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MG TD TF 1500 - Instrument panel lights

Is there some easy way to trouble shoot TD instrument lights? I have no dash lights at all when I turn on the headlights. Start at the fuse? But where from there?

Thanks. Jim
JM Murray

First, get a wiring diagram. Have you checked the dimmer switch? Last knob on the far right. Not hard to check the switch with a test light. If power is going thru the switch, then you have either bad bulbs or wiring issues. If all bulds are out (as you indicate), I would suspect a bad switch or ground wire for the bulbs. Getting under and behind the dash can take some contortions.
John Masters

...the dimmer on mine was so dirty i could barely see the lights... took it apart and cleaned it with electrical cleaner and a tooth brush and it was much better...i seem to remember it came apart quite easily....
Also took the back off the instruments (speedo/tach) and painted the inside of the housing bright white...that helped a bit as well...
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Sorry, I'm a complete novice as far as electricity goes, and need the most basic commands... There is a wiring diagram in the workshop manual, I'm pretty sure, and I will enlarge a photocopy of that to begin with. Without it in front of me I don't know - does the juice go from a fuse to the dimmer switch, or from somewhere else? I'm trying to figure out where to start, and where to go from there.

Thanks, and I apologize for my not knowing where to begin. I just got this TD a while ago, and everything else seems to work!

Jim
t lange

What year TD? The panel lighting is switched through one of the rotating switches on the panel. Make sure that is switched "ON", then they come on with the side lights and headlamps. Tighten all the connection screws on the back of the headlight switch and look for a broken , loose or disconnected Red wire. Look also for panel ground.
C.R. Tyrell

As I recall there were some green acetates that the light came through but I replaced them with a much more translucent material.
I also gouged out some of the wood in the dash to make the light tunnel larger and I also painted the area white. It will never be great but I can see the instruments at night.
Mort
Mort Resnicoff 50 TD (Mobius)

JM . on my TD late 1953 the feed comes from the light switch connection marked T on to the panel light switch .

Hope this helps,

Gerard
Gerard Hengeveld

Jim, Do you have a volt meter to trace voltage? Regards, Tom
tm peterson

Hi Jim. Have a look at the attached pic. Although this is of an early RHD car the wiring is the same. The dimmer switch on the right has 2 wires, a red wire which is the feed to the switch & a red & white wire that loops to each of the panel lights. There can only be 3 possible causes. The dimmer switch is faulty, you have either lost power (red or red/white wire loose) or your earth, (black wire loose). Ensure all connections are tight, then use a volt meter to find the fault as suggested. Start at the dimmer & work on from there. If that checks out & the dimmer is OK the fault is a poor earth.
Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

I bought new panel light bulbs (LED) from Staffordshire Vehicle Components. Much brighter light, and hopefully they will last longer than the original bulbs.

regards,


Jan
JE Kristoffersen

Did all TDs have a dimmer switch? My 1951 has a simple on and off switch with a black handle matching the accessory fog lamp switch.
John Quilter (TD8986)

Early TDs had a black horn push with a dimmer switch at the bottom mounted on the central dash panel, later cars had a foot-operated dimmer switch, I think.

Jim
JM Murray

Seems to be confusion here- the question is about panel lights, which had either the matching fog lamp off/on switch, or the variable rheostat on the later cars. Maybe changed when went from flat to magnetic instruments? The dash rheostat and headlight high/low switches can be called dimmer switches? Peter exactly lays out diagnostics above. George
George Butz

For clarity we could call the thingy, whether under the horn button or foot operated, the dipper switch and the gizmo that brightens and dims (or should I say dims and dims and dims more)the dash/instrument lights the dimmer switch.

Jud
J K Chapin

Sorry, I misunderstood the question. I appreciate all the help. When it stops snowing and warms up to at least 20, I will go investigate!

Jim
JM Murray

My car (Feb 1951) also has an On/Off switch like yours John, to control the dash lights & it matches the fog lamp switch. I'm pretty sure that was original for early TD's. Hope me continuing to use the term dimmer switch hasn't confused.
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 14/12/2013 and 16/12/2013

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