MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Voltmeter Installation.

Hello everyone!

I have my own way of doing things and will admit they may not always be the best way either.

My Smiths voltmeter didn't last too long, don't know why but that is life. So much for matching gauges.

It was wired to a cold terminal on the fuse block that was hot when running and grounded to the body work so the wiring went like this. Fuse block to voltmeter through the gauge then chassis ground. I'd like to have alternator output though so I can see a charge rate.

Anyone have a better way or was it just the gauge that decided to give up the ghost? Any suggestions welcomed.

Mk IV midget. 1500 engine, alternator equipped.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

Without having given it a lot of thought Clare, one way would be:

Live from the LT +ve terminal feeding the coil, through an inline fuse (natch) to the +ve of the meter. Then from the -ve of the meter to earth, or battery -ve.

That should show 0Vdc with ignition off, battery voltage (unloaded so not all that useful) with ignition on but engine off and alternator voltage with engine running.

Thoughts?

Cheers, Rod.
Greybeard

Thinking about it that's pretty much what you had already. Hmm.
Greybeard

Clare

Your original installation was correct. Any ignition-switched live will do the job, either at the fusebox, coil positive or wherever.
Dave O'Neill 2

I useed the factory (+ purple) radio power wire ...and i think i put an inline fuse on the same circuit, and ran the ground to the floor where the concel bolted into the floor

This way the gauge only works when the car was on and engine turning
1 Paper

The purple is a permanent live, so the gauge will read all the time and also run the battery down.
Dave O'Neill 2

Then it wasnt the purple wire i used ... my volt gauge reader only works when the engine is running


What wire powers the radio ? That wire is not live all the time
1 Paper

Clare, wherever you take the connection from, the gauge will "see" the alternator voltage. All +ve points in the wiring are at alternator voltage when the engine is running. So any switched connection is ok.
Bill
W Bretherton

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2017 and 06/07/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.