Cruise Control

Installing the Audiovox CCS-100 Cruise Control in a 1960 BT7

April, 2008 

I decided to install a cruise control system in my car near the end of a complete restoration. The engine was in place, but the front shroud, wings and doors were yet to be installed. It seemed like the perfect time to add cruise control. Having seen the Audiovox unit installed in several cars at some recent Conclaves and Encounters, I knew it was the one for me simply because I love my modifications to be discreet when possible (my car has many “personalizations”). The Audiovox control module fits inside the gearbox cover chrome ash tray, and can be completely concealed. Knowing that other Healey owners had reported that the Audiovox unit performed in a satisfactory manner, I placed my order from J. C. Whitney and started thinking about how I would install it on my car.

My car has been converted to negative ground.

I have prepared this “tutorial” to try to be of help to those who might be interested in adding cruise to their Healeys, but a word of caution is appropriate. My notes are no substitute for the very comprehensive instructions provided in the kit, especially when it comes to the wiring. As I mentioned, my car has a number of modifications and that means that your experience may well be different than my own.

First, I want to thank a few people who provided responses to my enquiries concerning the addition of cruise control. Alan Teague and Carl Brown were both particularly helpful, as were Len Hartnet and Bob Slater. Al Malin shared some images of installations he had seen at the Vermont 2007 Conclave. They are included below; however, I am afraid I don’t know the owners of the cars so I cannot give proper attribution. The October 2002 issue of Healey Marque contains an article entitled Healey Cruise Control, by Dick Lunney and John Jones that I also found of great assistance. I definitely recommend reviewing the article before you undertake adding cruise control. Dick installed the cruise on his BN2 and John on his BN7. Everyone I consulted used the Audiovox system with the exception of Bob Slater, although I do not know what brand he used. All of my commentary is in reference to the Audiovox CCS-100 only.

Audiovox Cruise Control Image 1

Audiovox Cruise Control Image 1

As one will quickly deduct from a preliminary review of the instructions, this unit is designed for a multitude of vehicles, but as you might guess Austin Healeys are not listed in the various brands and models of cars identified in the packaging. Because of the somewhat universal application, the kit comes with quite an array of fittings, brackets and linkages that are of no use with our car and they can therefore be set aside.

The primary components of the system are: 1. The vacuum canister and vacuum connection; 2. The magnet and sensor for the propshaft; 3. The throttle linkage; 4. The control module; and 5. The wiring of the system.

I will attempt to describe each.

I began my installation with the magnet and sensor for the propshaft. This necessitates the removal of the gearbox cover. I aligned the magnet and the sensor with the propshaft in the car, but after locating both components, I actually found that I could do a much better job of wiring the magnet in place with the provided safety wire if the propshaft was on my workbench. The Healey requires the use of only one magnet (two are supplied).

Cruise control Propshaft Image 2

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 2

It is installed with a double-sided sticky foam pad on the propshaft. My propshaft was new and freshly painted. If yours is not, you will need to clean it with sandpaper, brush and solvent.

Safety Wire Twister Tool Image 3

Safety Wire Twister Tool Image 3

If you want to do a nice job, I highly recommend using safety wire twisting pliers. They make the job much easier and result in higher quality work. I got my pliers from Aircraft Spruce, but I am sure they are readily available from other suppliers as well.

Cruise control Propshaft Image 4

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 4

Cruise control Propshaft Image 5

Cruise control Propshaft Image 5

Note that when you secure the magnet to the shaft that you have the two “ears” in the proper position to be wired in place. The wire “snaps” into the ears and you can hear it “click.” Pulling the wire apart at the joint helps to tighten the assembly on the propshaft, and really does function much better than I ever would have suspected. You may have noticed I am using a propshaft yoke for a Toyota gearbox as I have installed the Smitty 5 speed conversion in my BT7.

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 6

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 6

Your installation may be different, but in my case I was able to simply drill a hole into the side of the gearbox tunnel and fasten the magnet sensor with the nut and washer provided.  Depending upon your situation you may need to use one of the brackets provided in the kit for the sensor. The sensor must be pointed directly at the center-line of the propshaft with a 3/8” gap between the sensor and the magnet.

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 7

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 7

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 8

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 8

Cruise Control Module or Panel

My next step was to install the cruise control module or panel in the ash tray. You may elect to place it on your dash fascia, console or a custom panel. The routing of the wiring needs to be considered in determining the best location for you and your car. I decided that I wanted to run all of the wiring associated with cruise control under the gearbox cover and the gearbox extension. Others have simply run the wiring under the carpet.

I drilled a ½” hole in the center of the bottom of the ash tray and in the ash tray bracket that is part of the gearbox cover. I carefully smoothed the edges of both holes with a file. You will note that my ash tray is mounted backwards and the bracket has a couple of extra holes (that is a long story, unrelated to the cruise control installation). The control module can then be inserted into the ash tray with the wiring connected to the module pulled through the two holes.

Modified Ash Tray for Cruise Image 9

Modified Ash Tray for Cruise Image 9

Modified AshTray for Cruise Image 10

Modified AshTray for Cruise Image 10

You will need to form some type of spacer to sit in the ash tray below the control module otherwise it will “float” in the space. Styrofoam, or a small block of wood will work. The module has a two-sided sticky adhesive pad on its rear side for location on a flat panel. The size of the module does make for a very neat installation. My BT7 installation ended up looking like this:

Cruise Control Panel Installation Image 11

Cruise Control Panel Installation Image 11

Alan Teague’s BJ8 Console install:

Alan Teague's BJ8 Console Install Image 12

Alan Teague’s BJ8 Console Install Image 12

Herb and Bonnie Chrestie’s Dash Fascia Install:

Herb and Bonnie Chrestie's Dash Fascia Install Image 13

Herb and Bonnie Chrestie’s Dash Fascia Install Image 13

Programming and Installing the Servo Canister

This is the next task. On the back of the vacuum canister there is a small plastic cover that is removed to reveal seven dip switches. The instructions provide more detail on the dip switch settings, but for the six cylinder Big Healey three switches are set to the “on” position and four are set to the “off” position.

Servo Switch Image 14

Servo Switch Image 14

Those that are set to the “on” position are numbers 1, 3 and 7. For all manual transmission cars, the small black jumper connector located on the left side of dip switch #1 is removed. The 10-pin plastic wiring harness connector is then plugged into (snapped) place on the dip switch panel, and the wires are folded back. The plastic cover is then replaced with two small self-tapping screws.

Servo Switch Image 15

Servo Switch Image 15

Servo Switch Image 16

Servo Switch Image 16

Locating the Vacuum Canister

Locating the canister in the vehicle was the most challenging part of the project for me. As I mentioned previously, I have a number of modifications on my car that meant places that were used by others who have installed this unit were not available to me because something was already located in the spot where the canister might go.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 17

Vacuum Unit Install Image 17

Al Malin took the photo to the above at the Vermont Conclave that shows the canister mounted to the right firewall brace. That didn’t work for me because I already had placed a radiator overflow tank there. This location might work for you, but then again you might wish to make the canister less visible.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 18

Vacuum Unit Install Image 18

Several people have reported mounting the canister on the fresh air box beside the steering column. Carl Brown and Alan Teague selected that location. It might also be mounted below the left wing, but you cannot get too low due to heat from the exhaust.

