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MG TD TF 1500 - Dash wiring questions

Starting to wire the instrument panel/dash to the harness. The wiring diagram ( early TD) on page N.21 in the workshop manual shows a ground wire (57) to the tach and speedo. Do these actually go to somewhere on the tach and speedo or do they represent the panel lights? The wiring diagram does not show the clock. What wires go to the clock?
Bill Thienes

As far as I remember, there is a ground wire to each one attached to the mounting stud under the thumb nuts.

Lew Palmer
Lew Palmer

Bill,
If you have a new harness Ohm out each wire before you apply battery power. I tried to follow the wiring diagram that came with the new harness. I quickly discovered that the diagram was wrong. I contacted the vendor that I purchased it from and they said OH! there is an amendment to the diagram, we'll send it to you. I had 3 differant diagrams for a 52 TD they were all wrong. After smoking 2 wires I replaced them and then Ohmed every wire before I connected the battery. Everything has worked OK for over 2000 miles. The clock if I remember is red with a yellow or white stripe and goes to the hot side of the fuse box.
Someone else my have diagram handy but mind is in storage.

Good Luck,

Don
Don

Bill - The ground wires are daisy chained to one of the mounting studs on the tach and the speedometer. The clock gets a wire directly form the live (-12 volts) wire from the battery. It can be off of either side of the ammeter or from the 12 volts going to the ignition switch. This is one wire that I would recommend an in line fuse on (about 5 amp or less), just because it gets disconnected often. Speaking of fuses, you can eliminate the smoked wires that Don experienced if you start with a 5 amp fuse in line with one of the battery leads the first time you hook up the battery. Better to blow a handfull of fuses than fry wires in an expensive harness.
Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

My dish-faced TD inst. have the ground wire attached to one of the black headed screws on the metal case back rather than under the thumb nuts. A fine white wire goes to the clock off the ammeter as David said.
George Butz

Bill -
Might be a little late, but when I put my harness in, I cut about 6 inches off the ends of the wires that went to the dashboard items, then installed "spade" connectors on those wires.

If I ever have to remove the dashboard, it makes it alot easier. In addition, I was able to attach those 6" leads to the instruments and switches on my workbench, instead of "upsidedown" behind the dash.

Blair
Blair Weiss

Another alternative for troubleshooting and initial testing of automotive circuits is to use a battery charger in place of the battery. The circuit breaker will trip before frying wires. You can test all circuits except for the starter. Never fry a wire again!

Pardon the 'Non-Member' status. I'm away from my home machine.

Cheers,
Lew Palmer
Lew Palmer

This thread was discussed on 19/12/2003

MG TD TF 1500 index

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