Did series V come with OD warning light?

[Alpi67]

I have a SV with OD but do not have this pilot light. Did SV have such a light?

 

[alpine_64]

I have a SV with OD but do not have this pilot light. Did SV have such a light?

I believe some point mid SV they deleted the Od warning light

 

[hartmandm]

I don't think the Parts Manual is very clear about the series V 'instrument panel' and it having / not having a hole for the overdrive warning light. The last part number changes for the dash occurred during series 4 according to the Parts Manual. I have a series 4 dash that has the hole and blanking plug for the OD warning light. My series V was made 1/3 into the production run and the dash did not have a hole and blanking plug for the OD warning light. WSM 145 for the series V does not show an OD warning light in the overdrive electrical circuit. I think the series V did not have the OD warning light.

When I swapped the standard gear box for an overdrive, I drilled my dash to install the OD warning light.

Mike

 

[Jeff Howarth]

The od warning light was fitted to series 3 and 4 but was not fitted to series v.

 

[Tim R]

Be aware that a lot of people have retro-fitted overdrive lights to cars that didn't have them originally. Both of our Series Vs have them but would not have done when they left the factory. Very useful to have.
Tim R

 

[alpine_64]

The od warning light was fitted to series 3 and 4 but was not fitted to series v.

The s3 also had the unique healdight switch with the resistors that would dim the OD warning light if the headlights were on at night.

 

[Jay Laifman]

I added a light myself. But the change over was when they went with the self cancelling switch. No need for the light warning anymore.

 

[alpine_64]

I added a light myself. But the change over was when they went with the self cancelling switch. No need for the light warning anymore.

Jay.. I disagree...the series I/II alpine didnt have a warning light....and didnt have the self centering column switch... Or the cancelling switch accorss the 1/2 and 3/4 shift plane.

The series 3 was the first with the self centering switch and the cancelling swicth on the trans. It was also the introduction of the warning light. The light was on series IV which also had the canceling switch..

Maybe the SV delete was seen as a cost saving for a redundant warning light

 

[Jay Laifman]

Ok. You are not one that I would disagree with! Funny, my strong recollection is that the S1/2 had one type of light (a round one), and the S3 had another (a grey rectangle one that matched the other lights) - so when I got my S3 body, I looked specifically for the S3 one. I even thought the S2 owners manual I had showed the light on the dash. I'll have to see if I can find it.

Well, I found one online. No OD light. Maybe it was that S3 had the round opal one and SIV had the later square grey one.

 

[alpine_64]

The reason the S3 had the unique resistor headlight swicth for dimming the OD warning light was that the SIV had the flip down lens ...that said the auto dimming of the S3 was a nice touch

 

[volvoguys]

Jay.. I disagree...the series I/II alpine didnt have a warning light....and didnt have the self centering column switch... Or the cancelling switch accorss the 1/2 and 3/4 shift plane.

The series 3 was the first with the self centering switch and the cancelling swicth on the trans. It was also the introduction of the warning light. The light was on series IV which also had the canceling switch..

Maybe the SV delete was seen as a cost saving for a redundant warning light

To add to Michael's comments:

The dash overdrive indicator lamp was introduced with the Series 3. It was round and faceted to match the indicator/beam lamps and was opal in color. The OD lamp continued into Series IV, but the shape was now rectangular to match the 3 other dash-mounted lamps. It had a dimmer (like indicator/beam) and was greyish in color. The OD indicator lamp was eliminated with the SV, but it's worth noting that the SV and SIV non-overdrive dashes had a faint outline in the back where the lamp would have been.

I do have a few original S3 (NOS) lamps and SIV lamps if interested.

Mark ..... volvoguys

 

[alpine_64]

I even thought the S2 owners manual I had showed the light on the dash. I'll have to see if I can find it.

Well, I found one online. No OD light. Maybe it was that S3 had the round opal one and SIV had the later square grey one.

Jay the SI/II had all the warning lights integrated into the speedo and tach, no provision for lights in the dash.

The S3 moved the warning lights onto the dash amd the gauges became generic to other rootes cars.

As mentioned by Mark the S3 uses the round faceted lights and the SIV the rectangular version with dimming lip.

