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MG MGB Technical - fuse help!

Last night (in the rain) I was (ironically) on my way to my local MG garage (Beech Hill). The following happened ... first there was an accident so got stuck in gridlock. So, I called the garage to say I wasn't going to make it down. Still stuck in traffic. Began to overheat (me and the car). Forced my way right round the roundabout to head home. Sat at traffic lights. Car then starts spluttering and eventually dies. Won't start. Petrol guage says empty. Walk a mile to get some petrol. Still won't start. Work out the petrol pump isn't working (doh). Hit it. Am now very wet and dirty and sat in a bus lane! After trying everything I can think of, I call the recovery people. Call wife who says it serves me right for (a) having an old car - although she is rather fond of it; and (b) for going out at rush hour and in the pouring rain (got me on that one!). Think I'll have another go - switch ignition on. Windscreen wipers start working (didn't have them on before and I swear the switch wasn't down!) and then I hear the fuel pump sucking up fuel. Car starts no problem. Cancel recovery call. Go home. Any thoughts?! Could it be a fuse connection a bit corroded in the rain? Why would the windscreen wipers suddenly start working? Is it something more serious?! Help!!
martin

Firstly the fuel pump wasn't fused from the factory, but bad connections somewhere along the way could be the problem, was the ignition warning light on? Secondly the fuel gauge registers lower when the ignition is off than when it is out of fuel, which was it? If the same as off, and the wipers had packed up as well, then this *could* be a fuse but it wouldn't stop the pump pumping or the car starting. If the wipers wiped when they were switched off how did you switch them off? If you *were* out of fuel the the pump would have been chattering like mad for several seconds if not minutes while the float chambers were running down which may have upset it. Could be nothing more than some maintenance needed on the pump points.
Paul Hunt

Paul
the fuel guage was reading 'lower than empty' if that makes sense and the ignition light was on. When it all suddenly started to work, the windscreen wipers suddenly began to wipe - I could well have just knocked the switch before though. I turned them off and then the fuel pump started to tick which it hadn't done until now. Fuel guage then registered normal - ie now almost full up after my additional filling!

I have recently refitted the dash - part of which involved removing a fuel pump cut off switch (more trouble than it was worth) and so that will be my first point of investigation although I couldn't find anything immediately wrong with the connection last night. Will clean all the fuses at the weekend anyway and then see what happens.
martin

Conflicting, as 'lower than empty' indicates ignition off but warning light on indicates ignition on. A bad connection in the fusebox could cause that, but not prevent cranking and starting. If turning the wipers off caused the pump to start pumping that indicates a bad connection in the white feeding both - the wipers taking too much current to allow the pump to operate, but not getting enough power to actually wipe, if you see what I mean. A slight improvement in the connection could cause the wipers to start wiping but still affect the pump, until you turned the wipers off. The power comes from the ignition switch to a 4-way bullet connector with a mass of others by the junction of the firewall and right-hand inner wing in the engine compartment. A bad connection there would cause exactly your symptoms, if you could crank but not start.
Paul Hunt

Thanks Paul - that sounds exactly like it! I will check those connectors and the fuses to be safe this weekend - I can't help but wonder if the ridiculous amounts of rain over the last week had something to do with it so I will check and clean as many connections as possible.
Thanks for your help!
martin

It was just the MOWOGS having a bit of fun at your expense :-) .

Wasn't that fun ? .

-Nate
Nate

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2002 and 24/10/2002

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