Discussion
On my Tasmin the fuses and relays were on a panel on the offside inner wing (actually the wheel well), I'd have said any diodes would have been lurking around there... but in all my old Tasmin notes it doesn't mention them. I can't find my 'all-black' wiring diagram for the Tas at the moment but that'd be my best shot.
spend best part of a day looking and testing everything else and cleaning all lighting switches.Leigh, I'm not 100% sure the early Tasmin actually had any diodes in the lighting circuit; it wouldn't necessarily have needed them unlike on the later cars with more complicated circuitry. In effect it was the same circuit used on the TR7; if there were no diodes on the Triumph then the TVR shouldn't have needed them either...
If your main beams are always on it could be the column switch 'flash' contacts are stuck closed.
If your main beams are always on it could be the column switch 'flash' contacts are stuck closed.
On my all black wired Tasmin, there is ONE diode, which sits between two relays.
There is no diode on the DIP beam circuit, so it connects directly to the lift/drop relay,
and the MAIN beam (next relay to the lift/drop on mine) has a single IN4001 diode to lift relay.
It's not easy to spot - use a good torch !!
Relays on mine were ordered DIP | MAIN | LIFT/DROP | LH MOTOR | RH MOTOR from front, bottom row - if they are still original.
There is no diode on the DIP beam circuit, so it connects directly to the lift/drop relay,
and the MAIN beam (next relay to the lift/drop on mine) has a single IN4001 diode to lift relay.
It's not easy to spot - use a good torch !!
Relays on mine were ordered DIP | MAIN | LIFT/DROP | LH MOTOR | RH MOTOR from front, bottom row - if they are still original.
Any of IN4000 series are fine - They are IN4001 (1 amp 50 volt) through to IN4007 (1 amp 1000 volt).
They should only drive the relay coils, so well under 1 amp.
Later wedges have several diodes, but if you think about it, all you need to do is to 'split' dip and main circuit where it connects to lift relay. When you add spotlights and headlamp dimmers then it gets a bit more complex.
(and there are diodes inside the lift motors as well, but pods won't stop correctly if these are dodgy).
That yellow wire does seem suspect !!
They should only drive the relay coils, so well under 1 amp.
Later wedges have several diodes, but if you think about it, all you need to do is to 'split' dip and main circuit where it connects to lift relay. When you add spotlights and headlamp dimmers then it gets a bit more complex.
(and there are diodes inside the lift motors as well, but pods won't stop correctly if these are dodgy).
That yellow wire does seem suspect !!
Edited by RCK974X on Monday 3rd August 20:10
I'm in the process of re wiring my all black model, the relay plate was also mounted in the engine bay. I've pulled everything out and never could find any diodes. I'm just re wiring the whole car now using the diagram in the bible so I'm putting some in. They basically just connect from both the dip and the main beam feed to the coil in the main motor relay. So maybe trace back from the relay?
Stog, if you think about it, you only need to separate the main and dip circuits, so one can go straight to the 'lift/drop' relay coil, and the other only needs a single diode.
That's how my black wired wedge was done (when I bought it, I assume that's original, don't know for sure).
2 diodes are fine as well, and probably safer overall.
That's how my black wired wedge was done (when I bought it, I assume that's original, don't know for sure).
2 diodes are fine as well, and probably safer overall.
Yes Yellow wire had no Diode in it, and once cut lights no longer put on full beam, will add a solder diode to the circuit and heat shrink it all up.
Spoke to my friend who's car it is, and he said he never noticed lol, as it must have always been like it, well since the person who added the yellow wire, I guess the diode broke and they just added a wire. they had done a good job if adding it unlike a lot of the twist and tape I had to re-do on a lot of the wiring while trying to find the problem. but at least now all the wiring has been sorted, and all the contacts in switches cleaned and have contact grease to stop them corroding. see too many wedge switches now to know to clean them and put contact grease on them.
Spoke to my friend who's car it is, and he said he never noticed lol, as it must have always been like it, well since the person who added the yellow wire, I guess the diode broke and they just added a wire. they had done a good job if adding it unlike a lot of the twist and tape I had to re-do on a lot of the wiring while trying to find the problem. but at least now all the wiring has been sorted, and all the contacts in switches cleaned and have contact grease to stop them corroding. see too many wedge switches now to know to clean them and put contact grease on them.
Interesting -
My wedge suddenly developed an appetite for fuses a while ago, and I ended up taking the dash off, and discovering all the wire joins were soldered but just wrapped with insulation tape, which was falling off....
I think this was original wiring - with crappy insulation tape !!
I replaced with proper heat shrink tubing, and problems went away.
Other things, whilst I'm here -
Check all the connectors, especially the ones behind the right hand pod (from driver's seat) There are a stack there, not very visible unless you take the pod out. Mine were all green instead of copper coloured ..... also make sure the earth returns are all sound. I had some wierd electrical affects, fixed by redoing the earths. MUCH better after that.
My wedge suddenly developed an appetite for fuses a while ago, and I ended up taking the dash off, and discovering all the wire joins were soldered but just wrapped with insulation tape, which was falling off....
I think this was original wiring - with crappy insulation tape !!
I replaced with proper heat shrink tubing, and problems went away.
Other things, whilst I'm here -
Check all the connectors, especially the ones behind the right hand pod (from driver's seat) There are a stack there, not very visible unless you take the pod out. Mine were all green instead of copper coloured ..... also make sure the earth returns are all sound. I had some wierd electrical affects, fixed by redoing the earths. MUCH better after that.
adam quantrill said:
I'm thinking of remaking the wiring loom for my 400SX, and going over to all black wiring as per the early TVR wedges. It seems like an excellent anti-theft device.
Well, a lot of aftermarket alarm/immobilisers use all-black wiring... Datatool did it with their Mk V motorcycle alarm as far back as 1992 and the infamous Vecta of that time was the same (even if you could defeat it with a cordless screwdriver 
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