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MG TD TF 1500 Dip- Switch BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG TD TF 1500 - Dip- Switch
| Hi Guys, Is there a reason my 1952 MG TD Mkll horn button does not have a "D" for Dip-Switch or "H" for full beams? The horn button is only a horn, the ignition switch incorporates all the lights. Thanks, Susan |
| S Burnett |
| Susan, Look under the dash, just above and to the left of the clutch pedal for a round metal foot switch for high/low beam. If your car is new enough. It has a floor mounted dip switch. The bracket is held in place by three bolts that secure it to the fire wall, and two screws that hold the switch to the bracket. -David |
| D. Sander |
| Susan, A photo of the dip switch. It's operated with your foot. AJ  |
| A R Jones |
| ...and on a left hand drive it is a bit above the clutch (at least I found it by sticking my left foot 'up' .... |
| gblawson(gordon- TD27667) |
| Thank-you so much David and AJ for your answers and the photo..........I have looked everywhere in that area and it is now where to be found. I have a late 1952, my lights are very bright .........did some of the later cars not have a foot switch?? .It is great to be able to go on line and discuss these cars, I am crazy about this car!! Ton Lange did say I should have one since it is a later car but did some come with out an dip switch? Do you have to take out the engine to put one in? Thanks, Susan |
| S Burnett |
| Hi Susan. Welcome to the forum. If you'll tell me your Car No., e.g., TD12345, we might be able to tell if you should have the foot-operated switch. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Susan, That picture is of a right hand drive TD. On a left hand drive car it is to the left and above the clutch. -David |
| D. Sander |
Susan, here's an image of the dip switch on a left hand drive TD |
| Bud Krueger |
| Here's the outside of the firewall showing the nuts on the three screws that hold the dip switch in place. Do you have three holes in that location? Bud (Please ignore the mess. It's a work in progress.)  |
| Bud Krueger |
| Again Thanks so much for the info photos all really help me, and Bud the Car No. is TD/c23510. Merry Christmas Susan |
| S Burnett |
| Susan, the above images are from TD23618, built on December 31, 1952. Your car was built on December 29, 1952. I would expect it to have the three holes on the side of the firewall. Merry Christmas. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| The change over from dash mounted dip switch to foot operated dip switch occurred 19 Aug 1952 at car number TD13914. Cheers - Dave |
| David DuBois |
| I have a left hand drive 55 TF and the dip switch is on the left, slightly above the clutch pedal very similar to Buds photo. PJ |
| P Jennings |
| What about the horn? I think the button in the centre of the horn is spring loaded. Can I have the signal horn connected to that instead of the button on the dash? |
| Raymond Wardenaer |
| Raymond You said the "button in the center of the horn". Did you mean the center of the steering wheel? Where the horn button is on most cars. I hooked mine up and first found that the steering column is not connected to the chassis. That was pretty easy to fix with a copper strap around the flex joint. But then no matter what I tried the wire would wear against something and soon either the horn would quit or start blowing all the time. Finally gave up, hooked it back up to the button on the dash. Cheers, Bob |
| Bob Jeffers |
| Susan, Look inside near where Bud show's the switch should be for 3 wires in a harness. (I think the color code is the same on TD as TF?) # 1 BLUE # 4 BLUE W/WHITE (MAIN) # 2 BLUE W/RED (DIP) From what you say ("lights very bright") I would suspect the switch went bad, and someone has "hot-wired" one (or both) of the trace wires (white/red) to the blue wire. Pretty standard switch (3 connection / cycling) should be an easy find at any auto parts store. You may have to "invent" a bracket to hold it if that is missing. If you have the bracket, take it off and take to the auto parts store to see if they can match a switch to fit. IMHO: This is a good time to install aux fusing to the circuit. Depending on "how" the PO did his modifacation this might actually help! (if they cut the wies short) Cheers, David |
| David Sheward |
Here's what the mounted switch looks like |
| Bud Krueger |
Here's what the back of the switch looks like. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Here's what mine looked like before I took the car apart. Thanks Bud, I wondered what those 3 holes were for in my firewall. The car came from California and was converted to RHD in 1991. Only wish I had a bit more info on the PO. AJ  |
| A R Jones |
| Bob, sorry, yes I meant the centre of the steering wheel. For me, that is the logical place to hunk the horn. I appreciate your comments and experience, and can well understand the wear of the cables. So, I shall keep the horn button where it is... |
| Raymond Wardenaer |
