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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Heater Control Cables

Hi Guys

Does anyone still make the heater control cables for our cars?

Mine has failed and the fan is now switched on via a toggle switch.

I would be interested in replacing the failed switch if possible?

My car now also has a fresh 12 month MOT so I shall be getting some serious miles in this year!

No more paranoia!

Rylan
R Williams

Rylan,
well done on passing the MoT

get it MoT'd again in the better weather, next December and January could be very bad weather

but to add to your paranoia, an MoT pass is just to say your car meets a minimum test standard to one person's opinion at one set period of time it doesn't mean that your car is as good as it could or should be or that an instant after the MoT your car might have something on it that would be a fail :)

I *think* Ashley Hinton(?) is/was/did/doing those but I think they're around £50

having a separate switch isn't that bad and it does allow you to prove to the doubters that if you fully close the fresh air intake flap and turn the blower on that the heater motor wont blow up!
Nigel Atkins

Usually a different heater fan switch indicates an underlying undiagnosed serious fault which obviously the MOT people missed (Section S5/II "Ventilation Fan Controls").
I would be worried if that was my problem.
Have you looked in the handbook Rylan? Do you even HAVE a handbook?
G Williams

you spoon! :)

at least my wind up about the MoT was factually accurate

(Section 5.2 is Seat belt condition)
Nigel Atkins

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
Alan Anstead

I am not being paranoid Alan :)
R Williams

I'm after one of these as well - Ashley Hinton told me yesterday that they do them in batches and he has none in stock and is currently doing the heater parts, so may be a few months before available.
Nick P

thanks Nick, that a conformation

Rylan,
before he suggested your car did you let Alan know the things you told me you were looking for in the car and the trouble you had with your previous midget 1500 and your full buying/repair budget

as it seems the expectations vary

I do know Alan's been very tetchy with my since I pointed out that the front light units were the other way round on a car he suggested (yours?) - I did put not that it matter also - I've no doubt that's not the only thing he dislikes about me

as I put before perhaps you are a bit paranoid over your car but you have had some problems even if you might have overacted to them (not that I'd know if that's right)
Nigel Atkins

I shall have to keep my eye out for one when another batch is made.

Some of the issues I have seen/approached I probably over reacted to, others have been dealt with so that I can get the car to a standard that I want.

It has cost me a fair amount of cash but I am now 100% happy with my car, at the end of the day everyone has different expectations and reactions to how they want the car to be.

Mine has been to get it as reliable as possible, it has meant a rather large mechanical replacement program :), but I believe it has been worth it, there is nothing leaping to mind that I want to fix/change!

I do admit I am a bit paranoid about my car,my previous escapades with my 1500 (resulting in a dash fire) probably haven't helped, the Kent section were well updated with that life lesson, I would still do it again, just not with a car that had been so dangerously bodged! :).

Also my dad not being a fan of the engineering or BMC/BL at all has made things tricky, he loves the look of the cars but not the way they were designed in comparison to a Ford, I think he still hopes I will get one one day.

This makes it tricky to diagnose/know what's normal (feeding paranoia!), if I am honest I think he's had enough of my Sprite hanging around at home, it's part of the reason I want to move out so he can have the garage back and I don't have to worry in the same way!
R Williams


"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

That'll be Rylan with his hands round your throat for suggesting he might be paranoid, Alan!

You know it's him - hands very cold due to heater fan not working.

Nick P: there's nothing like a supplier stocking up on heater switches for the Summer. They arrive with the De-icer and anti-freeze.

Rylan: Doesn't someone like Richard Wooley have a decent second hand one? If the existing switch turns the fan on and off is it worth replacing anyway if it's going to be more that a few quidd (which it sounds like it might be).
G Williams

It all works, I just wondered if new replacements were available.

If one appeared at a reasonable cost I would probably replace it
R Williams

Glad you got through the mOT Rylan. I guess you sorted the brake pedal issue or was that ok anyway?
G Williams

I had another look when I got home,

My brake pedal cannot hit the floor as it cannot travel enough, there is no slack at the top of the pedal either. Need to bed my rear shoes in properly though,

I think my feelings may be due to getting used to the failing master cylinder that I had before, and how it compares to a new one. (Or my paranoia was out and about again!)
R Williams

Rylan,
your dad's far too easy on you, he should at the least kick your car out of his garage, there's absolutely no reason why your Spridget shouldn't sit outside all the time, they were designed and built to be able to do so (unless you have very restrictive insurance in which case you'll have to cough up more so your dad can have his garage back)

depending on which era of Fords and models they weren't all as good as your dad might make out

some of the best Spridget owners have a toggle switch for the blower :)
Nigel Atkins

bed the shoes then check the adjustment of rear brakes
Nigel Atkins

One was recently sold on eBay for £35, I did consider bidding but decided that the remount switch I fitted works ok for me, so couldn't warrant spending the money. I have other more important items I want to buy to court comment from SWMBO.
Pete Ottewell

Pete,
great another one that can close the fresh air flap fully and turn the blower on - lets all get together and see which heater motor blows up first when doing this :)
Nigel Atkins

It's been that way for 3 years after the inline fuse blew every time I put the blower on. Nothing's blown up yet!
Pete Ottewell

no Peter the myth is that it blows up when you fully close the fresh air intake valve and turn on the blower motor not in normal use
Nigel Atkins

Oh, I've done that, I think I felt a disturbance in the force, but there was no melt down.
Pete Ottewell

possibly the rubber on your intake valve didn't fully seal so you had some air getting in to relief the catastrophe

please don't chance it again
Nigel Atkins

you could alwasy fit a micro switch on the air flap so fan will not run when closed
mark 1500 nearly on the road

Rylan

Have you tried a squirt of switch cleaner? If that doesn't work I have had some success in the past opening up old switch gear on classic cars and repairing them. Usually they are very simple affairs and all that is required is some wet and dry on the contacts and maybe re-tensioning the spring.

Just had a look at mine (the car is in bits at the mo) and it looks like it would be fairly easy to open by straightening the indented sections round the circumference.

Wish I was at MOT stage.

Cheers

Bill
W Dunsmore

Hi Mr Williams I have working heater control cables you can contact me on 07749838528. Richard
rj woolley

This thread was discussed between 28/01/2014 and 30/01/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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