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MG MGA - Fire Fire Fire!!!!

Of course it happened on a two lane moutain road with high speed drivers and NO place to stop. I turned on my lights to pass through a tunnel and smelled something. Couldn't be my car, right? Then the smoke got really thick and heavy. Something under the dash was burning. I looked down and the dash lights were out so I turned off the switch and prayed for a place to stop I had my hand ready to grab the fire extinguisher.

The smoke stopped and finally a place to pull over appeared. A quick inspection revealed that a bulb socket had come loose, the bulb had popped out, and the the socket fell and rested on the heater control cable and grounded out. Of course all lights were out and the winker supply wire was burned as well. It was 5 and getting dark. I was 30 miles from home, in the mountains, no way to drive without lights.

I sliced open the melted harness, separated the wires, and removed the light switch to disconnect the dash light circuit and repair the main feed. I was able to separate the winker feed and tape it up, ditto with the main feed to the light switch. A little crispy but still good enough to get home.

This morning I removed the burned sub harness and will build a new one.

Of course when I re-installed the light switch I chipped the dash paint. Good reason to buy the dash nut tool.

I was really, really lucky. The accident was not the fault of the car but mine as I should have checked the wiring . The damage is minimal and I still have my car. Makes me think of what I can do next time I find myself on a two lane busy road with no place to stop and I have a problem.
Tommy

I have 18 fuses on my car. All line were rerouted thru a fuse box or have inline fuses. I know some will say it is not original per factor but I don't care as I will still have my car!!!!. All of the work is hidden under the dash and I am protected. I am sure if the factory was smart enought and not so CHEAP they would have done the same thing.
JEFF BECKER

Tommy. Congratulations on having a fire extinguisher to hand and handling the situation in such a competent manner. You did well.

Les
Les Bengtson

We didn't have a fire but suffered a total failure of the electrical system on the way home this evening. It was dark (of course) and my wife and I were 20 miles from home out in the middle of the country. I was thinking about Tommy's post before we left this morning as I stuck in my freshly charged emergency jump start battery (you know the kind with a light and jumper cables) along with assorted tools and spare parts. We were able to limp home using the jump start battery. I don't know how much further we could have gotten but we made the 20 miles without any problems. At least now I have the luxury to time to check out the charging system in my garage.


Don Carlberg
D. R. Carlberg

Hi Folks. I rewired my 1500 back in 1980, and the electrical system is entirely stock including positive ground and the laughably inadequate 2 fuse system. It still works perfectly! In defence of this primitive electrical system, I have to say that it has overall been very reliable! Any faults that it has had over the years have been of an extremely minor nature, and of the owner's (my) own doing, usually due to lack of preventative maintainence, or not immediately following up on obvious warnings of future problems. (corroded bullet connectors, or loose fan belt) Yes, 2 fuses are entirely inadequate, and borders on (OK IS) ridiculous. Yes, it would be a simple matter to add more fuses. In fact, my AM only radio does have an extra inline fuse. I have periodically thought about being sensible and adding more fuses. But to my way of thinking, MGA's are not terribly "sensible" vehicles to begin with. Adding sensible accessories would certainly offend the vehicle, and invite retaliation! So until the electrical system on my car goes haywire bigtime, I will be content with a battery quick disconnect, and onboard fire extinguisher. Cheers, Glenn
Glenn

Just added H4 lights today with relays what a job with a genarator and the old fuse box (2fuses)this is a 1500coupe, all looks org.
Jones

I did wire my A with 10 fuses. My reason? When the single original fuse goes where do I start to look? All the wires under dashboard are live. So where is the short? Did the wire insulation melted before the fuse eventualy vent? forcing me to replace the whole harnes?
Just a thought
Martin
Martin

My wiring loom burned out about 8 years ago. The cause? I had been rear-ended by an inattentive new driver (on the phone!). The body shop reassembled the connection in the rear license plate light incorrectly. As I drove over the bump of my garage threshold at night, the joint came loose and shorted to earth, and the car filled with smoke as the wiring started to fry. I disconnected the battery fast (I have Dzus fasteners with loops on them on the battery cover and a isolator on the battery terminal). The rewiring cost the insurance $7500 (that's labour rates here!).
dominic clancy

