[TR] TR4 Ignitions switch AUX vs.ON

Brian Kemp bk13 at earthlink.net
Wed Sep 30 19:00:27 MDT 2020


If anyone does not know what a battery disconnect is, here is a sample:
https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-disconnect-switch-97853.html

It goes on the negative post and the cable then connects to the switch.  
Unscrew the know a little and you disconnect the circuit. Take it all 
the way out and you now have a theft deterrent to the casual car thief.

My TR6 has a slow drain - about a month before the battery gets too low 
without the disconnect.  My GT6 is only good for less than a week 
without the disconnect.

Highly recommend adding one to your old cars.

Brian

On 9/30/2020 11:03 AM, Geo Hahn wrote:
> X3 on disconnecting the battery when not in use.  I just leave the 
> clamp loose enough that I can pull it off.
>
> "Now considering the design of these vehicles, there is quite an array 
> of wiring that sits 'live' all the time, many unfused."
>
> That is why I have also installed fusible links on the brown wire and 
> white wire circuits.
>
> Without those links the 'fuse' is your wiring loom.  If you ever smell 
> one burning... it is a scent that stays in your memory.
>
> Geo
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 8:48 AM <ptegler at verizon.net 
> <mailto:ptegler at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
>
>     Here Here!
>     In 2004 I had a dozen of so people in my garage, rebuilding 6-8
>     transmissions in a group tech session. One fellow (without a
>     tranny in hand) simply drove up in his Triumph for the day's
>     event.  One question he posed during the day to those in
>     attendance,  was what might be draining his battery when the car
>     was just sitting for a week or so.
>     We all told him to just put a battery cut-off switch in to be
>     safe, at least until he figured out his long standing battery issue.
>
>     Fast forward to  2010? - 2012? time frame...we (our gang) get an
>     email telling of the demise of his car and his exit from the hobby.
>     As the story goes, he heard a loud crack from the garage
>     (attached). Upon opening the kitchen/garage door, he was met with
>     thick acrid black smoke that instantly filled the kitchen/house. 
>     both his Triumph and wife's SUV were engulfed in flames.  The
>     smoke in the house was bad enough that it killed his two
>     large amazon parrots. Needless to say building damage as well as
>     the loss of two cherished pets and two motor vehicles was enough
>     for the wife to say "you're done! no more cars!"
>
>
>     Now considering the design of these vehicles, there is quite an
>     array of wiring that sits 'live' all the time, many unfused.  A
>     little vibration and chaffing can easily reduce insulation
>     thickness etc. Cracked and brittle jackets... the list goes on.
>
>     IT CAN NOT BE STATED UNEQUIVICABLY ENOUGH..... INSTALL A BATTERY
>     CUT-OFF.
>
>     If for no other reason, the simplicity of safely working on the
>     car as needed,.... theft deterrent, etc.
>     If for a good reason, peace of mind, and  the story above.  (yes
>     true story above..from someone that DID 'have a clue' about what
>     he was doing.)
>
>     ptegler
>
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: dave <dave at ranteer.com <mailto:dave at ranteer.com>>
>     To: triumphs at autox.team.net <mailto:triumphs at autox.team.net>
>     Sent: Wed, Sep 30, 2020 8:08 am
>     Subject: Re: [TR] TR4 Ignitions switch AUX vs.ON
>
>     We have battery cutoff switches on all our cars.  Given the dicey
>     electrics on these cars I think it’s a pretty important thing to
>     do. Pretty much every time we walk away from the car we disconnect it.
>
>     *From:* Triumphs <triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
>     <mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net>> *On Behalf Of *Will Daehler
>     *Sent:* Tuesday, September 29, 2020 4:17 PM
>     *To:* triumphs at autox.team.net <mailto:triumphs at autox.team.net>
>     *Subject:* [TR] TR4 Ignitions switch AUX vs.ON
>
>     OK, I have in the past inadvertently left my key in the ON
>     position. For days and days. The result was a burned out coil and
>     points which I was forced to replace before the car started again.
>     This made me look hard and long at my fifty year old ignition
>     switch. Although there was a contact available for AUX on the back
>     of the switch, and it was certainly wired correctly, there didn’t
>     seem to be a AUX key position. There appeared to be only three
>     positions, Start, On and Off. Three clicks, not four.  I was able
>     to create a momentary and intermittent AUX effect by twisting the
>     key hard to the left and firmly holding it there, the radio would
>     come on.
>
>     It eventually occurred to me that the switch was worn out, and so
>     I replaced it with a new one.  Voila, I now have an AUX function,
>     and can now listen to the radio at leisure without burning out the
>     ignition circuits.  This replacement switch also has the feature
>     where you have to push the key in slightly when simultaneously
>     turning the key to the AUX position.
>
>     Faithfully submitted,
>
>     Will Daehler
>
>     63 TR4
>
>     Powder Blue
>
>     ** triumphs at autox.team.net <mailto:triumphs at autox.team.net> **
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