Alan Hendrix of Hendrix Wire Wheel installed the cruise control on Devin William’s car. He chose to mount the canister along the LH frame rail and then routed the cable up into the engine bay. In my case I wanted the canister hidden as much as possible (of course, this means it will be harder to get to if you need to access the canister again!), and I was somewhat restricted as I have mentioned. I ended up removing the curved metal bracket on the canister and used plastic ties to mount the canister to the dash fascia brace to the right of the steering column.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 19

Vacuum Unit Install Image 19

This was easy for me since the front shroud was not on the car at the time, but I could still get to it from under the dash if needed. Pardon the wiring mess in the image above, I had not yet “cleaned-up” the wiring when I took the photo.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 20

My BT7 Vacuum Unit Install Image 20

In the end, inside the engine bay, inside the cockpit, or along the frame is a matter of personal preference. The instructions emphatically state not to mount the vacuum canister on the engine itself. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Inside the cockpit means it is probably easier to hide the 10-pin connector and the wiring harness, but it also means that you must route the throttle control cable and the vacuum line from the canister through grommets on the firewall. Inside the cockpit the canister is more easily hidden, but you also can hear the unit working (not objectionable levels to me) since you don’t benefit from getting the unit on the other side of the firewall. You just need to experiment. Let me know if you come up with another location and send me an image and I will include it in this little write-up!

Once the location of the canister is determined, the vacuum line needs to be installed. In their Healey Marque article, Dick Lunney and John Jones described using copper tubing for the vacuum line rather than the rubber hose included in the kit. Whatever you choose to use, the tubing or hose needs to get connected to the intake manifold. Depending upon what you have connected to the manifold already (brake servo, pcv valve and etc.) will determine whether you can use a fitting already available on the manifold, whether you will us a “T” splitter provided in the kit, to take advantage of a vacuum line already in place, or whether you might even drill and tap another hole in the manifold for a fitting as Dick and John did.

In my case, I am using the small original fitting on the manifold for a pcv valve, the vacuum line to the distributor is routed from the rear carb (I am using HD8 BJ8 carbs on my BT7), so that left the original large blanking plug (7/8” I believe) on the manifold to be used. I drilled a hole through the center of the plug. Tapped it, installed a radiator drain valve I had laying around, soldered the fitting to seal it and presto I had a nice little connector for my cruise control canister. I used what I had, I am sure you can come up with something that will work equally well! These are images of the fitting and the installation of the hose:

Homemade Vacuum Fitting

Homemade Vacuum Fitting Image 21

Cruise Control Vacuum Fitting Image 22

Cruise Control Vacuum Fitting Image 22

By the way, the stainless cable in the right photo is my throttle cable routed from the accelerator pedal lever – not to be confused with the throttle cable for the cruise control assembly.

So far we have installed the magnet and sensor, the cruise control control module and the vacuum canister with its vacuum line. It is now time to turn to the wiring for the cruise mechanism.

 

Cruise Control Wiring

Caution: Follow the wiring instructions included with the cruise control kit! I have simply provided a guide that reflects how I wired my car, but remember yours may be different. My car has been converted to negative ground.

Turn “off” the battery switch in the boot or disconnect the battery before undertaking the wiring to avoid the potential of unpleasant results!

There are a number of wires to connect for the cruise control, but the task is really fairly easy. As typical of most Healey projects, patience is required. I will proceed with the wiring by source location and color. Before actually connecting any wires, I advise figuring out what your routing will be. The harness has a generous length of wire, but you do need to figure out the path of each.

The BT7 gearbox cover is in two parts, the cover itself and the gearbox cover extension between the cover and the firewall. The speedometer cable is routed between the firewall and the cover extension. I decided to run most of my wiring immediately next to the speedometer cable, behind the gearbox extension and to route the wires along the gearbox. In this manner, the wiring is hidden from view. The down side is to access the wiring you must remove the gearbox cover or approach the wiring from under the vehicle. Others have routed the wiring under the carpet. Of course, if you mount the cruise control module on the dash then you will have an entirely different wiring plan. Therefore, again, you will need to map out your wiring plan in advance.

This is an image of the wiring once connected as routed on my car. I left the wiring loose for the photo so the various color wires could be seen. I then encased the wiring in a black plastic tube (provided in kit) to give a neater installation. Remember, I am using a Toyota 5-speed gearbox.

Cruise Wiring Along Gearbox Image 23

Cruise Wiring Along Gearbox Image 23

  1. Black wire with eyelet terminal from vacuum canister to an earth (ground) point. I used a screw and nut on the interior side of the firewall.
  2. Blue wire to the negative terminal on the coil. For me, this was a fairly long run and I routed the wire through the clips on the firewall brace that hold the original wiring harness wires to the brake switch and the ignition.
  3. Grey and black wires encased in heat shrink tubing are connected to the magnet sensor in the tunnel next to the propshaft. It doesn’t matter to which terminal the wires are connected.
  4. Purple wire to the brake light switch wire that is hot when the brake pedal is depressed. In my case, for the BT7 that is a green wire with a purple stripe. I use a Watson’s mechanical brake switch rather than the original hydraulic pressure switch, so my wiring actually connected close to the fuse block on the firewall. My wires were routed through existing rubber grommets. Again, your wire routing will depend upon the model of your car and whether it is as original or modified.
  5. Red wire to the constant positive 12 volt battery source to the brake light switch. This is the wire that remains hot whether or not the brake pedal is depressed. In my case that is a solid light green wire.
  6. Orange fused wire with switch connector needs to be loaded with the brown, green and yellow wires from the main harness into the 4 pin connector. Both ends of the plastic connector are color coded to match the wires. Each wire should be pressed in until you hear an audible “click.” After the connectors are loaded then route your wires and press the pieces of the 4-pin connector together (the other side of the 4-pin connector originates with the cruise control module). In my case that was behind the gearbox extension and along the top of the gearbox. The orange wire needs to be connected to a source with positive 12 volts after the ignition switch is turned to “on.” Just as an aside, I later inserted a four-way bullet connector in the orange wire, after the in-line fuse, to allow for the addition of a grey wire to the gearbox “back-up” switch terminal so that I would have “switched” power to the reverse terminal. 
  7. Grey wire from control module to the light switch on the dash fascia. The terminal that is hot when the parking lights are turned “on.” This connection provides illumination for the control module.
  8. Black wire from the control module to an earth (ground) connection. In my case a screw on the side of the gearbox.
  9. Yellow wire from the control module is routed through the molex connector to the yellow wire to the servo. 
  10. Green wire from the control module is routed through the molex connector to the green wire to the servo.

Trouble shooting: The instruction booklet provides a test sequence for the wiring if for some reason your unit is not functioning as it should.

Throttle Control Linkage.

The final step is to determine where you will attach a new lever on the throttle shaft and then locate a bracket for the throttle control cable from the vacuum canister to the throttle linkage. Throughout my restoration I have avoided drilling any new holes in the car unless it was absolutely necessary. In all but just a few instances I have been able to work out a solution to mounting various components by taking advantage of screws or bolts already on the car. To do so with the cruise throttle control, I designed a bracket, that while a little complex for the purpose did allow me to use the two mounting bolts for the pedal box found on the top of the firewall diagonal brace. The images below show the bracket before and after painting. After painting it red it virtually disappears from view. I routed the cable from the vacuum canister through the firewall and mounted it to the fabricated bracket.

Cruise Control Bracket Image 23

Cruise Control Bracket Image 24

Cruise Control Bracket Image 25

Cruise Control Bracket Image 25

Cruise Control Bracket Image 26

Cruise Control Bracket Image 26

Cruise Control Bracket Image 27

Cruise Control Bracket Image 27

If the integrity of the original structure is less important to you, or if you are connecting the throttle cable in a different location on the throttle shaft (I used a lever on the very end of the shaft for the rear carb) then you can use one of the several brackets provided in the Audiovox kit or you can create your own as I did.