Dominic, next time call me and fly me over and I will fix it and still have money for the rest of my holiday.
JEFF BECKER

I had a melt-down behind the dash because i forgot to put in 1 light bulb. The center contact makes a short with the wall of the bulbholder (new wiring loom!)
Takes 5 sec. to kill the loom and 70 euro's to replace.
Wim Betzel

Glenn it is not the fact that the car only has 2 fuses as standard it is the fact that the lighting circuit is NOT FUSED, therefore any problem with it results in a potentially burnt out car. I can not believe that someone who is wise enogh to install a radio and fuse it is happy to have lighting circuits unfused?
The biggest problem is that the Rheostat for the dash lights is very poor and generally will eventually short to earth and fire the loom and car.
Cars that are carried on a trailor to shows can be wired in the standard manner but those who like to use their cars must be worried by un fused deadly circuits.
Bob (robert) yes I own an MG Dwarf!

Heres how I look at it- Where do you stop? What about when you get hit head on and the steering shaft spears you? Are you now going to put air bags in just in case? What if your in a roll over, you think your windshield frame is going to save you? How about that fuel pump? Do you have an inertia switch on it? How about dual circut brakes? ABS? Better not use those 48 spoke wires with the eared knockoffs. Better sell it and buy a Miata just to be safe. I agree with Glenn put in a battery cutoff and a extinguisher.
gary starr

Would it be possible to install a fusible link in the battery cable?
Seems to me that would be a simple and hideable bit of insurance.
As for the other concerns above...Keeping the car in a Carcoon (with a circuit breaker on the fan of course) and never driviong it should take care of them
Cheers,
Rich

BTW: I have fried a portion of the loom on a freshly restored TF by not being careful about the fit of the dash power plugs. Anyone who has ever installed these will understand the potential for disaster.
Rich McKIe

AFter buring up an almost new harness with a defective new, not Lucas, front turn lamp assembly, I decided to fuse the red wire circuit and the igniton circuit separately. I used inline fuse holders behind the dash.
Wray

If you were to add fuses to the car, what would be reasonable?

I have purchased a 6-fuse (blade type) box that I plan to install:

Ignition
headlamps (also relays?)
Fuel Pump
Accessory (12V cigarette lighter, and radio)
Tail lights/running lights
Dash lights

What would by your choices for six circuits? I am guessing here.

I plan to do the same thing for my neighbors MG midget...the original Lucas fuse box is starting to show its age.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Do not put radio and cigar lighter on the same circuit. The cigar lighter is a high current device. If you install wiring and a fuse large enough to handle a cigar lighter and radio at the same time, a short in the radio could burn the radio wiring without blowing the fuse.

If you are trying to count all possible circuits which might benefit from a separate fuse, and you are counting on fingers and toes, you might need a helper to supply extra fingers. See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/et201b.htm
Barney Gaylord

Thanks, Barney! I think I remember reading this on your site a few months back -- should have gone back to check again.

However, you leave open many, many possibilities! I have a fuse block with 6 places that I plan to mount in my 1500, and will probably take your advice on the self-resetting headlamp relays.

I'll re-read what you've said in the aforementioned article and then try to decide what to wire to where, but you might be hearing from me soon.

Thanks as always for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

<<<snip>>>
Would it be possible to install a fusible link in the battery cable?
Seems to me that would be a simple and hideable bit of insurance.
<<<snip>>>
Yes, but it doesn't really protect everything. When the engine is running, the dynamo supplies all of the cars power. Thus if the link at the battery blows, the only thing disconnected is the battery from charging. You also need a fusible link at the D wire at the dynamo.

Blake
Bullwinkle

Hi all,

I removed and replaced all the damaged and questionable wiring in the dash harness and all is working. I do, however need to replace all the light bulbs and I'll order them soon. Again, I am very fortunate to only have suffered some burned wires and some melted spots in the NEW carpet, but it could be worse. Next step is to plan some fuses in the hot spots Barney mentioned. headlights, horn, and electric fan fused and relayed.
Tommy

This thread was discussed between 04/11/2006 and 13/11/2006

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