Adding accessories

[Neil MG]

I was recently asked by a friend to fit some more accessories on his traveller. Together with what he had already this amounted to:
Heated windscreen
Heated rear windows
Fog light
Reverse light (with manual switch)
Cigarette lighter (power socket)
Radio
Intermittent wipe
Electric screen wash
Hazard warning lamps

To avoid any visible extra cables in the engine bay and to keep the dashboard as standard and period as possible, this is the solution I came up with. The power is taken via a heavy duty cable from the fusebox permanent live, together with another cable from the switched live. These run to a relay under the dash and then to the new fusebox. This avoids the power for accessories going through the ignition switch. Two additional relays are used for the heated windscreen and rear screens.

The heated screen, reverse and washer switches are nearest the driver as they are most used. The intermittent wiper is on a two stage switch (same as lights) using original knob. The reverse switch lights up white, the heated screens have separate amber warning lamps and the fog light red.[frame][/frame]

[Neil MG]

One more:[frame][/frame]

[Neil MG]

Here is the fuse box[frame][/frame]

[Neil MG]

This can just be accessed as is, but removing the two setscrews and dropping the parcel shelf gives lots of room.
Close up[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Geezzz. Can't see the point of all that stuff myself - but each to their own!

[Neil MG]

I agree, my Series II has the luxury of a passenger side sun visor, a heater and a manual screen washer. That's as much as I need!

Problem was, having bought this stuff, he wanted it fitting! None of the local garages wanted to know. I have just tried to minimise the impact to the car dash.

[mike.perry]

How about the front fog lights, tow bar electrics and parcel shelf light? I assume the car has an alternator

[bmcecosse]

With all that load - It may need TWO alternators.......!

[alex_holden]

You should have seen the electrical stuff I added to my Land Rover - heavy duty alternator, battery cutout, engine bay light, front and rear cabin lights, rear spotlight, front and rear fogs, front spots, reversing lights, hazard lights, steering column flash and dip switch, towing electrics, electric fan with thermostat and manual override, stereo, heated rear screen, rear wash/wiper, practically every gauge I could find... ;)

One slight problem I ran into was that the MOT tester insisted I label the switches for things he had to test, which looked a bit tacky.

So far with my two Minors I've only got as far as:
Fenchurch: Negative earth, simple immobiliser, accessory sockets, stereo, hazard lights, temperature gauge, rev counter, ammeter.
Lintilla: Negative earth, simple immobiliser, accessory sockets, stereo, towing electrics.

BTW it would be safer to add an inline fuse next to the original fusebox in the engine bay - it sounds like the wire between the old fusebox and the relays under the dash isn't currently protected.

[bmcecosse]

You missed out on 24volt starting for your Landy Alex - with automatic charging of the second battery once the engine starts - and a third battery (also with auto recharge) used only for the lights that are not used when driving...... Thus the starting batteries don't get run down when sitting with the flood lights etc on......

[//no.comment]

hey, how did you get the intemittant wiper setting? did u buy some sort of pre made switch?
also how about the hazards? was this also bought in kit form?
it certainly looks alot busyer in there than it does in my car!
thanks
Andrew

[phurn]

I have my extra switches hidden out of sight behind the steering wheel, you don't know they're there unless you feel for them, avoids the cluttered look a treat.

[Neil MG]

Andrew,

The wiper switch is replaced with another (two position) lights switch, first position for the intermittent wiper control and second position for the standard wipe. And yes, the hazard switch (which, was already fitted but where the reverse switch is now) is a standard hazard switch kit and comes with wiring instructions. There was a flick switch mounted where the hazard switch is now that was used for the electric screen wash.

[ASL642]

The hazzard kit and the electric washer kit can both be sourced from morris suppliers. Spare pull switches can be bought secondhand (ask on here or fleabay) the odd electrical relays come from somewhere like Maplin. This way the car stays looking "original" but has all the useful modern add-ons.