Ignition light, fuel and temp gauges, flasher problems...

Ulrich

Member
Hi there

Hoping someone can help out with some electrical problems on my 73 2000 sc. The car has been off the road since 1992 and I'm currently recomisioning it. Problems are as follows (electrics are not my strong point, so an idiot's guide would be much appreciated):

1. Ignition light is permanently on. Not sure if the alternator is at fault, or the regulator perhaps? Not sure which alternator I have, but it has a connector block on the back. The regulator is mounted on the bulkhead, passenger side, just above the steering idler, with four cables going to it. I have cleaned the contacts to this, but no joy.

2. Neither the fuel nor the temperature gauges work. As I understand it, there's some sort of voltage stabiliser behind the strip speedo that can cause this fault? Can this be repaired/tested, and are replacements available?

3. Although the hazard lights work perfectly, the directional flashers don't work at all. I can hear a single click when operating them, but no actual flashing. I have located the flasher unit mounted on the side wall, inside the driver's side glovebox, is this the one I should change? The factory manual says that the flasher unit is behind the strip speedo, and that the hazards use a different unit.

The car is not too far from being useable again, but I'm somewhat stumped by these electrical niggles. All advice greatly appreciated!
 
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Hi, It's all just a case of checking connections.

1) The ignition light is supplied with 12v when the ign is turned and it's then earthed through the alt, when the engine is running and the alt producing power it sends 12v back up to the ign light, there being 12v both sides it goes out telling you it's charging (hopefully). So for there to be the ignition light on it must have picked up power from somewhere. So withdraw the speedo and check all the connections, check there are no stray wires, check that the loom has not melted due to being overloaded and getting a spurious connection it shouldn't have, it should be fairly obvious. What you think is the 'regulator' sounds like the relay for the starter.

2) While the speedo is out check the voltage stabiliser, should have 12v going in and 10v coming out for the gauges. Replacements are available and there are even electronic versions available which are considerably smaller.

3) Yes there are two flasher cans one for the indicators and one for the hazards. Everything is connected through the hazard switch and because it's little used the switch points corrode and lose conductivity, so work the hazard switch in and out a number of times, use switch cleaner if you have it, to see if that clears it for a cheap fix. If not change the flasher can, hazard and indicator ones are different.

Colin
 
check the fuses first,
actually physically pull them out first and examine.
some look good in the light but are duds when man handled, they twitch and move with pressure from the thumb and finger , the glass casing is loose and they are duds.
have a supply of new fuses with you and insert into the appropriate slot , one by one, your would be amazed at the number that are duds in situ ?
go for gold as we say over here.
good luck and may the fuse be with-you.
Peter
 
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Hi, It's all just a case of checking connections.

1) The ignition light is supplied with 12v when the ign is turned and it's then earthed through the alt, when the engine is running and the alt producing power it sends 12v back up to the ign light, there being 12v both sides it goes out telling you it's charging (hopefully). So for there to be the ignition light on it must have picked up power from somewhere. So withdraw the speedo and check all the connections, check there are no stray wires, check that the loom has not melted due to being overloaded and getting a spurious connection it shouldn't have, it should be fairly obvious. What you think is the 'regulator' sounds like the relay for the starter.

2) While the speedo is out check the voltage stabiliser, should have 12v going in and 10v coming out for the gauges. Replacements are available and there are even electronic versions available which are considerably smaller.

3) Yes there are two flasher cans one for the indicators and one for the hazards. Everything is connected through the hazard switch and because it's little used the switch points corrode and lose conductivity, so work the hazard switch in and out a number of times, use switch cleaner if you have it, to see if that clears it for a cheap fix. If not change the flasher can, hazard and indicator ones are different.

Colin

Hi Colin, thanks for your reply.

I will check connections behind speedo as you suggest. The regulator/relay thingy is actually mounted on the passenger side inner wing, not the bulkhead as I said earlier, and is listed on the JR Wadhams website as an alternator relay - it looks like this (see pic)

To check the voltage stabiliser I guess I would need a voltmeter, right? Sorry if I'm asking the obvious but I'm proper daft when it comes to electrics.

Regarding the flasher cans, there's one inside the driver's glovebox that clicks when I operate the hazards, and also another very similar looking metal canister mounted just above it. Could this have any bearing on the flasher system?
 

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check the fuses first,
actually physically pull them out first and examine.
some look good in the light but are duds when man handled, they twitch and move with pressure from the thumb and finger , the glass casing is loose and they are duds.
have a supply of new fuses with you and insert into the appropriate slot , one by one, your would be amazed at the number that are duds in situ ?
go for gold as we say over here.
good luck and may the fuse be with-you.
Peter

Hi Peter

Thanks for your reply. I have checked fuses visually and all seem okay, but I will make sure they are all conducting power.

The pic of the opera house and harbour bridge takes me back by the way - I lived in Sydney for a year in the early 70s and had a look around the then newly built opera house just before it opened!

Will let you know how I get on with the Rover.
 
Your '73 car should have an 18ACR alternator with a built-in regulator, the fault could be in either, or the warning light connection could be shorted to earth, to check the latter unplug the large plug at the back of the alternator and see if the light still stays on. If it doesn't, change the alternator. The "similar can" is the direction indicator flasher unit. When you say there's no flashing, you don't say whether the lights are on or off. If they remain on, the problem could simply be low voltage, likely if the alternator is not working, or poor connections. The fact that it clicks once suggests that it is receiving power. You need a voltmeter for any serious electrical diagnosis, they aren't very expensive.
 
Hi, The pic is of a 6ra relay and is used for both jobs, starter and alternator, but not at the same time. Ideally you need a voltmeter but you can check the stabiliser with a bulb, use one on a couple of fly leads earth one and touch the other on both terminals of the stabiliser one will be brighter than the other, if not then it's probably packed up. Have a look at the back of the alternator, has it got a plastic back or an Aluminium one? I would think it's an ACR one with a plastic one as suffolkpete says. Flasher cans as suffolkpete again says.

Colin
 
A simple check for the flasher unit is to swap them round and see if the fault persists.
If the hazards still work perfectly with the indicator flasher unit in place then you know both flasher units are good.
Paul.
 
Looking at the 1973/4/5 wiring diagram the relay is the starter relay not anything to do with the alternator. If the 4 wires are white/brown, white/ red , brown and a black its the starter relay. There is one fuse which serves the gauges, direction flashers , plus stop and reverse lights. If none are working I would look to that. When you say the ignition light is permanently on, do you means with or without the ignition on or the engine running or not? Given the car hasn't been used for a while, the various connections will be suspect , especially if the earth is through the body of the item in question.
 
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Many thanks all for the replies and advice. Well, I've made some progress today, swapped the flasher unit inside the driver's side glove box for a spare that came with the car, and I now have flashing indicators, so I'm one step nearer to Rover motoring. As regards the ignition light, I disconnected the connection block on the back of the alternator as Suffolkpete suggested, and the ignition light went out. So, I think that suggests a new alternator is required. Hardly surprising after so many years I suppose.

So, just the gauges to get right now, plus (I have discovered today) the heater fan and windscreen washer pump. Ah well, all good fun I suppose...

Once again, many thanks for the suggestions and advice.
 
As regards the ignition light, I disconnected the connection block on the back of the alternator as Suffolkpete suggested, and the ignition light went out. So, I think that suggests a new alternator is required. Hardly surprising after so many years I suppose.
.
I am not convinced that the alternator is at fault. If the ignition light is illuminated without the ignition being switch on, there is something wrong with the wiring between the light and the ignition switch. If you originally meant it didn't go out with the engine running , then yes, I would agree its the alternator.
 
I am not convinced that the alternator is at fault. If the ignition light is illuminated without the ignition being switch on, there is something wrong with the wiring between the light and the ignition switch. If you originally meant it didn't go out with the engine running , then yes, I would agree its the alternator.

The latter is the case - the light stays on when the engine is running, no light when engine switched off. Looks like the alternator is kaput then?
 
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