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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Indicator fault?

I am sure this has been discussed before but I cant find the answer. I have a 1500 midget and it is all back together ready for a summer of fun however when I have replaced the front wings and wired up all the lights the indicators are not working. Firstly the headlights workfine on full beam and the dimmer setting. WHen I indicate the indicators on the front and back com on but stay on instead of blinking? Same on both sides and the hazard swith doesnt do anything? Any answers to this would be appreciated. I have read about that it might be a faulty flasher unit but where is this located on my car?
C Carter

I had this with my 1500. In the end I removed the stalk and the earth wire was hanging on by a thread. For some reason, like yours, everything else worked fine! I soldered it back on and all was well.

Also try changing the flasher unit on the bulkhead behind the hazard switch, this has caused problems in the past too...

Steve
Steve H K-ser

Not sure if its a similar arrangement to a 1275. If all you worked on are the wings then this is probably where the problem is, unless something else has failed by coincidence. Check the indicator units are earthed properly - on a 1275 they should be in bare metal contact with the wings (there is no earth wire). As above, a poor earth can be the cause, although I suspect the problem is at the unit, not on the stalk. Run a length of test wire from the engine mount to the indicator to provide an alternative earth as a test. Also, are you testing them just on the battery without the engine running. A low battery will light them up but they wont flash (or they will flash very slowly)

S G Macfarlane

Just testing them on the battery not with the engine running? The battery is quite flat so maybe charging it fully will help.
C Carter

Yes it will and check water levels in battery top with distilled if needed

DON'T change your flasher unit unless you really have to

4 and 5 years ago I had new flasher units on two different cars both went or were faulty from new - things might be different now
Nigel Atkins

Ok so charged the battery up last night although not to full charge and the indicators do work but very slowly and if I switch on the hazard switch nothing happens?
C Carter

On a sprite that I have rebuilt, i got a roll of black 5amp ish auto cable and earthed the metal lugs on both the front indicators and the rear lugs on the two rear light clusters - there are plenty of earth(body) tags to pick up and it greatly reduces faults on the indicators - a good upgrade I think.... Neal
N Broadbent

mine do that (flash very slowly) - Mr MOT always is nice and tests them with the engine running when they're fine.

I'd agree with re-earthing everything. it's either that or old and less conductive contacts.

IIRC the flasher works on a bimetallic strip switch that heats up when current flows through it, which bends the strip away from the contacts to turn the switch off. It then cools and bends back to turn the switch back on again. if the earths are not great or the connections mucky then there isn't enough current flow to turn them off as the strip doesn't heat up enough to turn the switch off. There is enough with the engine running though.

think that's right....

hazard switch - I have no idea how that works, maybe on a similar system?
Rob Armstrong

You can get an electronic flasher unit that doesn't rely on bi-metal strips to heat up, so is more tolerant of real-world conditions.
Guy

you say the turn signals flash, but the hazards do not

there are two flasher units, one for each. The one for the hazards is inside the radio console, near the hazard switch.



Norm
Norm Kerr

quick thought - does the hazard have an idividual in line fuse and holder, so that fuse could be blown?

and Guy do you have a limk to the electronic item please
Nigel Atkins

I got mine from Vehicle Wiring Products:
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/relays/flashers.php

I think I probably got RFL3, but it was a while ago. I got them on Nick Veuger's advice as I wanted a unit with a quicker response time.
Guy

Guy, am I being slow - it's that that relay in addition to a flasher unit rather than the relay being instead of the flasher unit?
Nigel Atkins

Nigel, its a long time since I fitted it, so you are asking difficult questions!
But looking under the dash I appear to just have that unit. I think it is a direct replacement for the normal 3-terminal flasher module - which after all is a form of relay anyway. Isn't it?

I think we need an auto-electrician or cyberneticist! Bob ?
















Guy

Guy you're right

All the previous posts on relays for headlights and all

Plus the previous posts about weight saving on the car so I don't want all that extra weight of wiring to and from relays and the weight of the relay themselves - it's the difference of me taking onboard a half or being able to have a full pint

(and apart from all that, I don't know the answer)
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 07/04/2011 and 08/04/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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