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Wire Colours?
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15-07-2021, 01:03 PM
About to embark on a rewire from scratch. Can anybody point me in the direction of what colour wire should be used for each function, eg headlights in blue, dynamo in yellow, or whatever? I tried a search on the old forum without success.
Thanks, Bob. 
15-07-2021, 03:18 PM
This might be useful, but what year is your car?
This car is wired NEGATIVE earth. It always has been negative earth, positive earth was not introduced until 1936. item Colour of wire Position of wires Negative battery lead to the starter motor casing, and to the body, bolted to the battery box. Black The positive battery lead is connected to the starter motor terminal. Black Everything else is earthed to a nearby body earth point. Black Everything is powered by a thick wire from the starter motor which goes to the isolator switch behind the dashboard Yellow/black This thick wire continues from the isolator switch. to the ammeter Yellow/black From the second terminal of the ammeter to electronic voltage regulator Brown From the second terminal of the ammeter to Ignition switch , A. White/purple From ignition switch , A. to Non-ignition fuse White/purple Linked from non-ignition fuse to Lighting fuse White/purple from Lighting fuse to Light switch White/purple From Light switch to Dipswitch via fuse Blue From dipswitch to Main beam headlight via junction box in car Blue/white From dipswitch to Dipped headlight via junction box in car Blue/red From light switch to Fuse, then Sidelights via junction box in car Red All sidelight wiring from junction box to Front sidelights Red All sidelight wiring from junction box Through o/s roof and across in boot Red NOTE… SIDELIGHTS AND offside INDICATORS ARE BOTH RED RED From ignition switch, IG to Ignition fuse White From ignition switch, IG to coil White coil to distributor White/black Ignition fuse to Brake-light switch Green/ purple Brake-light switch to Brake-lights Green/ purple Junction Front indicator offside Underbonnet junction box Os wing red Os wing Rear indicator offside Underbonnet junction box Os rear red Os roof Front indicator nearside Underbonnet junction box ns n/plate red Os wing Rear indicator nearside Underbonnet junction box ns rear red nearside roof j/box f/box j/box red b/head Brake lights brakelight switch Nearsides st lt Green/ purple Nearside roof Offside Brake lights to nearside Brake lights Os st lt Gr/purp boot Centre st lt ns st lt cent st lt Gr/purp boot Centre tail Ns tail cent st lt red boot h/light h/l sw f/box blue dash h/light f/box Dip sw blue In car h/light main Dip sw j/box Blu/wh In car h/light dip Dip sw j/box Blu/red In car h/light main j/box Os h/lt Blu/wh Os wing h/light main j/box Ns h/lt Blu/wh Ns wing h/light dip j/box Os h/lt Blu/red Os wing h/light dip j/box Ns h/lt Blu/red Ns wing coil Ign sw coil wh Os wing coil coil dist Wh blk Os wing Dynamo D dynamo f/box yellow Os wing Dynamo D f/box reg yellow b/head Dynamo F dynamo fuse green Os wing Dynamo F fuse reg green In reg Horn sw j/box horn yellow X BULK Horn horn aux purple X BULK wiper aux wiper/mtr purple os/roof j/box aus Ign fuse j/box pink b/head various item earth black various Below is a basic A7 diagram from about 1932, but with 1950s headlight wiring colours. This comprehensive diagram is more accurate, but gets a bit complicated! This lets you look up a colour of cable, and see what it connects to. Black Many things earthed a nearby body earth point. Yellow/black Power from starter motor to masterswitch Yellow/black From masterswitch to ammeter Brown From the ammeter, via a fuse to electronic voltage regulator White/purple From the ammeter to Ignition switch , A. White/purple From ignition switch , A. to Non-ignition ‘aux’ fuse White/purple From non-ign fuse link to Lights fuse White/purple from Lights fuse Light switch White From ignition switch, IG Ignition fuse White From ignition switch, IG Coil (not fused) White/black coil distributor Red From switch on steering wheel to junction box under bonnet and to Offside indicators Red From light switch, via fuse to junction box in car and to all Sidelights Blue Light switch, via fuse to Dipswitch Blue/white From dipswitch Main beam headlight via junction box in car Blue/red From dipswitch Dipped headlight via junction box in car Ignition fuse Brake-light switch Green/purple Brake-light switch Brake-lights Green/purple Re ind os j/box Os rear red Os roof Fr ind ns j/box ns n/plate red Os wing Re ind ns j/box ns rear red ns roof j/box f/box j/box red b/head Stop lts St/lt sw Ns st lt Gr/purp Ns roof Os st lt Ns st lt Os st lt Gr/purp boot Centre st lt ns st lt cent st lt Gr/purp boot Centre tail Ns tail cent st lt red boot h/light h/l sw f/box blue dash h/light f/box Dip sw blue In car h/light main Dip sw j/box Blu/wh In car h/light dip Dip sw j/box Blu/red In car h/light main j/box Os h/lt Blu/wh Os wing h/light main j/box Ns h/lt Blu/wh Ns wing h/light dip j/box Os h/lt Blu/red Os wing h/light dip j/box Ns h/lt Blu/red Ns wing coil Ign sw coil wh Os wing coil coil dist Wh blk Os wing Dynamo D dynamo f/box yellow Os wing Dynamo D f/box reg yellow b/head Dynamo F dynamo fuse green Os wing Dynamo F fuse reg green In reg Horn sw j/box horn yellow X BULK Horn horn aux purple X BULK wiper aux w/mtr purple os/roof j/box aus Ign fuse j/box pink b/head various item earth black various
15-07-2021, 06:50 PM
Thanks very much indeed!
