Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[oldtimer]

After the electrical fault andshorting of wiring on my Volvo it was/is a real concern whether I would get her sorted again.What I know about car electrics can easily fit on that proverbial postage stamp!Having serious doubts about getting it started again seemed reasonable but never any thought about getting it to switch off,which it doesn't.
All contributions welcome even the disparaging ones.

Thank you in anticipation,
oldtimer

[47p2]

Could it be possible that the ignition switch is wired incorrectly?
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ROVER
One of Britain's Fine Cars

[47Jag]

Oldtimer,

I agree with John. It sounds to me like you have the coil connected to the ACC terminal.

Art

[oldtimer]

Hello the 47ers,
John and Art, riding to the rescue,again.May I compliment you on your tact and diplomacy,John,as it is more than likely to be connected wrongly!
The fact that Art and you are both in agreement,two erudite gentlemen who have come to the aid of one of The Slightly Bewildered before,makes me doubly happy.
My only defence,pathetic as it is,is that this recently acquired switch has had a paper label affixed, indicating the positions of what goes where,which I slavishly followed.In retrospect,having told the supplier that it seemed a shoddy item with a nasty action, why should the positioning of the label be viewed with less suspicion!
Thank you both,once again.
John

[Phil - Nottingham]

1 = Brown/Yellow - main feed from battery
2 = White - Ignition
3 = White/Red - starter
4 = Brown/Purple - Accessoires eg Radio/Wipers/Heater

Normally standard Lucas - this is for a Rover P5B

Note a worn out swtich can short between the terminals internally
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[oldtimer]

Thank you Phil,
All and any suggestions gratefully received and I am aware that you are another forum member who frequently helps the less clued up chaps, like myself,and in the black art of auto electrics I certainly qualify for that title
Cheers,
John.

[Jim.Walker]

I found years ago that the Lucas colour coding was interpreted differently by different motor manufacturers.

While Brown is almost certainly the main battery circuit, Green (with an appropriate tracer stripe is mostly used for ignition controlled ancillaries, such as wipers (but not the parking circuit) and indicators etc. Bout the only coding that can be absolutely relied on is that for headlamps and earth.

Relying only on colours can be dangerous. I remember an apprentice used to working on BMC cars wiring the black number plate lamp wire on an upright Ford Pop. to the earth side of the swinging number plate, unaware that the same colours did not apply to Fords. When the boot lid was dropped sometime later and the number plate swung on its rusty hinge an earth passage via the rusty hinge established an earth circuit for the (live) black wire and would have burnt out the wiring (and car?), had not a quick thinking driver disconnected the battery. Those Pop,s didn't know what a fuse looked like!
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Phil - Nottingham]

That is why I said normally but PO's fit anything! Ford/Vauxhall modify most but this link is a very useful general guide

http://www.dimebank.com/LucasColours.html
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2