Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[zagatoman]

Hi Chaps, though you might be able to help me again with my 1936 Morris 8. I have only had the car about 8 months and am still exploring its peculiarities.

Today has been the first time that I have actually turned the lights on just to make sure everything was fine before looking to buy a set of LED lights for her. I started the car and moved the switch over to the side light position, so the side lights would come on but they didn't come on but the red ignition warning light glowed dimly instead, I then moved the switch to the main beam and they didn't come on either and the ignition warning light glowed even brighter. I have no lights working on the car, headlights, side lights and the tail lights all not working, what could be the problem?

I should say the indicator semaphores are working fine and it looks like the car has had an all new loom in the past and looks to have been done very well. All bulbs have been individually tested and are all fully working.

Any help that you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Paul
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Enthusiastic amateur classic car nut.

[peter scott]

Hi Paul,

I couldn't find a Morris 8 wiring diagram on line but the relevant part will be similar to this:



The feed to the light switch should come from the A1 terminal on the control box but from what you describe I suspect that it has been connected to the other side of the ignition switch.

If this is so then your lights would probably work if the ignition were switched on.

HTH

Peter
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[goneps]

Sorry to contradict Peter, but on the Eight the PLC switch takes its power via the ammeter. One feed goes to the A terminal of the CFR2 cut-out unit, the other to the A terminal of the PLC, as shown in the diagram below.



Unfortunately wiring diagrams for the Eight are not 100% reliable owing to changes made during production, and it would be helpful to know the chassis no. of the car. In late 1936 a change was made from double-dipping headlamp bulbs to the infamous dip-and-switch system, but most of those later systems have been modified back to twin-filament bulbs, and naturally not all owners have done this the same way.

There could be a fault within the PLC switch, but diagnosing problems such as this from a distance is never easy, to say the least of it.

I'm no electrician, but I'm suspicious about the behaviour of the ignition warning lamp. Was this test done with the engine running or stationary? If the engine was running, did you increase revs to balance the discharge through the lamps?

Is the battery in good condition, or on its last legs, perhaps?

Richard

[goneps]

Of course, we're assuming that the car in question still has its original third-brush electrical system intact. Rather too many have been modified, either by changing to fully regulated, or 12V fully regulated, or some sneaky electronic gadget to replace the cut-out/lighting control. If any of these is the case then I'm afraid you're on your own.

Richard

[zagatoman]

Hi Richard, thanks for the wiring digram for the eight, looks like it might be of great help. The problem I have is when printed it’s a bit blurry and a bit delegable, any chance that you might be able to email me a better quality one so I can print out.

pwood13660@blueyonder.co.uk

My car has been restored about 25 years ago with a new loom and fitted with twin-filament headlight bulbs. Yes it still has the 6v electrics and yes the engine was running when the lights were tested. When I bought the car about 8 months ago I am sure the lights were working fine and I haven't done much apart from the normal plug, coil and points change since.


Thanks for your help, Paul
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Enthusiastic amateur classic car nut.

[goneps]

Paul,

One thing I should have mentioned is to check the dynamo field fuse in the CFR2 cut-out unit—it's the smaller one and rated at 5A or possibly 6A on some later models. If the fuse is OK, make sure its contacts are clean and showing good continuity (no resistance) with the fuse in place.

Before tackling the PLC switch on the dash, which is a pig of a job to remove and not that easy to repair, it might be an idea to remove the CFR2 and inspect the resistors at the back. Behind these there's a piece of asbestos acting a a shield, so take due precautions when handling this. Remove the three small screws securing the resistor wire and clean the terminals to ensure good conductivity.

If after this there's still a problem the next step will be to remove the dash panel and check that all the terminal screws at the back of the PLC are tight and there are no loose wires. Before the panel can be pulled out you'll need to disconnect the cable from the back of the speedometer and the three Bowden cables under the bonnet (starter, rich mixture control, and slow running control). Pull out the panel an inch or so to gain access to the back of the oil pressure gauge, from which the pipe must be disconnected.

I'll send a wiring diagram to your email address.

Richard

[zagatoman]

Thanks everyone for the info, a great help.

Been fiddling with wires and checking all connection’s and earth's and moved a couple of connections that I thought were in the wrong position, hay presto, we have light.

Thanks again to everyone, especially Richard in New Zealand for sending me hi-res wiring diagrams.

Paul
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Enthusiastic amateur classic car nut.