Drivers door wiring loom

[Griffo400]

Hi all.
I’m repairing the drivers door loom in my May 92 Griff as it had been burnt out then chopped about to keep the ciggy lighter working. Not sure why it burnt out but there must have been a lot of smoke coming out of the door when it did!!
Thankfully the loom is correct according to the Bible so I’m following that. The problem is where the live and earths went too and from.
Does anyone have any photos of a complete loom showing the wires to the lighter and mirror switch/relay connector area. I know the earth went to the mirror element first but does it then go to the lighter or the switch/relay connector.

Looking at this image you an see that there are bits missing, most of which I’ve figured out.
I’m confident I can get it sorted I would just like to get thing the original way round.

[BIG DUNC]

My Griff is a month older than yours.

The electric mirrors and drivers puddle light have never worked in all the time I have had it. The cig lighter does though.

I was thinking that tomorrow may be the day I take the door card off to investigate. Assuming that it is not similarly burnt out and bodged, I will take some photos for you.

I did have a half hearted attempt at this about a year ago, but didn't actually succeed in getting the door card off. Fingers crossed, I will get a bit further tomorrow.

[Griffo400]

Thanks BD, I await your findings.

[stevesprint]

Brian
Great to hear you're well and locked down in the garage during this terrifying time, my son is currently being paid by the government to work on his RV8 MX5.


I'm big headed enough to report my wing mirrors have always worked and I took this picture 8 years ago to help another Griff owner.

Drivers side: Left/Right, common, Up/Down


Passenger Side: Left/Right, common, Up/Down


Stay Safe in the Garage!!!!

[BIG DUNC]

Griffo 400, All the wires went into plugs like the photos from Stevesprint.

I found my issue as soon as I had the door card off. The plug was not connected to the bottom of the joystick switch. Therefore I didn't have to do too much in the way of diagnoses.

I did take some photos, but not sure they will add anything further to the ones posted above.

I have also found a better wiring diagram for the mirrors than the Steve Heath one.

If you would like the wiring diagram or the photos, drop me a PM.

[Griffo400]

Thanks for your replies.

Stevesprint, the plug I’ve shown is not the one going up to the mirror, sorry mate I didn’t make that clear.
Its one of the three that feeds the change over switch and joystick controller, see photo.
I’m also in the same position as your son and will be for the next two weeks, probably longer.

The burnt out one at the bottom is the one that I’m puzzled about. I think the ciggy lighter power was taken from here.

I can only think that there was a short here or maybe the lighter socket was overloaded.
Whatever caused it, the live wire right back to A post was burnt.

Looking at the wire size and the fact that the single red live has to supply everything in the door I can’t help thinking that it’s a under rated Amps-wise. What say you all??

BIG DUNC I’ll take up your offer re the photos and diagram if I may. I’ll be in touch.

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 09:27

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 09:27

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 09:28

[BIG DUNC]

Photos sent.

[Penelope Stopit]

Very likely incorrect fuse or nail fitted

Cable shouldn't have burnt out

Are you sure the rest of the loom and fuse-box are good ?

Could be damage throughout in hidden areas

[Griffo400]

BIG DUNC, photos received thank you.

I guess the loose lead near the ciggy lighter is for its illumination.

Penelope Stopit. The plug in the main loom behind the dash to the A post is good and I did inspect the loom for damage and this looked ok. I tested the supply and it was still working ok.

I did have issues with the fuses and have corrected that now.

The red cable in question is a 14/.28 strand and my novice calculations suggest this will barely carry 5 amps. I’ve tested two new cigarette lighters and found that one draws a minimum of 5 Amps, the other draws 6.
So I’m now thinking this could possibly have been the problem and I’m tempted to add an inline fuse at the A-post to prevent any further burn outs.

Here’s a photo of what I found when I first investigated this. Someone had fitted a “Lights on
warning buzzer”....badly!!

This may also have been the cause but I’ll never know.



Thanks for your help.

B.

[BIG DUNC]

Yes, the loose lead near the cig lighter was for illumination.
It has 12 V with the sidelights on.
Only my actual lighter socket doesn't have any illumination. As I have a spare which does, I almost fitted it yesterday. However, it has never bothered me that I cannot see the cig lighter in the dark, so I left it as it was.

[MikeE]

Are you still looking for photos of the connections to the mirror joystick and lighter, I have some and will dig out if you need them. Feb 1992 Griffith

[Penelope Stopit]

A lucky escape then

The cable in the image looks like 14/030 which has a current carrying capacity of 8.75 Amps

Any consumer maxing out at 8 Amps won't melt that cable

To possibly help boost your confidence in the the 14/030 cable......the majority of wiper motors were wired using 14/030

Shouldn't guess but .....am guessing that the 5 to 6 Amp current draw of the cigarette lighters drops to approximately 3 to 4 Amps as the element heats up

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Monday 30th March 13:38

[Griffo400]

MikeE said:

Are you still looking for photos of the connections to the mirror joystick and lighter, I have some and will dig out if you need them. Feb 1992 Griffith

Yes MikeE, have you any with the loom unraveled or straightened out, that would be good.
You have mail.

