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Electric problems

Alejo

Donation Time
Hi everyone, I recently bought a Rapier Fastback (1st plated at 1976), im in love with the mechanics, simple, effective, sturdy and smooth. But here it comes I have a problem with the wiring it seems.

When I push the left lever to use the blinkers (It is a LHD pattern design) the car wont turn them on whatsoever neither the wipers, any guesses?

Also, had to change the battery which came with it because some suspected grounding may have discharged it, the new one has been completely discharged aswell in the first day (I left my lights on by mistake, but that was for about... 3 to 4 hours?)

Any ideas ?
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Hi everyone, I recently bought a Rapier Fastback (1st plated at 1976), im in love with the mechanics, simple, effective, sturdy and smooth. But here it comes I have a problem with the wiring it seems.

When I push the left lever to use the blinkers (It is a LHD pattern design) the car wont turn them on whatsoever neither the wipers, any guesses?

Also, had to change the battery which came with it because some suspected grounding may have discharged it, the new one has been completely discharged aswell in the first day (I left my lights on by mistake, but that was for about... 3 to 4 hours?)

Any ideas ?
Not knowing if the wiring has been tampered with etc .. the usual place to start on old Lucas British cars is , check the fuses then carefully check all the grounds are connected, have a good solid mount and no corrosion... If not working still then step by step use a test light and check for power to each item
 

Alejo

Donation Time
Not knowing if the wiring has been tampered with etc .. the usual place to start on old Lucas British cars is , check the fuses then carefully check all the grounds are connected, have a good solid mount and no corrosion... If not working still then step by step use a test light and check for power to each item

Hi! Thanks for taking your time to reply!

About fuses, I checked the little box in the left up corner of the engine bay (looking from the front) one was blown when I first checked (it was a 35amps one) And i swapped it, no problems with those three since then, but still having problems with the batteries
 

pruyter

Donation Time
Connect a multimeter between the negative cable of the battery and the negative terminal of the battery and then pull one by one the fuses and watch a change in the multimeter reading. As soon as you see this difference you have found the circuit which causes the problem and then it is a matter of investigating this circuit.
 

RootesRooter

Donation Time
IIRC, on the fastback there's a little black ground wire from the fusebox screwed to the outside of the firewall. If that screw gets loose, various things won't work.
 

Alejo

Donation Time
IIRC, on the fastback there's a little black ground wire from the fusebox screwed to the outside of the firewall. If that screw gets loose, various things won't work.
As im not a mechanic, I will send it to the workshop i bought it from, anyways thanks for the time to reply! :D
 

Alejo

Donation Time
IIRC, on the fastback there's a little black ground wire from the fusebox screwed to the outside of the firewall. If that screw gets loose, various things won't work.
Also, I noticed that the right side lever on the steering column which is the one used to activate overdrive and top speed
 
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