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MG MGA - LIGHTS

None of my lights work on my MKii
Here is what happened
I had a short in my boot lid light which burned up that wire right back to the Nr 2A on the fuse box and melted the switch as well.
Now when I pull out the light switch nothing happens.
Is it posible that I burnt out the light switch as well or something in the control box?
Now for you wise guys . BOTH FUSES OK
Car starts and runs.
Bill Mason

Bill, not quite sure what you mean by "Nr2A on the fuse box". The power supply for the ignition and lighting circuit comes via a Brown/Blue wire from the A1 terminal on the control box. As your ignition still works, the fault must lie in the Brown/Blue from the ignition switch to the lighting switch or the lighting switch itself. Assuming that your wiring is standard of course!
Lindsay Sampford

Bill,
I'm curious, what is a "Boot Lid Light"?
You say you "melted the switch". The light switch? If so, that's certainly part of the problem. Main light circuit is not fused.
Good luck,

Gerry
G T Foster

Sorry Lindsay I connected my wire from the A2 screw thru a toogle switch to the light that I installed in the trunk for light at night. Bill
Bill Mason

Bill, you wired your "accessory" up correctly, and it should have blown the fuse associated with the A2 terminal. It would appear that the fuse rating was too high to protect the wiring and the switch. Make sure that both these items are capable of carrying the current that the fuse will blow at.
Lindsay Sampford

Bill, is it just your boot light that doesn't work? Are your main lights OK?
I added an extra six fuses (plus relays in the headlamp and ignition circuits to reduce the current going through the switches) to my car's wiring so that everything is now protected. The wiring on pre-1980s British cars had practically no fuse protection, so most electrical short circuit faults would inevitably burn the wiring out. It is well worth improving the fuse protection (quite simple, and with no modification to the standard wiring loom) on our cars to stop burn-outs in the wiring loom and the possibility of our "pride and joy" going up in smoke!
Lindsay Sampford

Lindsay As mentioned none of the lights work I have a test light but I am not sure were to start testing .
Bill Mason

Start here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/circ_d.htm

Assuming anything at all works when you turn on the ignition switch, there must be power on the browN/blUe wire going to the switch.

Using a test light, ground the tail on the chassis, then probe both ends of the NU wire running from the ignition switch to the lighting switch. If there is power at input end but not at output end, then it's a burned wire.

If power gets to the lighting switch, then turn on the switch (middle and full out positions), and probe the S1 & S2 output terminals. If no power there, then the switch is fried.

If there is power on the switch output terminals, then continue probing farther downstream. For the parking lights follow the Red wire to the 3-way snap connector in the engine bay near the starter switch. If power there, then continue on to 3-way connectors at RF and RR corners of the car, and so on. At some point you will come to no power. The disconnect will be somewhere in between the locations where you have power and no power.

For headlights, follow the blUe wire from lighting switch S2 to the dipper switch. From there follow U/W and U/R wired to 3-way connectors at RF corner of car, and so on. Location of no-power is past the point of the disconnect.
Barney Gaylord

Thanks Barney

I NOW CAN SEE THE LIGHT.

It was the headlight switch.

Your instructions were great. Bill
Bill Mason

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2010 and 28/08/2010

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