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MG MGA - My MGA knows me too well!

Apologies if you have already read this post on the MG Experience Forums, but I thought I would re-post over here in case anyone hasn't seen it.

Well over 10 years ago, I swapped the foot dipswitch (Dimmer switch?) on my MGA for a special Volkswagen relay.
The relay is mounted under the dashboard and it is triggered by a momentory-action stalk switch which is mounted on the dashboard within easy extended finger range of the steering wheel.

This relay is an original VW Beetle part and it has a very clever dual purpose, when the lights are switched off, the switch serves as a high-beam flasher switch, and this will flash the high beams for as long as you hold the switch down.

However, when the lights are switched on, the same switch becomes the headlamp dipswitch and a single flick of the switch will alternate between high and low beams.
It is much easier to use than the foot dipswitch and is also much more useful because it acts as a highbeam flasher switch when the lights are switched off.

It has been a delight to use, but a couple of months ago I suddenly realised that it had stopped working !

I have been dreading the process of fixing this problem, mainly because I am waiting to have both my left knee and my left ankle replaced and I wondered that if I ever did manage to squeeze myself under the dashboard, I couldn't figure out exactly how I would ever get myself back out from there. But, time was becoming an issue because the car is due to have an MOT test in September and I knew that I just had to bite the bullet and somehow get myself under the dashboard to have a look.

I knew that the problem was due to either a wiring issue or because of a faulty relay and I was sitting in the drivers seat just wondering how difficult the repair was going to be for me to do.
I have owned the car for many years and I have got to know it very well, but it seems the car has gotten to know me very well too!

Just as I was sitting there considering that I would probably have to pay an auto-electrician to fix it for me, I felt something touching my right knee!
When I looked down I saw a short black wire with a connector loop on the end of it just had just fallen down from behind the dash and I realised that this was the earth connector from the dipswitch that triggered the relay.

I couldn't believe it, my car had just actually shown me what the problem was! I just touched the connector to earth and I found that the flasher switch was working again.

So, was my MGA actually communicating with me after all these years? Well, it is a nice idea, but being realistic, after all the times I have sworn at the car over the last 20 years, the cars first conscious thought would probably have been to run me over! :^)

So, I had better go with it being a fortunate coincidence, but I am still gratefull.
Thanks MGA!

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Hello!

Please further describe the VW switch. What range of years was it used? Any photos available?

Many thanks

Ted
Ted Persons

Try searching for a DNI 0127 relay. I think it's the one that Colyn has. It was certainly fitted to early Beetles etc. to control the headlamp dip.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

This seems to describe it all pretty well. Jud

https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at113a.htm
J K Chapin

Got it, and thanks

I installed the Holden switch plus a separate relay. I was curious as to what the Beetle switch looked like

Thanks again, Ted
Ted Persons

If you open this MGA Guru link that JK Chapin posted above it opens up Barneys "Flash to Pass And headlight Dipper-AT-113A" article.

https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at113a.htm

Towards the end of the article there is another link which opens up a PDF document. This is my original write up that I did for Safety Fast Magazine about the installation of this relay back in 2012.
It includes a parts list, a full description of how it works and how to test and install it.

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

This thread was discussed between 12/09/2025 and 20/09/2025

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