1800: Fasten Seat Belt light and taking off windscreen wiper arm

[peterdeslandes]

Hi all

I recently purchased a 1973 P1800 ES and am thoroughly enjoying driving it - a wonderful car!

I'm working through some small snags and could do with help understanding how things work as I go about fixing them. I have all sorts of service manuals to help me but occasionally they don't contain the answers...

Here are my first two!

- The "fasten seat belt" warning light. The bulb is good but it doesn't light up. I don't understand what makes it come on. Is there a connection to the seat(s) that makes it work when they are sat on or does it work another way?

- The windscreen wiper arms. I need to take one off. I see and can move the clip under the arm by the rotating spindle outside but it still doesn't move, and I'm loathe to pull anything too hard. Is there another fixing somewhere that I need to undo? As I write this question I realise I haven't check the inside end for a screw or other fixing but it's raining so I'll ask anyway in case it's an easy one for someone here to answer.

Thanks in advance, any pointers and support very much appreciated
Peter

[Ron Kwas]

Peter;

Welcome to this forum!

The Seatbelt warning light has some complicated sensing and logic behind it...or was that the seatbelt warning buzzer(?!)...I suggest checking the Owner's Manual and Wiring Diagram for all the things that affect this indicator (and this may have also been market dependent)...I personally wouldn't be worrying about it, but as a reference here is link to WD: http://www.sw-em.com/1800ES%20Wiring%20Diagram.jpg

Windscreen wiper removal takes some carefully and judiciously applied force...and a towel on the bodywork to protect the area around Wiper Post. See: http://www.sw-em.com/Wiper_Arm_and_Blade_Notes.htm

Pictures are always nice (but I believe you have to have minimum number of posting first).

Cheers from Connecticut!

[cassell]

Originally Posted by Ron Kwas

Peter;

The Seatbelt warning light has some complicated sensing and logic behind it...or was that the seatbelt warning buzzer(?!)...I suggest checking the Owner's Manual and Wiring Diagram for all the things that affect this indicator (and this may have also been market dependent)...I personally wouldn't be worrying about it, but as a reference here is link to WD: http://www.sw-em.com/1800ES%20Wiring%20Diagram.jpg

Hi Peter, welcome to ES ownership.

Ron is correct, the seatbelt warning system included a light and a buzzer for the USA (and possibly others) market, whereas for the UK it was just a light. On 1972 cars it just warned the driver to wear the belt by an earth-interrupting switch in the centre buckle anchor. On 1973 model year cars it also included a crude weight-monitoring flexible connection on the passenger seat cushion support frame.

My own 1973 ES seatbelt warning light packed up years ago, I did manage to resurrect it once by studying the wiring diagram and replacing some of it with new cable and fiddling with the switch connections, but after it failed again I just left it inoperable, after all it's not a legal requirement (in UK anyway) and I've never missed it.

Compared to my everyday car, a Volvo V90 with warning graphics, alarm sounds and handbrake interlock all cutting-in if you forget to 'belt-up', the old ES is heartwarmingly basic!!

Paul

[peterdeslandes]

Amazing info on all fronts, thanks so much for that and the kind welcome!

This is the better wiring diagram I've seen so I'll get busy tracing it. Super helpful on the windscreen wiper arm too - kind of what I was expecting but great to confirm that gentle force is required.

Thanks again, I'll report back with progress as and when...

[rainflye]

Late response but.....have a 73 also. 2 wires connect at the base of the seat belt receptacles one from each seat. Disconnect the one on the passenger side to eliminate the weight activated signal. Now you're only dealing with the driver side circuit. Easier to troubleshoot