[TR] signals don't work

[Jeremiah Curry]

So I took a look at the rear signals again and found a few odd things:

1. The wiring from the rear signals (those are the ones closest to the
center right?) runs into the trunk and along the RH (US passenger) side of
the trunk, past the fuel tank, along the floor next to the passenger seat
and then up the passenger firewall next to the speaker and apparently
through a whole in the firewall by the fuse box.  Randall said they should
be on the LH side, am I missing something?

2. The center post of the bulb socket is definitely grounded.  If I hook up
and independent power source and (positive) ground it to the body and touch
the center post to the ground on the light and the negative power lead to
the center of the light bulb, it lights up.

3. If I run a wire from the front signal to the rear to power both the front
and rear signals, the front signal stops blinking quickly and they both
start blinking roughly every 10 seconds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I think this is the only thing
keeping my car from being road-legal.

Thanks,
Jeremiah

-----Original Message-----
From: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Randall
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 8:52 PM
To: triumphs at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] signals don't work

> All I need now is to get the rear ones working.  I don't know 
> where that connection takes place,

The wires from the rear turn lamps should emerge from the wiring harness
near the LH horn.

> or if it is not working because I  have bypassed the
> correct wires to connect the switch to the lights.

Very likely.  On the LH side (assuming this is a LHD car) just behind the
horn, the GR wire from the LH rear lamp, the wire from the LH front lamp,
and the GR wire from the steering box should all go into a 4-way sleeve.
The 4th position may be vacant, or may be another GR wire in the harness,
that actually runs over to the RH horn and doesn't do anything.  (If the car
was RHD, it would be the wire to the switch).

Also on the LH side, the GW wire from the RH rear lamp, a GW wire from the
other side of the car, and the GW wire from the switch should join in
another 4-way connector (with the 4th position empty).

Note that it does matter which wire from the front lamps is which, even
though they probably won't have the factory color codes.  One wire gives a
dimmer light, the other a bright light.  The turn signals should always be
the bright light, the dim light is for parking.

Note also that the sleeves sometimes fail internally.  New ones are only
about a buck, a worthwhile investment, IMO.

> I also checked and the center post in the light socket for 
> the rear signals
> seems to be grounded (+ ground), as I understand it, that 
> should not be
> grounded and the outside of the socket is grounded via the screws that
> attach it to the trunk.  Can anyone confirm?

That is correct.  However, the center terminal might appear to be grounded
if it were connected through the harness to the front lights.  You'll need
to disconnect the end near the LH horn to do a continuity check.

Although it's not perfect, this diagram roughly shows the routing of wires
through the harness:
http://tinyurl.com/lcfvsk

Feel free to download it and save on your hard drive.  Someday I might fix
it up to show the dash correctly, but not this year.

Randall
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