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Tricky electrics on an old Wolseley 1500
I`ve recently bought a 1961 Wolseley 1500. When I viewed the car the battery was flat and the owner and his mate, tried jump starting it from a Nissan Micra. I watched them do this but they had no joy. I bought it as a non-runner. When I took the battery off to re-charge it, I obviously noticed it has positive earth.
They tried jump starting it as a negative earth car! Once I re-fitted the battery the car fired first time but nothing electrically worked. I changed the two 35 amp fuses and tried again. I think the car has a few electrical issues because when random switches are tried the car stops dead.
After a while it becomes live again and will then start. The generator light is constantly "on" and after speaking to people, it seems the polarity on the dynamo needs resetting to POSITIVE earth. Can someone tell me how to do this in SIMPLE TERMS as I`m totally useless when it comes to understanding electrics?
They tried jump starting it as a negative earth car! Once I re-fitted the battery the car fired first time but nothing electrically worked. I changed the two 35 amp fuses and tried again. I think the car has a few electrical issues because when random switches are tried the car stops dead.
After a while it becomes live again and will then start. The generator light is constantly "on" and after speaking to people, it seems the polarity on the dynamo needs resetting to POSITIVE earth. Can someone tell me how to do this in SIMPLE TERMS as I`m totally useless when it comes to understanding electrics?
Asked on 17 October 2012 by truemanxie
Answered by
Alan Ross
Well some people have eventually changed the polarity on older cars to Neg.( In line with most modern cars/batteries) something you may consider.
In the mean time, to change the polarity of the dynamo, you only need to disconnect the field terminal (the smaller of the two "Lucar" spade connectors) and "Flash" that terminal a few times with a wire feed from the battery positive terminal - the starter solenoid is a good place to source some positive power!
Just "stroke" the terminal with the bare end of the live wire. It'll spark a little, then reconnect the cable.
In the mean time, to change the polarity of the dynamo, you only need to disconnect the field terminal (the smaller of the two "Lucar" spade connectors) and "Flash" that terminal a few times with a wire feed from the battery positive terminal - the starter solenoid is a good place to source some positive power!
Just "stroke" the terminal with the bare end of the live wire. It'll spark a little, then reconnect the cable.
Tags:
electrics
classic cars
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