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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Problem Bugeye ignition.

Hi folks, It has been a while since I have had a problem worthy of placing on this thread but I have one that just occured and hope you all can help.

When I have the engine running it has a tendancy to just stop. Just as if you turned the switch off. For some reason when it happened I jiggled the ignition switch and it would start right up again. Standing on my head under the dash of a bugeye is no fun but I did trace the wire that is causing all the problems. It is the brown and blue wire from the ignition starter switch that is connected to point A and the wire goes to the control box at point A1. I found that the terminal (A) at the ignition switch has cracked the plastic so it is loose and breaks contact.

Ordinaraly I would just replace the switch but I don't have the time to order one and get it before this weekends hill climb.

My question is can the wire in question be bypassed temporially with some other kind of switch. Possibly just a toggle switch or something along that line that would still allow me use of the regular ignition switch for lights ect.

Sorry for this long thread I hope it makes sinse to some of you electrical experts out there and I really am looking forward to ANY help at all.

Cheers,
Joe
Joe Shaw

If your'e not bothered about charging or anything working a simple way is just run a hot wire from the live on the battery to the coil. This would be OK as temp measure providing you have a battery cut out to hand that will cut all power and turn the vehicle off. Unless you can solder up the switch ?
Ed H

Correct me if I'm wrong (yes, it happens), but isn't the ignition (key) switch on a Sprite simply a two position (on/off) switch? Should be blue/brown from A1 feeding in, and a 3 white wires feeding out to the switched circuits. 2 terminals.

You should be able to easily replace it with a regular toggle switch, if it has spade terminals then it's even easier. You could even use an old wiper or light switch.

Just wrap the terminals with insulating tape once you've got it working, wouldn't want it shorting out while it flops about under the dash!




Growler

Joe,

taking the original switch apart and repair it is not much work at all. Taking it in and out the dash can be much work. Therefore I replaced the screw conector that secures the switch with a ti rip.
Flip

Growler nice to see you here again!
Flip Brühl

Thanks for the response folks but so far no luck.

Ed H, I hooked it up as you described, Battery to coil with a toggle switch to control power. It does turn on some power( Electric fuel pump) but no power to start engine. What aqm I missing??

Growler, My bugeye has a rotary type ignition switch. The switch has a key to turn power on and off and the rotary portion of the switch controls the lighting system(headlights and parking lights).

The wiring to the back of the switch is set up as follows:

two white wires to position 10

2 red wires to position 5

1 blue wire to H

1 brown and blue wire to A


And to Flip, Thanks for the suggestion on reparing it but mine is constructed out of some type of plastic material and the connection that sits there is loose. I am pretty sure it is impossible to repair. This was a new Ignition switch I purchased a couple of years ago and was possible manufactured in china. Piece of crap.

Thanks all,

Joe
Joe Shaw

Righto then:

two white wires to position 10: switched power to wipers, coil, etc (switched on by the key).
2 red wires to position 5: parking lights (switched on by the rotary part)
1 blue wire to H: Head lights (also switched on by the rotary part)
1 brown and blue wire to A: Power coming from battery (Terminal A1 on the regulator)

What I'd do is geat a nice simple SPST switch. Run blue/brown wire to one side, and all the rest (white wires, red wires, blue wire) to the other side. Your headlights will be running all the time the switch is on, but it's a decent temporary solution.
Growler

Thanks Growler, sounds like the best bet for a short period of time.

And thanks to all you other folks, really appreciate the input.

Joe
Joe Shaw

This thread was discussed between 18/09/2012 and 19/09/2012

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