bad earth

[whitewolf]

After another day putting her back together ready for an MOT I've fallen to two problems...

Ones a bad earth maybe??

Side lights on and rear sides work.
put brakes on and sides dim and reverse lights come on.
Wiggled brake switch connections and brake lights come on.. reverse lights come on...
Put brakes on and the hazards light switch bulb dims on... :/

Help!!!

[Adrian@]

The rear earth to the car is fed via a 2ba bolt on the rear most chassis clamp (in front of the fuel tank) and IF the outside bolt does not have a anti-rattle washer on THEN the paint/finish will not allow the back of the car to earth out correctly.
Adrian@

[whitewolf]

Yeah i remember doing that part. strange how it was fine yesterday.


Thinkin things through today the car wouldn't start by the key but i could hear the relay clicking. I wonder if the relay is faulty and affecting things (including starter) ?

[whitewolf]

Yeah i remember doing that part. strange how it was fine yesterday.


Thinkin things through today the car wouldn't start by the key but i could hear the relay clicking. I wonder if the relay is faulty and affecting things (including starter) ?

[Adrian@]

The fan relay and start relay should be the same, so could be swapped, but cleaning all the earths would be a start. you also have the positive and negative posts on the bulkhead, strip them out and perhaps solder the lucar connections onto the bolt head and rebuild them.
Adrian@

[whitewolf]

Cheers Adrian

gonna start with rear end and make a new earth to test then work up the car.

Swapped the relays over but will test tomorrow.

Hopefully its the rear end earth.

Mick

[whitewolf]

Cheers Adrian

gonna start with rear end and make a new earth to test then work up the car.

Swapped the relays over but will test tomorrow.

Hopefully its the rear end earth.

Mick

[whitewolf]

All sorted. nipped up bolts. cleaned contacts and rewired a part.

Front working rear working. Reverse working hazards wprkjn

happy mick and happy TAR Taimar

[RCK974X]

I've said this in a few threads - "ALWAYS CHECK THE EARTH RETURNS !!"

They can be a real bugger on GRP bodied cars, I've built a few kits, had Scimitars, never managed a Lotus, but now TVRs, and it's amazing how weird some of the symptoms can be, just from one dodgy earth connection !

The Scimitar SE5 had a wondeful quirk, if the earth from the V6 engine got corroded/dodgy, the next best earth return was the throttle cable, which then neatly melted into its plastic surround and locked solid....

[whitewolf]

Wow that's crazy!!!!


Just finished for tonight. horn wouldn't work but wired in a switch for time being (MOT) and will fix properly afterwards.

Just need to fit arch liners in morning, fill washer fluid. check oil and water then hopefully clear for test..


Im hoping she passes and doesn't fail on anything stupid.

oh mental note must adjust break adjusters!!!

[phillpot]

RCK974X said:

if the earth from the V6 engine got corroded/dodgy, the next best earth return was the throttle cable, which then neatly melted into its plastic surround and locked solid....

Brings back memories of doing clutches on Escorts, cortina's etc, miss the earth strap by the gearbox mounting when re-assembling and watch the throttle cable smoke and melt when you start it up !