The kit directions indicate that there should be between 1 ½” and 2” total linkage travel. The servo throttle cable and the carb shaft lever are connected with a bead chain supplied in the kit along with couplers for each end of the chain. It is cut to the length required. A minimum of 5 beads should be used. In my case 10 beads were used. The number will of course vary depending upon the set-up in your car. The chain connection should provide for straight and free travel of the linkage when operated.

After the chain connection is made from the servo cable to the carb linkage, nothing remains of the assembly process other than taking the car out on the road and testing the system. I found the Audiovox cruise control to work quite satisfactorily. Perhaps not quite as smooth as the systems found on our vehicles today, but certainly functional and well worth the moderate expense.

Good luck with your installation. Just let me know if in your experience something could be made clearer in these instructions.

Click this link for a pdf file of the Audiovox Installation process: Installing the Audiovox CCS (low res)

Cheers and happy healeying!

 

Lin Rose

1960 BT7 “The Bloody Beast”

1959 AN5 Bugeye

[email protected]

 

Chapter 78 Week Forty-Eight November, 12 2007

I ordered some 6mm black rubber tubing from British Wiring to sheath the choke cables. It gave a slightly loose fit, but I think it will be fine. I installed it on both cables. I painted and installed the propshaft made for me by Dale Engineering.

I purchased the cruise control unit, made by Audiovox, from J. C. Whitney.

Audiovox cruise control

It was fairly inexpensive and appeared to be a high quality kit. A complete set of installation instructions is available from the Cruise Control pdf document I created. Not much helpful information was available from other Healey owners who had done the install, although I did find one well done article that is in the October, 2002 edition of the Healey Marque Magazine. Alan Teague and Carl Brown from North Carolina did provide some useful tips and photos and I am grateful to both of them. Installing the Audiovox CCS

(This is a large file that takes a while to open, be patient)

The key components included installing the magnet and sensor at the propshaft, the location of the servo canister, the vacuum line and throttle connections, the control module, and the wiring.

I installed the servo above the dash panel support bracket to the right of the steering column with two 11” plastic ties, rather than using the supplied metal bracket. I know from other’s accounts that the unit makes some noise when it is operating, but not knowing if it is an offensive level or not, I wanted to mount the servo temporarily. If the unit turns out to be noisy, I will move it into the engine bay later.

Servo installed

Wiring the magnet to the propshaft should really be done with the shaft removed from the car if you want to do a nice installation. I located the magnet while the propshaft was in the car, aligned the sensor and mounted it on the right side of the gearbox tunnel, removed the propshaft and safety wired the magnet and then reinstalled the propshaft. If you want to do a nice job, I highly recommend using safety wire twisting pliers. They make the job much easier and result in higher quality work. I got my pliers from Aircraft Spruce.

Cruise control propshaft 6

Cruise control driveshaft sensor 2

Installing the supplied rubber vacuum line required taking the line through a firewall rubber grommet that was not previously used, and then modifying the larger nut on the intake manifold with a fitting to permit connecting the hose for vacuum at the manifold.

Homemade vacuum fitting

Cruise vacuum fitting 1

Cruise Vacuum Line grommet

After setting up the magnet, sensor and vacuum servo the next task was to complete the installation of the cruise control panel. I followed the course of others, taking advantage of the panel’s small size and installing it in the ash tray. This provides a convenient location for controls and also “hides” the panel when desired. I simply drilled a 1/2” hole in the bottom of the ash tray and in the gearbox tunnel bracket for the ash tray to permit the routing of the wiring.

Modified ash tray for cruise 1

Modified ash tray for cruise 2

Cruise control panel

The cruise control wiring appears daunting at first, but with patience it can be accomplished by a novice. Since on the BT7 the speedometer cable runs behind the gearbox extension, I decided to run the cruise control wires down the same path to get all of my wiring “under” the gearbox cover. Again, details are provided in the Cruise Control pdf file. Black, twin tailed wire to the magnet sensor, black single wire to ground, grey wire to headlamp switch for illumination of the control panel in the ash tray, red wire to the light green wire on the brake switch that is hot whether the brake pedal is depressed or not, the purple wire to the green/purple wire on the brake switch (the one that is hot when the pedal is depressed), blue wire to (-) terminal on the coil, yellow, green and purple and red wire to the 4-pin connector, the orange fused wire to a power source when the ignition is switched on.

Cruise witring along gearbox

With the wiring complete, the only remaining task is locating and connecting the throttle control. That job will have to wait for next week’s work.

MK2 Cruise Control

Rostra Cruise Controlcruise-control-installation-disclaimer-001 

Components

I installed an Audiovox CCS-100 Cruise Control system on my Healey and found it to be a useful modification. I am over six feet tall and the seating position in British cars can be uncomfortable on long drives. The cruise control makes those trips a bit more relaxing and enjoyable. 

Rostra Precision Controls, Inc. manufacturers the cruise control system I am using in the Jaguar MK2. Many of the same components of Rostra’s system have evolved from the earlier version marketed by Audiovox. The earlier iteration worked on a vacuum servo while the current version by Rostra uses all electronic components. Rostra also manufactures a number of other automotive electronic devices such as Bluetooth systems, rear cameras and etc. The company is located in North Carolina and this is their website: http://www.rostra.com. Rostra does not sell directly, but they have many other vendors selling their products such as Summit Racing and many others.

There are a number of components in the cruise control system. These include:

Part #250-1223: The Global Cruise Module Assembly includes the universal Global Cruise servo motor, throttle cable, universal mounting brackets, wiring harness and hardware package for making electrical and throttle control connections. The servo motor mounts in the vehicle’s engine bay.

Rostra 250-1223 Servo

Rostra 250-1223 Servo

These are the directions provided with the Global Cruise Module:rostra-global-cruise-250-1223-instruction-manual

Part #250-4165: includes the speed signal generator with sensor, magnet and strap.

Universal Magnet Speed Signal Generator

Universal Magnet Speed Signal Generator

Cars more modern than the 64 Jaguar equipped with electronic speed signal (VSS) capability don’t require a magnetic sensor, but in the analog world of the MK2, a magnet is secured to the propshaft and the sensor is located in close proximity to measure revolutions or pulses per mile. These are the directions provided with the Universal Magnet Speed Signal Generator kit: rostra-installation-of-the-road-speed-sensormagnets-pick-up-coil

Part #250-4382: is a pre-wired five pin relay to compensate for the use of LED brake lighting. 

Relay Package

Relay Package

While the included primary wiring harness of the Global Cruise system includes wire leads meant to be attached to both the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ sides of the brake pedal sensor to disengage the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed, the proper ground signal is no longer present when a vehicle has been outfitted with LED lighting accessories such as LED brake lights. In a case like this, a 5-prong automotive relay must be used to provide the ground signal to cancel the cruise control once engaged. A MK2 owner using original incandescent light bulbs wouldn’t need this relay, but I have converted my lights to LEDs so this addition is required. These are the directions provided with the pre-wired 5 pin relay: rostra-250-4382-5-wire-relay-wiring-diagram

Part #250-3592: is the dash mounted control switch that includes a small LED light that illuminates when the cruise is engaged. An otherwise identical control switch, but without the engagement light is also available and is part #250-3593. I am using #3592 that also requires an additional 5 pin relay. I am not mounting the switch on the dash, as I am “hiding” my switch in the modified center console where the ash tray was originally located.

