Ignition switch replacement

[Darren Sharp]

Dear Smithy

I have the later type with the diagonal fitting and on purchase my spitty had a horrible aftermaket effort poking out of a slot on the dash. I bought a second hand switch from E bay and a new aftermarket loom. Just like your fears it shorted out and caught fire. This was due to the poor manufacture of the multipin connector. On joining it with the loom female part one of the connectors failed to mate and pushed through the back of the connector touching one of the other wires. miraculously only the removable part of the loom was damaged and I replaced it with a second hand part which is working perfectly.

Darren

[smithy]

smithy wrote:

I DO remember that I bought the whole assembly and leads through E-bay though, not from a regular vendor. Of course it may catch fire and engulf the car at some point, but it hasn't yet.

Gawsh. I was joking of course. Now I wish I hadn't, although I did take the time to insulate between the terminal wires myself, so hopefully it'll remain OK. (I once forgot to connect the earth strap to the steering column. That made a lot of smoke.)

Dazzer, I think your two-screws call is good - sadly it seems my old column's gone walkies somewhere. Rimmers web site doesn't show the detail either, it seems.
(And btw, I can spell "vendor" of course. Not reliably, but I can spell it.)

[Nick Moore]

My US-spec GT6 Mk3 had had its steering lock and switch completely ripped off the column, in fact the outer column was in two pieces. Either someone hadn't heard of the shear bolts, or didn't have the time. Perhaps they were trying to make a quick getaway?

I decided that I didn't want a switch between my knees - the whole arrangement looks like one of Triumph's own special bodges, the sort where they have to make a quick change to meet legislation with minimal expense. The lock and switch have been replaced with a simple key switch below the radio and a starter button where the choke knob once lived (once it's megasquirted it won't need the choke). Other security measures will include cutouts or a man with a large bat!

I've carefully stripped and repainted all the tubular brackets, before finding that one is LHD only, and not much use now I've moved the steering wheel to the right side.

[Docman]

Success! Got the old switch out of the housing.  Not sure what was holding it in but the only way I could get it out was to disfigure the sides inward with jewelers screw drivers and a mallet until it could be pried out.  
No screws or holes in the housing but the corresponding areas to the holes in the switch are marked on one side of the housing with a 2 mm line and the Wasco logo on the other.  Tomorrow I'll try to drill the housing and screw the switch in place.

Next problem, I don't remember which color wire goes on what terminal.  Both the old and new switches have pairs of terminals labeled:   2, 3, 5 and a single terminal labeled 1.
Anybody got a wiring diagram?

[rotoflex]

Don't the tubular brackets do some locating/stabilization of the steering column to the metal chassis behind the dash?

[Richard B]

3106 wrote:

Anybody got a wiring diagram?

Does this help?

34 wrote:

the photo looks like mine (75 spit)  terminals are grouped   1,2,3,4,   1  white/red   2 brown  3 white  4  white/pink  1and2 are to and from solenoid    3 ignition   4 heater

FYI

Brown is permanently live
White is ignition switched live
White/Red is the wire that goes to the starter solenoid to crank the engine over
White/Pink is the Non-essential ignition switched live (Radio)

[Docman]

Bob and Richard,

Thanks for the color codes but I don't know which contacts are live, switched or whatever, and the relative position of where the starter solenoid, other switched ancillaries (wipers. radio) always live (Horn, lights) terminals are.

When I destroyed the old switch (getting it out), there were a multitude of contacts, springs, levers and a ball bearing.  Even if I could make sense of that switch, my new one's terminals are configured differently.
The schematic in my Bentley manual doesn't even show 7 wires/contacts for ignition switch.
I guess I'm looking for an "Ignition Switch Wiring for Dummies"   In oter words, put this color wire on terminal 2, etc.........
Electrical was never my strong suit.

[Richard B]

What colour wires do you have, and does the switch have numbers by the terminals?

Maybe a photo of the back would help?

