Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

Could some one please tell me what colour wire to use please.

Should the wire to a warning light be the same colour as the wire used for the thing it his warning about?? OR

should the wire be the same colour as the warning light itself.??

I thought it would be sensible to ask as I simply don't know.

Alternately, should the warning light wires all be the same colour?

[MikeEdwards]

I can only speak from a seventies Vauxhall point of view, though I believe that their colour schemes are reasonably standard.

Don't, for the love of whoever is trying to sort it out in a few years (including yourself) make them all the same colour. That'll be a troubleshooting nightmare. Same for making it the same colour as the warning lamp, presuming you have thing like separate warnings for each indicator side.

As for whether they're the same as the thing they're warning about, I've never looked, so a quick check of the manual:

My main beam supply wires are blue/white, and the warning lamp is also blue/white.

My RH indicator supply is green/white, as is the warning lamp.
My LH indicator supply is green/red, as is the warning lamp.

I can see a pattern emerging.

Heated rear screen is green/yellow, as is the warning lamp.

I think it's fair to say that in my example at least, the warning lamp supply colour is the same as the thing it's warning for.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT

[ukdave2002]

Here you go, Lucas colour's:

CORE COLOUR BLACK
Solid Black All earth connections

Black with tracer
Black/ Brown Tachometer generator to tachometer
Black/ Blue Tachometer generator to tachometer
Black/ Red Electric or electronic speedometer to sensor
Black/ Purple Temperature switch to warning light
Black/ Green Relay to radiator fan motor
Black/ Light Green Vacuum brake switch or brake differential pressure valve to warning light and/or buzzer
Black/ White Brake fluid level warning light to switch and handbrake switch, or radio to speakers
Black/ Yellow Electric speedometer
Black/ Orange Radiator fan motor to thermal switch

CORE COLOUR BLUE
Solid Blue Lighting switch (head) to dip switch

Blue with tracer
Blue/ Brown Headlamp relay to headlamp fuse
Blue/ Red Dip switch to headlamp dip beam fuse. Fuse to right-hand dip headlamp
Blue/ Light green Headlamp wiper motor to headlamp wash pump motor
Blue/ White
a) Dip switch to headlamp main beam fuse
b) Headlamp flasher to main beam fuse
c) Dip switch main beam warning light
d) Dip switch to long-range driving light switch
Blue/ Yellow Long-range driving light switch to lamp
Blue/ Black Fuse to right-hand main headlamp
Blue/ Pink Fuse to left-hand dip headlamp
Blue/ Slate Headlamp main beam fuse to left-hand headlamp or inboard headlamps when independently fused
Blue/ Orange Fuse to right-hand dip headlamp

CORE COLOUR BROWN
Solid Brown Main battery lead

Brown with tracer
Brown/ Blue Control box (compensated voltage control only) to ignition switch and lighting switch (feed)
Brown/ Red Compression ignition starting aid to switch. Main battery feed to double pole ignition switch
Brown/ Purple Alternator regulator feed
Brown/ Green Dynamo 'F' to control box 'F' Alternator field 'F' to control box 'F'
Brown/ White Ammeter to control box. Ammeter to main alternator terminal
Brown/ Yellow Alternator to 'no charge' warning light
Brown/ Black Alternator battery sensing lead
Brown/ Slate Starter relay contact to starter solenoid
Brown/ Orange Fuel shut-off (diesel stop)

CORE COLOUR GREEN
Solid Green Accessories fused via ignition switch

Green with tracer
Green/Brown Switch to reverse lamp
Green/ Blue Water temperature gauge to temperature unit
Green/ Red Direction indicator switch to left-hand flasher lamps
Green/ Purple Stop lamp switch to stop lamps, or stop lamp switch to lamp failure unit
Green/ Light green Hazard flasher unit to hazard pilot lamp or lamp failure unit to stop lamp bulbs
Green/ White Direction indicator switch to right hand flasher lamps
Green/ Yellow Heater motor to switch single speed (or to 'slow' on two- or three-speed motor)
Green/ Black Fuel gauge to fuel tank unit or changeover switch or voltage stabilizer to tank units
Green/ Pink Fuse to flasher unit
Green/ Slate
a) Heater motor to switch ('fast' on two- or three-speed motor)
b) Coolant level unit to warning light
Green/ Orange Low fuel level switch to warning light
Light green Instrument voltage stabilizer to instruments
Light green/ Brown Flasher switch to flasher unit
Light green/ Blue
a) Flasher switch to left-hand flasher warning light
b) Coolant level sensor to control unit
c) Test switch to coolant level control unit
Light green/ Red Fuel tank changeover switch to right-hand tank unit or
entry and exit door closed switch to door actuator
Light green/ Purple Flasher unit to flasher warning light
Light green/ Green Start inhibitor relay to change speed switch; or switch
to heater blower motor second speed on three-speed unit
Light green/ White Low air pressure switch to buzzer and warning light
Flasher switch to right-hand warning light; or
Light green/ Yellow differential lock switch to differential lock warning light
Light green /Black Front screen jet switch to screen jet motor
Light green /Slate Fuel tank changeover switch to left-hand tank unit; or entry and exit door open switch to door actuator
Light green/ Orange Rear window wash switch to wash pump; or cab lock-down switch to warning light