Universal Dash Mount Switch

Universal Dash Mount Switch

These are the directions provided with the control switch: rostra-dashmount-installation-instruction

Installation

Step one for me was to set the electronic switches in the global cruise module. There are a total of twelve switches with “On/Off” settings. Rostra encourages beginning the installation with the factory settings and then modifying the settings based on individual applications.

rostra global cruise control module settings

rostra global cruise control module settings

Global Cruise Switches

Global Cruise Switches

The twelve switches configure the control module for the type of car in which the system is being installed.

Switches #1 and #2 are for sensitivity or gain. Rostra’s directions state the following: Gain is how the cruise reacts to road conditions and motor size. Always start at Mid gain. If vehicle surges, change gain. For a fast surge, switch to a low or extra low gain setting if needed to tune the cruise. If there is a slow surge, switch to high gain. Therefore, I will initially set switch #1 to “OFF” and switch #2 to “ON.”

Switches#3 through #6 are for the pulses for minute. I assume (always dangerous) that the MK2 will probably have about 3,000 to 3,500 rpms at 60 mph therefore, I will initially set switch #3 to “ON,” switch #4 to “OFF,” switch #5 to “OFF,” and switch #6 to “OFF.”

Switches #7 through #9 are for the engine set-up (cylinders). Rostra’s directions state the following: Engine/Setup timer is how fast the cruise retracts the cable at onset. Always start at low. If vehicle drops below set speed but then recovers, switch to a high or extra high if set speed is not acceptable. Of course the Jaguar MK2 3.8 is a 6 cylinder engine therefore, I will initially set switch #7 to “OFF,” switch #8 to “ON,” and switch #9 to “OFF.”

Switch #10 is for the input source – Sine Wave or Square Wave. The Jaguar MK2 must use the magnet kit as the pulse indicator and as the chart above indicates, switch #10 is set to the Sine Wave Input or “OFF.”

Switch #11 is for the transmission type – manual or automatic. I have a manual gearbox in my MK2 therefore, I will set switch #11 to “OFF.”

Switch #12 is for the type of control switch. Rostra’s directions state the following: Your control switch is an Open Circuit Control Switch if: Its Rostra part number is 250-3592 (among others). I am using the dash panel control switch #250-3592, therefore in keeping with the table above switch #12 is set to “OFF.”

In summary:

#1  OFF

#2  ON

#3  ON

#4  OFF

#5  OFF

#6  OFF

#7  OFF

#8  ON

#9  OFF

#10 OFF

#11 OFF

#12 OFF 

Global Cruise Module Mounting

The Rostra instructions indicate that the Module should NOT be mounted in the following areas

* Under the fender.
* Under the vehicle.
* Directly to the engine.
* With the cable pointed down.
* Near sharp, hot or moving objects.
* Near ignition coil [No closer than 10″]
* In the passenger compartment (Noise).

The module needs to be mounted in a location that will provide sufficient “reach” for the module’s throttle control cable to link to the carburetor throttle linkage. A fairly heavy duty bracket is provided to mount the module to the car and it can be mounted in one of two orientations:

Cruise Control Module and Mounting Bracket

Cruise Control Module and Mounting Bracket

My battery is relocated to the boot to accommodate the placement of the air conditioner evaporator on the RH firewall. I had enough clearance to mount the module under the evaporator. This location permitted me to hide the module as best I could.

Global Cruise Module with Mounting Bracket

Global Cruise Module with Mounting Bracket

Mounting Bracket

Mounting Bracket

Global Cruise Module Installed

Global Cruise Module Installed

Global Cruise Module Wiring

Because the Rostra kit is for universal applications, the wire runs in some cases are quite long and I decided to shorten a number of them which then effected some of the connectors that were used. There are also situations in which not all of the wiring provided is used.

My wiring diagram, tailored for my 1964 Jaguar MK2 application, is provided below. As the disclaimer at the top of this post indicates, the wiring description in this post journals what I did for my car. It is not my intention to describe what you should do for your car!rostra-cruise-control-wiring-for-jag-mk2-001

This is a link to the same wiring diagram as a pdf file rather than as a jpeg file.rostra-cruise-control-wiring-for-jag-mk2

The Rostra instructions for the Global Cruise Control Module indicate that the wiring emanating from the module needs to pass through a 3/4″ hole in the firewall. I already have an unused firewall port as seen in the image above, so I will use it for the wiring. I slid a firewall rubber grommet over the wiring harness to help seal the opening. The control module has a total of ten (10) wires, although the black and grey wires are spliced to create three black wires and two grey wires for a total of twelve (13) wires. The wires are “bundled” for routing through the firewall.

Bundle One: red/brown, yellow, black and green wires from the control module to a clear plastic female four pin connector. This connector is mated with a male four pin connector with four wires of the same colors. The red/brown, yellow and green wires are then routed to a male clear plastic flat four pin connector.

Flat Four Pin Connector from Global Control Module to Panel Switch

Flat Four Pin Connector from Global Control Module to Panel Switch

The black wire is routed to a male clear plastic two pin connector joining with a blue wire. These wires are not used in the system for the Jaguar. The black and blue wires are factory labeled as “to control switch six pin only.”

Red/Brown Wire – This wire is routed to a male clear plastic flat four pin connectorThis wire is routed to the “hot” side (constant 12+ volts) of the brake switch.

Bundle One Cruise Control Wires

Bundle One Cruise Control Wires

Bundle Two: violet, grey, and brown wires from the control module to a clear plastic female four pin connector.

Bundle Two Cruise Control Wires

Bundle Two Cruise Control Wires

Violet Wire – This wire is routed to the “cold” side of the brake switch (0 resistance when brake is not pressed, and 12+ volts or open resistance when the brake is pressed.

Black Wire – This wire is spliced to create two (2) black wires. One of the black wires is joined with a grey wire in a clear female plastic connector with a label entitled “optional signal generator.” The other black wire has a ring terminal connector on it and is attached to a ground connection on the chassis.

Yellow Wire – This wire joins with the 

Road Speed Sensor/Magnets and Pick-up Coil Installation

The Rostra instructions indicate that for rear wheel drive vehicles measuring distance traveled in miles per hour, one magnet should be used. Once I had the rear suspension in the car with the propshaft in the “normal” position I was able to install the speed sensor. 

First, I bolted the road speed pick up coil to the thinner bracket supplied in the kit using the 1/4″-20 x 1 1/2″ bolt and the stamped nut being careful to not over tighten the nut as too much torque will damage the coil.

Second, I positioned the bracket under the car so that the coil bolt head was 3/4″ plus or minus 1/4″ from the propshaft and no more that 12″ in back of the U-joint. The pick-up coil was positioned in the middle of the propshaft and mounting holes were marked on the floor underside. I then installed two nutserts in the floor and mounted the bracket with two #10 -24 x 1/2″ machine screws.

Positioning the pick-up coil and bracket

Pick-up coil and bracket mounted

Third, secured the magnet with the long plastic tie strap provided. The ribbed side of the strap is against the magnet and seated between the two ribs on the magnet casing. I then tightened the strap using a screwdriver against the clasp and pulled the strap with pliers. This requires some effort to get the strap tight enough to avoid slippage. As the instructions indicated, I then cut the excess strap flush to 1/16″ from the lock.

Pick-up Coil and Magnet on propshaft

Fourth, I then ran the blue and grey wires from the pick-up coil under the car and up through a rubber grommet in the gearbox tunnel. The wiring then travels under the center console and up and under the dash exiting the firewall and connecting to the clear two wire plastic connector. I temporarily left the blue and grey wires without a connector, but will add the black male connector and cover the wiring in a rubber tube upon final installation. The Grey wire connects to the grey wire near the control module and the blue wire connects to the blue wire. Both will be shortened at final installation as well.

