Interior lights and such

[newmexicomatt]

I finally have working interior lights and headlights that don't go off when you don't want them to, but I have a couple of small issues I'd like to tackle. One is my high beam indicator...its always on no matter what position the headlights are in. Second, my low fuel warning light is always on, full tank or empty. Lastly, my lower dash is illuminated just fine, with the exception of the radio and to the right of the radio. If I turn the radio on, it hums, but of course no sound or lights. Is there a bulb that can be replaced or am is it not worth trying to get it illuminated. I don't care if there is no sound. Should the dash be illuminated to the right of the radio? Any help on these issues would be appreciated.

[Shelly Harris]

There are no lights to the right of the radio. The low fuel indicator and others could be the result of a poor grounding of the instrument cluster. There are three or four screws on the top which not only mount it but also "ground" it. Make sure the cluster is down tight with those screws.

[Mad Scientist]

I finally have working interior lights and headlights that don't go off when you don't want them to, but I have a couple of small issues I'd like to tackle. One is my high beam indicator...its always on no matter what position the headlights are in.
Does the light get brighter and dimmer when you switch from high to low beam? If so you're probably getting light bleeding in from the dash lamps. Mine does this also.:(

Second, my low fuel warning light is always on, full tank or empty.
This is probably caused by a bad "S.I.P." relay (located in the fuse box) From past discussions it appears most S.I.P. relays are bad. Typically they usually will not light the light. You should feel honored that yours lights.:)

Lastly, my lower dash is illuminated just fine, with the exception of the radio and to the right of the radio. If I turn the radio on, it hums, but of course no sound or lights. Is there a bulb that can be replaced or am is it not worth trying to get it illuminated. I don't care if there is no sound. Should the dash be illuminated to the right of the radio? Any help on these issues would be appreciated.
For dial on the radio to light up you need :
1. to turn on the headlights
2. to turn on the radio (they are only lit if radio is on)
3. and non-burned out lamps in the radio. (there are two of them)
and obviously good electrical connections to them.

Now unless you want to try fixing your radio you don't even want to think about replacing these lamps, as they would require a major disassembling of the radio.

However with the radio turned on, and humming away for about 20-30 seconds to warm up, does pushing the auto-tuning bars cause the dial indicator to move and does it look like it is finding a station and stopping?

This is what mine did and the problem was just a dirty switch contact on one of the tuning bars. The problem was simple but the fix is not.

[chris cimarusti]

I finally have working interior lights and headlights that don't go off when you don't want them to, but I have a couple of small issues I'd like to tackle. One is my high beam indicator...its always on no matter what position the headlights are in. Second, my low fuel warning light is always on, full tank or empty. Lastly, my lower dash is illuminated just fine, with the exception of the radio and to the right of the radio. If I turn the radio on, it hums, but of course no sound or lights. Is there a bulb that can be replaced or am is it not worth trying to get it illuminated. I don't care if there is no sound. Should the dash be illuminated to the right of the radio? Any help on these issues would be appreciated.

Matt: Another cause of the low fuel light on all the time is an issue inside the gas tank with the mechanism that senses the fuel level. Mine was on and that was the issue. A simple repair once you open up the tank.

Chris

[Don Keller]

Does anyone know how much current, if any, the battery should draw while sitting and with a clock that doesn't work? Mine reads .28MA as I recall from my handy-dandy $5.98 multimeter. Any ideas as to common short locations? I know some people disconnect a battery cable if they only start the car on weekends.

Thanks.
Don

[Barry Wolk]

Your clock draws power whether it works or not. There should be zero draw if the clock is disconnected.

[Pat Marshall]

Another possibility is a pin-hole in the sensor float, allowing it to fill with gasoline.

[newmexicomatt]

how difficult is it to access the float in the tank?

[Nick DeSpirito]

Matt,

It's real easy. Lift up the rug behind the spare and there is an access cover to get to the sending unit.

[Barry Wolk]

Disconnect the battery first.

[SLK]

I know some people disconnect a battery cable if they only start the car on weekends.

That's what I do.

[Barry Wolk]

I never disconnect my battery for storage. I simply remove the clock fuse and it starts up fine after sitting for 4 months.

That's the only item that should draw any power during storage.

[Pat Marshall]

Barry,

Buddy Holiday used to stress that a stored Mark II with a connected battery was a fire hazard, because all of the switches were still live. He strongly recommended disconnecting the battery. You disagree?

[Barry Wolk]

The same could be said for your car today. There are many subsystems that have power all the time. I think the chances are about the same as a modern car. All the circuits are fused. Do you kill your main breaker when you go to bed at night? No, because the individual circuits are protected.

As far as the window switches are concerned, they are merely control circuits that activate relays that really carry the load. The control circuits are also fused.

Am I against disconnecting batteries, no. On the other hand I don't think it's necessary.

Don't always believe something just because it's been printed.

[Pat Marshall]

I just read what you wrote, and I couldn't agree more!

[Barry Wolk]

Maybe I'm preaching to the choir, but I contend that the Mark II is little different than cars that are still being built today. Yes, electronics have replaced electrics, but there's more wires in a car today than ever before. I was told by a BMW engineer that they figured out that there is 29 MILES of wire in my '88 750iL. There's maybe what, 500 feet of wire in a Mark II?

Now, the thought comes to me that we should all check our fuses to make sure that the circuits are properly fused. Someone could have slipped in a 30 where there should be a 20 and they could have slipped in a much higher amperage on the 7 1/2 amp circuit. I think that would be worth everyone's time to check.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/1%20Mark%20II%20docs/Pony52.jpg

If I remember correctly the clock may be on the same fuse as the interior lights.

[SLK]

I think this has been discussed before, but what causes my clock to run at 2+ times the normal rate?

[Mad Scientist]

Its broke. :D

Like many clocks of that era its time base is an oscillating balance wheel and an escapement mechanism. The balance wheel has a very fine hair like spring attached to it, this determines its period of oscillation.

The spring on my clock had broke but at the time the clock repair guy didn't have a correct spring so he used what he had laying around. The clock worked but ran at twice normal speed.

[Shelly Harris]

I switch storing the Mark II with the Mark IV every weekend. I have one storage space so I drive in and switch. Both cars have a switch on the NEG terminal battery. It is so easy to pop the hood and turn the switch off for the week. No worry about a short or the battery being dead the next week when I want the car to start. The car I'm using during the week --> the switch stays on during the week.

[Barry Wolk]

The original battery disconnects with the knob were pretty good. However, anything made in the last few years is really junk as the surface area of the contacts is too small and the surface burns up. If you disconnect the battery and feel or hear any grit, change it.