The 'E' Type Forum

Anyone any idea why the ignition warning light within the speedo on my 1969 S2 is flashing on and off when the engine is running - the battery indicator dial reads normal so seems to be charging well and the oil pressure good (I seem to remember that the oil pressure is somehow linked to the ignition light?) It seems to keep winking regardless of engine speed...
Thanks,
Kes

Kes, the ignition warning light was only connected to the oil pressure light on the early 4.2s (up to 66ish).

You should have a 3AW canister near the LHS of the bulkhead. Could be this failing. (BTW, if you need a new one, Mike Frank of Coolcat does an electronic replacement - much more reliable).

Have you checked the connection of the wire that leads from the alternator to the warning light? If one or more of the wires that attach to the back of the alternator are loose, crimping the contact for a tighter fit should solve the problem.

Mark

I've just checked the Battery: 12.4V with the engine off and 13.6 with it running at idle, going down to about 13.2 after the lights are switched on. I'll go check the connections to the alternator - any other suggestions if that's ok?
Thanks
Kes

Kes: I will second the Moderator's suggestion. I had the exact same problem last summer. Although the car never let me down I found the blinking lamp to be an annoyance.

Mr. Frank's gizmo did the trick. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/25sjjjf

Also, it is so small that the original 3AW can be left in place (with the leads removed) and the new device will tuck in behind it.

Thanks for all the suggestions chaps - problem now sorted, and I thought I'd just let you know that the problem was....one of Mr Franks gizmos!
We traced the problem to an electronic relay replacement which was faulty. I've now replaced it with an original type 3AW relay from Barratts and all is well. Was very glad of the link posted to the Coolcats website though - the wiring diagram there made swapping the units over easy.
thanks again for the info.
K

Excellent! Thanks for the follow up post.

I also have an intermittent winking ignition warning light. I am sure that I replaced the 3AW unit a few years ago and the car has been used very little since then. I have just replaced the terminals on the wires to the 3AW and the alternator.

Are there any tests that can prove the state of the 3AW?
Is it possible that the alternator (diodes?) could be responsible?
Thanks,
Ross

The 3AW relays are notoriously dodgy - for what they cost I'd try replacing that that first, even though the one in your car is only a few years old.

I have just replaced the 3AW again with a brand new item from SNG and guess what? No Change. Does anyone know; what else can cause these symptoms? and how to bench test the 3AW? I assume that 2 12v power supplies with lamps in series connected to the appropriate terminals?

Hi all,
The ignition warning light is now on permanently and the ammeter shows strong positive charge for most if not all the time. The car starts and runs fine but is there a chance of frying the battery? is this likely to be an alternator or relay problem?
Thanks,
Ross

A 4TR voltage control unit fault most probably. Have you tested or replaced it?

Hi David,
Thanks. No I have not but will do so now. I just wanted an opinion of where to start- with the 4TR or the alternator itself.
Thanks,
Ross

You might want to test the alternator, regulator (4TR) and warning switch (3AW). The procedures are easy to do and are well explained in the shop manual. I recently got stranded about 50 miles from home with a dead battery. (The car died while driving because I lost enough voltage to run the fuel pump). Luckily, I was able to get the battery charged and drove home on the battery alone. I guessed that my alternator had failed. It turned out that the alternator, 4TR and 3AW were all bad and needed replacement.

Hi Ross,
I had the same problem with the warning light on my '68 Ser.1.5 and I tried all the usual remedies but nothing worked. I finally checked the alternator relay and found a broken wire inside. I replaced the relay and the problem was solved.

Stuart.

Back in the late 1980s, I replaced the 4TR regulator as a matter of course when I rebuilt the alternator. After a series of intermittent charging problems, I finally connected a multimeter and gave the alternator and regulator a series of light taps. This soon revealed a problem within the regulator, and I found a loose solder joint inside. Once repaired, it gave no more trouble. The regulator was an aftermarket copy of the 4TR made by Huco.

I finally got this sorted over the Christmas break. It turned out to be the 3AW which I had assumed to be OK having only recently bought it from SNGB. I have also swapped the alternator so hope the light will stay out now. I did try to follow the procedure for fault finding but due to a combination of a lack of expereince and lack of equipment I was unable to pinpoint the 3AW as the faulty part.
Thanks for all your help.
Ross

Hi folks, does anyone know about the reliability (or otherwise) of the replacement regulator boxes? These appear to be sealed for life so no access to the internals.

Mine seems to be charging more than a bent lawyer...just had the alternator rebuilt and bought a new regulator from David Manners. Battery has reasonable charge but gauge and separate meter test both show over 17 volts at 4000 rpm? Turning the adjuster on the regulator has no effect, red dashboard light on constantly (which I think it would be for under or over charging?)

About to return the regulator for a replacement, but anyone offer any words of wisdom before I do, please?

Many thanks

Peter (Series 3 2+2)

I have had these problems for years and never managed to sort it but the car runs fine. I too changed the 3AW and it made no difference. The car will run for 20 mins before the light starts to show and then finally on all the time.
The other symptom is the ammeter needle can bounce erratically when in the lower revs. (S1.5 4.2).

Hi Minerve have a look at the condition of the brushes in the alternator.......Steve