Buttons on stalks

[matthewsemple]

Whilst fixing up my MG Maestro 1600, I have noticed that neither the horn or the washers work. As both of these are operated by the buttons on the ends of the stalks I wondered if this could be related? The other functions, such as indicators, wipers and full beam, that operate by moving the stalks all work well.

Has anyone experienced a failure of these buttons and if so, is there a solution?

[TLC]

It could be dirty connection

[Doctordiesel77]

I once had a similar problem & squirted contact cleaner into it while operating the button, mine was just one button though and I was concerned that any grease in their might get washed out...not sure how long I had the car for after I did it, so probably last resort... The stalks are the same as Range Rover of the era and Land Rover Discovery 200 Tdi http://www.paddockspares.com/stc865-...-la081991.html is the light switch and https://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/ra...0-and-rrc.html is the wiper one, my guess is that supplies of wiper stalk are drying up, as they used to be widely available and cheap...but not any more... probably worth checking that the wires have not become detached at the base of the stalks, they are very thin...

[matthewsemple]

The early cars like mine do not have the same stalks as Range Rovers. They look like this:



These ones are on eBay but the seller wants £39.99 plus £5.99 P&P for them!

[Doctordiesel77]

Ahhhh of course....that makes finding replacements a bit harder.....switch/brake cleaner is starting to sound like a plan that might end up happening, but I'd double check all of the wires first, the centre looks similar to even older Range Rover/Land Rover, but the stalks & buttons are totally different. Those ebay ones look to have a broken wire too.... If you end up convinced that it is definately the buttons and repeatedly pressing them/squirting switch cleaner & wd40 at them/swearing at them doesn't work, there is one remaining high risk strategy, trying to dismantle 30 odd year old plastic buttons that were never meant to be dismantled...I have taken similar things to bits & had 75% success rate at putting them back together, but the plastic tends to be brittle, so clips sometimes break, once you are in there will be fiddly little springs to contend with and contacts which will be to clean up before putting it all back together. If you end up on this route it would be handy if you could find someone that has done one of that type of switches before, in case there are any nasty surprises waiting

[matthewsemple]

You make a good point DD77 - about the thirty years thing. These cars were probably designed to last about 10 years. Any that have survived will need substantial metal replacing which we are used to working with. However these switches and buttons don't rust but when they do break, they are actually harder to replace or reproduce.

I will probably buy the replacement set on eBay before dismantling the buttons!

[TLC]

Its a pitty that we dont know who made our parts then we could go back to that company for help .That is if they still exist Iam sure some will still be arround.

[Doctordiesel77]

Its a pitty that we dont know who made our parts then we could go back to that company for help .That is if they still exist Iam sure some will still be arround.

I think a lot of the switches would be Lucas..... Good job you suggested that, as I have stumbled across some new ones while I was being nosey about Lucas http://www.autoelectricalspares.co.u...tch-2284-p.asp and a list of other things they fit.. if there is a Lucas number on the indicator switch, it might be on their list too..

[matthewsemple]

That is good because I have since found some NOS ones on eBay that are incorrectly listed. However this ones on the Lucas site is cheaper!

[Doctordiesel77]

Nice when it happens

[matthewsemple]

It is a shame that all three that are for sale are the same side!

[E_T_V]

I have a vague recollection of this happening many moons ago in my dads old HLS. Try removing the igntion relays (there are 2 or maybe even 3 of them), and giving them a gentle (well ok not so gentle) tap. I seem to recall one of the igntion feed relays seizing up after being laid up. A smart tap cured the issue.

[matthewsemple]

Sounds worth a try. For both buttons to fail a common cause may be likely. Everything else works, including the other functions of the stalks.

[matthewsemple]

I have a vague recollection of this happening many moons ago in my dads old HLS. Try removing the igntion relays (there are 2 or maybe even 3 of them), and giving them a gentle (well ok not so gentle) tap. I seem to recall one of the igntion feed relays seizing up after being laid up. A smart tap cured the issue.

If the tapping doesn't work, presumably they need to be replaced?

[TLC]

Did you try the fuses?