Headlights don't move

Careful Jeff

jvandyke said:
Y
Note to self: play with all switches on new toys before getting to deep in a "fix".
:sigh:
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Just don't sit in the passenger seat while you test those unknown switches. Maybe I have just seen too many Bond movies. :)
 
"Ejector seat— you're joking!" -James Bond to Q in Goldfinger.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUG1GexVz2k"]YouTube- 007 ASTON MARTIN DB5[/ame]
 
Jeff... there is NO sync...

... but there is a CURRENT LOAD that is unequal...

One motor draws more current than the other and (possibly) drops more voltage across it. Then when it stops, allows the other one to catch up.

There COULD BE several ways to kinda correct this... but I would first connect a voltmeter in parallel with EACH motor and observe and record the voltage you see when its operating and when it stops.

If it is a static difference a LOAD resister could be installed in series or even a rheostat so that you can slow down the faster motor.

I dunno if the effort to sync them is really worth it... but ya could make sure all connections and grounds are very clean and add solder to the terminals on each wire for better continuity. Anything else... page Bob Brown...

Ya did good, BTW... now take your kid-lette for a ride!
 
Like Tony said, there is no need to (or provision for) synchronizing the movement of the pods. I would be worried about the slowest mover, though. Is it binding? Joints stiff or could use a drop of lube? You can turn the motors by hand (knob at the end of the motor), mine are quite easy to turn. Do you feel a difference between the two?

[OPINION] I don't see a good reason to keep the disable switch mod. Yes it will let you keep the markers on with the pods down while the ignition is on (with the ignition off the pods are already down when the markers are on), but what is the real need for this? It does insert a lot of "potential connection problems" in the wiring between the relays and the motors. This is wiring that carries the full motor current. If it were my car, I'd undo the mod. [/OPINION]

If you get in a situation where you need to have markers on / ignition on / pods down, just remove fuse "R" (old style fuse box) or H / 12 (new style fuse box) before turning on the markers.

Incidentally, I believe the new style fuse box is marked wrong on the motor fuses (at least in mine). It says:

  • Fuse K / 9 Opening right hand
  • Fuse I / 10 Opening left hand
  • Fuse O / 11 Closing right hand
  • Fuse H / 12 Closing right hand

I think it should be:
  • Fuse K / 9 Right motor
  • Fuse I / 10 Left motor
  • Fuse O / 11 Closing
  • Fuse H / 12 Opening
The latter agrees with the wiring diagrams and with the fuse descriptions at the end of the wiring diagrams.
 
To "synch" them I just got them both up, then undid the linkage arm of the one that was slightly low and put it back on to match the other side. They raise and lower perfectly now. Although they might not be "fully up" when they stop? Not sure yet.
I did button it up with the mod in place, for now.
Looks like PO took out the "instrument cluster lighting switch". At present they are always on with key. Get brighter with running lights on. I can live with that for now too. Dimmer still works.
Next up?
tires
speedo cable
fuel gauge
heater valve
rear trunk release cable
Not necessarily in this order. I need to sell the MG.
I took it to work this morning. It seems to run fine but it rides pretty crappy. I'm hoping it's mostly tires. They look pretty tired (pun?).
I worked on swapping over the stereo last night. Got it all in and it won't work......PO added switch? Not this time. There are TWO amps in the thing, another story.......
 
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Instrument lighting

On the late models it is stock as you describe, the instrument lights come on with the key and no dimmer is on that circuit. The console switches and heater controls are also on, but have a dimmer in the console switch set.

Congrats on the progress. It's amazing what you can find with a new car, previous owners can be very creative. :whistle:
 
I'll have to pay attention to the panel lighting thing someday. I have the owner's manual for '81 and it shows an "instrument cluster lighting switch" that I don't have (PO no doubt ditched it to put the two generics on the left of the dimmer and defroster/hazards on the right. According to my '81 book this switch turns OFF the lights, or when in center position they are on Dim, or full on is Bright. I don't know if I care about this yet, instruments are visible at night, that's good enough for now. There is light shining behind the heater vents, that's sorta weird too. This will turn into another thread at some point.......

