Good News – Bad News – and a Question.

[Tdm]

... And how things always seem (like Buses) to come along in threes...

Firstly the good news – our daughter gave birth to a baby boy this morning, her 2^nd child, our 5^th Grandchild, but our 1^st Grandson. Also the wife's brother was released from Hospital this afternoon after suffering a Stroke last Monday.



The (partly) bad news is when I came to start my Stag tonight – not having touched it for over a week – it wouldn't fire up (turned over strongly but gave the systems of no fuel getting through).


Have had this before so took both Carb covers off and removed the Pistons & poured some petrol in. I had noticed the low fuel warning light coming on just before I had parked it. As I was removing the Carbs & Pistons noticed that 2 of the “lugs” that fit on the end of the rods that links the Carbs together had broken and fortunately I had a couple of spares left (this too has happened before).



Put everything back together and Bingo – the car starts straight away – so job well done I thought.
Now we come to my question as I was letting it run for a while before heading to the Petrol station to fill up I noticed all my lights were on (front and rear side lights) yet the switch was in the “Off” position. Switched off & on again and same thing so decided not to do any more until I filled up and having returned from the garage it is now too dark to do any more checking.


The lights do go out if I remove the ignition key – but what would make them come on in the 1^st place, all I had touched was the Carburettors? Suggestions please for what to look for tomorrow, and thanks in advance..

[staginhiding]

The light shouldn't be controlled by the ignition,so something wrong there.
maybe a good place to start.
or something going on inside the on off switch

Sam

[ChasR]

IMO a fuse has dropped out of your fusebox (do you keep spares in the cover?) and is shorting out via the ignition control fuse to the sidelights fuse (this may have happened to me (I initially though they were daytime running lights that I have inadvertedly triggered!).

Failing that, I would be looking to a wiring fault somewhere (maybe the fusbox, maybe even in the column) or a knackered light switch (this is unlikely though).

[davidf]

I would disconnect the battery every time you leave the car until you have this sorted. Current going where it shouldn't be able to can cause nasty problems.

[jakesmig]

Congrats on 4th grandchild, hope mother & baby fine, bugger the car, go get pissed

John

[Bandit1200]

Congrats on 4th grandchild, hope mother & baby fine, bugger the car, go get pissed

John

John's right. The Stag is important but'''''''

[Guest]

I had the same problem a while ago (lights on with the switch off) and I took all the fuses out and cleaned up the connections and the fault disappeared. I have no idea what I did to fix it, but the problem never returned.

[Tdm]

Thanks for the suggestions - as soon as I can get out will check the fuses first and see if I can find the cause.
Will report back when fixed (knowlingly or unknowingly).
A little too tired last night to properly wet the new baby's head as had just driven to the Hospital & back to pick up the brother-in-law
and bring him home.

[Tdm]

Update - When tried the car this morning lights were working normally again - so maybe I caught sometime whilst working on the Carbs yesterday but it has now rectified itself. Looked at the Fusebox and it appears to not have been disturbed. Only problem was that the car was ticking over way too fast, so made an adjustment to the linkage rods (on which I had fitted new "lugs" yesterday), and now ticking over at circa 750rpm when warm rather than the 1500rpm it was doing. Getting the length of the rods that link the 2 Carburretors right is critical and needs to be spot on. Thanks for your replies - must remember never to let the petrol in the tank drop below a 1/3rd full and to keep a wary eye on the Carb linkage. Will order some new "lugs" from Paddocks for when I am over in December. Bit early I know but with all the Xmas Ads on TV at the moment you might think we were already in December - so Merry Xmas to ALL Stag Forum Members. Lets all get into the Xmas spirit (whichever interpretation you put on that word) and be nice to each other from now onwards.