Wiring from Pick-up Coil

Pick-up coil wiring to gearbox tunnel

Pick-up coil wiring exiting Gearbox Tunnel

Pick-up Coil Wiring to Global Cruise Control Module

The female connector with the grey and black wires is identified from the factory with a white label entitled “optional signal generator.”

Optional Signal Generator Connector

Optional Signal Generator Connector

 

Attaching the Cruise Cable from the Cruise Module to the Throttle

It is important for safety and proper operation to follow the instructions provided with the kit!

Because of its universal mounting applications, the Rostra kit includes numerous brackets and connectors. You end up using very few of the components that they provide. For the Jaguar 3.8 MK2, one needs to align the cable mounting and the Throttle Link Rod Assembly/Intermediate Throttle Lever.

Throttle Link Rod Assembly

Carb and Fuel Connections Schematic

I have “over-engineered” the bracket I fabricated for the cruise module cable, but I like to use existing holes/captive nuts and etc. whenever possible to avoid changes to the car’s body. In this case for the base of my bracket, I used two of the captive nuts available at the cover plate for the steering column on the RH side of the firewall since these are unused given that my car is LH drive. 

The second image below shows the bracket and cable installed although it is somewhat difficult to ascertain the components.

Rostra Crusie Module Cable Bracket

Rostra Cruise Module Cable Brackets Mounted

As can be seen in the image above a yellow-zinc bracket attaches to the black bracket I fabricated and this zinc bracket actually anchors the throttle cable with two securing nuts. The threads on the vinyl covered throttle cable are actually formed by turning the lock washer nut clockwise on the cable.

Cable Connection to the Jaguar Throttle Assembly

Cable Sheath Threading

Many different cable ends are available in the kit. I used the eyelet shown in the image below. It fit perfectly on the clevis pin used in the Jaguar throttle assembly.

Cruise Module Cable End Connections

Throttle Cable Travel – This is a very important step. Failure to determine throttle cable travel could cause damage to your vehicle and/or Global Cruise.

The throttle cable travel must be at least 41mm (1-5/8″). Length is added by using the beaded chain provided in the kit. As shown in the image above, bead connector coupling sleeves must be used over the connectors.

Cruise Control Cable-Clevis Pin Connection to Throttle

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Wiring Harness Circuits

Power Inputs to the Classic Technologies’ Relay/Fuse Panel

The Classic Technologies Panel has four primary connections.

Classic Technology's Relay Fuse Panel

Classic Technologies’ Relay Fuse Panel

A – 12V power input from the small fuse box (battery B+) to power the accessories circuits. A brown 12 AWG wire is used to the Yellow screw terminal spade lug connection.

B – 12V power input from the small fuse box (battery B+) to power the high and low beam headlight relays. A brown/blue 14 AWG wire is used to the Blue screw terminal spade lug connection.

C – 12V power input from the small fuse box (battery B+) to power the constant power circuits in the vehicle. A brown 12 AWG wire is used to the Red screw terminal for a spade lug termination.

O – ground or earth to the car’s chassis.

In my case, 12V power is routed from the battery in the trunk to the starter solenoid mounted centrally on the firewall in the engine bay. The negative terminal of the battery is wired to the car’s chassis. A ground strap is used to connect the grounded chassis to the engine/gearbox.

Ground Strap Mounted

Ground Strap Mounted

The battery relocation to the boot was addressed in a previous post.From the solenoid, a brown 8 AWG wire delivers power to a small fuse box with six circuits mounted on the firewall directly below the starter solenoid. I used two nutserts for the mounting to the firewall.  Three of the six fused circuits are then used to provide power to three input terminals on the Classic Technologies’ relay/fuse panel. The additional three are spares for the moment.

OnLine-LED-Store Six-Way Fuse Box

OnLine-LED-Store Six-Way Fuse Box

This is a diagram of the wiring to the Relay/Fuse Panel:

Rose Jaguar MK2 Power to the Classic Technologies Fuse Box

Rose Jaguar MK2 Power to the Classic Technologies Fuse Box

Six Way Firewall Fuse Box Delivering Power to Classic Tech Relay:Fuse Panel

Six Way Firewall Fuse Box Delivering Power to Classic Tech Relay:Fuse Panel

The three wires from the small firewall fuse box, the white/red wire from the solenoid to the fuse panel and the heavy 4 AWG cable from the solenoid to the alternator will be “packaged” together in one TechFlex sleeve/cover.

Before getting into the allocation of the thirty-four fuse positions available to use in the Classic Technologies Relay/Fuse panel, it might be helpful to once again point point out that as indicated in the post on new wiring harness connectors I developed a spreadsheet to be used in conjunction with wiring diagrams. The spreadsheet lists all connection points of the electrical wiring system. Links are provided below:

Again, a disclaimer is appropriate: The spreadsheet is provided as guidance for those who might wish to do something similar, but it should not be duplicated or utilized without careful inspection and  approval by a certified automotive electrician.

This alphabetical listing of components is provided to help quickly identify items in the electrical system. A spreadsheet line number(s) associated with the component is indicated.

Rose Jaguar MK2 Electrical Connections Alpha listing

This is the spreadsheet showing all connections:

Rose Jaguar MK2 Electrical Connections Spreadsheet

The following four diagrams illustrate the wiring sourced from the thirty-four fused positions in the system. Please let me know if as a reader you note an error or an omission. I apologize for the somewhat primitive diagrams as I did not have proper software available to do the job. I resorted to “Keynote” a presentation software to complete the task.

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 1-8

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 1-8

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 9-16

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 9-16

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 17-25

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 17-25

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 26-34

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fuse Positions 26-34

 

Circuit Modifications & Additions

Several of the modifications I am making to my MK2 require either modified or new electrical circuits. I highlight below the details of some of these wiring changes.

Starter Solenoid

I replaced the original starter solenoid with a new one sourced from SNG Barratt. The large post closest to the firewall provides the mounting for the 4 AWG cable to the starter. The large post closest to the engine mounts three cables: the 2AWG cable from the battery, the 4AWG cable to the block connector on the electrical panel on the LH engine bay valance (ultimately to the alternator), and a 8AWG wire to the 6-way firewall fuse panel. On the upper small post on the solenoid a single wire from the starter button is attached.

Alternator

I have considerably more power requirements in my car than could be addressed by the original dynamo/generator.

The specifics of the Hitachi 120 amp alternator I am using may be found under the “electrical components” posting. However, I will detail the wiring to support the alternator here.

I decided to go with 4AWG cable and also decided to install a fuse in the line between the alternator and the wiring system to avoid any possibility of a problem with a power surge created by a bad regulator in the alternator.

I sourced the cable and fuse from CE Auto Electric Supply. The folks at CE Auto Electric Supply are very helpful and they sell high quality products. Both products are typically used in high-end sound system applications. This particular cable has 1,862 strands. The cable was terminated with 3/8″ terminals, properly crimped and covered with adhesive shrink tubing.

Alternator Cable CE Supply 4AWG 1862 Strands

Alternator Cable CE Supply 4AWG 1862 Strands

I installed a JL audio premium series master ANL fuse block with a 125 amp “Stinger” ANL style fuse, part number SPF52125 on the lower right portion of the original fuse panel.