Hey, did I mention my headlights work great?
 
Fiberoptic lighting

Hey, did I mention my headlights work great?
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Congrats, glad you got it figured out!

There is light shining behind the heater vents,
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There is a single bulb sitting on the tunnel behind the console. Attached to this bulb is a bundle of fiberoptic cables for illumination of several of the switches. Some switches (like the square-faced ones used in 85 onward cars) have integral bulbs, others (like the style used for the power windows) are illuminated by a strand of optical fiber. The light you see behind the center vents might be the bulb for the optical fibers.
 
ng_randolph said:
Congrats, glad you got it figured out!


There is a single bulb sitting on the tunnel behind the console. Attached to this bulb is a bundle of fiberoptic cables for illumination of several of the switches. Some switches (like the square-faced ones used in 85 onward cars) have integral bulbs, others (like the style used for the power windows) are illuminated by a strand of optical fiber. The light you see behind the center vents might be the bulb for the optical fibers.
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That part is likely FUBAR'd then, there are currently no lights on any controls. It's Braille.
 
Rupunzell said:
Curious, why sell the MG?

Bernice
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I really don't have the room for a garage queen. It's a great little car and I used it everyday for the best two summers but it is not usable as a commuter for me from late August until June (when I'm teaching 20 miles from home). Although it's the perfect car in the summer when work is only 8 miles away and not so "tough" a commute. My daughter is 16 and a son will soon be, we need vehicles everyone can drive if need be, the X is supposed to be the more practical alternative.:dance2:
 
WHAT?

"... the X is supposed to be the more practical alternative.:dance2:"

Who the hell do ya think yur talkin' to? Your wife?

HAHAHA!

Install a roll bar on the MG, pull two plug wires and give it to the kids to drive to skool! Now THAT is what I call practical! Then when the urge hits ya... reinstall the plug wires and take it for a spin yurself on warm weekends!
 
Black-Tooth said:
"... the X is supposed to be the more practical alternative.:dance2:"

Who the hell do ya think yur talkin' to? Your wife?

HAHAHA!
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Yep, that's argument that won me the X so I'd better make good on it.


Black-Tooth said:
Install a roll bar on the MG, pull two plug wires and give it to the kids to drive to skool! Now THAT is what I call practical! Then when the urge hits ya... reinstall the plug wires and take it for a spin yurself on warm weekends!
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The urge will be fulfilled daily by the X....I hope.
Then there's the money thing, we could really use the $$ that is tied up in the Midget. That's really the bottom line. A somewhat practical third car (the X), get rid of the very cool and enjoyable but quite impractical Midget and turn it back into $$ that we need pretty badly at the moment.
 
Ahhhhh... so its the...

... ROOT OF ALL EVIL... once again!

Well, its probably better ya get the kids a Corolla or Civic anyway... cheap to run, dependable, relatively safe, cheap insurance...

Do pull two of the plugs though... it'll keep them under 45 mph...

HA!
 
Actually, the quote is most often translated...

jvandyke said:
Actually the LOVE of money is the root of evil, money itself is pretty benign. Although I like what I can trade it for.:grin:
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"The love of money is the root of all KINDS OF evil" (emphasis/capitalization is mine). That has quite a different meaning than the common misquote "Money is the root of all evil". I totally agree that money itself is not the problem.

Pete
 
I'm in good shape, I hate money and try to get rid of it as fast as I can....usually trading it for important things, like bits for old cars.
 
Now I'm sorry I said it...

If we go back to the ORIGINAL string on this post... we can see that...

"All have sinned (wandered) and have come short of the Glory of God..." or even close to the original problem.

I'm sure I misquoted this one also! HA!
 
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