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Any qualified auto electricians?


Lord Geordie
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Hiya

 

Ok my fault i know but i couldn't help it I bought a Rickman Ranger.

 

I need someone to take a look at it and wire the thing up right (of course i will pay)

 

 

 

Now when i leave my Dip beam on and turn the ignition off the car carries on running until i either switch to high beam OR switch the lights off al together :rolleyes:

 

 

 

front Side lights come on with the ignition and i can't turn them off unless i turn off the ignition? :lol:

 

 

 

I also need ALL the lights wired up as non work (other than Brake lights and indicators)

 

 

 

When i took the dash out to check the wiring (car running with lights on) a black wire (female bullet) fell from behind the dash i have looked EVERYWHERE and can't find the other half and because of this i have lost the instruments the wipers etc

 

 

 

I have provisionally booked it into an Auto electricians near to me but i fear the cost will be in excess of £300 to sort it out :(

 

 

 

So are there any qualified auto electricians on the forum who can sort it out for me and as i say i WILL pay for the job to be done right :lol:

 

LG

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I checked all the normal suspects like Earth strap to engine and chassis etc the guy i bought the car from seems to have butchered the harmess to add some sort of EU lighting unit to put lights on when engine is on but madea real hash of the whole thing wiring it into the wipers etc instead of the lights :rolleyes:

 

The whole thing really could do with looked at and put right and i kinda figure it's gonna be £££££££££££

 

The Ranger is a car i have wanted for YEARS and i am not going to give up on it i dont care if it costs more than 2 new guns and 6 month to sort it's a fun drive

 

No power steering

No assisted brakes

rear wheel drive

 

A fun factor of 150% :(

 

Like learing to drive all over again

 

LG

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We had a car once that that would carry on running if the lights were on. Turned out some one had butchered a tail / stop light bulb in badly & it was feeding the power back via the stop light wires to the ignition switch output which fed the coil.

 

Justme

 

PS

also had a car with ignition controled fag lighter that would keep going if we have a power start (basicaly a battery in a fancey box for either starting cars or running 12 v kit) conected to the fag lighter. I guess any power getting back to teh output of the ignition switch will cause the continued running.

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the rickman ranger is a kit car from my understanding of it... it does appear that someone has not properly wired in the electrics.. and that the fault is not a single problem.. there will be other issues as well.

 

 

To be honest for 300 £ for that type of fix is actually good! I know its alot of money but you dont want a half .... job done...

 

once the main.. problem is sourced there will be many other faults that appear immediatly!

 

these will all have to be fixed.. most likely rewrired and its a big job.

 

I am not sure what wiring loom was put inside or what the reciving module is .. but these are all very serious factors.. I couldnt honestly telll you any specific fault without checking on these bits first.

 

I am not a qualified electricain.. but I have done more than my fair share with cars.. and kit cars.

 

and they are not easy...

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The wiring harness is Mk 2 escort i beleive i have the diagram here but as i say there has been a bit of mutilation going on and the origional harness for the rear wash wiper rear window heater etc has been cut away as they weren't needed and a few extras have been added in i think thats where the problem stems from.

 

 

As for the Black wire i DOUBT it's an earth as it comes from the ignition switch (yellow) and is attatched via a scotchlock thing and when i put the test meter on it it's running at 13v+ so i don't wanna go sticking that to an earth and cause a fire :rolleyes: I beleive THIS is the wire as this is the one that brings on the oil and Alternator light on the dash but can i heck find the other half.

 

As i say best leave it to an electrician and have the whole job done in one go and then the running gear etc i can do myself.

 

Normal wiring like fitting spots fogs and radios is a doddle but this has me puzzled as i am SURE the guy who wired it made a few mistakes and I for one CAN'T rely on the wiring diagram supplied in the Haynes manual :(

 

LG

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I am not an expert at this at all but I built a Jago Geep about 15 years ago and that was Mk2 escort based. I think that the black wire with the bullet connector was an auxillary live for things like the Radio etc.

 

If I were you I would go to a scrappy and get a complete new loom if you can find one or contact the Rickman Owners Club.

 

Failing that there used to be a company called KitFit that supplied new looms for not a lot of money. Then all you need to do is take one out and put one in.

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The black wire was scotch locked on to the Aux (yellow) wire from the ignition and as said it DOES feed a Radio so i ended up taking a look through the Haynes manual and tracing the Temp guage the Fuel guage the Alternator light and the oil light and they ALL route through a (voltage switch) on the rear of the clocks.

