The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all

After spending 6 months in the care of XK Engineering to have some fettling done over the winter I finally have the car back together with a list of jobs for me to tackle over the summer where XK have pointed out there are minor issues. I could do with a little help identifying what's wrong in a few areas and what parts I need to fix from the report I was given.

1) Wrong dash lights – should be white not green
Does anyone know what this might refer to?

2) No mudshield rubbers
Could someone post a picture of this part and how they should be.

3) Heater box rotten
Does anyone know the best place to buy a replacement heater box, either as an exchange unit, new part etc

4) No stops on boot board
Could someone post a picture of the boot board of a series 1 4.2 so I compare with mine to see what's missing

5) New battery
Not on the fix list but I want a nicer looking period battery for my car. Can someone recommend a company to supply one of these?

Thanks for your help

Trev

1 - blue for a 3.8, green for a 4.2

3 - Hutsons or SNGB

5 - Totally accurate version Antique Car Battery Co. in the US. Otherwise Lincoln lead acid from the UK.

Mudshields part 51 and 57.....rubbers on top http://www.sngbarratt.com/CatalogueProd ... 81&a=16490

Thanks guys, really useful. Don't know what I'd do without the forum sometimes

Heuer wrote:1 - blue for a 3.8, green for a 4.2

So mine is correct then. What is this actually referring to though? I don't think I've ever seen my dash lights illuminated. How do you switch them on?

Big switch on dashboard. Bulbs are not coloured the lens holder filters are. Usually they are broken or burnt so use green or blue LED's if needed - more info in Upgrades forum.

No idea...the bulbs were always white! As heuer say the diffusers in the gauges were blue in 3.8 and changed to green in the 4.2 so if yours is a 4.2 then they should have a green tinge. Switch is second from left toggle. Down is off, first click up is dim and second click is bright but they only work when the side lights are on.

Awesome, thanks all. Just sat in a dark garage and tested the lights. All seems to be correct green (my car is 4.2) although the gauges are are very faintly illuminated . Haven't needed to know about the dash lights before as haven't driven at night in the car.

If the gauges are faintly lit, then they are right on specification as your car was originally delivered. As stated above, the toggle switch has two positions: dim and dimmer. Use the dim setting for normal driving and the dimmer setting when driving deep within a cave.

Seriously, with incandescent lamps, the instruments are very poorly lit, therefore a worthwhile upgrade is to change to LED's. There are several threads in the archives describing the options and the process for installing. Wasn't it Joseph Lucas who once said, "Gentlemen do not go motoring about in the dark."?

When I picked up my car from Angus I talked about led upgrades. Murray (the one who does the work) started to tell me something useful but I talked over him as I was excited and forgot to come back to it. I know you have to replace the indicator relay but is there something you need to know if replacing these little lights in the instruments?

John

My (4.2) lights were dim or dimmer (in fact, hardly noticeable). I upgraded to LEDs, not expensive, and am very pleased. Same green, and not overly bright, but you can see the guages at last!

You only need to replace the indicator relay if you swap the indicator bulbs at the four corners. You may find the dash light dimmer switch does not dim with LED's , some do some don't.

Thanks David but what about the little lights for main beam and ignition, can these be straight swapped for leds?

John

main beam and fuel warning lights - yes. The ignition light if you swap it will need a resistor added into the circuit.

Not sure why you would want to swap the warning lights, they seem bright enough to me. You will end up with a Tesla f you are not circumspect!

Whats wrong with a Tesla?

Nothing - great car in fact. Low energy and high performance but you would not feel the need to retro-fit incandescent bulbs to it.

I like tesla' but they are soooooo expensive it's cheaper to pay the fuel bill and keep my current car.

With regards to the warning lights I haven't tested them In the dark yet since Angus gave it back so will check first

You need to test them in daylight, preferably on a sunny day! Even with the hood down on my car the incandescent warning lights are immediately noticeable. Instrument lights even in the dark can be almost unreadable though.