24 replies to this topic

[miniJJ]

Model: Mini Mayfair
Year: 1985
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Hi, I have a 1985 mini mayfair. The problem I am having is that the rev counter doesn't work; it always reads zero when the engine is running. What should I check to systematically find the issue?

Also, my fuel and temp gauge (the original smiths dial) appear to flicker wildly (just above 0) when the car is running, although, I must admit I don't think there is much fuel in there. I'm guessing I shoulod add more fuel and see if the fuel gauge calms down, and get the engine up to a decent temp to see if the temp gauge does too? Or is this a known issue?

Any non-standard parts that might be involved with the problem?

I believe the car has had metro electronic ignition added by the previous owner.

Thanks in advance!

JJ

[miniJJ]

Also, I read on here that the wiper motor park switch can cause this. This seems likely as my wipers dont self park!

Can anyone confirm?

Thanks, JJ

[L400RAS]

Also, I read on here that the wiper motor park switch can cause this. This seems likely as my wipers dont self park!

Can anyone confirm?

Thanks, JJ

Hi JJ,
Yes, the park switch can cause this.
Here is how i would tackle the problem,

1 - does the heater blower work? - if not, this could point to number 3 fuse blown? If fuse is good, try "2"
2 - Unplug the wiper motor completely and strike it up - if the rev counter is now working, suspect the park switch. If still not working, try "3"
3 - With the park switch still unplugged, clean and re-connect all spade onto the coil, in particular the white with black wire. Retest.

Don't forget to plug the wipers in again!

Regarding your fuel and temp gauges, do you have the centre binnacle, or gauges infront of the steering wheel? - are you sure these are smiths? - if so, the temp and fuel work off the same voltage regulator, which could easily be faulty, and is cheap to replace.

Ryan

Edited by L400RAS, 05 October 2009 - 06:03 PM.

[miniJJ]

Thanks for the advice! I'll get under the bonnet tomorrow to try and isolate the problem.

I have 3 guages behind the steering wheel. The fuel and temperature one is definatly Smiths. As I say, they were both flickering wildly just above zero for the time I had the engine running. This looks like the voltage regulator as you mentioned!

Thanks once again,

JJ

[miniJJ]

Update:

I followed your advice, after disconnecting the wiper motor, the rev counter still doesn't work, but after reconnecting the wiper motor my wipers now self park!

Cleaned contacts for the rev counter, still not working. The needle quivers a touch, but still doesnt work properly.

Anyone have any ideas?

JJ

[miniJJ]

No one got any ideas?

Sorry, I don't like to bump my own threads; but I really need to get this working!

Thanks

JJ

[taffy1967]

It's odd how your 1985 Mini Mayfair has the 3 clock pod with Smiths Instruments.

I don't want to sound anorakish, but the Mini Mayfair was first equipped with the rev counter in October 1985 and Nippon Seiki gauges were fitted instead of the good old Smiths originals.

So either someone has added a rev counter and the other necessary components to your Mini (in other words it didn't come with a rev counter as it was made prior to October 1985) or they've just fitted a instrument pod/cluster from an earlier Mini model, like say a Mini 1275GT, 1983 Mini Sprite LE or a 1984 Mini 25 LE.

Anyway what is the maximum speed on the speedometer and has your Mini Mayfair got the small square side wing mounted indicators?

Oh and apart from a new wiper motor park-switch, sometimes replacing the socket and part of the loom helps too: -

Mini Spares link.

[miniJJ]

Sorry if I wasn't too clear: only the fuel / temp guage (central in the 3 clock dash) is smiths, the speedo and rev counter must be nippon seiki.

Again, what else can stop the rev counter from working?

My car has no side indicators, although I was told it had new wings / front end a few years back during a restoration.

Also, within the cluster, my left indicator bulb is in the wrong place in comparison to the fascia. If you see a 3 clock fascia, the green indicator windows are above the centre clock. My right inidcator bulb in the cluster matches up with this and works fine. However, in the cluster, my left insdicator bulb is located to the top left of the left clock; so when it illuminates it cannot be seen through the fascia. Any ideas ad to whats going on? I'm guessing theres been something changed at some point to casue this?

Thanks!

JJ

[sharps555]

hey sory to hi-jack your thread but i have a similar problem with my car i have a 1988 designer with dual clock and mine read over on then temp and fuel levels

[taffy1967]

Sounds like a previous owner has cross pollinated a Smiths Instruments and a Nippon Seiki set of instruments to add the rev counter then?

So being a bit of a dogs dinner may not be helping as Smiths Instruments came with a removable voltage regulator on the back of the clocks, where as the Nippon Seiki's (after 1988 at least) didn't as the regulating was done electronically within the gauges themselves.

So if you've checked that the coil connections are okay (the later instruments as fitted to fuel injection Minis used the ECU and not the coil and so that can cause problems too), then I'd inspect the fuse box and it's wiring.

Your fuse box should be wired up like this: -

4 Fuse box wiring colours: -

White - Green
Brown - Purple
Light Green/White - Light Green/Orange
Red - Red/Green

So make sure all the spade terminals are attached correctly. But if the rear contacts have corroded then they could be causing a short circuit. A new fuse box isn't expensive though.

But it was the wiper motor park-switch that prevented my rev counter from working and to stop the main fuse blowing on the third fuse down, I had to isolate the rev counter by removing the spade terminal.

I hadn't realised the fact that my wipers were no longer parking by themselves was the cause of my problem. So a few years later I finally installed a new park-switch and I noticed my rev counter flicker slightly.

So I refitted the spade terminal on the fuse box and where as the fuse had always blown, this time it didn't and I had a fully working rev counter again.

Well that is all I can think of anyway.

[taffy1967]

hey sory to hi-jack your thread but i have a similar problem with my car i have a 1988 designer with dual clock and mine read over on then temp and fuel levels

Do your wipers park by themselves?

[miniJJ]

AHA! I may have found the little monkey!

I have just stumbled upon a wire hanging loose in the engine bay, it was clipped onto the bulkhead, but of a good length. It has a black box on the wire for a fuse, which is fitted, and a spade on the free end. I followed this back to the dash, and I believe it is the power fro the rev counter!

Where should this be connected?

I feel proper sherlock at the moment, lets hope this sorts it!

JJ

[miniJJ]

Right, this is annoying me. I connected the loose wire to a 12v terminal block I have in the engine bay (was running the spotlights and airhorns) Still nothing.

I have also realised that my cluster is a 2 clock cluster (the indicator bulbs are above each of the two left dials) which is why my inidcator lights dont line up with the 3 clock fascia. I can now see how the single rev counter cluster pod has been added on as an extra, with the 3 clock fascia, which obviously doesn't fit the indicator postions.

I may have to ditch the rev counter for now, and pick up a 2 clock fascia; as this appears to be what the car originally came with (going on the indicator bulb locations).

Either that or I find a working 3 clock cluster, and swap my guages over, and redo the wiring to get the rev counter working.



JJ

[daemonchild]

Don't give up yet.

[miniJJ]

I've got the rev counter out of the dash, and even to me; it looks wired up wrong!



I think:

The black and white / block connector / red is going to the (coil / distributor?)
The red is going to the 12v power
The green wire is going to an earth
The other green wire is also going to an earth!

And there are two wires which were hanging loose behind the rev counter, they are green and black and white, and go into the loom, they are taped together.

Anyone have any ideas? If I can get it wired up and working, all I need is a 3 clock cluster pod to get my inidcators lined up, then all will be dandy!

Heres the two clock cluster on its own, im assuming this is how it originally came?



JJ

Edited by miniJJ, 09 October 2009 - 06:48 PM.