SM5 panel

[robinhayes25]

I cannot get my  ignition circuit to work since taking  my sm5 panel apart to clean all the contacts. 
Now the ign light does not come on when I switch the ign switch and there is no deflection of the ammeter.
I suspect that the contacts on the back of the switch are too well worn.
Has anyone  had similar problems and managed to solve them.
BTW the lighting switch works normally
Robin

[Mike Costigan]

It's not unusual for the brass connector strips and the spring contacts to fail; I believe new replacements are both available.

You may find the Cornwall Club's website useful for restoration advice:

http://www.austin7.org/Technical%20Artic...h%20Panel/

[Dennis Nicholas]

Please All do not use WD40 on your electric contacts...WD =water dispersant.  It leaves (or used to a few years ago so still does unless formula changed) a coating on the surface when dried out.....how do I know?      story.....
At sea, large ship with whole ship many speakers and control boxes for announcements.  Each speaker box and control box had several multi-contact large relays (the type large enough that you could use a contact burnisher on to clean the contacts).  I tasked a junior officer to go round and service the, fully waterproof,  boxes.....he did so by spraying all relays with WD40.......chaos resulted with many controls/speakers not working.  He had to spend a long, long time cleaning every individual relay contact until all was again working.

There is a purpose formulated electrical contact cleaning fluid available.  For switch contacts there is also a CONTACT GREASE specially for the purpose that you smear a very thin cote on the contacts.  It prevents sparking and hence burning of the contacts.

Dennis

[robinhayes25]

Thanks Mike, ironically this is where it started. Having read the SM5 reconditioning post from the Cornwall club.
I thought I would give it a go. The painting and lettering  took me some time to get right but I think I may have disturbed something on the back of the panel when I cleaned it up.
Everything works lights etc and an ammeter deflection when  switching 
 on the lights.
But no ignition light or ammeter deflection when switching on the ignition. The contacts on the back of the switch and the copper/brass tails look worn too.
Thank you too Dennis, I considered using WD40  but resisted it. Do you have a name for the cleaning fluid you mentioned inhibisol perhaps ?

---

Also, does anyone refurb the SM5  panel ?

[robinhayes25]

Also, does anyone refurb the SM5  panel ?

[Stuart Giles]

Shouldn't be an issue with the contacts as long as you cleaned them OK -the ones on this panel were just rubbed over with some fine wire wool. The brass tracks on these switch panels are often broken. You can just see the break on this one about halfway down the track that goes to the ignition warning lamp. I soldered a short length of Copper wire across the break.



The tracks on the rear are also prone to breakage, would be well worth checking. IIRC, Tony Betts has had these tracks  remade.

These switch panels look good once they've had a bit of 'kitchen table' restoration. This is the one above finished and ready for fitting.

[robinhayes25]

Thanks Stuart this has been very helpful

[Peter Johnson]

Some versions of the sm5 have very fine wire wound around the lamp holder for the ignition light. Could this have been disturbed causing the lamp to fail?

Peter

[Dennis Nicholas]

Cleaning fluid....Electrical contact .....I used a Screwfix spray can but see they do not seem to have it listed anymore code 17861.

Contact treatment Grease.... RS 566-730. I have had this tube for many years as it is used so sparingly as a smear only.....a small paintbrush is useful.

RS do a list of contact cleaners.  Each has a set of data sheets that tells you all about them so you can choose what is most suitable.

As RS is a specialist electronics firm I tend to think they know the products.

Anybody else had good results from their contact cleaner product?  

Dennis