MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - TD Sdie Lamps

My right front side lamp is not working. Both sides were working fine and when I turned on the lights last night the right side was out. I checked the blub and checked for power to the lamp, no power. Could one of the wires from the Lighting & Ignition Switch have come loose or is it a fuse? If it was a fuse I would think all the lights would not be working.
Thanks;
Louis
L.M. Levin

Louis, the lights aren't fused. Each side lamp is on a separate red wire from the lighting switch. Do you have turn signals? If so, does your right side turn signal flash? If not, it could be a grounding issue. Bud
Bud Krueger

Look for something simple too, like a tire rubbing through the wire under the wing.
George Butz

Had the same thing. Poor ground. Snugged the bolt securing the park light to the fender a touch.... voila.. light worked. Cleaned and greased the grounding area, and haven't had a problem since.
C.R. Tyrell

My money would be on bad ground or bad socket.
David Sheward

I revoved and completely cleaned my side lamps. Found the socket assembly quite rusty and replaced both. New interiors availanble from Abingdon Spares.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon Clark

Slightly OT, but aren't the fender parking light also to be on when the headlights are on? Recently had the dash center piece repainted which required disconnecting all wiring behind it, and now the dash lights are on all the time, and the fender or parking lamps are no on when headights are. I know zero about electricals, so thanks for any input.
-Rich
Richard Olson

Richard: The side lamps can be turned on without the head lights on. The light/ ignition swith has 2 positions, side lamp and head lamp and when the head lamps are on the side lamps are also on.
The lights on the dash are regulated by a reostate switch on the dash. That way you can drive and see the guages or turn it off and drive with a dark dash.
Louis
L.M. Levin

Richard, does the wiring diagram in the WSM make any sense to you? Are the wires behind your center panel varied in color? Bud
Bud Krueger

Louis
99% , it's the ground from the headlamp to the frame....
I got tired of trying to get the ground in the "can" to connect through the supports, to frame ground, and added a separate ground wire to the frame....No problem since.
Easiest way to know , is take a wire and touch it from the ground side of the lamp to the frame, somewhere, with the switch in the on position....bet it will go on.
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

Well guys I checked out everything you all said I should do. Ran a tester to the live wire and then to a ground, no light. I did the same on the other side and it worked like a light.
I guess I must have a loose connection at the switch, so now I have to take down the dash to check that wire, I quess.
Louis
L.M. Levin

>Ran a tester to the live wire and then to a ground, no light.

Was the ground on the fender or the chassis?

The fender may not be at ground potential.

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

The ground was to the same place I ran the ground that worked on the other light. I did the same thing on each wing, live wire to the same ground, one works one dosn't.
Thanks for your help.
Louis
L.M. Levin

Hmmmm....Both side lights connect at the same terminal on the switch (as do the head lamps)...If one works, then they both would work.....UNLESS, that wire is either broken or disconnected.
Using a VOM meter, take a voltage reading from the hot connection on the lamp, to ground, with the switch in the "on" position....If it doesn't read 12V, then the wire or connection is broken.
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

Well. I fixed the problem, broken wire at the switch.
Thanks for all your input and advise.
Louis
L.M. Levin

This thread was discussed between 06/04/2013 and 12/04/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.