My car is a 1930 RK, but has modern extras like indicators and Tacho etc. 
15-07-2021, 07:35 PM
Hi Bob
I rewired my 1930 RK a few years back. Originally most of the cables would have been armoured (ie wound with aluminium shielding). I replicated that and used the Seven Workshop as a supplier and the only colours available were black for the single core, red and black for the two core and red black and a mucky green colour for the three core. I rewired the car as it would have been in 1930. I decided black as earth, red as live. There are precious few cables and no loom. Check out Woodrow for a wiring diagram and Rinsey Mills restoration book for cable routing. (Note the cables to the coil and horn are black fabric coated.) Extras such as indicators, brakes etc I wired completely separately using a live taken direct from the battery to a modern fuse box under the passenger seat. My indicator switch is on the transmission tunnel and brake switch on the passenger side cable. This made things so much easier in routing cables along the chassis (and out of site). Hope this helps Howard
16-07-2021, 12:22 AM
Hi, when I bought my Austin seven PD 16 years ago the previous owner had rewired it using a cable of yellow for all the wiring
and I had to start from scratch, I found Autosparks limited of derby very helpful and an amazing Selection of colours and sundries. Stephen
16-07-2021, 02:33 AM
this is so very helpful! Funny I am sorting wires for my more modern classics and was wondering when the British car industry standardized wire colours.
Came online and here it is. However, I don't see the diagrams - is that just me? thanks all 
16-07-2021, 09:12 PM
Unless you are a slave to originality I'd recommend using BS wiring colours. This will mean that any competent auto-electrician will be able to deal with electrical problems in your car after you have either sold it or died!
16-07-2021, 10:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 17-07-2021, 04:34 PM by Roland Alcock.)
For completeness, this is what Lucas finally settled on post war.
Brown means live all the time (=connected to the battery post) White means brown that has come through the ignition switch and can therefore be switched off with a key (coil, fuel pump) Green is white that has gone through a fuse in the fusebox and is therefore (like wipers) switchable and fusedBrown Purple is brown that is fused and therefore permanently live (horn and interior lights plus radio) Blue is lights. Power comes from the brown to the switch so that lights can be switched on whilst the ignition is off. [Note. sidelights (red) are fused but headlights are not.] The supply from the headlamp switch is blue as far as the dip switch where it goes to blue/red for dipped and blue white for high-beam. From the switch it is red/green until it reaches the fusebox where it becomes red only. The panel lamps are red into the switch (comes on when the sidelights come on) and become red/white as they travel to the individual bulbs white/black is from coil to dizzy plus to RVC type distributor. Black is earth. green/red is right indicator blue/white is left indicator green/black is fuel tank sender green/purple is brake lights (therefore fused and comes on after the ignition is live)
1931 RN, 1933 APD
16-07-2021, 10:16 PM
Hi Roland
Shouldn't that first line read "Brown means live all the time" ?
17-07-2021, 04:34 PM
Hi John
Yes of course it should. No idea how that happened! I’ll see if I can edit it. Roly
1931 RN, 1933 APD
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