Almost left stranded again

[troydeon]

So I drove my TR7 for a year and never an issue...
I've had my TR8 for less than a month and it left me stranded once and almost again today...
First time was due to a stuck headlight motor that drained the battery.
Today it was my hi beam switch failing.
Toneinblack was asking about flashing hibeams and I thought that I would check mine so I worked the switch and nothing happened... really nothing happened no click nothing... "well that's odd, I think my switch just broke" is what ran through my head, something else to fix...
So I went and ran some errands and low and behold battery dead, and I do some checking and the lowered lights are on! the broken hi beam switch put the lights on all the time like I was flashing all the time (don't know why the lights didn't come up)... So I disconnected the appropriate wires from the switch to stop the condition... Looks like the switch is shot, couldn't figure out a repair with it on the steering column...
Luckily for me I had just bought the replacement battery for the TR8 so that I could return the battery to the TR7...
Looks like I'll be replacing the switch one of these weekends (the turn signals don't turn off as well so was probably going to do it anyway) Good thing is the regular lights work fine.


Troy
1980 TR7 DHC
1980 TR8 DHC

[troydeon]

... and the clock started working... I wonder how long that will last.

Troy
1980 TR7 DHC
1980 TR8 DHC

[Cobber]

C'mon by now you should know that you can either have the clock working or he car working, but you can't have both! [:D]

"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"

80'Triumph TR7, 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
'98 MG-F, 69'Ford F250.

[Workshop Help]

Yes, my friend from the 'Sparkling City by the Sea', be sure to visit our Workshop Manual area for insight for replacing your turn signal multi-switch. Of course, you'll be shopping the wide friendly aisles of ebay.com for a new one.

Mildred Hargis

[FI Spyder]

My hi-low switch was broken when I got my car so got a new one from VB. Never had any problem with the clock though. Some times a jolt from the battery will work, like disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cable.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Hasbeen]

When my headlights have light up, but not raised up. it has been a poor connection in one or more of the multi pin connectors in the front of the engine bay, & nothing to do with the switch.

Do have a look at simple solutions, rather than expensive ones.

Your 8 is testing you. [}:)] You will have to prove you love it, even when it is being less than lovable, before it will behave.

Hasbeen

[RJS]

There is a plastic part in the stalk/switch that controls low, high, and flash (it often breaks). It is broken on mine. If it is forward (low beams) it is fine. If it is to the back (high beams) the high beams are always on (even if the light pods are down and the car is off).

I have to be careful that I do not ever leave it on high beams when I park the car, or my battery will be dead when I come back out.

My car does not flash the lights when the stalk is pulled back (no big deal in the US), and I suspect that is the connection that is turning on the lights on my car.

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by RJS</i>


My car does not flash the lights when the stalk is pulled back (no big deal in the US), and I suspect that is the connection that is turning on the lights on my car.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

North American cars didn't have that feature. I'd get the switch changed out as soon as you can afford it as you don't want to be stranded at the most inopportune time.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[troydeon]

Spyder, the odd thing is that before the switch broke it did actually do the flash thing... When I get the new switch in I'll check it and see...
There are some ugly modifications and wiring under the hood... I've got some future projects cleaning it all up...


Troy
1980 TR7 DHC
1980 TR8 DHC

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by troydeon</i>

There are some ugly modifications and wiring under the hood... I've got some future projects cleaning it all up...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yah, you don't need some PO's bodging to complicate the wiring. Bare in mind when reconstituting the wiring that the weakest link in the wiring is the connector where they are crimped onto the insulation (for grab) and the crimp to the bare wiring for contact. The only wiring issue I've had with my car the the 12V feed that runs up the console supplying the various lights, culminating with the dash lights. After disturbing that connector by accessing the radio I lost the console and dash lights for a few months before I found the wire had broken at the said connector. Some people while working on the wiring, solder these connections to reinforce at the weak point.


- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT