Ignition switch accessory position 1

[redrover]

Hi All,

Does anybody know if there is a pick-up point from the first position on the ignition switch (1972 UK 2000 TC) for me to wire my radio, etc from?

Initially the radio was wired off the brown/red wire with the inline fuse that supplies the HRW, but since this only works on pos 2, and I sometimes like to listen to the radio when working on the car, I moved the feed to the cigar lighter instead.
But this is permanently live, even with the ignition switch turned to 0. Not sure if this is normal, but the wiring is original, if not in the original place.
I want to eliminate the fire risk (as well as accidentally leaving the radio on after the tape has popped out) and move the feed to position 1 on the switch.
As far as I can tell, nothing on my whole car works off pos 1, so is there a pick-up point/coloured wire I can splice it into? Can't see anything under the dash, and the ignition switch is buried behind tamper proof steel!!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[The Rovering Member]

Can't think offhand but switch to position 1 & see what works apart from the battery control items. Then take a wire from it's source or make a joint.

 

[gosnell]

it should be a brown and purple feed(np) from the ignition switch,


John

 

[redrover]

Cheers!

Feed was there and radio is now rewired. I'm much happier!

 

[Tom W]

It is normal for the cigarette lighter to be live all the time. I have a modern stereo and I used the wire for the cigarette lighter to feed the permanent live input into the back of the stereo. That way it remembers preset stations etc, as well as the normal switched live input so it only works off the ignition switch.

 

[redrover]

It is normal for the cigarette lighter to be live all the time

I thought that when I found the two purple wires in parallel across the cigar lighter on their way to the interior lights.
I only really wanted to rewire because I use an ipod connector in the cigar lighter and an ipod tape in the original radiomobile stereo. I didn't want them both being left on all night once a song had finished!
Before I moved the radio to the cigar lighter, it came from the HRW feed, which meant I could only listen to the stereo with the ignition on, so this pos 1 setup is the perfect compromise for me.

Out of interest, is it normal for the ignition key to be removable in any position, or is the locking mechanism worn in my lock? I can remove it at position 1, which is useful for the above, but also from pos 2. This helps if I need to get into the boot when I've just got the engine going, as I can just pull the key out, but it's hardly 'modern'. MOT fail??

Michael

 

[quattro]

Mine (1975 P6B) has a Purple wire with a brown tracer behind the grill, specifically for the radio. It is fed from the top of fuse 23/24 and is only live on auxillary (position 1) or ignition (position 2).

Do you not have a radio pick up point on yours?

Richard

 

[rockdemon]

Newer stereos have 2 live feeds. one is a permanent live to keep memories etc. The other is the ignition live which powers the amp. If you wire both correctly it wont consume too much current when the car is off...

Rich

 

[Dave3066]

Out of interest, is it normal for the ignition key to be removable in any position, or is the locking mechanism worn in my lock? I can remove it at position 1, which is useful for the above, but also from pos 2. This helps if I need to get into the boot when I've just got the engine going, as I can just pull the key out, but it's hardly 'modern'. MOT fail??

Michael

Hi Michael

I'm not sure on the MOT requirements for ignition keys but I do remember my dad's Mk1 Cortina having an ignition key that was so worn he could remove it from the ignition when the engine was running. Probably more likely to be the key than the lock I would've thought. I've never tried removing my key with the engine running. Did you pull it out inadvertently or was it a deliberate test?

Dave

 

[redrover]

Did you pull it out inadvertently or was it a deliberate test?

No, not a deliberate test. I was closing the glove box and the key fob got stuck (as usual- poor design, but I suppose it wasn't the original key position, so I'll let Bache off on that one!!), so I pulled gently on the key fob and the key slid out a bit. I layed a brick thinking I snapped the key off with the engine running, but then it just pulled out. It was after that that I realised it's removable in any position, and exits as smoothly as it does in pos 0! Must admit, I have cheekily taken it out once or twice to open the boot, but am always worried about dropping it down the grid or something!!

Do you not have a radio pick up point on yours?

No, I checked in the manual and it said the radio feed was the HRW feed, which is where the radio was wired originally. That said, all of the wiring behind my speaker grille has been butchered down the years, as it's connector blocks everywhere and every colour of insulation! It's all set up how I want it now though.

 

[redrover]

Revisiting this topic as I want to fit something else to the interior and I'm not sure it's possible...

If you read my old question above, I was looking to wire the radio, etc off pos1 of the ign switch so it wasn't live at pos 0.
I now want to wire another [needless] accessory up, and want to know if there is a pick-up from the ign switch that will be live in position 1, but off in position 2. Is there such a thing?

Basically, I want the interior lights to come on after the engine is turned off and the key back to pos 1. I have one of those fader devices which fades the lights up, stays on for 60 secs and then dims them out (very cool looking I think!) The only thing is this would have to be switched off as soon as the engine starts up (so as to avoid driving with the lights on, etc). Is there a pick-up with this attribute, or will I have to faff with a relay to achieve this??

Thanks, Michael

 

[The Rovering Member]

Relay faffin' I reckon.

 

[redrover]

Relay faffin' I reckon.

I feared as much! Still, it will look good when it's done. A bit needless, but one of those nice little things to have - at least I won't be sat in the dark fumbling with the key when I close the door at night!

Michael

 

[Dave3066]

at least I won't be sat in the dark fumbling with the key when I close the door at night!

Why not simply turn on the interior light with the switch on the dash then turn it off again once the key is in the ignition?

KISS applies here I think :roll: (in the nicest possible sense of course )

Dave

 

[colnerov]

Why not simply turn on the interior light with the switch on the dash then turn it off again once the key is in the ignition?

Then he has got to fumble around in the dark for the interior switch :wink: Or leave the door open :wink:

Colin

 

[redrover]

Why not simply turn on the interior light with the switch on the dash then turn it off again once the key is in the ignition?

That's what I do at the moment. It's not the most pressing problem in the world, and to be honest, it's just me messing around with things for no real reason!
The only reason I thought of it was because my dad's just got a Jag (new one - not a classic), and the interior lights fade up and down at all the right moments - it even has courtesy lights in the footwells. I feels really classy, so I thought about replicating something similar in the Rover. A bit needless, and certainly not period. But one of those nice little touches that just adds to the experience of being wafted around in it!

If I get round to putting some sort of system together, I'll post pics on here to show you. Nothing that anybody else couldn't manage, but it makes for a bit of interest!

Michael

 

[Dave3066]

it's just me messing around with things

...and why not eh?

The subject of interior light faders has been covered on a few other forums, mostly electronic ones. There are some fairly basic delay circuits you can build yourself using basic components and a soldering iron.

Sometimes my engineering solution head :idea: gets in the way of my creativity head.....

be interesting to hear how to get on.

Dave

 

[Tom W]

Sounds interesting. I'm all for adding a few subtle mods that make life easier and are easily reversible should I ever want to return the car back to original spec. Central locking would be quite high on my list too.

I think you could get your interior light to work as you want by giving it an extra feed from the ignition 1 position on the ignition, but feeding it through a normally closed relay that's activated from position 2 on the ignition switch.

Tom

 

[testrider]

Central locking is fairly easy to do on the doors and you'd be able to wire the interior light in to come on as the doors unlock and then dim down as the ignition starts.

Not sure how the existing boot lock could be made to lock and unlock from a remote key though.

 

[redrover]

I think you could get your interior light to work as you want by giving it an extra feed from the ignition 1 position on the ignition, but feeding it through a normally closed relay that's activated from position 2 on the ignition switch.
Tom

That's exactly the system I am planning now that I know there isn't a feed from the ign switch to achieve the same result. I just need to factor in the delay fader unit..... oh, and actually get round to doing it!! Winter's on its way, so maybe then!!

Michael