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MG TD TF 1500 - + or - Earth???

Not quite there yet, but were the TD's positive or negative ground. I have TD29665 (which is once again a rolling chassis after 17 years).
Thanx
Tom
tom

They came stock from the factory (as most British cars) positive ground. Most have left them that way, however it is an easy method to go negative... Believe it wasn't till the late (?) B's that things changed?
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Not so easy on a TD to change polarity if you have the clock in the rev counter or speedo ( memory not so good ) I would think ( could be wrong, often am, or so my better half says! ) no need to change it anyway, unless you want to fit a new radio etc.
mog

mog is correct, there is no real reason to change polarity unles you are going to put a modern radio or cd player in the car (a waste of time as they can't be heard when driving anyway). As for the clock, it is not polarity sensitive, although if you have put an all electronic fuel pump or one that has been converted to solid state, it will be polarity sensitive. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Curious to know if Dave meant that if your putting an electronic fuel pump in a TF, it changes the polarity of the car??? Can someone wiser than me explain just a little on this? Thanks
R M Gardner

Electronic fuel pumps are polarity sensitive so you need to get the correct pump for the - or + system being used.
W A Chasser

I'm a negative earth vote. I put in a modern stereo and love it. Aside from originalism, there is no reason not to go negative, and you will never have to think about it again.

Jim
J Barry

What the late Dave DuBois meant is if you have fitted a polarity sensitive electronic fuel pump you are going to stay with that polarity.

Unless you want to pay to have the pump modified.

Radio/Stereo? Listen to the music from the exhaust, the symphony from the drivetrain, better than anything Beethoven composed.

If you want to listen to the radio, they have them in the Miata.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

"Listen to the music from the exhaust, the symphony from the drivetrain, better than anything Beethoven composed".
I remember the sound that the Lukey muffler made and that was music enough for me. I just loved double de-clutching and used it whenever I was going back through the gears, the blip in the exhaust note was just something else. I'm a + earth guy. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I have heard that polarity has an effect on corrosion. I think the theory is that one polarity reduces corrosion of the car body, while the other polarity reduces corrosion of the copper wiring. (Not sure which way round.) If it was significant, surely it would be common knowledge. I have searched the web and it seems that some are convinced while others think it is nonsense.

Cheers from South Australia,
Bob
R L Schapel

My Aussie delivered TF sports a Lukey muffler, my last long journey to a car show I had the top up and it was not as good as when it is down.

The Lukey is not showing any sign of corrosion so should be good for many years to come.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

It is simple to use the power plugs in the dash to power any new device. Just build a lighter plug that will plug into the power plugs and make sure you get the negative and positive correct.

You can power a phone charger or anything else you want.

BTW. Now that we don't have cigarette lighters, what is the formal name for that plug?
Bruce Cunha

Accessory Power Outlet. Ugh! I'm considering adding an actual cigarette lighter as I rebuild my dash. On drives members of my club have noted the similarity between me and my TD - we both smoke.

Jud
J. K. Chapin

Thanks Judd.

I am used to plugs having specific names for electronics.
Bruce Cunha

I have my car as the original + grd. For GPS and other modern auxiliaries, I just wired directly to the battery as a separate circuit with a separate fuse, wiring the socket up as neg. grd.

Works very well with no issues. If you put in a neg. grd radio.... just do the same.

... CR
C.R. Tyrell

This thread was discussed between 05/03/2006 and 31/01/2020

MG TD TF 1500 index

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