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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fuel gauge problem

Driving home from work today the fuel gauge in my midget 1500 decided to pack up . It went from reading just under a quarter of a tank to nothing .
Put some more fuel in and still its reading nothing .
Does anybody have any ideas as to what the problem or problems might be ?

D Stratton

a number of possible causes come to mind.

1, start by checking the fuse, give it a clean and check it hasn't blown with a multimeter. If blown locate and fix a short circuit.
2, with the meter check the voltage regulator has approx 10v on the output (easiest to check the voltage on the wire at the back of the gauge). If not, replace after ensuring it has 12v going to the input otherwise go to 5.
3, check there is a voltage of less than 10v on the cable at the sender on the tank (when still connected to the sender!) and the same as the output of the regulator when disconnected. If 10v when cable connected go to 4. if no volts go to 5.
4, check the resistance of the sender from the connector to ground. Can't remember the exact value but guess around 100 ohms with the tank empty sounds about the right level. The important thing is it has something and varies as it moves which might be hard to check without removing it!
5, check cable continuity as required.

take it one step at a time and all should be revealed.
good luck :o)

MGmike
M McAndrew


I have the opposite problem, the gauge always reads full, I've not got around to fixing it but keep thinking I should - I'm going to get caught out one day.

I guess the fault-finding procedure would be the same?

Thanks
Mark
MarkH1

MGMike , thanks for your reply . I'll work through the procedure .
Strangely enough today when i was driving to work this morning the fuel gauge came on and was working for about 5 mins then went off again and on the way home it was working for about 15 mins then went off then back on then off then back on again !!!
D Stratton

Sounds like a lose connection. Nothing fundamently wrong, just need to make sure things are tight.
Lawrence Slater

Lawrence is probably right and it's just a lose connection. Second choice would be the regulator sticking. The standard regulator is just a bi-metal flasher unit in disguise! Change it for a modern electronic version available from the well known internet auction site.

MGmike
M McAndrew

might just be a conenction or wire not clean, secure and protected

for a modern versin of the old voltage stabiliser:_


Semiconductor voltage stabiliser:
http://classicstabilizers.webs.com/information.htm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Semiconductor-Voltage-Stabilizer-MG-Midget-MGB-MGC-/280751887830?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item415e1dd5d6

Solid state voltage stabilizer:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=solid+state+voltage+stabilizer&_sacat=0&_dmpt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&_odkw=solid+state+voltage+stabilizer&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313
N Atkins

Out of interest.

The voltage stabliser came in around '67/68 on spridgets, I think. Where it is mounted?
Lawrence Slater

Lawrence, your got me with that one... haven't been under the dash on an early spridget (yet!). The usual place on other BMC/BL units is on the bulkhead somewhere near the gauges or on the back of one of the gauge units as in my 1300. To be fair they rarely fail but are often overlooked in troubleshooting.

MGmike



M McAndrew

Thanks for your replies . Strangely enough its working ok again now ! Must be a Midget thing !!
D Stratton

Hi D,

No that's unfair to Spridgets.

Not a Spridget thing, just an intermittent fault thing, that unless you identify, will come back to haunt you. :)
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 08/11/2011 and 12/11/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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