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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Headlight woes - please help

Help me please!!
New battery fitted - starts no problem so I thought all I had to do was a quick check all round and off to the garage this week for MOT etc.

Side lights are Ok as are all other lights inc the horn to boot BUT after one flash of the main beam I can not get them to work.

The switch seems Ok - tested with multimeter.

The high beam light comes on and off with the selection made but nothing else. Also the blue light sometimes stays on. All this time I have no main beam or high beam.
Apart from reaching for a BOTTLE HAS ANYONE GOT AN IDEAS.??
Mk3 midget - not modded

Dave

Dave Price

Hello mate

If the nomal beam is not working you need to check the blue wire with red tracer that comes from the dip switch. This wire powers the dip circuit. The high beam is the Blue wire with the white tracer. There is a junction around the front of the car just by the drivers side of the front slam panel The circuit there splits into both headlights and is a simple bullet that sounds like it could be the cause. There is also another connection just after the dip switch
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Bob
Sorry to be a dunce but where is the front slam panel?
Dave
Dave Price

Sorry mate the slam panel is the piece of metal that goes across the front of the car above the grill. It is called the slam panel because the bonnet slams onto it. LOL.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Du' oh
Right off to the garage once more with a cup of strong coffee
Thanks Bob - and I hope youre right or Midget 50 will slip futher away
Dave
Dave Price

Well - the lights are on. Followed Bobs advice but as I moved the cables at the front the lights flickered on. Turned out it was the Earth point inside the RHS bulkhead was loose.
Now the nearside front indicator wont light. Methinks an Earth fault once more. Tomorrows job!!
Thanks Bob
Dave
Dave Price

could be or the bulb could be cruded up, try that first, less messy, only two screws (don't drop the glass!)

and you'll see if the backplate is rusty perhaps causing an earthing problem

you may need to spray with electical connection spray to get the small sidelight bulb out if it is cruded in

don't foget blackened or darkened bulbs will be frown on too so change them
Nigel Atkins

Put relays in while you're at it - especially if they are halogen - might as well do everything at once :)
rachmacb

Pleased you have now got lights Dave but I would like to give you a little worry.

Whilst the earth may have caused the problem I am skeptical. I believe that had the earth been at fault then both main and dip beams would have suffered for just one circuit to be faulty required a connector problem somewhere in the wiring. Perhaps moving the wiring reconnected (temporarily) a dodgy connection and at the same time you saw the loose earth.

However when earths are involved anything can happen and certainly you will have cured at least one problem by tightning the earth.

My advice however would be to clean up any connections in bullet connections that you find especially blue and red tracer or the Blue and white.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

No worries Bob - checked all fittings etc and the blighters are working once more. It was both systems that failed to work - only the blue light on the gauge worked. The indicator was a bad connection and as I write with a G and T to hand Blackie is ready for his MOT. Me thinks a winter full check of wires may be in order - possibly even sooner!!
Dave
Dave Price

This thread was discussed between 16/05/2011 and 17/05/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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