Indicator problems...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:04 am

I just replaced the indicator stalk unit on the column. The one that came out had four wires (green/red, green, green/white, brown/black). It worked fine like that, though my loom has a spare green wire that never went anywhere... The unit I put in has six wires! The extras are: one black earth, one green/something I can't remember that wasn't any of the others. The black earth comes out of the top end of the bundle (stalk end) with a little ring for putting it under a screw. I put it under one of the support bracket screws for the unit, since I don't know where it actually goes and I didn't have one before. Otherwise everything is as before; four wires are connected. The earth and the green/something I left loose. The entire unit is now not working; not even the horn works! Anything connected to those wires has failed.
What should I do? If I connect the remaining wires to something, will it help? (Obviously the right something)...
Btw if this description is too convoluted, I can post pictures. Hopefully you can understand though.

Post by **MoggyTech** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:18 am

Sounds like you got one of the newer units which has headlight flash facility built in? I don't have any wiring diagrams to reference if that is the case, sorry.

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:38 am

How does the headlight flash manifest itself? It's the traditional Chrome stalk, and moves only in two ways, rather than the usual pull towards that you have for a flash these days, which I assume was the same on the Moggy...?
It seems a completely standard unit in and of itself. It comes straight from a '62 parts car (mine is a '59).

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:43 am

From memory, the black is an earth that connects to a small plate under the glove box liner. The horn has no connection to the indicator arm - my guess is you've pulled a connector out on the purple or purple with a black trace wire. As for the other spare wire - WHS, at a guess

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:44 pm

I'm afraid I'm not good with the acronyms- WHS?

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:30 pm

What He Said

a

Post by **Orkney** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:10 pm

I fitted a NOS one a little while back, it did have more than 4 wires, will check in the morning

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:13 pm

I see... All right! Well, I'm about to go away for a week, so I may not get this finished today (I leave tomorrow) but I suspect something in my wiring is wrong...

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:18 pm

Since nothing's working, that sounds like a fairly plausible theory

a

Post by **FrankM83** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:30 pm

just as question jack is the inticator stalk you're fitting the same as the one you previously had? As my '58 car has an indiactor stalk with a built in horn and an amber bulb on the body of the stalk rather than at the tip not sure when this stalk was changed over though

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:42 pm

It's identical- chrome stalk, with a green lens in the end and no special features. The only difference is that the angle of the stalk is slightly different- it seems to have been bent, as it points downwards instead of up!

Post by **FrankM83** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:48 pm

don't know how to help you said the old stalk had a disconnected green wire and the new stalk have an extra green wire? maybe these should go connected to each other? or maybe the stalk came ready for some later car features?

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:37 pm

There's an extra wire on the main car loom, that's green. All the wires on the odl stalk were connected, so before the loose green on the main loom had no potential- but I'm about to try connecting it to the extra green wire on the new stalk! I'll be back.

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:11 pm

Do you have a wiring diagram? AFAIR* it is just a case of connecting same colour to same colour for the stalk (spell checker insisting that I've spelled 'colour' wrongly, curse the stupid thing) but it's good to be sure

a

*As Far As I Remember - seeing as you've said you're not good with acronyms

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:11 pm

Right, deep breath, here comes some abstract description:
I've traced the fault. There's a discrepancy in wiring. Here goes.
If one holds the stalk unit in the position it fits in- left is up, right is down- then the wiring on the original unit goes like so:
Top contact, green/red; also soldered to this contact is a small red wire to the stalk bulb.
Middle contact, green.
Lower contact, green/white; also soldered to this one is the little white wire for the light in the end of the stalk.
The second, new stalk is wired like so:
At the top, before the three main contacts, the little stalk light wire is soldered to a green. There is only one, white/black stalk wire.
Top contact, green/red; nothing else.
Middle contact, green/brown.
Lower contact, green/white, nothing else.
So I had two distinct problems. The fact that the main indicator wasn't going off was due to the difference in bold, since I originally matched wires by colour. That has been solved- I now have the main indicators. My other problem, the italic one, is harder to solve. I've connected the loose wire up to the spare green one on the loom, and to each of the other possible contacts in turn. But nothing works...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:15 pm

it is just a case of connecting same colour to same colour for the stalk

That's what I thought, too! See above post though...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:19 pm

*As Far As I Remember - seeing as you've said you're not good with acronyms

Cheers

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:29 pm

This replacement stalk is obviously for something else - not a Minor ! The wiring colour coding doesn't conform to the BMC norms. Can only suggest you inspect carefully and decid which wire is the 'input' to the switch - and then with a test lamp find the left and right outputs. On a Minor the green light works simply by the current earthing through the indicator that's NOT being powered. It's connected across the two sets. The stalk you now have, may have a separate feed for the warning light - which should come from the third terminal on the later type flasher unit. You can either fit that type of flasher - or just rewire the warning lamp as per the original switch.

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:29 pm

Currently knocking up a wiring diagram. Watch this space.

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:44 pm

This is a rough diagram! Hope it's not totally incomprehensible...