The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Went out in the car today and everything all hunky dory. Overdrive working fine. Then after about 15 miles noticed overdrive didn't engage. Traffic was a bit heavy so didn't bother too much but when it clear tried a few times and then looked at rev counter to see if it was cutting in (I knew it wasn't but wanted confirmation that the revs wern't changing!). Noticed the tacho was not reading, then (eventually) realised I had run out of fuel and the engine was very cold. Ah! must be a fuse blown. Got home and realised that the indicators and brake lights not working either. Got the fuse out and it had ruptured quite violently - lots of spatter inside the glass - indicating to me a bit of a short somewhere. Replaced the fuse and tried indicators and brake lights - all OK, started up, all gauges OK. Switched off, turned ignition on, selected fourth and engaged overdrive, didn't hear a click. Knacked wiring, probably to the gear lever me thinks. Had a quick look and seemed OK. Underneath the car and followed wiringl back from the main loom to the gearbox. All the wires are as hard as nails and not flexible so need to replace them. Generated a bit of slack and pulled the switch from the gear knob, pulled the wire through, checked for 12V, all OK, connected it back up and over drive works. Really suspicious of the wire now. Had a good look at it and where it goes through the gaiter to the underneath of the car it was covered in grease but it was also squashed and chafed. Pic shows where it had chafed right through and I am sure this had shorted out to the gear lever turret thingy.

My question, after that long ramble, is what is the correct route for the wire from the switch. It is not shown in the ROM and the route mine currently takes is stupid as it is asking for trouble. I can reroute it away from moving chafing parts but would like to know where it is supposed to go. I will replace it with some new extra flexible cable butneed to know the best route through to the outside world.

TIA

Roger

Roger

As mine is: work from the overdrive switch the cable goes down the centre of the gear stick shaft it then come out via a hole 3/4 of the way down the shaft then is just left loose to flop about, I wrapped some spider flex around it to protect it. It certainly does not go under the rubber boot as seen in your picture.

Paul

Thanks Paul. My cable was chafed where it went under the boot, There must be another hole to poke it through somewhere.

There is a hole in the rubber boot where the wire should be routed through, I think from memory it is about half way up the boot.

Here you go