Morris Minor Owners Club

I pulled the speedo out of the car some time ago to replace it with the correct one after fitting a 1098 engine, box and axle.

In the back of the speedo are five bulbs ignition, oil, two panel lights and the main beam warning light. The two panel lights and main beam warning light all have red ( live ) wires coming out of the back and are earthed on the speedo via the holder.

The main beam warning light is staying permantly on even when the the lights are on low beam where does the red wire from this warning light enter the loom. And what might be causing it to stay on even when its on low beam. Nothing was working before because all the bulbs had blown. I have now put new bulbs in and they work perfect apart from the main beam warning light. Any help cheers

Hello Les,

the lights sound as though they are mixed up, any lampholder with a red wire is live when the lights are on for panel illumination. The main beam lamp is the one with a blue\white wire.

Alec

Something wrong there mate! Panel lights should be red/white wires coming from the panel switch and the main beam light should be blue/white.
EDIT Alec beat me to it by seconds!

Strange that you have 3 X lights with red wires....... Does one of them only come on with the headlights - and two of them with the sidelights ? If so - the one with headlights may have been changed at some point in the past - and is now plugged in the wrong place. As others have said - it should connect with blue/white wires.

I have had a quick look and it looks as if I might have some dodgy wiring. The lights are tempremental, someone as played about before. Where,s the best place to get wire, bullet connectors etc what size wire and connectors do I need for lighting. I am sure I saw an ad in one of the mags for a company advertising auto electrical parts but I can,t seem to find it now.

An old wiring harness is a useful thing....

Hello Les,

here's a company that has a comprehensive stock of wiring items ;- http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/V ... mepage.php


Alec

What size cable do I need for the lights ?

Hello Les,

I can't remember the size, but that website will give you a guide if you look at the cable section.

Alec

Thanks for your help nice site

There should be a bulllet connector sleeve with a spare hole on the blue/white cable from the dip switch. Identify which speedo bulb is the MBW light and connect it to the bullet connector sleeve. You will have to replace the bulb unit and short length of wire when you find the correct holder with blue/white wire.

Lights are now all working correct including the main beam warning light. Thanks. Can anyone help with smiths clocks I have got a temp, oil and battery condition guages to put in.
I brought them off flea bay so no destructoins. I have got all the fittings to put them in.

Oil guage
I will be using a t piece for the oil pipe and electrical sender no problems here.

Battery condition guage
Looking at the back of the clock apart from the light I have two connections the one on the left as been earthed to the fixing for the clamp. The connection on the right as a piggy back connector with two wires one green and one black where do these go ?

Temp guage
Again looking at the back of the clock apart from the light there are two connections. The one on the left looks as if it as been connected to something as there is a ring connector fixed under the nut but there is no wire to it under the connector is the letter T stamped onto the clock. The connector on the right as the letter B stamped underneath it both connectors are joined by a small flat plate. Do I need to just connect this to the heater sender which I have got to put in. Thanks

Hello Les,

The battery condition gauge is a voltmeter. If one terminal is connected to the instrument clamp then this should be the earth the other wire (one is sufficient) should connect to an ignition fed source. I suggest that you connect to the incoming supply to the voltage stabiliser on the back of the speedometer, this is a green wire (The outgoing from the stabiliser is a light green wire, don't connect to that). Just double check if the gauge has a - and a + against these terminals, if your car is still +ve earth, probably the terminal with the clamp connection will be - ve, so remove that and fit to the other terminal, i.e reverse the polarity.

The temperature gauge uses a stabilised supply (light green as mention above) connected to the B terminal, the sender connects to the t terminal. I don't quite undersatnd the small plate unless it is a standard male 6.4mm Lucar terminal?

Alec

Polarity shouldn't matter - they will both be hot wire gauges.

Hello BMCE,

maybe, although the temperature gauge is clearly marked. I would prefer to offer advice that errs on caution's side

Alec

ALL the volts and temp gauges I have ever seen are 'hot wire'.....

Hello BMCE,

yes, that's seems to be the case, but temperature and fuel gauges are marked for connection. I don't know why, and it is not a polarity reason as they will work either way. I don't have any spare gauges to have a look inside and as far as I remember both terminals are insulated from the case?

Alec

Hello Alec,

The car
It is a 1956 car fitted with a 1098 engine, gearbox and back axle. It as been fitted with the correct speedo for the axle, the speedo as not got a voltage stabiliser on the back. The car is wired for negative earth. If there is no voltage stabiliser where is the best place to fit any wiring from the volt meter and temp guage.

Les

How do I resize a photo to 640 so I can post it on here. Thanks

Hello Les,

it should have a voltage stabiliser on the back of the speedometer for the fuel gauge. It's a small rectangular metal device with two double terminals, one side fed from the ignition fed fuse and the other going to the fuel gauge.


Alec