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 - Turn Signal Lights

My TD is an early one and did not come with turn signals. Although the turn signals were put in 6 months ago the car has not really been on the road since then. The turn signals were working just fine. I have just completed rewiring under the dash and now the turn signals are not functioning properly.
Left turn signals are working perfect. The flasher flashes, the indicator light flashes and the turn signal switch turns off after about 35 seconds.
The right side is giving me a very rapid blinking front and rear, there is no sound coming from the flasher, and the indicator lamp does not flash. The switch does turn off after about 35 seconds.
I reversed the wires coming from the turn signal switch to the relay and the same thing happens. The left is ok and the right is not. Just the action of the switch is reversed.
My guess is that terminal 6 & 7 on the relay are not sending the proper signal to the right side of the car, but can that cause the flasher not to function ???????
Grrrrrrrrr.
Any ideas?
TIA,
Mort
Mort TD 1851

mort do you have the lucas flasher control box? if so the contacts may be corroded or misaligned or misadjusted. this can be corrected..if you do not have that box up under you scuttle disregard this note. regards, tom
tom peterson

Mort
This is a common problem with older cars you appear to have either a bad earth on one of your lights or a dead short possibly caused by a trapped wire. Try disconnecting one of the lamps in turn and see if you can elimanate the problem.
Regards
Mick
1952 TD 29970
Mick Cook

Mort,
Did you perchance plug in some led bulbs on the right? They'll blink very rapidly as you describe with an old style flasher.
I use them in my trucks and like that rapid flashing... gets more attention.
Jim Northrup

Do you have a new electronic relay or an old points style?
LaVerne

Tom & LaVerne...I have a relatively new (6 mo.)relay from Moss Motors so I am assuming it is the electronic relay.

Mick...I have disconnected each light in turn and clipped on an extra ground wire. Still not working right.

Jim...I did not use any LEDs. This entire set up was working a week or so ago.



Mort TD 1851

The reason I asked about the relay is I had a new one from Moss. It was defective. Had to have them send me another, It all works fine now.
LaVerne

Mort, Swapping the wires at your switch doesn't really do anything other than orient differently from your switch. The indicator light and flasher is good as both left and right use the same path. You might try swapping 6 and 7 with 2 and 3 and if it now reverses it would seem to be the relay. Either that or something happened when you were working on the wiring.
Mike
Mike Hart (52 TD 16378)

Mort,
I realize you stated both blinkers are working on the right, but you might save a lot of aggravation and double check both once more. If one bulb burns out or a connr55ection goes open, the old thermal blinkers will go nuts and flash like crazy on that side.

Jim Northrup

Mort,

A common cause for this problem is that a front bulb has been replaced incorrectly. this can happen if you have the "in line pin" type bulb (as opposed to the offset pin) It is easy to test, just remove the front bulb on the side which is not working an replace it after rotating it half a turn. Most in line pin blubs have the word "top" printed on the cap.

John
J Scragg

There is nothing like spending several hours analyzing, researching, testing, grounding, cleaning, rerouting, calling tech support, complaining about crappy parts, even looking for the escaped smoke only to find that the bulb was in upside down.
To John Scragg I have three things to say, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Make another entry in the book of experiences.
And thanks to all for the great suggestions.
You gotta love this site!!!
Mort TD 1851

Mort,

I am pleased to have been of help.

BTW. Did you fix your fog lamp wiring problem.


John
J Scragg

J Scragg, France

BTW. Did you fix your fog lamp wiring problem.

Yes John I traced the wires to the front center. This car did not come with fog lights but the wiring is there if I need it.

Mort TD 1851

Hello Mort,
I also have had troubles with the flasher indication lamp and the flasher box. The box doesn't make noise, the flashers were blinking but no indication lamp. I meassured the the voltage and found that it was only 10,5 V at the fuse that is after the ignition where the wire for the flasher box is clamped.. I clamped the wire to the fuse that is direktly to the battery where are 12.5 V. Now all runs well. Check the voltage!

Klaus
Harthof Klaus

Thank you Klaus,
There were many possibilities for my problem but John Scragg found my particular cause. See the answer above.
Mort
Mort TD 1851

I've spent the last two weekends wiring up directional signals in my homemarket RHD TD. Managed to get everything working, including the big relay that I picked up at a swap maybe 25 years ago.

My question concerns the front bulbs. The single element bulbs the old sockets held were (I think) #1004, which does not ground through the "shaft" of the bulb but uses two contacts at the base, one for power and the other for ground. The new sockets feed the two filaments (high and low intensity) through the base contacts and ground through the "shaft" like a common #1157 bulb does. But the 1157 has offset bayonet pins and seems too tall. I can jam an 1157 in, but I'm concerned it will melt the aftermarket plastic lens on the parking light.

Visits to the two auto parts stores in my town did not turn up any alternatives to the 1157. What are others using?

Thank you in advance.

John Deikis
"Rallye to Reno in a '53 MGTD"
www.kidsCURE.blogspot.com
Deikis

This thread was discussed between 24/03/2011 and 03/04/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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