Morris Minor Owners Club

I have a switch positioned on the underside of the dash under the choke switch and I can't find it to do anything else than switch on the orange oil-light.
I have a 'driving backwards' light that doesn't work...now maybe the orange light is a warning light that my 'driving backwards' light is on, but my bulb is broken or something...anybody any idea ?
(and sorry for my 'describing' way of speach as I don't now all the words I mean...

do not appologise for you speech as it is better than most of us can do in a second language! your `driving backwards` light known as a reverse light to us could just be a cosmetic item!? trace the wireing to see if it wired to anything.
as to the switch underneath the choke, some one recently found a switch under the dash that dimmed the bulb for the speedo! it could be something like this, however when you have a car that is over 30 years old finding out what "improvements" previous owners have made can be less than FUN!
john.

Ok, my reverse light is a genuine one, so I have to find out why it aint working. It would be working with with a switch, I don't expect it to work automatically if reverse is engaged. I was just checking if I had the speedo dimming switch when I 're-found' the oil-light switch and had the idea to ask about it on this forum. I haven't got a dimming switch though.

In the UK, manually switched reversing lights have by law to be connected to a warning light, so it's certainly a possibility. It does sound a bit odd to use the oil pressure light instead of adding a new light for the purpose though.

do you have oil pressure problems? maybe the car did at some point in its life and the owner at the time decided he would rather `not know` than do anything about it? probably easier to just disable the bulb so who knows.
when you find out please post the details as i am sure your car will not be the only one with this mod!
john.

Alex, even more reason to examin the way of the wires !
Tickman, hahaha, that would be a strange solution to a rather serious problem...

Alex, I have an oil-pressure gauge, does the oil-light has any significance anymore then ?

It's not essential if you keep an eye on the gauge, but I'd prefer to have both because if the pressure suddenly drops off as you're driving, you're more likely to notice the light come on than the needle fall.

True, but I can imagine that some prvious owner has chosen for this solution in stead of another hole in the dash

tickman wrote:do you have oil pressure problems? maybe the car did at some point in its life and the owner at the time decided he would rather `not know` than do anything about it? probably easier to just disable the bulb so who knows.
when you find out please post the details as i am sure your car will not be the only one with this mod!
john.

Of course, if the speedo has both oil pressure and oil filter warning lights (as I think they all do), then hooking the filter light up to something entirely different really isn't that much of a problem

And most cars I've had where previous owners have taken a very relaxed attitude to warning lights have simply had the bulbs removed...

I have an ignition light (red), a high beam light (blue) and an oil, now not known, light (orange) Do I miss one ??

Just had a look at the speedos I've got here.

I've got a pair of gold faced ones, they have red ign, blue high beam, and green oil.

Also got a pair of black faced ones, they have the red, blue, but 2 orange - One is oil pressure, the other oil filter.

Mine is a black one, kilometer scale. Will check tomorow for any second orange light

Just checked...you are right, I have a red, a blue and two orange lights.
The left orange light is connected to the mystery switch, the other one has never worked as far as I can remember, what should it warn me of ?

As far as I know, the one to the left of the speedo is oil filter (often unused as the filter adapters seem to not have the switches built in on a lot of cars I think), and the one to the right is oil pressure.

Personally, having had a lot of A series cars I don't think the oil fitler one is all that important. However, the oil pressure one most certainly is!

Both have green/ yellow wires to them if I recall correctly. Easiest way to test the bulb/ wiring for the pressure switch is to take the wire off the switch end (underneath and slighty to the left of the dizzy from memory) and earth it directly to the bodywork. If the light comes on (you need the ignition on) then you've got a duff sender, if it doesn't then chances are either the bulb of the wiring is at fault. Probably the bulb, but I had to run another wire for it on the pickup as the original one in the loom had failed.

What does the oil-filter light warns for ?

It warns you the filter's blocked.

I have a feeling the speedos kept the warning light even when the filter housings didn't have the switch built in, and I don't reckon it's anything to worry about. But really, make the the pressure one does work!

I surely will, I have a oil-presure gauge though, and I check it regulary

Ah, to run both a gauge and a warning light you'll need a T piece then - I'll guess you haven't, which is why the light doesn't work.

A gauge is much better of course, but a warnnig light is more noticeable if there's a sudden drop, so worth having both in my opinion