1987 Dash toggle switches confusing

[Jacques]

My Super 7 is a LHD import from Holland.  The kit was put together there.  I have 2 toggle switches to the left of the wheel that are wired up but not triggering anything.  One is a 3-position switch to the far left.  The other is broken off, has 3-wires on it and I suspect was a sprung horn switch.  But why would it have that many wires?  

The stamp on the switch reads 15 A  12V  X23 2NK, BK  ON ON.  

The car has no horn on it and no obvious wiring anywhere near the rad.

Also - I'm not interested in an air horn but if anyone can recommend a reasonably notable 2-tone aftermarket horn, I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks, James.

[MV8]

I believe the broken, two-position toggle is the HI-LO beam dimmer for the head lights. SPDT "ON-ON" and at least 15 amp. A Cole Hersey 55015 would be a good choice.

GM has a variety of oem horn notes (A, C, D, or F) that can be purchased second hand on ebay and generally better quality than aftermarket horns (opening always down to prevent water from entering the horn). I suggest adding a relay to save the horn button switch. The horns have the note molded into the case and any full size GM in the 90s should have all four notes onboard. To hear those together and individually:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiVowe2vcPY

[Dave W]

Per the wiring diagram the blue wires are for the lites. The horn wire connection near the rad this be green and the wire from the horn to the horn dash button, for grounding, should be black/brown. Like everything on a Seven, the odds of the wiring be unmolested or the correct wiring color code is pretty low.

[pethier]

Mine has air horns on the left (RHD car) hear the firewall.  Switch is on right (door side) of the dash.  Horn not working at inspection.  Felt loose wire  an plugged it into bottom spade.  No joy.  

 

After I got the car home, was feeling around on the switch and found that there are three spades.  Top has a wire.  Nothing to lose, plugged wire into middle wire.  Really-loud air horns. Dunno what the bottom spade is for, if anything.

[Jacques]

10 hours ago, MV8 said:

I believe the broken, two-position toggle is the HI-LO beam dimmer for the head lights. SPDT "ON-ON" and at least 15 amp. A Cole Hersey 55015 would be a good choice.

 

GM has a variety of oem horn notes (A, C, D, or F) that can be purchased second hand on ebay and generally better quality than aftermarket horns (opening always down to prevent water from entering the horn). I suggest adding a relay to save the horn button switch. The horns have the note molded into the case and any full size GM in the 90s should have all four notes onboard. To hear those together and individually:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiVowe2vcPY

 

MV8 - the high-low dimmer switch is at the far left of the dash and it puts the lights on bright on its own; irrespective of the headlight switch position.  Not sure if I'll be able to trace the wires as they disappear in a bundle under the dash.  The horns' site was helpful;  I'll check that option.

[MV8]

I don't know what year model you have, but an '87 model schematic shows a light switch, a dip switch, and a flash switch. The "flash" switch that has two terminals. Looks to be a "flash to pass" momentary switch. The dimmer has three terminals with the same number of wires and color coding as what you have in your pic. Also in your pic are two purple wires that go across a momentary switch for the horn.

[inchoate]

 

 

Here's my '87.  As far as I can tell this is how it came from Caterham.

 

The rocker switch is the lights, the toggle below and to the left of it is the dip switch, the button is the horn and the toggle all the way down on the left is the headlight flasher.

 

I know my dash is filthy, sorry about that.

 

You can check the wires against the wiring diagram if you need to confirm.

Edited November 18, 2023 by inchoate

[Jacques]

20 hours ago, inchoate said:

 

 

Here's my '87.  As far as I can tell this is how it came from Caterham.

 

The rocker switch is the lights, the toggle below and to the left of it is the dip switch, the button is the horn and the toggle all the way down on the left is the headlight flasher.

 

I know my dash is filthy, sorry about that.

 

You can check the wires against the wiring diagram if you need to confirm.

 

[Jacques]

Inchoate - I haven't found a wiring diagram that helps much so I'd love to see the one you use.  By 'dip switch' do you mean low beam/high beam switch?  I'm thinking that makes sense for my car.  My photo didn't quite show it, but the toggle is broken off on that switch - and it fits the location of your dip switch.  My switch to the far lower left is the high beam flasher which I never really used.  

 

Where you have a horn button, I installed a choke cable early on as the previous owner insisted you had to choke the Webers.  Since then, my research indicates you do NOT need to choke Webers, just jockey the throttle until they warm up a bit.  Again, please send me or give me a link to your wiring diagram.  I'm sure it would help.  J

[NSXguy]

I shared a doc here that should be in the file downloads that should help you sort any of the functions. It's actually for an 80s cat but i was able to use it to when i redid the wiring on my late 70s chassis (84 titled) cat. Some of the wire colors were off but the circuits were all there; should be pretty intuitive to sort whatever you need. 

The purple/purple black wire should be the horn +12

 

Actually here's a link to the file. 

 

 

[Jacques]

NSX Guy - this should help.  Thank you.  I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not but when Caterham would ship a kit to Holland, in my car's case, was a complete wiring harness of that year's specifications included ?   Was the car partially wired?   I know the kit concept was a way to avoid some UK taxes but I am wondering how much the buyer was expected to do.  James.

[inchoate]

Yes, the "dip switch" switches between high and low beam.

 

My Webers have never had any provision for a choke.  Like you say, you just need to blip the throttle for a little bit until they will idle.  Think of it as a feature.

 

Also, @Jacques, you have a PM.

[pethier]

16 hours ago, inchoate said:

Yes, the "dip switch" switches between high and low beam.

 

My Webers have never had any provision for a choke.  Like you say, you just need to blip the throttle for a little bit until they will idle.  Think of it as a feature.

 

Also, @Jacques, you have a PM.

Your side-draft Webers don't have an enrichment circuit?  Adds fuel instead of choking air to do the same job. Still uses a "choke" knob under the dash, directly in the middle of this RHD car.

[inchoate]

my carbs do not have a starter circuit.

 

cold starts can be a bit of an adventure but once it gets a little bit of heat in it it's fine.

[pethier]

5 hours ago, inchoate said:

my carbs do not have a starter circuit.

 

cold starts can be a bit of an adventure but once it gets a little bit of heat in it it's fine.

My Europa had a single 45DCOE.  It had an enrichment circuit but it was never connected.

 

Really can't remember what the twin Dellorto side-drafts on on my 1979 Caterham crossflow had.

[Jacques]

On 11/19/2023 at 6:54 PM, NSXguy said:

The purple/purple black wire should be the horn +12

 

You saw the 2 purple wires in the background of my switch picture; well spotted.  Considering their location under the dash, they probably were for the horn.  The problem is finding those wires in the engine compartment.  I'm told the horns were normally mounted behind the rad.  This car has a new rad and there are no loose or unwrapped wires anywhere nearby.  I expect to put in a new circuit.