 

This is made up of

 

1 Semi conductor

1 diode

1 capacitor

 

The diode checks out fine and the Capacitor charges and discharges fine also so it's looking like the Semi conductor :lol:

 

I took it to the specialists this morning a local auto electrical place (very good place) £25 per hour + vat and parts wasn't too bad :good:

 

They are taking a gander at it today to wire up the lights etc the RIGHT way. Once that is done i can start refitting the dash and paneling out the interior fit the towbar electrics carpets etc and make it half decent :|

 

Will let you know how it goes :no:

 

LG

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  • 3 months later...

Just to let you all know the Car is now sorted!!

 

Cost £150 all inand everything was done to a great standard. All the electrics now work and the engine stops when i turn the ignition off now :stupid:

 

 

Now i just have to get a letter off to the the DVLA as it seems the Engine is NOT registered on the Documents! :stupid:

 

My Fault i SHOULD have checked it when i bought it but the Chassis numbers tally so i think the guy perhaps changed the engine from another Ranger he had in the garden he stripped for spares and neglected to inform the DVLA :P

 

I will have to get the Docs filled in tonight and get them sent off stating the new engine number.

 

I still have the Exhaust to sort and a new set of Back lights to source OR fabricate. I was thinking of the Land rover series 2 style lights with LED replacement bulbs then the cage over the top to protect them.

 

This would mean i need to build the lights into a bit of Checker plate alloy and when wired and complete fit them to the rear bumper :stupid:

 

There IS a set of LED lights on the net ready to fit but they are a tad too short :stupid:

 

I want to make the Door cards from Checker plate also as i think that will add a nice touch.

 

If any of you know of anyone selling (Wipac Triolites) rare now i beleive as I can't find them! Can you let me know as this will mean i WONT have to fabricate any lights i can just replace the off side light cluster :stupid:

 

Cheer

 

 

 

 

LG

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Caplock - the Rickman Ranger was made by Don and Derek Rickman, former top motocros lads of yesteryear. They manufactured a lot of plastics for road bikes and built Rickman Metisse Scramblers. They ventured unto cars with the Ranger. Decent chassis and body and one of the more professional builds.

 

I went to Bournemouth some years ago, to buy one for my wife. A quick test run confirmed the build quality. I hit the brakes to find nothing but floor. I pulled up on the handbrake, which fortunately was working after a fashion. Seller told me he had just had the brakes done. I told him that they had not been done, but he had. Years later, I wish I had bought it - nice insurance pay - off - two birds with one stone.

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Guest jonrms

so postman pat...

 

 

its all up and running now... no dimming of the lights.... or sounds when you put on the indicators....

 

 

the next thing we will wire up if all that is sorted will be a pressure switch on your roof!!!! (sorry couldnt resist bud)

 

anyway glad its all sorted.

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Caplock - the Rickman Ranger was made by Don and Derek Rickman, former top motocros lads of yesteryear. They manufactured a lot of plastics for road bikes and built Rickman Metisse Scramblers. They ventured unto cars with the Ranger. Decent chassis and body and one of the more professional builds.

 

I went to Bournemouth some years ago, to buy one for my wife. A quick test run confirmed the build quality. I hit the brakes to find nothing but floor. I pulled up on the handbrake, which fortunately was working after a fashion. Seller told me he had just had the brakes done. I told him that they had not been done, but he had. Years later, I wish I had bought it - nice insurance pay - off - two birds with one stone.

 

 

There is every posibility the seals went on the master cylinder if the donor car sat long enough with no use or a dry reservoir

 

 

 

They ALSO made a Beautiful Sports car using a Sierra for the Donor :stupid:

 

Hope the link works Metisse Kit Car

 

 

 

Scroll down to about 3/4 down the page and look at the middle picture (Metisse)

 

Rickman Cars were very well renouned for their build quality and attention to detail and to be honest i am not sure why they stopped making them :P

 

Parts like the Rear Lights etc are getting hard to find though everyday parts such as Running gear / exhausts etc are all ford!

 

The Windscreen is that of a Suzuki SJ samurai i beleive

 

The wiper motor is a Morris Minor

 

and a few other parts scavanged from other cars but when all together it's a rather nice little car and i love mine to bits.

 

LG

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