Hazard telltale light

I'm using LED indicator bulbs and side lights throughout the car along with an LED flasher relay. I found that when the telltale light was fitted to the inside of the standard sierra hazard switch, the LED indicators didn't flash properly. Instead of blink on then off, they blinked on then half off. I tried an LED version of the tell tale bulb and the result was the same. Reading up on similar issues, I'd seen that diodes are normally installed to prevent electrical feedback although I couldn't figure out exactly where to install them! To try and work out what was going on inside the hazard switch, I took the cover off the switch and checked the terminals with a multimeter. With the switch on, I found that the two contacts nearest the steering wheel switched 12v on and off with the relay, and the other two gave a constant 12v live.

Therefore, if I could get one of the LED bulb's contacts connected to earth, the bulb will work correctly with the other contact connected to one of the switching 12v terminals. To put this into practice, a wire was soldered onto one of the bulbs contacts and then this was covered with heat shrink so that it wouldn't come into contact with the 12v terminal inside the switch.


This wire was then routed out of the back of the switch and connected to earth. The bulb was then pushed into the switch for a test and I'm pleased that this now works with no adverse effects to the indicators.

Dashboard started

I made a cardboard copy of the MK dashboard so that I could mark out the section to cut away to slot the dash over the steering column cowling. After a couple of modifications to the cardboard, the shape was then transferred to the dash and the cut made.

Once the dash board was in position, I could figure out how far back to bend the gear lever so it doesn't hit the dash when in 1st, 3rd, 5th or reverse gear. I made a cut at the base of the lever then bent it back and after checking it didn't hit the dash, welded it in the bend. I've since made another bend slightly further up so that the gear knob is in a more comfortable position when in 2nd and 4th.

The next job is to drill the holes so that the dash can be bolted to the scuttle. I'm planning to insert rivnuts into the scuttle to accept the dashboard bolts.

fog light

I hadn't noticed that in the latest IVA manual it stated the fog light had to be F marked as well as E marked. The one I'd just fitted only had the E mark so I purchased a similar light from SVC and luckily it matched the original housing near enough spot on. This is now wired in and I've made the necessary adjustments to the loom by adding an extra relay so that the fog light will only come on once the main beams are on, not just the side lights. I tested the circuit with the new savage switch I bought a while ago and also wired in the switches tell tale LED light.

I'd also purchased a brake test savage switch and after fiddling with the mutlimeter and the wires in the premier loom to see which wires did what and when, this light also now works. The LED comes on with the handbrake up, and on again with the handbrake down but only when the button on the master cylinder is pressed to replicate low brake fluid.

Another purchase made this week was a new horn which is now wired in and mounted just behind the radiator. I'd lost the steering wheel insert which is used as the switch to make the horn turn on so I raided the second donor I'd bought for the part.

The dremel drill saw some more action today creating a hole in the bonnet for the air filter. I used masking tape to mark lines where the top and bottom of the air filter were then transferred these marks onto the bonnet and then using a cardboard template, cut the hole.

Car with bonnet in place showing the hole for the air filter

More on rear lights

I'd finished off the twin light clusters ready to mount the lights themselves but then found that the screws that were included in the set were too small for the pre-drilled holes in the clusters. To get round this I used some M4 screws but had to remove the clusters once more to get a spanner on the M4 nuts. All put back together and with the lights wired in to the premier loom, I'm pleased they all work. For the rear number plate light, I took a feed from the near side tail light.

Hazards on:

Tail lights on:

I then set to work on the fog light. The supplied housing needed some cutting so that the fog light is vertical, a requirement of the IVA test. This is now mounted but not yet wired in.