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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Coil Connections

What happens if you reverse the positive and negative coil connections.
I tried to do the static timing on the midget as per a post in the archives from Antoony Malvern, connecting a lamp between Sw - and ground but things worked out opposite, the lamp would come on when the points were closed and off when they were open, the wiring was correct to the markings on the coil. So I tried swapping the connections and it worked but this is backwards to what it should be is there any problem with this.. It is almost as the markings on the coil are backwards.

Negative earth car but unsure of history.

Thanks Ian
I Pickering

Something is very confused here both with your testing technique and what is happening.
Firstly the SW on your coil SHOULD be connected to the ignition switch. (that is SW for SWITCH) A lamp connected between that connection and earth will light the lamp everytime the ignition switch is turned on, irrespective of points open or closed.
A lamp connected between the other connection CB (CB for contact breaker) and earth will light the lamp if the ignition switch is on and the points are open, with the points closed the lamp will go out as it will be shorted to earth. I am struggling to understand a solution to your observations?
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

By the way a coil connected up the wrong way round will run the car for thousands of miles without problems. The normal motorist would never realise.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

This thread was discussed on 13/09/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.