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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 MGA - Battery Charging Tip

Here's a tip to keep your battery constantly charged with little or no effort:
Nearly everyone today has an automatic garage door operator.....you push a button on a transmitter in your car or the one mounted to the wall of the garage and the door goes up.
Almost all openers have a built in light that goes on when the door goes up.....goes on again when the door goes down. Usually lasts anywhere from 3 minutes to 5 minutes depending on make and model. Here's what you do:
Unscrew the light bulb from the door opener head. Go to the hardware and buy an adaptor that screws into a standard light bulb socket and has an electric outlet on the other end....the kind you can plug an extension cord in. If your door opener only has one light bulb, buy the kind that looks like a "Y"....you can screw the bulb back in one socket and an adaptor in the other so you can plug a cord in.
The bottom line is.....you want to end up with an outlet that will let you plug a cord into the place where the bulb used to be.
Now......plug an extension cord into the outlet where the bulb used to be and run it down near your car (or riding mower or motorcycle or whatever). Plug your battery charger into the extension and hook it up to the battery you want to charge.
Every time you open the door in the morning.....the light will come on for 5 minutes and so will your charger...same thing when you come home at nite....another 5 minutes.
Without doing a thing, your charger will come on morning and nite and keep your battery in a charged status.
Be sure to retain the ability to have the light come on too....you don't want to stumble around in a dark garage just cuz Dad is charging the battery on his LBC
Brian Amato

...and of course, remember to disconnect the battery charger before you take your LBC out for a spin. 8^)
Andy Bounsall

Brian

It would seem easier just to purchase a timer socket and set the timer for say, half an hour a day.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Or, for a few dollars more, buy the trickle charger that has such a function built-in the circuitry and checks on your battery every 6 hours or so for a short top up. I ran one on my boat for many years.

Karl
Karl Leclerc

I have an power plug socket mounted under the dash. This goes to the regulator where the wire goes to the battery. I then use a trinkle charger with a power plug, I jsut plug it in when I am not driving the car and it is easy to remove without opening the engine hood.
JEFF BECKER

Jeff

Sounds neat. Presumably any power source not restricted by the ignition switch (or anti-theft isolator) is ok? I have by-passed my regulator with an alternator.

That said, most of you are probably aware that I carry 2 X 12V batteries. I switch them over every other day, so the alternator keeps them both charged.

Steve
Steve Gyles

<Nearly everyone today has an automatic garage door operator> - Now I feel like the poor relation Brian - hardly any one I know has one on this side of the pond!! - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

With the std MGA wiring, Pos or negative ground, there is no need to trickle charge. The discharge load on the battery is 0 mA, That is right.... zero. Modern batteries will not totally self-discharge over 6 months in the cold.

Keep the topside of the battery clean to prevent a low leakage discharge path on the outside of the case.

I have stored my MG for 5 months every year for the last 5 years. I'm on the same battery. I do not disconnect anything... NADA.

At the end of that period, I turn the key, wait for the fuel pump to stop clicking, pull the choke and pull the starter. That's it.

Of course, if you have added a modern radio... then there may be a slight current draw. Over time it could discharge the battery. A "smart" battery maintainer would work in this case. "Dumb" trickle (float)chargers are not the best design.

Chuck
Chuck Schaefer

Cam

Most people round our way who have double size garage doors have fitted electric motors. I think you will find you are in a minority.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Cam

I have an electric garage door. Fitted by WestLancs Garage Doors £300 with a 5 year gaurantee. Once youve had one you wouldnt do without one.

Rob
R J Collier

Well you are welcome to join my club Cam. I live in a working class area of the country and if 1 in 1000 households had and electric garage door I would be very surprised!
Bob (robert) yes Y8 is toast again :)

Cam

We are obviously living in the wrong area as I don't think I know anyone with an electric garage door.

Anyhow, shouldn't one have one's manservant standing to attention to open one's motor house door when he sees the master's carriage approach.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

Robert - Well that's one person I know with one - I had West Lancs Doors repair the cable on mine recently -but they didn't try to sell me an electric one -obviously thought I didn't have the money ( MGA to support). Steve - double sized door - luxury - when I were a lad we lived in t'middle of road in a paper bag! My single sized door just allows room to get the A in - and it gives me the exercise I need as well as reducing my carbon footprint - right Malcolm - if one has a double sized door then one ought to have a chauffeur as well - now back to the battery charging - my automatic one has just packed in after 3 years. cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

This thread was discussed between 18/04/2007 and 21/04/2007

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