Morris Minor Owners Club

Apologies if this has been covered before. I had a quick search but couldn't find it, so here goes....

I have a '56 Series II. The previous owner fitted indicators to it at some point and disconected the traficators. The indicators don't work at all now, so I need to rewire them, but would also like to wire the traficators back in, putting a switch in (after the indicator switch) which will then go either to the traficators, or to the relay/indicators.

Does anyone know how I should go about this, or has anyone else done this? I'd be grateful for any advise, or wiring diagrams, as this is one of the last things to sort out before the car is back on the road for the first time in 11 years.

Thanks,
Adam.

There are many options on how to do this - one of the simpler ones is to use a column switch for the flashing indicators and a (standard?) switch under the dash for the trafficators.
Other options include clever wiring including relays that allow the indicators to be used and trafficators to be optional.

I've just managed to pick up a decent trafficator down at the Shepton show - so I now have a pair. Fifi's had new indicators fitted by the previous owner but on top of the blanking plates that he replaced the trafficators with he put little indicators. So the electrickery is all still in there - which hopefully will make the refit much easier. The only thing I'm concerned about (as I know nothing about vehicle electricals - except touching a running cracked HT cap can warm your fingers on a cold day) is whether there's sufficient juice in the indicator system to flash indicators front and rear as well as lift the trafficators. Also will the flasher relay have to be put somewhere else in the system (I don't know if the trafficators just went out and lit, or went out and flashed). I have visions of the trafficators going in and out merrily as the indicators flash. There you go - Morris Minor electrical nicompoopery colours nailed well and truly to the mast...

Flasher relays are a bit 'new fangled' ;-) The original trafficators just went out and lit.

The trafficator normally has one wire - this makes it stick out, and when it is 'up' this makes a mechanical connection thus lighting the bulb.
It is possible to mess with the trafficator to get a seperate flashing feed for the bulb, (and has been done) but why?????? If you want a trafficator, then surely you want an original look and not one that flashes...
OK - I'm starting to go on... but I expect you get my point

whether there's sufficient juice in the indicator system to flash indicators front and rear as well as lift the trafficators

The standard relay isn't up to it i'm afraid. Everything goes into slow motion .

So would it be possible to run the flasher relay as well as a separate non-flashing line to the trafficators? It may sound odd Ray - but the trafficators are one of those nice old pieces of vehicular history that I really value, like bakelite switches (I know it's sad). However we use the car as a daily driver to and from work as well as rallies, holidays etc. (It's our only 4 wheeler) so I'd also like to keep the standard indicators for the drivers that are too busy talking to their GPS to notice the trafficator.

guydenning wrote: It may sound odd Ray - but the trafficators are one of those nice old pieces of vehicular history that I really value, like bakelite switches (I know it's sad).

Sad? Why? Yet another good reason for owning a proper car

You're fine taste in all things is already noted. Hey Ho, Let's go... as they say. Somewhere...

If complete originality is not too much of a worry, you could consider replacing the bulb in the trafficator with a circuit board covered in orange LEDs. You could then have a small circuit on this that made it flash.

If you put the trafficators on the 'flasher' side of the system, they'd flap up and down and look silly (?). Then again, on most systems the flasher is in circuit before the indicator switch which selects left or right, so you can't wire the traffs after the switch but before the flasher unit. I havn't checked the mog cct diagram (as I'm at work and it's at home) but I'm reasonably certain this will be the case.

So would it be possible to run the flasher relay as well as a separate non-flashing line to the trafficators? It may sound odd

Yes - however for that, a seperate system is far easier. My 55 traveller has that - normal flashers for road use (via a Minor 1000 column switch) and the original trafficators via the dash mounted bakelite switch