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Triumph TR3 - Brake Lights and Signal Out

The Electrical Games get ugly!

I started the weekend with all electrical components on my 1960 TR3A working; except the right front signal lamp. I bought a test light so I tried to figure out what had power and what didn't. Following the "restoration" book, I clean most exposed terminals.

Without finding the power I needed at the RF, I had the signal lamps all cease operating - so got a new flasher - and no improvement. Then I noticed that the brake lights also had stopped working. At this point I discovered that somehow I had fried what was left of the white wire between the coil and the fusebox. After replacing that I now had a car I can drive, but not very far, as it has no brake lights or signals.

The fuse works (switched with another), and noted that the fuel gauge works as do the wipers. Wires to the brake light switch look and feel intact (what a location!). All connectors feel tight. Both Haynes and the Triumph shop manual provide no clues.

Archeological exploration over the last 9 months has shown that I have at least 6 wiring harness wires "unconnected", and they still are, but everything (except the RF) worked before.

Any ideas as to what could take out both the brake lights and the signals - but nothing else?

Thanks .... djn
Dennis Nelson

Dennis: I suggest you get a continuity meter so that you can check the wiring more easily. I think that Canadian Tire have them quite cheaply or of course if you are in my area we can have a look at it to-gether with mine?
Tom.
Tom Addison

Dennis,
I can't help (yet) but I had the same thing happen to me this weekend on a 59 TR3A - all the turn signals worked except driver's side front. I started tracking down wires by color code - found what appeared to be an extra disconnected wire at the flasher unit - hooked it up to the flasher - suddenly no turn signals worked. Disconnected it - no flashers - changed fuse - no flashers - changed flasher unit - no flashers.
I'm beginning to think that I just have some poor connections generally throughout and may need to go through a circuit at a time and clean contacts, re-connect, etc. Let me know if you find a solution, though, because it may be common to my problem.
Paul Nodtvedt

This thread was discussed between 07/04/2003 and 21/04/2003

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