| Hi and thanks everyone again for your input and the photos, everything is really helpful. Bud, I do have three nuts on three screws on the firewall but on the inside where the dip switch should be there feels like it is there but when it was restored it looks like someone covered it with the siding inside the car? Does any one have a photo of what is should look like inside the car that is all done?? My next job is to follow the wiring David and get it properly installed like it should be. This kind of stuff makes these cars and any restoration fun!! My next issue after its first ride this morning after getting it here is it lurches somewhat. Does any one know what that is? Thanks again and keep the recommendations coming, if any of you would like to see my car go to Crevier Classic Motors, check out the inventory and there it is with 40 photographs.............you will be able to see why I love it so much especially since it now has a whole new engine, fuel pump and brakes!! Susan |
| S Burnett |
| Susan, Does the car lurch when you let off the clutch? If so, this is a common problem, made worse by the u bolts that hold the axle to the leaf springs. Try tightening the nuts. -David |
| D. Sander |
| I just looked at the car, boy is it sharp! All of the MK II goodies are still there. I'd be really proud to drive that beautiful car. Pictures here. http://www.crevierclassiccars.com/used-inventory/1953-MG-TD%20MKII%20SOLD -David |
| D. Sander |
| Hi Susan. Beautiful car!! If the hardware shows, I suspect that the switch may be there. Could some have just put the front kick panel over the switch? It's probably worth a look. I'd go and crawl up there by the side of the pedals and feel around behind the kick panel. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Dave DuBois - it looks like your numbers are off. My car came out of the factory on 19 August 1952. It's car number 18865 and has a dash mounted dip switch, combined with the horn. BobbyG |
| Bobby Galvez |
| Thanks again for all the help, Bud I think the switch is behind the kick panel it feels like something is behind there....... that feels like a switch. I wonder why they would cover it up, now I have to have that area opened up so it can be used. I also need to check the wires that David Sheward suggested. I will keep all updated on its adventures. David....it lurches when I let off the clutch, I thought it may need the carbs adjusted but little do i know. I will ask the mechanic about the u bolts? Does it calm down after it warms up? Thanks, Susan |
| S Burnett |
| Bud I think it is so great to find a car made almost the same time my car was built! Is your car a MKll also? What color is it? Susan |
| S Burnett |
| BobbyG - Must have been lat at night when I looked at that number - it should have read TD18883. Ah, I see what I did, I got the number from about 3 entries up. This information comes from the T Series Handbook put out by the New England MG 'T' Register. Cheers - Dave |
| David DuBois |
| Hi Susan - see http://www.ttalk.info/The53.htm for the story of the car. It's not a MKII and was originally Silver Streak Gray. It's last color was black. I'm guessing that your switch issue may not be too hard to solve. The wire that Dave mentions shows in the first of the images that I showed above. I'll be it's still connected. If you remove the nuts from the screws that are on the firewall I'll bet the switch bracket will pull out from behind the kick panel. It would then just be a matter of transferring the holes onto the kick panel and screw the bracket back on, over the kick panel. At least that's my guess. Good luck. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Just looked at the pix of your car....WOW, nice , very nice! Looking at the detail that went into the restore, I'd bet somebody just burried the switch behind the kick pannel by mistake. I'm with ohers here on u bolts that hold the axle to the leaf springs being lose. After a few hundred miles of install they need retighting once they get seated in. Mine did the same. |
| David Sheward |
| My TD is #18337 with a build date of July 18, 1952 and it does not have the three holes in the firewall but does have the dip switch with the horn button on the dash. Probably another example of the imprecise record keeping back in the day. Don |
| don scott |
| AKD 834 says that the foot-operated dipper switch started at Chassis No. 18883 Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Susan, your beautiful Mark II is the envy of about 99.9% of the members of this BBS!!!!! Sighhhhh |
| Jim Merz |
| Here in Norway the summers are so light that you don't need lights at all, only that you are not allowed to travel without lights! But it is good enough to use dipped headlights all the time. |
| Raymond Wardenaer |
| Back to this "dip switch" issue. My '51 TD obviously has it located on the dash. I wonder if others have issues with the foot-operated switches. My '54 TF is problematic in that it is up so high that operating it is almost easier to do by hand. Any problem solvers out there with successful remedies? Happy New Year and many thanks! Jerry |
| Jerry Chandler |
| I actually moved mine so I can operate by hand. Mounted nicely to the left center dash support...I was surprised that the wires were long enough to re-route it there. (Orginaly I had planned to use a relay and a switch on my "aux" panel.) Look close in lower right hand cornor of this pic.  |
| David Sheward |
| Gee Dave, I can't imagine any reason why you'd have trouble operating the foot-operated dip switch. LOL Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| David, Thank you for your idea and the photo. Do you have a pic displaying the outside dash after the re-mounting? Regards, Jerry |
| Jerry Chandler |
| Jerry, Just got home from work....will get a better picture for you tomorrow and post here. |
| David Sheward |
| Jerry, Reading this again ...not sure if I know what you mean by "outside dash" ....but see if this helps. The "aux" pannel I made has a long "top" to it (where I installed extra fuse block) so that is what the dip swich is actually mounted to. It is simply bolted to the center dash supports.  |
| David Sheward |
| Hello Susan. Are you located in Southern California? If so visit www.vintagemg.com it is one of the local MG clubs. Butch Taras VMG |
| R Taras |
| Don Scott, I'm always interested in finding TD's that were built close to the time that ours rolled off of the assembly line,,,, Ours is #18283, the 7th car built on Wednesday July 17th,,,, SPW |
| STEVE WINCZE |
| David Sheward, You showed me "exactly" what I wanted to see. Yes, I needed to see it from the driver's/user's perspective, not underneath/beneath the dash/dash support. I'll give this some consideration and, look at the feasability of relocating it on the left side. If only I had some mechanical aptitude! Many Thanks, Jerry |
| Jerry Chandler |
| Hi I find the location of the dip switch a bit of a problem in my late 53 td. I catch my toes on it when I operate the clutch (I wear size 11 shoes) I've considered moving it up about 1 inch and trimming the bracket down by 1/4 inch. I just added a stainless steel plate to the floor to keep my heel from catching on the rubber liner for the master cylinder cover. It allows my heel to side over the carpet to rubber transition smoothly. This helped a lot but my toes still get tangled up with the dipper. I like the idea of hand operation but the spring is a bit stiff for that. How easy is it to take that swich apart and put in a softer spring? Thanks Chuck  |
| cj schmit |
Chuck, here's what's inside. The spring needs to be strong enough to 'flip' the switch mechanism. Grind off the end of the accuator and the cap comes off (withn a vengeance). You can drill/tap the end of the accuator for an 8-32 screw to hold it together later. Bud
 |
| Bud Krueger |
| Chuck, My orginial plan was to replace the switch with a relay and a small (low voltage/non-latching) push button. Decided to just move it when I discovered the wires could be re-routed and no extension was needed. I may stil have the relay and switch I was going to use. Not sure where it ended up as I moved garages...but if there is an intrest I can try to find it and mail to you at no cost. IF I can find it! |
| David Sheward |
| David I'm not sure what the best way to contact other members so I am including my e-mail addr. I like the idea of a relay so if you can find it I'd love to have it. I miss being able to flash my headlights at other sports cars like I could with all my other british cars. By the time I find my light switch and flip it on the other car is gone and lost in my smoke! With a little redesign I think I could do this. My brother has a neat circuit that controls turns on the lights and fuelpump when the engine starts. (and off when it stops) It also gives you the option to prime the carbs BY TURNING On THE Lights! It's triggered by the regulator. I'll try it on my car and publish it if it works. Thanks Chuckschmit@sbcglobal.net |
| cj schmit |
| I'll see if I can find it. |
| David Sheward |
| Chuck, just a bit of advice. When you publish your email address, change the form to chuckschmit at sbcglobal dot net. That helps prevent unwanted spam from software programs picking up your address. At least that's the way I understand it. Comments guys? |
| Jim Merz |
| "unwanted spam from software programs". yep...your about to win the Nigerian lottery ...several times over from my experance. If you post with "at" & "dot" instead of "@ & ." the spambots don't see it. Hope your email has a "block sender" function. Still looking for relay ...suposed to be nicer weather ...I'l get into some boxes in the attic of the garage. Disclaimer: If it gets too much nicer ...the TF and I are out-a-here! |
| David Sheward |
| Hi Guys, The dip switch has been found, it was tucked up under the cover above the pedal area. It was all together........thanks for all your help!! I love my car! Susan Burnett |
| S Burnett |
This thread was discussed between 24/12/2011 and 12/01/2012
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