Hunting Earths

[Matt]

Hi All - as I continue to sort out the many snags in my Stag, I'm wondering if anyone knows the physical location of the earth point(s) for the interior lights and the auto quadrant display light. I've got power but no earths so far......
Thanks in anticipation
Matt

[jleyton]

For the interior lights it depends on whether you have an early or late car.

There are two ways to tell easily: 1) If the door switches have twin contacts it is an early version - the later cars had just one contact. 2) If you pull out the interior light switch, what are the cable colours for the two terminals at the front of the switch ? If they're purple you have an early system - later ones had black wires, connected together.

If you have the later system - that was never documented by Triumph - I can give you some advice. I'll wait to hear which you have first.

Cheers

Julian

[milothedog]

Hi All - as I continue to sort out the many snags in my Stag, I'm wondering if anyone knows the physical location of the earth point(s) for the interior lights and the auto quadrant display light. I've got power but no earths so far......
Thanks in anticipation
Matt

I think you more than likely have a bad connection or broken wire somewhere. Have you tried proving it's the earth connections that are at fault by giving them another one if the items then work just give them a new earth either by finding a new suitable point to attach it to or piggyback off another existing good one.

Ian

[richardthestag]

what he said ^^^ you can never have too many earth connections.

I have one from each rear light unit to body and that made a huge difference

[Matt]

Thanks for the swift replies - mines a later model with the two black wires on the switch. Earths - yep I think that the problem and it probably stems back to when the car was resprayed; I'm tracked down a lot of my problems are poorly refitted items which I would assume weren't done properly after it was resprayed by one of its POs. Hence the reason I was wondering where the earths are supposed to be - if I've got a clue then I've half a chance of being able to check them out!
Onwards and upwards....
Matt

[milothedog]

Thanks for the swift replies - mines a later model with the two black wires on the switch. Earths - yep I think that the problem and it probably stems back to when the car was resprayed; I'm tracked down a lot of my problems are poorly refitted items which I would assume weren't done properly after it was resprayed by one of its POs. Hence the reason I was wondering where the earths are supposed to be - if I've got a clue then I've half a chance of being able to check them out!
Onwards and upwards....
Matt

The thing is Matt, with a 40 year old loom it's quite acceptable to just make new earths and save yourself a lot of bother.

Ian.

[jleyton]

Right Matt, as you've got the later system then I can talk you through how the interior light system works - it is a bit odd and, as I mentioned earlier, uncharted by Mr Triumph.

For the roof light (which actually houses two bulbs) a 12v feed comes up the right hand B pillar in (surprisingly) a black wire. This is fed to both the roof bulbs. The other end of the bulbs have a (IIRC) purple/orange and purple/slate wire that comes down to the interior light switch.

From there it depends if the switch is activated or not. If it's on then that 12v goes to those two black wires you've seen on tne switch and then to earth so both roof bulbs illuminate. If it's turned off then it goes through the switch and out to the respective door switch which, when open, completes the circuit to earth - illuminating just one roof light bulb per side. The principle for the footwell and puddle lights is similar.

However the wires on the switch are often connected incorrectly and produce all sorts of strange results.

Earthwise, you should check that the door switches are earthing properly when the doors are open and also check that the black wires on the back of the switch are good earths.

I hope this makes some sort of garbled sense.

Cheers

Julian

[Matt]

That's brilliant guys thanks. I'll report back once I've fixed it hopefully