ANL 125 Amp Fuse with J&L Holder

ANL 125 Amp Fuse with J&L Holder

Two three-quarter inch long machine screws were used to secure the fuse block to the panel. On one I was able to take advantage of the 10–32 captured nut that was already on the fuse panel, and on the other I used a nutsert with the 10-24 screw.

One of the nice features of this particular fuse block is that the ProStar hexagonal posts can be rotated so that the cable can approach from almost any angle. As you can see in the photo, I took advantage of this feature. After the engine is installed, the alternator cable will be cut to proper length.

As can be seen in the image, the cable from the ANL fuse connects to a connector block also used for the power steering.

Alternator Fuse Mounted

Alternator Fuse Mounted

The cable is then routed from the connector block along the LH valance and the firewall to the starter solenoid. It is difficult to track because of all of the in-process wiring, but the path of the alternator cable is visible in the image below:

Alternator Cable Wiring

Alternator Cable Wiring

Power Steering Pump

The installation of the power-assisted rack and pinion steering requires the conversion to negative earth and the installation of an alternator replacing the original dynamo/generator. The kit, as supplied, provided a Lucas 80 amp LMA 604 alternator. However, due to other electrical requirements I chose to upgrade to a 120 amp Hitachi alternator. Details about the alternator are found at this link: https://valvechatter.com/?p=4113.

M&C Wilkinson provided wiring instructions, but my configuration is slightly different than in the application they referenced. The wiring diagram below is my interpretation of the wiring required for the pump in my car.

Five wires emanate from the pump. The heavy brown wire connects to ground. The heavy red cable connects to the supplied 80 amp fuse. The 22 gauge black wire connects to the fuse panel at location #19 or #23. The 22 gauge blue/slate wire connects to the alternator at the indicator lamp post.

Rose Jaguar MK2 Wiring Diagram for Electric Power Steering Pump

Rose Jaguar MK2 Wiring Diagram for Electric Power Steering Pump

In this image I have installed the 80 amp fuse for the power steering pump. The Bosch relay will be used for the Fogranger fog lamps. All of this will be out of view once the black sheet metal cover his made for the panel.

Power Steering Pump, Alternator & Fogranger Wiring on Electrical Panel

Power Steering Pump, Alternator & Fogranger Wiring on Electrical Panel

Heater Fan Wiring

A full description of the restoration and modification of the heater box and fan may be found at the Heater Post on this Valvechatter website. The following information addresses the wiring of the heater fan.

The orange wire from the motor is connected to ground. The black wire to the “inside” post (closest to the heater box) of the resistor. The slate wire from terminal #6 on the switch is connected to the “outside” post (closest to the blower fan) of the resistor. The white/green wire from terminal #8 on the switch connects to the “inside” post on the resistor. The green/yellow wire from the #4 terminal of the switch is connected to the fuse position #11 for power. With this wiring in place, the lower position of the switch is “off,” the middle position is “Low Speed” and the upper position is “High Speed.”

I created a pigtail (seen below) from the resistor for the heater fan wiring. Two wires in the pigtail are connected through two-way snap connectors to wires of the same color which route through the firewall and ultimately back to the Fan Switch. The black wire in the pigtail goes directly to the fan motor. The orange wire from the motor is the ground and it is connected to the LH valance grounding terminal strip.

Heater Fan Wiring

Heater Fan Wiring

Heater Fan Wiring

Heater Fan Wiring

Wiper Motor Wiring

As documented in my post entitled Wiper System Upgrade, I installed a Lucas 29W wiper motor kit from Classic Motor Cars in the UK. The upgrade includes a relay mounted behind the central instrument panel assembly. The wiring for the wiper switch is referenced above under the section “Instrument Panel Assembly Switch Wiring.” This is a diagram of the wiring:

Rose Jaguar MK2 Wiper System Wiring

Rose Jaguar MK2 Wiper System Wiring

This is an image of the wiper motor mounting. I used eight of the ten connection points in a ten-way rubber snap connector and fastened it to engine bay RH valance with an original type retaining clasp. note the wiper motor ground connection to the upper left.

Wiper Motor Mount and Wiring

Wiper Motor Mount and Wiring

Cruise Control Wiringcruise-control-installation-disclaimer-001

A full description of the installation of the Rostra Cruise Control System in my MK2 is provided in the MK2 Cruise Control Post. My wiring diagram, tailored for my 1964 Jaguar MK2 application, is provided below. As the disclaimer above indicates, the wiring description in this post journals what I did for my car. It is not my intention to describe what you should do for your car!

This is a link to a pdf of the wiring diagram and it is also shown in the image below:

rostra-cruise-control-wiring-for-jag-mk2

Rostar Cruise Control Wiring for the Rose MK2

Rostar Cruise Control Wiring for the Rose MK2

Central Locking and Keyless Entry Wiring

A full description of the locking system may be found at the “Remote Control Door Locks web site entry: https://valvechatter.com/?p=9205. The wiring for the system is comprised of two components. The MES Central Locking Control Module operates the door lock actuators. Once that system in properly installed and operating as it should, the AVITAL keyless entry module is added to permit use of a key fob to wirelessly lock and unlock all doors. An added feature of the system is that about fifteen seconds after ignition all doors are locked automatically. 

The following wiring diagram is unfortunately a bit busy. This is a link to a pdf file of the diagram: Keyless Entry Power Locks for Rose Jag MK2 and a jpeg file is depicted below:

Keyless Entry Power Locks for Rose Jag MK2

 

Air Conditioner Operating Controls Wiring

A full description of the installation of the RetroAir air conditioning system in my MK2 is provided in the “Air Conditioning” Post. The wiring of the controls and devices for the air conditioning system is depicted in the following diagram:

Rose Jaguar MK2 Air Conditioning Wiring

Rose Jaguar MK2 Air Conditioning Wiring

This is a photograph of the wiring harness provided in the RetroAir kit. In my application I did not use the circuit breaker shown in the image because I wired the blower switch directly to the fuse panel and protected the system at that point with a 40 amp fuse.

RetroAir Wiring Harness Kit

RetroAir Wiring Harness Kit

As the diagram above illustrates, I chose to install a trinary pressure safety switch in the air conditioning electrical circuit. The trinity switch is also discussed in the “Air Conditioning Post.”

Vintage Air Trinary Switch

Vintage Air Trinary Switch

The Vintage Air trinary switch kits combine low and high pressure compressor clutch cut-off functions plus an electric fan engagement signal at 254 psi. The low pressure cut-off of these trinary switches is 30 psi and the high pressure cut-off is 406 psi.

http://www.vintageair.com/Instructions2013/904678.pdf

The switch as supplied has two blue wires and two black wires. Because the switch is located in a right from wheel well and exposed to the elements, I connected the four wires to a waterproof connector purchased from British Wiring, and then routed the wires to their termination points. One blue wire is for ground and the other for fused power. One black wire connects to the compressor and the other to the thermostat controller for the air conditioner.

Turn Indicator and Headlamp Flasher Switch at the Steering Column  and the Laycock De Normanville Overdrive Switch and Wiring

The electric overdrive is activated by a lever switch on the right side of the steering column. Power is derived from fuse position #14 of the CT fuse box. With lever activation a signal is sent to the overdrive interlock, or top gear switch located on the top of the gearbox and then to the overdrive solenoid. A warning indicator bulb is illuminated when the overdrive is engaged. More information about the switch and lever mechanism may be found in the “electrical components” post.

