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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Horn mystery? Help

On my MkII Sprite, original early style steering wheel with center push. I had the front of the car on stands for about a week replacing the front suspension. I did NOT remove the steerring rack or do anything to it but change the tie rod ends. Let the car down and when I looked inside the cockpit I see my horn push had popped off and is lying on the seat. Now the horns won't work. They worked perfectly fine without a problem, infact I blew them just when I started the project. It seems like I have lost my ground. I have power at the horn switch (pencil) when I need it and if i ground the end of the pencil to the dash the horns will sound. The horn push is relatively new replacment type. I see inside the steering wheel hub a little indentation where the horn push brass wire should ground, like possibly a piece chipped away, but it was nowhere in the car and even if I try to bridge it with foil or other metal material still no horn.
What could have happened? cna't drive in NY withoug a horn.
Mike
MK Mike

Mike, you didn't disturb the earth strap from rack to chassis, did you? To be honest, I don't know whether they are standard equipment, but my MkII has one, because Bill(SDGPM) gave me one on a balmy evening at the Ace Cafe, and I fitted it during my rebuild.

Is the sprung 'pencil' still sitting in the hole at the back of the hub? The little widget that completes the circuit between the push and the brass ring on the bit that's fixed to the dash? (can't think of its name)
Nick

Nick
I'm wondering if somehow I did disturb it but like I said I did not touch the rack except fot the tie rod ends and greasing it. I have tried to look for this strap but don't see or feel it but I know it must be there. The pencil is in it's hole on the hub and it is brand new because I melted the other one grounding it to try to get the horns to sound. I installed a relay to help protect it. I have power to the pencil, Could the metal inside the wheel hub have worn away? like I said, it worked great before the rebuild.
Mike
MK Mike

Mike - have you tried making a connection between the top end of the pencil and the hub body? That'll tell you if the push is duff.

Does the horn have a fuse? Can't remember.
Nick

When I go from the pencil to the wheel hub, nothing. If I go from the pencil to the dash boadr the horns work and also if I put the horn push "almost" into position with it's contact tooching the pencil and it's copper bar touching my ground wire to the dash, when I push the button. it works. so problem seems to be in the hub body or column ground. I even tried to hook up a temp ground wire from the steering rack to the body but no luck.
Really getting frustrating
MK Mike

So how does the brass ring on the plastic shroud that's fixed to the dash earth to the dash? I can't remember if there's a wire, but there must be some form of connection. Looks like a wheel-off job.
Nick

Nick
I think that brass ring the steering column goes thru is only hot, 1 wire, the ground goes thru the inner steering column and is attached to that area near the steering rack in front of the car. I was only using a jumper ground wire and earthing it on the metal dash board. What type material is on the inside of the steering wheel hub? that makes the ground? I wonder if it could be worn away.
You know I remember spridgets I've taken apart, seeing a ground strap welded to the frong cross rail that I think was attached to the rack. I can't seem to find it on mine, must be well hidden/
oh boy
Mike
MK Mike

Right - so is the wire from the brass ring still connected to the loom? If it is, then you need to earth the rack. Have you tried asking your beautiful assistant to press the horn push while you earth the rack?
Nick

Nick
I am working on that (her) now to help.
Do you know where I would find this original earth? It's attaching points? I have not been able to find mine by sight or touch.
MK Mike

Nick
I was able to get it to ground off the rack so I put in a ground wire, everything seems back to normal. Still scratching my head trying to figure out how I disturbed the original ground when I can't even find it? oh well I'm happy again thank you for helping out. What year is your mkII?
Thanks again
Mike
MK Mike

This thread was discussed between 10/05/2008 and 11/05/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.