CORE COLOUR ORANGE
Solid Orange Wiper circuits fused via ignition switch

Orange with tracer
Orange/ Blue Switch to front screen wiper motor first speed timer or intermittent unit
Orange/ Green Switch to front screen wiper motor second speed
Orange/ Black Switch to front screen wiper motor parking circuit, timer or intermittent unit
Orange/ Purple Timer or intermittent unit to motor parking circuit
Orange/ White Timer or intermittent unit to motor parking circuit
Orange/ Yellow Switch to headlamp or rear window wiper motor feed, timer or relay coil
Orange/Light green Switch to headlamp or rear window wiper motor parking circuit timer or relay coil
Orange/ Pink Timer or relay to headlamp or rear window wiper motor feed
Orange/ Slate Timer or relay to headlamp or rear window wiper motor parking circuit

CORE COLOUR PURPLE
Solid Purple Accessories fed direct from battery via fuse

Purple with tracer
Purple/ Brown Horn fuse to horn relay when horn is fused separately
Purple/ Blue Fuse to heated rear window relay or switch and warning light
Purple/ Red Switches to map light, under bonnet light, glove box light and boot lamp when fed direct from battery fuse
Purple/ Green Fuse to hazard flasher
Purple/ Light green Fuse to relay for screen demist
Purple/ White Interior lights to switch (subsidiary circuit door safety lights to switch)
Purple/ Yellow Horn to horn relay
Purple/ Black Horn to horn relay to horn push
Purple/ Pink Rear heated window to switch or relay
Purple/ Slate Aerial lift motor to switch up
Purple/ Orange Aerial lift motor to switch down

CORE COLOUR RED
Solid Red Main feed to all circuits mastered by sidelamp switch

Red with tracer
Red/ Brown Rear fog guard switch to lamps
Red/ Blue Front fog lamp fuse to fog lamp switch
Red/ Purple Switches to map light, under bonnet light, glove box light and boot lamp when sidelamp circuit fed
Red/ Green Bulb failure unit to right-hand-side and rear lamps
Red/ White
a) Sidelamp fuse to right-hand side and rear lamps
b) Sidelamp fuse to panel light rheostat
c) Fuse to panel light switch or rheostat
d) Fuse to fibre optic source
Red / Yellow Fog lamp switch to fog lamp or front fog fuse to fog lamps
Red/ Black Left-hand, sidelamp fuse to side and tail lamps and number plate illumination
Red/ Pink Sidelamp fuse to lighting relay
Red/ Slate Lamp failure unit to left-hand side and tail lamps
Red/ Orange Fusebox to rear fog guard switch
Red/ Slate Window lift main lead

CORE COLOUR WHITE
Solid White Ignition switch or starter solenoid to ballast resistor

White with tracer
White/ Brown Oil pressure switch to warning light or gauge, or starter relay to oil pressure switch. Choke switch to choke solenoid (unfused) and/or choke to
White/ Blue switch to warning light, or electronic ignition distributor to drive resistor. Starter switch to starter solenoid or inhibitor switch
White/ Red or starter relay or ignition (start position) to bulb failure unit
White/ Purple Fuel pump no 1 or right-hand to changeover switch
White/ Green Fuel pump no 2 or left-hand to changeover switch. Start switch to starter interlock or oil pressure switch
White/ Light green to fuel pump or start inhibitor switch to starter relay or solenoid
White/ Yellow Ballast resistor to coil or starter solenoid to coil. Ignition coil contact breaker to distributor contact
White/ Black breaker, or distributor side of coil to voltage impulse tachometer
White/ Pink Ignition switch to radio fuse
White/ Slate Current tachometer to ignition coil
White/ Orange Hazard warning lead to switch
White/Yellow (or just plain yellow) a) Overdrive b) Petrol injection c) Door locks d) Gear selector switch to start

YELLOW (or yellow/white) a) Overdrive b) Petrol injection c) Door locks d) Gear selector switch to start

PINK
Pink/ white Ballast terminal to ignition distributor

[Ray White]

Thankyou Dave and Mike. That is most helpful.

[MikeEdwards]

Yes, thanks for the comprehensive list Dave. Only trouble is, I've got to change the wires on my recently-added electric fuel pump now as I used something different for it. Oh well, I haven't put the inertia switch in circuit yet, so that's an opportunity to sort it out.
_________________
1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT

[Bitumen Boy]