Overdrive Interlock or Top Gear Switch at gearbox

Overdrive Interlock or Top Gear Switch at gearbox

The lever on the left side of the steering column is used in an upward and downward motion to activate the LH and RH turn indicator flashers at the front and rear of the vehicle. When the flashers are functioning an indicator bulb located in a centralized position behind the steering wheel is illuminated in a flashing pattern. The headlamp flasher is activated by the driver pulling the same lever toward himself. This action will trigger the high beam warning light in the speedometer.

Rose Jaguar MK2 Flasher Circuit & Overdrive

Rose Jaguar MK2 Flasher Circuit & Overdrive

Turn Signal Switch Wiring

Turn Signal Switch Wiring

Turn Signal and overdrive indicator bulbs, holders, and pigtail

Turn Signal and overdrive indicator bulbs, holders, and pigtail

Auxiliary Power/USB Ports

I intend to install an arm rest/console between the front seats in my MK2. The console will include an auxiliary power/USB port unit. Power is sourced from the fuse box, position #12.

Auxiliary Power and USB unit

Auxiliary Power and USB unit

Auxiliary Power and USB unit

Auxiliary Power and USB unit

Powered Front Seats

The front seats I am using are from a Jaguar XJ40. More information about the seats is available at the “Seating” post. They have more features than I plan to use.

1990 Daimler Front Seats

1990 Daimler Front Seats

Although the wiring harnesses were complete, there were a number of electrical connectors on the harnesses with no explanation as to what needed to be connected where to get the seats functioning.

Seat Wiring Harness and Switches

Seat Wiring Harness and Switches

The seats have seat heaters (upper and lower cushions), a memory feature for the driver’s seat, seat belt alarms, and wiring to permit automatic movement of the driver’s seat to the aft position when the driver’s door is opened.

After some enquiries on the Forums, Bryan Neish came to my aid. He was of great help figuring out what the wiring at each of the connectors did. I know he spent quite a lot of time reviewing wiring diagrams to find what I needed. George Leicht was also helpful. He sent along the wiring diagram that accurately reflected my seat wiring.

I wired the seats to unswitched power at the fuse box to facilitate seat operation before entry or before starting the ignition. I was able to use the original seat wiring harness and bank of switches to control the four motors adjusting the lower and upper seat cushions for each chair. The wiring runs under the center console to each seat. A pdf file of the seat wiring schematic for 1990 may be found here: 1990 Jaguar XJ40 Seat Electrical Schematic

I have yet to decide where I will mount the switches. The image below shows the approximate location of the switches as Ton Tulleken installed them on his car:

Possible Placement of Seat Switches

Possible Placement of Seat Switches

Kevin Moore's MK2 power seat switches

Kevin Moore’s MK2 power seat switches

The image above shows the location of the switches in Kevin Moore’s car.

Lighting

SideLights

Additional detail about the sidelamps may be seen in the exterior lighting post. I rewired the original side lamp fixtures and trial fitted them to the body. The rubber “O” rings supplied by SNG Barratt are to thick to fit properly so I replaced them with metric 24mm – 2mm “O”rings ordered from McMaster Carr. New LED bulbs were also fitted in the fixtures. The red 18 AWG wire from the bulb is combined with a black 14 AWG ground wire from the fixture in a vinyl sleeve that goes through the LH and RH valance lighting grommet.

SideLamps

SideLamps

RH Side Lamp Wiring & Sleeving

RH Side Lamp Wiring & Sleeving

Refurbished side lights installed

Refurbished side lights installed

Turn Signal Flasher Lamps

After installing the side lamps I moved to the turn signal flashers. Information about the lamps is contained in the exterior lights post. I re-used the original fixture wire terminals but replaced the power and ground wiring with new. The power wire is blue/green 18 AWG and the ground wire is black 14AWG. The wiring is pushed through holes on the back end of the fixture’s new rubber boot. New vinyl sleeving was also used for the flasher lamps.

Front Flasher Turn signal

Front Flasher Turn signal

Turn Signal Flasher with LED Installed

Turn Signal Flasher with LED Installed

Turn Signal Flasher Wiring

Turn Signal Flasher Wiring

Fograngers

More information about the fog rangers may be found in the exterior lights post. The Classic Technologies Fuse box did not have a relay designed into the product for fog or driving lights, so I added a Bosch relay for this function. It is mounted on the original fuse panel in the engine bay on the LH valance. The foglights are controlled by the primary light switch.

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fogranger Wiring

Rose Jaguar MK2 Fogranger Wiring

Fogranger Relay

Fogranger Relay

RH Fogranger Installed

RH Fogranger Installed

Headlights

More information about the headlights may be found in the exterior lights post. I installed new 3 wire (high beam, low beam, and ground) plugs, wiring and sleeving for the headlights.

Headlight Installed with Newly Chromed Trim Ring

Headlight Installed with Newly Chromed Trim Ring

Although not too pretty yet, this image shows the temporary installation of all of the front exterior lights. The blue painter’s tape is to protect the chrome. The installation was done to make sure that I had all the parts needed for a particular light and to test the electric circuitry and switches.

Temporary Installation of front Exterior Lights

Temporary Installation of front Exterior Lights

These images show the exterior lights wiring in new sleeving as it is routed from the individual fixture through the large wiring grommet located on each valance.

LH Front Exterior Lights Wire Sleeving and Routing

LH Front Exterior Lights Wire Sleeving and Routing

RH Front Exterior Lights Wire Sleeving and Routing

Tail Lights

More information about the tail lights may be found in the exterior lights post. I substituted LED bulbs for the original incandescent type; however, the wiring remains the same. In fact, I was able to reuse the original wire leads from each of the bulb holders. The upper bulb is for the flasher with a single wire lead. The lower bulb is for the regular lights plus an additional light for the brakes with a double wire lead.

Tail Light Wire Leads

Tail Light Wire Leads

Tail Light LED Bulbs

Tail Light LED Bulbs

Number plate illumination and reverse lamp

More information about the lamp may be found in the exterior lights post. The lamp includes one light for the luggage compartment, two bulbs for the license plate illumination, and one bulb for reversing. All original incandescent bulbs were replaced with LEDs. The original wiring harness for the lamp was in pretty good shape, but I constructed a new one with all fresh wiring.

Boot Lamp with new wiring harness

Boot Lamp with new wiring harness

Luggage compartment lamp

As my friend Eric Kriss points out in his MK2 restoration blog, the luggage lamp seemed to be an afterthought to Jaguar engineers. To function the light switch on the gauge panel had to be turned on, but it is often the case that one would want to access the luggage area after the car’s ignition, much less its lights were turned off! Instead of wiring the luggage compartment lamp in series with the front marker and rear tail lights, Eric revised the wiring to move the luggage compartment lamp to its own circuit. To make the lamp illuminate when the boot lid is opened a position sensitive mercury tilt switch is used. As Eric describes, when upright a ground connection is established permitting current to flow to the bulb. When the boot lid is shut, the ground connection is broken so the light goes off.Mercury Tilt Switch

 

Interior Lights

The MK2 as original had six interior lamps: the map light at the central gauge panel, a lamp at the top of each center or “B/C” pillar, a lamp in the cubby box and a lamp on each side of the rear of the car above the passenger seat. These latter lamps referred to as rear quarter interior lamps. My Mk2 will also have two courtesy lamps in the back of the front seat headrests. More information concerning these lamps may be found at the “Interior Lights” post.

As pointed out in the “Interior Lights” post, the replacement center pillar lamps are not exact replacements for the originals. They are operationally superior in that they provide an “on-off” switch at the lamp, and also because they screw, rather than snap, together. They just don’t look quite as nice being plastic rather than chrome metal. Just to check fit and to test the electrical system I did install the new center pillar lamps mounted on their wood bases. An additional grounding wire is used with the new lamp for its switch so there are three wires rather than the original two. For purposes of testing the electric system I temporarily fixed the third ground wire to the pillar as shown in the third photo below.

