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 Wiring Guru required, Overdrive wiring.
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Commerlad

United Kingdom
50 Posts

Posted - 21 Nov 2020 :  16:16:42  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
As Pruyter has said yes it is a momentary (passing contact) switch that is sprung loaded to return to the centre. You can (AS I have done in the past), use an indicator stalk if you strip all the non relevant bits from it.

High and low beam supply, horn supply, and the 2 plastic horns/catches that hold it before return to centre.

That is the reason for the relay ( It takes the input and latches the output via an input return)until it's main supply feed (from gearbox inhibitor switch) is removed when not in 3 or 4, so you can cancel overdrive with the switch or declutching and changing gear with a move across to the other side of the box.

Sometimes I think laterally, but then I have to get up!
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Commerlad

United Kingdom
50 Posts

Posted - 21 Nov 2020 :  16:49:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Pruyter I too have seen the mess that happens with poor wiring, a mashed up overdrive is the least of your worries, fires (leading to total loss) explosions of battery (Nasty) etc can all be caused from going ahead regardless without the knowledge to back up what you are doing. The forum is for people to ask questions, when I see something I can answer I will, If I need help I will ask and hope I get a decent answer. I am not stupid enough to venture into things where I do not know what I am doing. I praise anyone else who does the same. I urge most definately anyone who buys a hybrid or electric car not to do any alterations to the factory wiring unless they are an auto electrician.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of01p0Q-yUM.



Sometimes I think laterally, but then I have to get up!
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hillman

France
107 Posts

Posted - 22 Nov 2020 :  08:15:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi , I don't know if it helps but here are the wiring diagrams.



stay safe
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Mr A.the Hun

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 22 Nov 2020 :  23:23:56  Show Profile  Send Mr A.the Hun a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hillman

Hi , I don't know if it helps but here are the wiring diagrams.



stay safe


Thank you, I do have the manuals but it’s all helpful, thank you.
I’m starting by sending off for the correct wiring (colours with tracers etc.). Currently it’s wired almost exclusively with overly long purple wire?
Do you know how to test the later style relay? I found an explanation for the earlier one, and according to the Multi Meter that one is working correctly, but I can’t find anything similar for the later type.
Thanks again.
Terry
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Commerlad

United Kingdom
50 Posts

Posted - 23 Nov 2020 :  19:47:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
To test later type of unit.

To test the Relay, You need a 12v battery, cables and a multi meter.

Earth the body of the unit

Check for discontinuity (NO CONTACT) between terminals C1 and C4

Apply a 12v supply to terminal C2

Then when you add a 12v supply to terminal W2, You should hear a click
Check for continuity (CONTACT) between terminals C1 and C4
Remove supply from W2
Check for continuity (CONTACT) between terminals C1 and C4
Then add a 12v supply to terminal W1

You should then hear a click again

Once again Check for discontinuity (NO CONTACT) between terminals C1 and C4

If the relay passes all the above in order it is working correctly.

If at any point it does not, get another relay unit.

They are a sealed unit and can not be fixed.

Sometimes I think laterally, but then I have to get up!

Edited by - Commerlad on 23 Nov 2020 19:50:14
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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 23 Nov 2020 :  20:29:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Although the relay is sealed indeed, I have fixed mine which was not working. I opened the relay and cleaned a dirty contact and after that all was well again.

Regards,

Peter
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Mr A.the Hun

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 23 Nov 2020 :  22:48:02  Show Profile  Send Mr A.the Hun a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
Perfect, thank you very much I shall do exactly that.

And while we're on the subject. When the overdrive is fitted with a warning light (as per WSM wiring diagram), what colour is it and where is it usually positioned please? I cannot find reference to those details anywhere or find a picture.

The information on the forum has been great, thanks again everybody.