 

[Tom H]

Some comments here about an OD warning light being redundant and not needed. I disagree. I added a warning light to my SV when I swapped in an OD tranny. It provides a quick check to verify if the OD is on or not as you are driving and can't quite remember what gear you are in.

AND it's a big help in figuring out what's causing the OD to not work. When the OD fails to engage, it could be 1) lack of 12 V from the fusebox, 2) bad column switch, 3) bad OD relay, 4) Bad 3/4 lock-out switch, 5) bad solenoid, 6) internal mechanical problems, incl low oil. The OD warning light can help narrow the issues down. The special relay used for the OD is a weak spot. It has to contacts - one to latch the relay and one contact to apply power to the solenoid. A common problem occurs when the one contact that latches the relay on closes, but the other contact does not close so no power gets to the solenoid. The warning light is normally wired to the first contact and thus gets lighted even though no power is going to the solenoid. I solve this problem by wiring the warning light to the other contact, so if the light is ON, I know there is power going to the wire that goes to the solenoid. Very helpful.

Tom

 

[RootesRooter]

Tom H - Good reasons to install a warning light in a SV.

The reason there is no OD light in SV's is because of the added switch on the toploader that kicks you out of OD if you try to shift into reverse.

 

[jdoclogan]

The previous owner (2nd overall owner) of my Promotional Harrington Le Mans (Series II platform) told me why he parked the HLM in his sisters garage for 30+ years. While driving and using the overdrive he forgot it was in OD mode. Came to a stop and put the car in reverse. Grind/bang/grind and the Sun-gear blew. Mobility became rather restricted. Thus, he parked it and maybe someday he would fix it. The fix it part didn't happen until I sent it to John "the Box" Roseby in the UK.

 

[hartmandm]

Tom H - Good reasons to install a warning light in a SV.

The reason there is no OD light in SV's is because of the added switch on the toploader that kicks you out of OD if you try to shift into reverse.

I'm not following two parts here. First, how a kick-out switch would mean there shouldn't be an OD light. Second, I haven't heard of a switch to disengage the OD when moving the gear shifter into reverse. There is the one switch that indicates when the shifter is in the right half of the gear box. And then I've heard a switch mounted to the opposite side is for reverse lights, not for cancelling the OD. Appreciate any clarification here.

Here is what Jeff Howarth sent me.



Thanks,
Mike

 

[Tom H]

Mike, I think some responses about need or not need for an OD warning light is based on an assumption that the warning light was there only, or primarily, to warn the driver not to shift into reverse, thinking that that warning was the only thing preventing such a disaster caused by going into reverse while in OD, and that once a reverse lock out switch was introduced, no warning light was needed.

BUT, that is false thinking. From a review of WSM 124, I see that a lock out switch (called an Isolator switch in the WSM) was in place for all Series OD's.

The only explanation I can assume for the sad story related by jdoclogan (Reply #16), is that the Isolator switch was defective, absent, or mis-wired, possibly in the conversion from a standard SII to the Promotional Harrington LeMans.

For your second question I think the explanation is that for an SV tranny, the Isolator switch indeed prevents OD engagement whenever the tranny shift lever is not in the 3 or 4 side of the neutral "gate". This prevents OD operation 1,2, and R gear (all on the left side). But in the earlier tranny, Reverse gear is on the same shift lever side as 3 and 4. So on earlier Series, it's not a simple matter as right/ left side of shift lever, but they still accomplish no connection when in 1, 2 (on the left) or R (on the far right).

Tom

 

[alpine_64]

[QUOTE="Tom H, post: 230384], But in the earlier tranny, Reverse gear is on the same shift lever side as 3 and 4. So on earlier Series, it's not a simple matter as right/ left side of shift lever, but they still accomplish no connection when in 1, 2 (on the left) or R (on the far right).

Tom[/QUOTE]

Tom iirc Reverse on the late SIV and SV all synchro trans is on the right and down next to 4th gear...so in the overdive side of the trans.

The early cars the Reverse was on the down and left bext to 2nd gear

 

[hartmandm]

Reverse is on the right in the all-synchro gearboxes. Which is why I am thinking there is no switch to prevent going into reverse with the overdrive engaged.

Mike

 

[hartmandm]

From the series V owner's manual: