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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Smoke in car

hi

last couple of times i have used my 1500 midget, i have found that smoke comes into the cockpit through the foot and window air vents.

the car hasnt been driving much of late (Bad i know - been away for a month on honeymoon and been busy), so hasnt had a proper run. Was thinking it maybe something damp related?

any ideas?
bk dyson

Dis-connect the battry right NOW !!!

Not knowing for sure if its the wiring harness.. But wiring harness age and the insulation gets brittle and can shaff agianst sharp edges thus creating double grounds...most likely it isnt, but for the damage a bad wiring harness can do, i wouldnt take the chance untill you can track the source of the smoke

Can you tell if the smoke smells like exhauste or electrical

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Possibly just a bit of oil on the exhaust, check to see if there is any obvious leaks or spills and assuming you haven't burned out your electrics (that would happen within seconds of the smoke!) see if it goes away after a few miles of driving. Just to be on the safe side check the brake and clutch fluid levels too!
N McGurk

what sort of smoke - colour, smell, density, overall quantity ??

check everything, don't ignore it
Nigel Atkins

Put the roof down and the smoke doesnt bother you anymore, its a simples. :)
Arie de Best

Smoke entering the cockpit through the lower vents and/or windscreen vents is worrying.

The most likely cause is deterioration/disintegration of the hidden thick foam gasket that sits underneath the heater matrix box (in the engine bay). Having said that, no smoke should be present under the bonnet in the first place.

Alternatively, it is possible that the (blower fan) motor is cooking/burnt out and is smoking directly into the heater matrix box.
Andy Hock

Or maybe it is steam? - deteriorating heater matrix.
Or just condensation? - warm air entering the cabin on a cold damp morning.

As Nigel says, more information is needed!
Guy W

It doesn't smell I know that much, the car was running a while so wasn't the wire loom burning out.

I replaced the foam around the heater matrix in the summer and cleaned it all out.

It hasn't been driven a while so could have been damp!?
I will try again over the weekend and look more
bk dyson

If it is a failing heater matrix it will have that slightly sweet, sickly smell that antifreeze causes. Assuming you use antifreeze, that is! :-)
Guy W

Smoke that dosnt smell....id like to buy a gallon of that
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

before starting the car this time lift the bonnet and look in for - water or condensation on the underside of the bonnet, water or condensation on the engine (bay) or perhaps something spilling on the exhaust or manifold, hose or something touching something that gets very hot

start the car with the bonnet up and keep checking cabin in case the source isn't from under the bonnet but from inside cabin or perhaps (sealed) heater box
Nigel Atkins

Just a warning, my car ran for a while when the loom went. The smoke in the car was the only sign anything was wrong from behind the wheel O_o
Philip Dodd

could be a coolant leak from other than heater but as Guy has put you can usually smell it unless it's water only and 'electric' burning usually has certain smell and various colours depending on what's burning
Nigel Atkins

bk,

Before you try it this weekend, please rig up speakers next to the car, and play ----

We all came out to Montreux -------------

Smo--ke in the Mi--dget, a tear in my eye, --
Lawrence Slater

What about fuel over shooting the float chamber vent and burning on the exhauste manifold/exhauste pipe...that probably wouldnt give off much smell and cause some minor smoking

Only other option would be a captive naked midget in the engine bay smoking a cigar....any sick, vile, and disturbing things you want to admit to....seriously, just because its a midget sports car dosnt give you a lic to do nasty things to the wee little people....pervert !!!

But dont worry, your not alone... Im sure we have ALL thought about it....hahahaha



Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Do you have the trunking in place for the heater?

If not, any smoke in the engine bay will be drawn in through the vents.
Dave O'Neill2

What's that one Lawrence?
Graeme W

It's from Deep purple, Machine head, sort of.

