Headlight wiring

Pics for future reference.

Poor quality Indian light switches

I'm fed up with changing light switches on my Series 2 Lambretta, but it seems I can't buy one anywhere that isn't one of those crappy Indian ones. All the other Lambretta models seem to be catered for by more expensive and quality items, but not the Series 2. This week I tried to fit a new switch after my previous one failed, but it broke while I was fitting it - the purple wire fell out. Another hour wasted.

Throttle return spring

The throttle handle on Lambrettas is returned to its stationary position by the slide return spring in the carb. In my opinion this is a big ask, and this became a problem when I fitted my new light switch. The cables for the switch were chunkier than the one I replaced, and I couldn't stop them interfering with the rotation of the throttle handle. It wasn't noticeable other than the throttle not returning when letting go, meaning a hairy moment when I forgot this on my first ride with the new switch.

To overcome this I fitted a spring from the end of the junction block to a nail inserted into the pin holding the nylon throttle wheel in place. The picture below shows the new switch wires and the spring in the foreground.



Not pretty to look at, but it works a treat, giving that extra bit of help to bring the throttle back to the closed position.

Light switch

So I'm ready for the MOT tomorrow, but at the last minute I noticed that the dipped beam wasn't working, only full beam. I checked the wires to the back of the bulb and everything was in place. I then partially removed the switch and found that if I jiggled it around a bit the lights would work, and then not work.

Dismantling the switch revealed some rather poor quality workmanship - more like a GCSE electronics project than a commercial automotive part. The dismantling process indeed revealed the problem (see later), but rendered the switch useless. I went round the corner to Fanatic to get a new one, armed with a multimeter to ensure I got a working one.

Now there is definitely a technique to getting the switch cable in through the throttle housing - remove the tough plastic sheathing so that the individual wires are loose and exposed enough to be fed through one by one and captured at the other side. I'd say its about 100mm or so. Then feed each wire through one by one, and when they're all through a combination of pulling from one end and pushing with a blunt instrument at the other end should get your wires through. Make sure when you're done the bulk of it sits in the recess to the front of the housing. Test your throttle, and if there's too much resistance from your light wiring then jiggle it around a bit more or even try some WD40.

So after fitting my new switch I had the same problem all over again - some settings work, some don't. But armed with some prior knowledge I now knew how to overcome this. With the switch fully fitted take each individual wire where it appears from the sheath and pull it hard. This pulls the wire within the switch housing so that it sits squarely back into its correct position where it should be soldered, but often isn't.

Problem fixed. Ready for MOT. Note to self: buy a better quality switch soon. :)