into Tweeter or someting, and have a new stereo installed in her and have someone else deal with it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif My wife wants the TR to have a CD player, anyway.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

2) The PO has the OD switch upside down. The wires are TIGHT under the stearing column someplace, so I cant pull the slack out and turn the thing rightside up. Indeed, all of the wires coming up the stearing column (horn, lights, turn signal) are TIGHT and have no room for play.

What is holding all of those wires tight? Where can I loosen the wires so I can pull some of the slack to allow me to turn the OD switch around?

Thanks!
Aldwyn

[/ QUOTE ]

Try tracing the wires from the switch to somewhere under the dash and just reverse them. Voila, now it won't be reversed!


I don't think that's accurate - it's just an interrupter. You need the switch to be interrupting in the down position, and continuous in the up position. I have to say, I didn't even know it was meant to work that way round- I have the upside down switch and I'm used to it. It works the same way as the lights-- down for on... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Does anybody know for sure- maybe the handbook was wrong?!...

As far as the radio - a lot of times yellow is the 'always hot', red is the 'hot on ign/acc', black is ground obviously. From there work with speaker wire pairs that are basically the same color- if there's a black stripe that should be the -ve side. You can work out which pair is for which speaker with the bal and fader controls. Good luck!.. - Pete






Oh, and when you say reversed, what exactly do you mean, direction of on/off?


The aftermarket switches actually come reversed, that is, down is on, up is off. Unlike what you OE manual will state.


Bill

[/ QUOTE ]


Ahhh! Maybe that is the deal, as this switch is a replacement. (I mean on and off... right now, down is on)

Just doesnt make sense that the replacements would be upside down. Weird! Crazy!

I suppose I COULD cut the wires, and tape them up the other way around, though. That's ok?

Dale: I think I found one of the bolts you are refering to... but it seemes to be siezed. Not to mention hard to get the socket into because of the ignition being in the way! I'll try again tomorrow after some WD40.

Somwhere along the line while I was plying behind the console, I shorted the drivers side courtesy light. It now comes on when it's not supposed to! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif So now I have to figgure that one out.

And perhaps I will just take the ol TR into Tweeter or someting, and have a new stereo installed in her and have someone else deal with it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif My wife wants the TR to have a CD player, anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
Sorry for the amateur job in posting the reply above. What a rookie I am... My bit starts off with 'I don't think that's accurate...'

Pete
 
Hi Pete, Just curious are the switch locations "D" holed? If they are not the switch can simply be rotated 180 and locked back down.---Keoke
 
Aldwyn, TRAC is having a tech session Sat. morning (wet sand and buff) that I want to attend. Sat. afternoon is good. Then Sunday off to Shermans garage raising? Sounds like an all TR weekend.
 
My switch is in a plastic container... no moving it in there!

So SpannerMan, cutting the wires is a nono?

Either way, I have the orig manual for my 76, which says up is on, down is off... I also have a 74 OM and it says the same thing. So does the Bentley copy of the OM!
 
I've got an overdrive switch in my hand with the plastic cover. The hole for the switch has a flat spot that conforms to the switch, no rotating 180deg. This switch is down on, up off. There is an unused contact that would allow it to be modified to make it up on. Is this a case of the all the replacement switches are wrong? or did Triumph changed the switch wiring and didn't change the manuals. Either way, doesn't make any difference to me. I use a 2 speed rear switch mounted on the side of my shifter.
 
Thanks for that the mounting hole is "D" shaped and will not allow the switch to be turned around, unless you use a reamer to remove the flat side of the panel then you could do it. Jaguar is the only Marque "I" know of that consistently uses the up position for on in their panels. Healey is just the opposite up is off.- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif---Keoke
 
I went through great lengths to modify the switch by taking it apart and grinding on the innards to make up/on,down/off. The original owner's manual states that. When dummy, I coulda just reversed the wiring, but noooooo, I wanted originality. They are all made by the same manufacterer and all wrong! And poorly built at that, I have been through 3 of them.


Bill
 
Dale,

That is NOT Exactly a True Statement,

[ QUOTE ]
Aldwyn:

I know zero about TR wiring electronics.

d

[/ QUOTE ]

You Must Know Something about Electronics-- at least subconsciencely by Now, since my Visit with You & the Crypt Car this October.

When we first worked together on the Project, Dale was Terrified of a 12 volt battery-- he Worn insulated Gloves to Turn over the Ignition Key the very 1st Time after I hooked up the battery to the Powerblock ;-)

Aldwyn, just ask Dale about being Zapped a Few Times

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Aldwyn, just ask Dale about being Zapped a Few Times

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That'll learn ya a LOT about electronics! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mickey
 
Back
Top