Ok, I have a question for all those Lucas/TR7 experts (and we know you're
out there) again, and this is quite a strange problem, so even if you have
an idea, please respond, because I'm stumped on this one.
First of all, from what I can figure out from the wiring diagram in my
Haynes manual, the IGN light is wired to the alternator ground, but is also
wired to other things in the car, such as the rear window heater, but my
car is a drophead, so I don't have that, and the diagram doesn't show
anything else if the car does not have a rear window heater. I also don't
understand why the IGN light is wired to the alternator ground, instead of
the wire that feeds power to the battery, I would think that would be the
logical thing, but then again, I know hardly anything about Lucas
electrics, and this is Lucas we're dealing with...
Last night I was driving along, and I hear this buzzing noise in my
glovebox, thought nothing of it, I make a rather tight left-hand corner,
and the dreaded 'IGN' light illuminates. Now, the charge gauge on the dash
reads that it is charging the battery, and I verify this with a multimeter.
Everything is working, then a couple of hours later, I start the car, the
IGN light flickers a few times, then goes out. Ok. The next day the
battery goes flat. I go get a new battery, but it in, the voltage drops
from 12.45 to 12.17, upon putting the battery in, and this is the strangest
thing. The IGN light is on, and the car is completely off. I just put the
battery in, hop in the driver's seat to start it, and the light is staring
me in the face. I start the car, light goes out, and the battery's getting
a charge at 14 volts, even with the lights and radio on. Any ideas?
Could this be a short somewhere in the wiring for the IGN light, or a bad
ignition switch? I turn the key completely back, and nothing else comes
on, no accessories will light up, no radio, no nothing with the roller
back, and they key out. The really strange thing is when I turn the key
forward to the warning light check phase, all the warning lights
illuminate, except the IGN light goes out. And stays out, when the engine
is turning over, and starts. No other time will it come on. I have had
problems with this light before, I used to trust it, it warned me when my
alternator belt broke, and came on, but for the last couple of months, it
has come, and stayed on when the car was running, but there was nothing I
could find wrong, it ran fine, charged, battery held a charge... It did
get dimmer and dimmer, then one day, it finally went out. Until now. I'm
also thinking it might have a bad ground, or could I just disconnect it
completely? Any help would be appreciated...
Brent McNabb
nin@sprynet.com
1980 (79?) 30th Anniversary Edition Drophead Coupe TR7
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