[bob dunn]

in the cop shows you just pull out the wires join two together then touch one against them easy , so find the live feed , test light or meter . touch it on to each wire until the starter motor turns . then find the one that turns the ign light on .  good luck  bob

[Docman]

I am trying to get an image of the new ignition switch and it's corresponding terminals coming out of the back.  I need to move my Canon software to the PC that works (another problem) and then get the image down to 300 KB.

I will try to describe what I've got, as best I can.

When I purchased the car, the seller helped me rig a pair of switches (controlled hotwire) to bypass the defective ignition switch.   The wires and connections are as follows:

A) all white / all white - common spade connector
B) all white / all white - common spade connector
C) white, pink stripe - spade connector            A), B) & C) were spliced together and goes to one terminal of the on/off switch
D) white, red stripe - spade connector             Goes to one terminal of the push button switch
E) brown - spade connector                            Split, one lead to on/off switch, the other lead to push button switch              

The switch terminals are labeled as follows as if looking at a clock face:
1) a single terminal at 7:30
2) a double terminal at 3:00 & 5:00
3) a double terminal at 12:00 & 2:00
5) a double terminal at 8:30 & 10:30

With this information, can someone link the wire colors to the respective numbered terminal on the switch?

[Docman]

rotoflex wrote:

Don't the tubular brackets do some locating/stabilization of the steering column to the metal chassis behind the dash?

You may be right, the front of the tubes simply bolt to the upper steering shaft clamp (and an extension of the dash), the rear of the tubes bolt to the lower steering shaft clamp, but I think also to the tube secured to the upper right bolt of the "H" bracket (where the radio resides).  This should add stiffness and steering sharpness - unfortunately my "H" bracket was removed by the PO.  Can't wait to see how the steering feels once it's back in place.

[rotoflex]

This is the wiring diagram for my US Mk3:

[Docman]

Bill - you saved the day, this is exactly what I was looking for!  

I've got a Bentley manual (dedicated to GT6), a Clymer Manual (all USA Triumphs) and a compilation of several manuals on a CD but none had enough schematic detail and legibility to read the numbering on the switch terminals.

There is one color code that isn't identified on the schematic, however - WK.  I have to assume that is white, pink stripe, due to process of elimination and an earlier posting from (I think) Bob Dunn.

Everyone has been great.  Thanks for your guidance and knowledge.  It all seems so simple now.

[Docman]

In case anyone is interested, this is the GT6 Mk3 numbering for the igition switch terminals, and associate wire color codes:

#1 white with red stripe
#2 brown
#3 white
#5 white with pink stripe

Also, thanks to Richard B for verifying the colors

[Docman]

It's been a while but I finally got the nerve up to connect the wires to my new ignition switch, tonight.  Electrics are definitely not my strong suit.

I connected the ignition switch leads by following the schematic provided by Bill hooper and proceeded to re-connect the battery cables.
It all began OK. When I turned the key, the fan started (because I had left it on when I brought the car home in January, hot wired), but when I turned the key further to engage the starter, something clicked loudly (sounded like behind the dash) and I lost all power.

I removed the white/red stripe and white/pink stripe wires off the ignition switch, thinking that I may have reversed them (their colors look pretty similar) and tested the remaining leads and terminals.
Brown seems to be always hot.
With the switch in the "ON" accessory position, the ignition switch terminal #5 (which had the white/pink stripe wire) is hot  (as I would expect).  Seems odd that no accessories operated, when that wire was previously plugged in, after turning the switch all the way clockwise to start.
The all white wires exhibit continuity when grounded (earthed) - not sure if this is correct.
The 3 fuses (block) in the engine bay are intact.

What the hell happened and what should I try next?  Is there a fuseable link somewhere that blew?  Did I reverse the white/red stripe and white/pink stripe wire which may have cooked something (even the new ignition switch)?  Is it possible something in the steering collumn is shorting, now that it is back, assembled in the car?  I did fabricate an earth connector at the steering collumn / steering rack coupler so that I may finally have operational horns with my new steering wheel.  I also may have the steering rack set set lower in, compared to it's original position.