36 mm festoon bulbs in warm white were substituted for the original incandescent bulbs.The lamps are wired to the interior lighting circuit that includes the interior lamps toggle switch on the central gauge panel as well as the four door switches. The black ground wire is simply attached to the metal center pillar.

New three-wire center pillar lamp with switch

New three-wire center pillar lamp with switch

New center pillar lamp loosely mounted on wood base

New center pillar lamp loosely mounted on wood base

Temporary ground connection for center pillar lamp switch

Temporary ground connection for center pillar lamp switch

I trial fit the new, but as original, rear quarter lamps which required making new plywood mounting frames. Wiring for the rear quarter interior lamps initiates at fuse box to the interior lamp switch on the gauge panel and then proceeds through the LH and RH sills to the lamps. There is also a switch in each door that activates the interior lamps should any of the four doors be opened. I did not use wiring pigtails for these lamps. 36 mm festoon bulbs in warm white were substituted for the original incandescent bulbs.

Rear Quarter Interior Lamp

Rear Quarter Interior Lamp

LH rear quarter interior lamp

LH rear quarter interior lamp

I am using XJ40 powered seats in my MK2. The seat headrest lights were originally wired in such a way that they too illuminated when the car’s doors were opened. These lights also have an integral on/off rotary or dial switch. Without the central processor of a more modern car it would be all too easy to leave these lights on and eventually drain the battery. Therefore, I elected to wire these lamps to a switched power source rather than a constant power source like the other lamps. I did not use the terminal on the headrest light that would normally have a red/green wire to the door switches.

XJ40 Hedrest Lamp Installation

XJ40 Hedrest Lamp Installation

XJ40 Headrest Lamp Wiring

I was able to use the original door switches in my rebuild. I just rewired each of them with new wire.

Front Door Interior Light Switch and Wiring

Front Door Interior Light Switch and Wiring

The front door switch is mounted in the lower door hinge and travels through the kick panel to the switch.

Front Door Interior Light Switch in Lower Door hinge

Front Door Interior Light Switch in Lower Door hinge

Front Door Interior Light Switch Wiring through Lower Kick Panel

Front Door Interior Light Switch Wiring through Lower Kick Panel

The rear door switch is mounted in the rear side of the B/C post or center pillar. The wiring for the switch travels from under the front dash, through the sill and up the center pillar.

Rear Door Interior Light Switch in Center Pillar

Rear Door Interior Light Switch in Center Pillar

The Cubby Box lamp assembly wiring for Lamp/Switch consists of a metal base fixture, bulb, blue plastic cover and a switch controlled by opening the Cubby Box door. More images and information regarding the lamp may be found at the “Interior Lights” post. As with the other interior lamps, the original incandescent bulb was replaced with a 36 mm festoon bulb in warm white. Terminals on the back side of the metal lamp base connect to the fused power source and to the Cubby Box door switch. The image below illustrates the wiring sources and terminations for the Cubby Box.

Cubby Box Wiring for Lamp:Switch

Cubby Box Wiring for Lamp/Switch

Some Details on a Few Other Assemblies

The LH and RH Fascia Board Assemblies were installed in the car so as to test the wiring for the speedometer and its warning lights, the tachometer with the internal clock, the “Handbrake “ON” position and brake fluid container level” warning lamp, and the “Cubby” glove box lamp. More information on these fascia boards may be found at the “Dash” post. All gauge/instrument illumination incandescent bulbs were replaced with LEDs.

I first connected the left turn signal flashing indicator, the right turn signal flashing indicator, and the overdrive engagement indicator from the indicators wiring pigtail to the direction indicator/headlamp flasher switch. A ground wire for the indicators was mounted to the body below the dash.

Ground connection under dash for indicator lights

Ground connection under dash for indicator lights

Loose fitting of fascia board for tach install

Loose fitting of fascia board for tach install

I found it easiest to loosely position the driver’s side fascia board and I then installed the tachometer with its two mounting clamps, a ground wire, the 12 volt power wire, the wire connecting the tach to the coil and the two instrument lights. Leaving the speedometer position open facilitates accessing the LH fascia board outside mounting studs/nuts.

LH fascia board temporary install with tach in place

LH fascia board temporary install with tach in place

I then secured the LH fascia board to its mounts, followed by connecting the wiring for the handbrake/brake fluid level warning lamp.

I then connected the two speedometer illumination lights, the lights for the headlamp, ignition, and fuel warning lights, and the speedometer drive cable.

Installing the passenger side (RH) fascia board is much the same as the driver’s (LH) side. A sliding panel in the cubby box may be removed to provide access to the studs/nuts of the outside mounting bracket. The wiring for the “Cubby” lamp as shown in the write-up and image above is connected to ground and power.

Fuel Sender

The fuel sender has its own short wiring harness consisting of three wires in a protective sleeving. One wire for ground, one for the fuel gauge (the “T” terminal on the sender for 10 volts) and one for the fuel level warning lamp in the speedometer (the “W” terminal on the sender). The embossed terminal markings are evident on the image below. My sender has an “E” marking for earth, although my grounding wire was fixed to one of the screws used to mount the sender to the tank. While the original harness was in good shape, I made a new one for installation in the Jag when the fuel tank is fitted.

Original Fuel Sender Wiring Harness

Original Fuel Sender Wiring Harness

New Fuel Sender Wiring Harness

New Fuel Sender Wiring Harness

Fuel Sender Terminals

Fuel Sender Terminals

Warning Light for Handbrake and Fluid Level

Handbrake and Fluid Warning lamp Escutcheon

Handbrake and Fluid Warning lamp Escutcheon

The lamp is activated by a switch at the base of the handbrake, mounted to a bracket located on the interior floor. See: https://valvechatter.com/?p=3913 under the handbrake post, or by a level indicator switch in the brake fluid reservoir is shown earlier in this post.

Handbrake Warning Switch

Handbrake Warning Switch

The “Warning Lamp Indicating Handbrake ‘ON’ Position and Level in Brake Fluid Container” is comprised of the cover and window assembly, a spring washer on the central terminal post, with nuts and washers. Rubber sleeves are slipped over the white wire at the terminal and the white and red/green wires are contained together in a rubber sleeve of about 4.” The warning light was cleaned and reassembled and a new face plate was installed.

Warning Lamp

Warning Lamp

Hydraulic Fluid Reservoir, Low Fluid Warning Switch

The fluid canister contains a float activated level indicator switch in its screw cap.

Hydraulic Fluid Container Location

Hydraulic Fluid Container Location

Two wires attach the switch with spade connectors and are protected by a rubber cap over the indicator plunger. I sourced a new canister and indicator switch (cap) from SNG Barratt. The canister is covered in blue painter’s tape just to keep it clean during the restoration build. I was able to reuse the original rubber protective cap. An 18AWG light green wire is connected to one terminal. This wire joins via a 4 way snap connector with an orange 18 AWG wire from the handbrake switch. A single orange 18 AWG wire then connects to the LH Barrier Block Terminal #5B. A dark green wire from LH Barrier Block #5A connects to a 2 way snap connector with a red/green wire on the dash warning light pigtail.

A black 14 AWG wire connects to the other level indicator switch terminal and provides a ground connection to the chassis.

Hydraulic Fluid Container Wiring

Hydraulic Fluid Container Wiring