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Triumph TR6 - Taillight sockets

After trying the soldering trick and everything else, I gave up and ordered new taillight sockets from Moss. They are different from the old ones. I'm wondering why.

The old ones have 2 positive connections, one for the 5 w taillight and one for the 22 watt brake light. The ground is through a brass spring which makes contact with the steel ring which makes a ground connection with the housing.

The new one has 3 male flat spade terminals. The 3d one is part of the brass spring which is for the ground. I can't really tell if it is in contact with the steel ring from eyeballing it, but will find out tomorrow.

Does anyone know? If there is no contact between the 3d terminal and the steel ring, that means I have to find a female part to attach to this 3d terminal and then attach the wire to a ground source. Or is it just a fail safe system?

Thanks, as always, John.
JL Bryan

John
I renewed all my rear bulbholders last year, from memory the extra tag is an earth, I made up a small wiring loom to earth them all to each other and the body, so far so good, no problems.
Ron
R. Algie

That is certainly what it looks like, R. I haven't tested for continuity or anything yet and will let everyone know for sure. Maybe it is their way of solving the ground problems on these sockets. John.
JL Bryan

Why to each other and not just directly to ground?

John
JL Bryan

John
It is easier and tidier to connect them altogether with one wire then earth that, than to earth each one individually
Ron
R. Algie

Thanks, Ron. By the way, one of the new bulb holders doesn't work on a direct connection to the battery, so I have to send that one back. The best I can tell, the wire between the left taillight and the right isn't conducting power, so I need to check those connections and redo them. If I run a test line directly from the left to the right, it works. Also, one of the new brake bulbs is unsoldered from the base, so it doesn't work. This stuff is driving me nuts!

By the way, why wouldn't it be better to run very short ground wires from the 3d male terminal to something close to each light rather than connecting them together?

John
JL Bryan

Hi John
It would work just as well that way, I just found it easier to do it the way I suggested.
Ron
R. Algie

Ron, this is driving me nuts. I spent another hour or so today on this. The left tail light and brake work fine. The right one does not work at all. I checked the bulb and bulb holder with a direct connection to the battery, and that works fine. There is evidently no power from the left to the right, but there was before. I am totally guessing now because I can't figure it--I ran a direct line from the terminal on the left to the terminal on the right, and a direct ground from the one on the right, and it doesn't work. This seems impossible to me--the wires (brake and taillight) have power going to the left socket, but no power from there to the right. So, I figure, after an adult beverage or two, I'll run a direct line with alligator clips from the left terminal/spade to the rigth one--that has to work, because there is definitely power into that part of the left one. Well, it doesn't work. I don't know what to do at this point except drive around with one working brake and taillight. It is really frusrating.

John
JL Bryan

john make sure you are using the correct bulb i replaced my sockets last year and had a lot of trouble with the bulbs making contact inside the sockets

member signing in at work
dave

John
Swap the bulb holders and see if the right works in the left side. I know u tried it up at the battery but humor me. Also swap the bulbs as a further check. Yes, I can appreciate your frustration.
I just read your post of Feb. 22 22:24 and you said the right works. When you did that test, was the original wiring harness also connected to the right side?....I suspect not. Does the right side work when physically attached to the rear tail light assembly or unattached (and grounded)?
Sounds like the prince of darkness is playing head games with u:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick, either bulb holder works now on the left side, and neither on the right side. The right side does not work when directly attached to ground nor does it work when I run a feed directly from the left side to the right side, bypassing the existing wiring.

I'm going to try removing the crimped attachments from the left hand side and redoing them,but not until this weekend. I can't figure out anything else to try.
JL Bryan

John
I think you are heading in the right direction.
I only have one problem...how can u wait that long to resolve your problem?...just kiddin. I know..to busy down at the beach girl watching:)

If I recall mine, the R side gets fed from the L side via double spade connections.. for running lights and another for the brake lights. Maybe, as you are thinking, the spade connectors themself are flake. Should be interesting to hear what u find.
Good luck
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Thanks, Rick. Actually, I do have to work, even at my somewhat advanced age and I coach a 12 year old basketball team, which takes up some time. They just finished their season, so my weekends are now free! I have a long list of stuff to do--I got new knobs for Xmas and haven't put them on. I need to fix the electrical problem. There is a bunch of other little stuff, and I enjoy doing it, but my Saturdays have been taken up with coaching for the last more than 2 months. I'll let you know what I find.

John.
JL Bryan

John - I'm not really familiar with the wiring, but alot of times there are plug junctions/couplings (not sure of the proper electrical term) where the male ends of 2 wires plug into a bigger than wire diameter female/female piece. Not spades, I don't think, but the round connections. I thought there were some by the tail lights. If those are corroded that could be the problem. The Dan Masters wiring diagram may help.

I had a problem on my old MGB where the electricals would go dead (except head lights) sometimes when turning on a blinker. I found that shaking the wiring harness at a point where there were a bunch of those couplings always solved the problem. Glad I sold it.

Brent
Brent B

John,

There must be something in the Florida salt air - you keep having some weird electrical problems.

As you and others have stated, power comes from the front of the car to the left side of the rear, and from there to the right side. If the left side works but not the right, there is a bad connection between the two sides.

If the right side worked when you jumpered directly from the battery, it should work when you jumper from the left side.

Pull the connector off the left side and insert your jumper wire into the female terminal (power side). This is to make sure you are getting a good connection. If this doesn't make the right side work, all that's left is the "rubber chicken" trick (vodoo).



Dan Masters

Thanks, guys. At least I have a feeling that I'm not a total idiot. I will try those things tonight or this weekend. My thought has been to just pull all the wiring that goes from the left rear to the right rear and re-do it. I am sort of guessing at the guage wire to use, but will check Dan's book to see if I can figure it out.

John
JL Bryan

John, you'll never fix it. I'll give you $500 for that rust bucket now. Think of the $$ you'll save in tickets.

Brent
Brent B

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2004 and 27/02/2004

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