[TR] TR6: gauge LEDs and headlight switches

[Tim Gaines]

It just dawned on me, after a couple of hours of fiddling and scraping 
my fingers again, that you can do the top two small gauges much more 
easily through the ashtray! But that only came to me after piling up a 
few bits INSIDE the ashtray for safe keeping! And then, here is that 
suggestion waiting for me from Robert. Yes it does work, and I am so 
relieved to have it done.

------ Original Message ------
From: "robert rudolphi" <robertrudolphi at yahoo.com>
To: "triumphs at autox.team.net" <triumphs at autox.team.net>; "Tim Gaines" 
<mtgaines at presby.edu>
Sent: 12/1/2021 2:13:48 PM
Subject: Re: [TR] TR6: gauge LEDs and headlight switches

>One thing I have heard is to go in through the ash tray but never tried it myself. Also I would highly recommend the Moss headlight relay kit if you have not already installed. Easy to hook up and pulls a lot of power away from the switches.
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>Robert
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>On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 11:53:00 AM EST, Tim Gaines <mtgaines at presby.edu> wrote:
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>Despite some difficulties I'm making progress in installing LiteZupp LEDs into the instruments in my 1974 LHD TR6. The difficulties stem from my (possibly foolish) decision to do the job without removing the dash. With the help of a couple of long-reach needle nose pliers I've replaced the two illumination bulbs in each of the speedo and tach and the single ones in the temperature and oil pressure gauges, not without several scrapes to my fingers. However, I really don't think that will work with the fuel and temperature gauges on the right. There are just too many obstacles, so something is going to have to be removed, likely either the radio or the glove box or both. It looks to me as if the glove box space would provide the best access, but I have read of some difficulties in getting it back in place after removal. I would appreciate any advice from those who have done these bulb replacements or taken out the glove box.
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>In the process of doing this bulb job I came across another problem. The new LED for the high beam indicator just wouldn't light, and it didn't matter which of the new LEDs I put in. So I went back to the old incandescent bulb and it didn't light either despite having worked a short time earlier. After checking the wiring to the socket and finding no issues I decided that the problem must be the iffy headlight dimmer switch on the right side of the steering column. I say "iffy" because occasionally I had found that switching to high beam left me with no headlights at all! I took off the plastic cowlings and got access to the switch though I couldn't pull it out because its wires are clamped within a channel under the steering column. Nevertheless, I could pivot the switch out to get a narrow view of its innards and insert the thin nozzle from a can of WD40, hoping for a lucky fix. The result was that the switch, when re-attached with its retaining screws, would now pivot toward me, something it never would do before. With the battery re-attached as well, that pivot action produced a high beam flash that also lit the beam indicator! I never knew I had a high beam flash in this old car! So, everything was fixed!? Not so much. The light switch on the dash wouldn't give me headlights at all despite the fact that it would give me interior lights and the other exterior ones.
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>It was time to get out Dan Masters' guide to electronics, and as always with this manual, I now understand the circuitry and my remaining problem. When everything is working, the flash function of the dimmer switch takes voltage from a fuse to the high beams directly regardless of whether the light switch on the dash is set for headlights. When the dash switch is set for headlights the voltage is taken directly from the battery to the column switch that determines whether low or high beams are activated. In following Masters' troubleshooting steps, I found that my dash light switch was bad. It must have failed as I repeatedly flipped it off and on to test all the new LEDs going in! I removed it, verified with a meter that it was bad but managed to clean it up inside, and it now tests okay. Today I plan to spray some electronic contact cleaner (not just WD40) into the dimmer switch and hope that all of its settings will work okay after I put the dash switch back in.
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>I'm sorry for the diversion into headlights. What I really want to know now is how to get those last two gauges illuminated with new LEDs.
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>Tim
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