Overdrive Warning Light

[lord_rootes]

Hi folks,
I was wondering if any of the Series Alpines ever had a dashboard light to indicate when the car was in overdrive. I know the Series V did not because I have looked at the handbook and one is not indicated but I seem to recall that earlier models might have had this feature. If this is indeed true I was wondering if anyone knew where on the dashboard it was located.
Thanks,
Alan

 

[alpine_64]

The series 3-v had them. They are opal coloured. On the series 3 they are the round faceted jewel type, on the iv/v they are the rectangular type. They are mounted on the dash between the ammeter gauge and major gauge up the top inkibe with the indicator warning light.

 

[Tom H]

Alan,

From WSM 124, OD section, it appears there was no warning light on SI, SII. But it shows the SIV did have a warning light. Probably SIII too. Interestingly the wiring to the warning lamp ran thru the light switch or panel lamp switch. You can see this also in the SIV wiring diagram.

WSM 145, OD section, shows no warning lamp, but I am 90% sure the wiring harness included provision for it- at least the harness I got from Jeff Howarth included it.

I am 95% sure that the location for OD warning lamp is above / left of the Tach. If you look (or feel) at the rear of your dash in that area you will find a molded raised area similar to the molded area for the High Beam and Turn Indicator lamps. I think the hole is NOT molded thru and in my case I drilled it through, initially from the rear with a small drill and then enlarged it and installed a spare Ignition Warning light. I used a faded Ign warning light that is less red than the Ign warning light.

Today I would recommend adding just an LED lamp and resistor (or LED lamp with resistor built in) and wire it to term C1 on the relay, where the yel/purple wire connects. The LED will take virtually no power from the solenoid and yet, when lit tells you that the solenoid is getting 12 V power. The original warning light circuit really only tells you that the OD Relay is ON. But a common problem is that the relay is ON, but the contact for the solenoid is not made, so you have the amp lit but no power to the solenoid and you start thinking you have a serious problem inside the OD box, when you only have a bad relay contact.

By the way, for those interested, the diagram in the OD section of WSM 124, is the only one I have ever seen that shows a unique electrical aspect of the OD solenoid. It shows the two coils - High current Pull-in coil and Lower current Hold coil and the internal switch that opens the High Current circuit after the Pull-in is completed. I just discovered that dwg while researching this reply and have wondered about it for years.

Tom

Tom

 

[lord_rootes]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately the car is in the garage right now but looking at a picture I have I can't see a light to the left of the tach as you have both mentioned plus nothing lit up when I engaged overdrive. I wonder if the car had its overdrive added later although I was under the impression it was original. Very interesting! I will have to investigate further when I get it back home.
Again, it's weird that the handbook dashboard diagram doesn't list one.
Thanks again,
Alan

 

[RootesRooter]

Series V's didn't have an OD light because a switch on the tranny top loader automatically disengages the OD when you push the lever sideways towards reverse. In theory, no need to worry anymore about twisting the input shaft into a pretzel with one errant shift.

I don't remember seeing a covered-up hole in the upper corner of the back of my V's dash when I last removed it. If you want to ad the little white light anyway to your V, I think you'll have to find someone with a III-IV dash to measure the hole.

 

[65beam]

light

the opening for the OD light was factory cut in the dash on series 4. it is on the upper left hand side of the tach if it's a LHD car. my green car had a metal blanking plug like the one that was used in the lighter opening of cars not factory equipped. as dick said, none of the series 5's that I've had in the last 50 years had a provision for the OD light. the opening is the same size as the other warning lights.

 

[alpine_64]

Series V's didn't have an OD light because a switch on the tranny top loader automatically disengages the OD when you push the lever sideways towards reverse. In theory, no need to worry anymore about twisting the input shaft into a pretzel with one errant shift.
.

The self cancelling o/d units came in on the series 3, the very series they introduced the warning light. In fact the series 3 has a special light switch with resistors on it so that the od warning light is dimmed at night when the headlights are on. This was not continued on later models.

So they did not remove it on the series v for the reasons you have given, if that was the case it would never have introduced the warning light.

 

[hartmandm]

Here's a photo of a series IV dash showing the OD warning hole with the blank installed.

Mike

 

[lord_rootes]

Very interesting. Thanks again for your responses.
I probably won't worry about installing one then although it is nice to have.

 

[65beam]

light

the facts are still the same. series 5 cars in the states did not have a warning light regardless of the way to disengage the OD. the photo shown is the way my car is set up

 

[hartmandm]

Very interesting. Thanks again for your responses.
I probably won't worry about installing one then although it is nice to have.

I love having the OD warning light on the dash of my series V. I get a big smile every time it lights up as it reminds me of all the work that went into getting that little bulb to light.

The light is also a good reminder when downshifting how far I will be going if I am in 3+OD and drop down to 2nd.

Mike

 

[Tom H]

Alan, Just to be clear, I think I said the SV did not have an OD warning light. Rootes, I did not say there was a "covered up hole" there but rather I thought there was an unfinished hole indication. Indeed, looking at the back side of a spare SV dash, I see a round outline where the hole used to be on an SIV.

I think the biggest value of adding an OD warning light is that it will help you figure out right away, if your OD quits, what may be causing the problem.

Tom

 

[SIVAllan]

The series 3-v had them. They are opal coloured. On the series 3 they are the round faceted jewel type, on the iv/v they are the rectangular type. They are mounted on the dash between the ammeter gauge and major gauge up the top inkibe with the indicator warning light.

Crossover early SIVs had the round faceted type.

 

[Series3Scott]

Pic of opal light

I was out driving my Series 3 tonight and here's a pic of the light on. I was in a parking lot at the time but you get the idea.

 

[alpine_64]

Scott, do you have the series 3 light switch with the e resistors that dims the warning light when the panel/headlights are on?

 

[Series3Scott]

Scott, do you have the series 3 light switch with the e resistors that dims the warning light when the panel/headlights are on?

Nope, never have.

 

[alpine_64]

Nope, never have.

Not that I think the function is really much use, but it was an interesting feature that showed some thought by rootes for the driver. I wonder if it was also on other models of the same time, rapier, vogue etc??

 

[volvoguys]

Here's a snap of a RHD Series IV dash with a OD lamp in place. Note the creative placement of some ancillaries.

BTW, I do have a number of overdrive components, including NOS opal faceted lamps and later flipper type as shown.

Mark ..... volvoguys

 

[alpine_64]

The first alpine owner who was more worried about losing charge than spinning a bearing.... Mark this wasnt the dash in your car with the recently spun motor was it ?

 

[volvoguys]

Nope ....... I have a Series V and all my gauges are in proper place. I also have my column switches mounted on the column. This dash came from a rotted hulk that came from across the big pond with the PO's intention to restore but it was just too far gone.