Club 80-90 Forums

I had been having main beam tell tale glowing when on dipped lights and also the flasher one was doing it all the time, I knew it would be an earthing problem somewhere. Finally tracked it down after checking the crowns and dash wiring to no avail, it was the offside headlamp bulb earth connector where the wire had corroded away entering the terminal, remade the terminal and full service was restored! How that affected the indicator tell-tale light is anyone's guess. Shows the importance of checking all earths even ones that have no obvious bearing on the fault that you are trying to trace.
(I lost indicator function on one indicator during this - I had left an earth off the crown which is very easy to do with the rat's nest of brown wires in there)

Rogue earths are the curse of automotive wiring faults, if not very frustrating but take some comfort in not having to solve earth probs on a three-wheeled reliant. Sorting earths on those is a total nightmare given that the body is glass fibre. I uaed to have a mate who would drop by EVERY week because one or other light wasn't working. In the end I had to tell him to get lost.

Been there and done that! Went around the North coast of Scotland in my old side valve plastic pig in 1970/1. Major bodywork damage repaired at the side of the road with a fibreglass kit! Damn sheep leapt off the hillside onto the road in front of me, luckily as there was no front nearside wheel I kept in a straight line. Awful doing anything on the engine of them. Mine had woodworm in the wooden framing and flooring - I don't think woodworm came under the MoT checks.

The image in my mind of roadside Reliant repairs after an encounter with a rogue sheep....

Mind you, I read a comment somewhere that Reliants are slow - they're bloomin not. Years ago a mate who had one challenged me on the A12 coming out of Harwich. I was driving a 1600 Beetle and he pissed past me. Not forgotten that.

CovKid wrote:Mind you, I read a comment somewhere that Reliants are slow - they're bloomin not. Years ago a mate who had one challenged me on the A12 coming out of Harwich. I was driving a 1600 Beetle and he pissed past me. Not forgotten that.

well he wasn't going to challenge you on a twisty B road was he

Oh he had a sense of humour. Often went out in it with him and he'd randomly say "Hang on, I'm gonna roll it!" - and would! Swine.

As OBG already took this off topic

!975 500cc Honda 4 (with Dunstal tuning bits )

Having a bit of a blast on a twisty B road through a forest in Scotland in the dark. Probably doing 50+ mph, heeled well over in a bend and the entire electrics died, including of course the lights

I didn't die, but it was VERY scary
I bodged the wiring to get me home.

Cause = Apparently it's a common fault on that range of bikes (including the 750-4). The ignition switch, mounted on the front down tubes, under the tank, fails. This is usually due to folks having a couple of other keys and a fob, which blow about and over time break the innerds of the switch. Cure = new switch and only have one key in it !!!

saw a 51 plate plastic pig yesterday,when did they stop making them?

2001- ish