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 14:16

[Griffo400]

Penelope Stopit said:

A lucky escape then

The cable in the image looks like 14/030 which has a current carrying capacity of 8.75 Amps

Any consumer maxing out at 8 Amps won't melt that cable

To possibly help boost your confidence in the the 14/030 cable......the majority of wiper motors were wired using 14/030

Shouldn't guess but .....am guessing that the 5 to 6 Amp current draw of the cigarette lighters drops to approximately 3 to 4 Amps as the element heats up

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Monday 30th March 13:38

Thanks for that information. I guess 14/028 is very close to 14/030. I’m not going to argue over 0.02 mm. Sometimes too much information on the internet can be a little confusing.

I calculated the cross sectional area of one 0.28mm strand then multiplied this by 14 but must have been looking at the wrong reference table.

Think I will still put an inline fuse in just for my own piece of mind.

[MikeE]

Griffo400 said:

Yes MikeE, have you any with the loom unraveled or straightened out, that would be good.
You have mail.

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 14:16

I’ve sent you 3 pics but they’re the connections to the lighter, wing mirror joystick and switch not the other ends

[Griffo400]

MikeE said:

I’ve sent you 3 pics but they’re the connections to the lighter, wing mirror joystick and switch not the other ends

That’s great Mike.

This shows me the two neg’ wires onto the cigarette lighter. Big Dunc’s photos show only one!
I think yours is how mine should be wired. Neg from A-post to the door mirror then through the lighter and onto mirror control circuit through the joystick. That’s solved that part of the puzzle.

I think the live originally went straight to the black side of the connector you see in my first photo, this was twinned with the door reflector wire hence the two wires!!

Then from the white side a red wire supplied the cigarette lighter. The heat generated to melt the plastic would support the problem being caused by the lighter.

Looking at this connector again I’ve found that the neg going to the joystick from the white side is twinned with another wire but what was it grounding. I’ll stare at some more and wait for that lightbulb moment.

Brian G

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 15:00

Edited by Griffo400 on Monday 30th March 15:00

[Penelope Stopit]

Griffo400 said:

Penelope Stopit said:

A lucky escape then

The cable in the image looks like 14/030 which has a current carrying capacity of 8.75 Amps

Any consumer maxing out at 8 Amps won't melt that cable

To possibly help boost your confidence in the the 14/030 cable......the majority of wiper motors were wired using 14/030

Shouldn't guess but .....am guessing that the 5 to 6 Amp current draw of the cigarette lighters drops to approximately 3 to 4 Amps as the element heats up

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Monday 30th March 13:38

Thanks for that information. I guess 14/028 is very close to 14/030. I’m not going to argue over 0.02 mm. Sometimes too much information on the internet can be a little confusing.

I calculated the cross sectional area of one 0.28mm strand then multiplied this by 14 but must have been looking at the wrong reference table.

Think I will still put an inline fuse in just for my own piece of mind.

Good idea in fitting an inline, the chances are that TVR wired the lighter off a fuse that supplies other higher current draw circuits, the lighter could possibly be 30 Amp fused

[Austin Seven]

Here's a couple of small points to check when you finish playing with the lighter socket, to avoid future hassle. I had to open up the door card when my cigarette lighter stopped working, and found the positive wire had dropped off the spade terminal on the bottom of the socket. Part of the reason for this was that the socket itself was loose; the securing nut had come undone and allowed the socket to twist and wiggle around.

So check your socket is properly secured (maybe use some thread lock) and make sure the Lucar connectors grip tightly - otherwise you'll be taking the card off again one day.

BTW, I could not get my door card right off, because I could not work out how to undo the front top screw. The information I had said to pop out the ashtray and undo the screw behind it. Easy, right? But my car does not have ashtrays, so how do you get that screw undone?

[Griffo400]

Lightbulb moment arrived!!

The live and neg both go to the black socket then continue from the white plug to the lighter.

So it’s neg to the mirror, then back to the loom to reappear on the black side of the connector. From the white side two negative wires appear, one to the joystick controller the other to the lighter as in Big Dunc’s photo.

Thanks all for your input.

Alas the car is now Sorn’d for the foreseeable future. Keep safe everyone.

TTFN.

[BIG DUNC]

Austin Seven said:

Here's a couple of small points to check when you finish playing with the lighter socket, to avoid future hassle. I had to open up the door card when my cigarette lighter stopped working, and found the positive wire had dropped off the spade terminal on the bottom of the socket. Part of the reason for this was that the socket itself was loose; the securing nut had come undone and allowed the socket to twist and wiggle around.

So check your socket is properly secured (maybe use some thread lock) and make sure the Lucar connectors grip tightly - otherwise you'll be taking the card off again one day.

BTW, I could not get my door card right off, because I could not work out how to undo the front top screw. The information I had said to pop out the ashtray and undo the screw behind it. Easy, right? But my car does not have ashtrays, so how do you get that screw undone?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1276033