Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Replacing dash panel switches

I am in the process of replacing my dash rocker switches on my Morgan 4 1980 to Lucas toggle switches. I have started with the headlamp side lamp switch and although I connected the wires as they were, when I check with the multitester it is giving me continuity on the three functions even when off. After spending a lot of time trying to work out the problem I tested the system with the old switch and the same thing happened. Just a short note that I have a connection from the red green wire to the front fog lamp switch. It looks as though when I put the wires on the switch the circuit does not cut. I am not very technical on electricity but I tried to wire everything as before.

If you are measuring a cross a coil/filament you will get low resistance.


Try measuring with the lamps/bulbs out, then measure between switch/lamp/ground terminal/positive terminal of battery.

Making sure battery is disconnected while doing all this.

It may make a little more sense to you.

I wonder if the fog light switch feeds a relay (as my '76 did its drive lamps).
In which case the relay coil will appear low resistance.

I will try and do more checks as I go along. As regards relays I do not think my model did have any relays. Whilst thanking you for the replies I will keep this forum posted on developments

Although your model may not have originally come fitted with relays a lot have been modified by those having a little electrical know how to ensure the switches are switching only the relay coil as Graham is suggesting.

Just a thought are the switches illuminated? Some switches take a separate live to illuminate the switch.

I did the same albeit on my ‘76 model. I used 5e wiring diagrams on GoMoG and found them to be quite ok. If I recall the hazard is the tricky one as power passes through it.

I'm in the middle of doing the same thing to my 1980 plus eight. In the end I have had to dismantle some rocker switches in order to see what connects with what inside. Then you have to work out how the new switch can replicate this. I assumed the hazard switch was an off/on switch but it is in fact a on/on switch.
I'll have a look tomorrow to see how I connected the lights in the end and report back.
Any feed to illumination is just a thin black or red wire on mine.

when I check the original rocker lights switch in my hands without any wiring I get no continuity when off neither on side lamps and nor on headlamps, as it should be , but When I connect the wires I get continuity on one of them even when off.

I've used Car Builder Solutions toggle switches. For the heater and lights I used this one
https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/knurled-ring-toggle-switch-off-on-on-3-position

Looking at the back of the switch, there are four tabs close together and two further apart. Both lights and heater use the four close together. On the lights, a green/yellow feed is split to attach to top left and middle right. A red/green goes to middle left and a blue to top right.

For the heater, a plain green is split to go to top left and middle right. A green/?purple goes to middle left and a green/yellow to top right.

I have not got hazards switch yet but i think it needs to be an on/on
https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/knurled-ring-toggle-switch-on-on-changeover-double-pole

i know that the two plain green go together for the indicators to work (ignition on) and then the other four (green/pink, green/red, green/light green and green/white have to be all connected for the hazards.(ignition off)

Hope this helps!