My adaption to these circumstances. :)
Lawrence Slater

You can't just change the words!
Graeme W

I had similar thoughts when I saw the thread title

Graeme,
you might not know the song title or song but you'd know the opening riff (often played incorrectly)

Smoke on the water - Deep Purple

I first had that album on cassette rather than vinyl so I could play it in school on my Pye portable cassette player with switch that went in three directions - 1 watt or so single mono speaker - or (single) earpiece

ETA: I was typing whilst you posted (for a change) - I bet L can't remember the words :)
Nigel Atkins

They hadn't invented portable cassette players when I was at school! And I am pretty certain we wouldn't have been allowed to have them in school if they had been!
Guy W

In 83, the cassette player was the old shoe box style...but if you had the bucks.... 8 track "recorder/player" sweet ! Almost as cool as the "Betamax" video player....but the atri still ruled with space invaders

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Guy... Reel to reel ???

Now thats what id call a boom box walking down the school hall...hahaha
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I had an awsome Teac reel to reel.

Course I remember the words Nigel.

We all came out to Montereax,
On the Lake Geneva shoreline.
To make records with a mobile,
We didn't have much time.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers,
Were at the best place around,
Some stupid with a flare gun,
Burned the place to the ground.
Smoke on the water and fire in the sky.
(Smoke in my Midget, a tear in my eye)
Smoke on the water.

Damn damn Daaaaamn, damn damn damndamn damn damn damn, damndamn.
Lawrence Slater

just one word missing, very good for an old memory :)

reel to reel, posh, TEAC very posh

Prop,
better than Betamax was Video 2000, the Europeans bettering the Japanese formats, record both sides of tape, auto rewind, stable freeze frame and IRRC a 'go to' a certain place in the tape
Nigel Atkins

Nigel/Lawrence: just had to check out the video. Must admit, don't know that one (OMG!). 1974? I was only a mere 28 then, which means I may have known it once but now lost in the midst of time.
There's only one band nowadays.... RUNRIG!

Ok, my turn to get my coat!
Graeme W

video !? how very dare you !?

the album is from 1972 (release)
Nigel Atkins

In 1974 i was 10 years old, and i dont even remember the song

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop,
in 1972 you were 8 then, Deep Purple were an English group and probably not that well known in America especially to an 8 year old

you'd possibly still know the opening lick of Smoke on the water though
Nigel Atkins

The video was on Youtube! There are about half a dozen. some obviously recorded with illicit camera at a gig.
1972? That almost predates the Sprite!
Graeme W

it certainly predates me. My dad was 12 in 1972.

;)
Rob Armstrong

I'm not a fan of utube for listening to music, you'd need a good "stereo" to hear it properly, just realised there are 40th year releases

ETA: Rob, I'm as old as your dad !
Nigel Atkins

>>> in 1972 you were 8 then, Deep Purple were an English group and probably not that well known in America especially to an 8 year old... <<<

Deep Purple was huge over here, and Smoke on the Water was heard pretty much everywhere.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

I find it hard to imagine anybody not knowing Deep Purple, or smoke on the water. But then again I don't know any of the current bands that might go down in history. Are there any? Please, don't answer that. :)

Which word was wrong Nigel? I'll have to listen to the albumn to check.
Lawrence Slater

not wrong Lawrence :)
Nigel Atkins

Eh... How can ANYONE not know smoke on the water? For the record, I'm 27, certainly wasn't born in 1972! But it has to be the most famous guitar riff ever?
Andrew F

I vaguly remember it as a rerun song in my teenage years...

but i grew up in the buckel of the bible belt, so im sure we most likely burned there albams along with the rest of satens devil worshipping music...anything with a 4/4 count was considard sexualin nature and there for served satens master plan...


Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

lol Prop. I agree with Andrew F!
Rob Armstrong

First track I played through my huge home built bass refex speakers in 1974, I was 16!

Tony
Tony G

My hair's still long, and I still bang my head to it.

I'm all nostalgic now, and I've been listening to early Stones stuff too.

Stones song for a Spridget, especially one on fire.

"I see a red Sprite and I want it painted black
No colours on my car I want them to turn black " --


Or how about Crazy Arthur Browns song for a smoking Midget (or rather its owner).

"You fought hard and you saved and earned
But all of it's going to burn --- "

Listen to the manic screaming laughter at 2 min 8secs in. I always loved that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOErZuzZpS8


Lawrence Slater

So did you ever find the source of the smoke?

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

yes..I gotta know what about the smoke?
R WEEKS

This thread was discussed between 27/11/2012 and 04/12/2012

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