Regards

Terry
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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2020 :  07:13:21  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The warning light has an opal colour and is, when it concerns a RHD car, situated in the right upper corner of the dashbord. Later on Rootes did not fit this warning light anymore (cost cutting which started at the Series V) and the hole in the dashbord was filled with a little plug.

Regards,

Peter
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Mr A.the Hun

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2020 :  11:07:51  Show Profile  Send Mr A.the Hun a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by pruyter

The warning light has an opal colour and is, when it concerns a RHD car, situated in the right upper corner of the dashbord. Later on Rootes did not fit this warning light anymore (cost cutting which started at the Series V) and the hole in the dashbord was filled with a little plug.

Regards,

Peter



Perfect, thank you Peter. As in milky white?

Edited by - Mr A.the Hun on 24 Nov 2020 11:11:12
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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2020 :  11:30:16  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yes as in milky white! If your Rapier was originally delivered without overdrive than you will find the black plug in the corner of the dashbord.

Regards,

Peter
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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2020 :  11:46:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote




Here you see the warning light on the dashbord of my Rapier series IV

Edited by - pruyter on 24 Nov 2020 11:48:24
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Mr A.the Hun

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2020 :  10:39:05  Show Profile  Send Mr A.the Hun a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by pruyter





Here you see the warning light on the dashbord of my Rapier series IV


Thanks again Peter, the funny thing is your photo prompted me to think about something else entirely and I was able to undo another bodge (slechte reparatie ((not many of my Dutch colleagues would understand 'bodge' if I said it)) ).
By a long chain of thought, having looked at the photo, I realised that my RHD car has the speedo and rev counter mounted incorrectly left/right. I recently changed the speedo cable as the old one was too tight, awkwardly routed and causing the speedo to sit at a slight angle. I figured out that someone had fitted a non overdrive speedo cable, but even with the new cable, better routing and a little slack, the speedo was still being held at a slight angle on its springs inside the bezel. Then I saw your LHD photo, and that got me thinking. So I checked out as many photos of RHD cars as I could find and realised, mine were the wrong way round. Another step forward, thanks.
Other peoples knowledge and experience and the Internet, brilliant.
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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2020 :  10:49:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi Terry,

Regarding the term "bodge" I was fully aware what it means. How could I not when reading magazines like Practical Classics for about 30 years.

So now you know that the overdrive warning lamp is situated at the right upper side of your speedo! Did you already discover the little black plastic plug which covers the hole in the dashbord?
If you need more pictures of my Rapier in order to clarify something so just say so and I will provide them.

Regards,

Peter
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Mr A.the Hun

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2020 :  11:55:06  Show Profile  Send Mr A.the Hun a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by pruyter

Hi Terry,

Regarding the term "bodge" I was fully aware what it means. How could I not when reading magazines like Practical Classics for about 30 years.

So now you know that the overdrive warning lamp is situated at the right upper side of your speedo! Did you already discover the little black plastic plug which covers the hole in the dashbord?
If you need more pictures of my Rapier in order to clarify something so just say so and I will provide them.

Regards,

Peter



Ahh yes.
My car doesn't have the hole in the dash (being a non overdrive S3 perhaps, not sure?), and I'm far too much of a chicken to drill one. There is a period style switch/warning light bracket attached to the bottom edge of the wooden dash with the screen washer plunger and an empty hole, so I'll use that.

Thanks again.
Terry

p.s. Other words that regularly foxed them despite fantastic English- Skip (Container bouwen) and Weir (Stuw/Stuwdam).

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pruyter

Netherlands
323 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2020 :  13:43:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
That is really strange because Rootes drilled those holes and filled them with either a warning lamp or, regarding non overdrive cars, a little black plug. By doing so they could treat the dashbords for overdrive and non overdrive cars in the same way.
I have to admitt that "weir" is for me also a word that is new to me, so in this respect I am no different from my countrymen.
I found for skip in the dictionary different meanings but not your translation "container bouwen". I only know this word as something like delete.

regards,

Peter
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