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MG MGA - Prince of Darkness?

Prince of Darkness



Most every electrical part in an MGA
Is made by Lucas of England, so they say

But the British Lucas components we all know and love
And which fit our British vehicles like a well fitting glove

Have a dreadful reputation for causing trouble
And some folks say they are nothing but rubble

Lucas, which is also known in British car circles as the Prince of Darkness
Is often soundly cursed, and it’s ignition systems described as sparkless

But with distributor points and condensor, as old as the hills
Because a thrifty owner didn’t want expensive mechanic’s bills

And Ignition cables being cracked and rotten
Were never replaced and completely forgotten

With spark plugs fouled and worn down to the nub
No wonder your MGA won’t start now, Bub

About fifty years after the parts were fitted
Voltage regulator contacts are thoroughly pitted

Wiper motor brushes are completely worn
As are the moving electrical contacts in the horn

Starter and dynamo commutators are chewed to bits
And finding new or rebuilt armatures is really the pits

The required 1500 turn signal / brake override relay
Is apparently on back order and causing you a delay



Lucas starter, generator, switches, fusebox, and wiring as well
Were installed by Morris Motors, and were considered just swell

Tell that to the MG owner who, fifty years later, smells something burning
His worn out, antique MGA electrical system is on fire, he is learning

And if old worn out, burning parts don’t make you sweat
There are lots of other little things that surely will, I bet

Like bullet connectors with male and female parts
Cannot be purchased at usual auto part marts

These connectors usually get damp and then internally corrode
Performance of the electrical system will likely soon erode

Then there is the MGA that will not start
Try cranking the engine, not even a fart

To make a long story much more easily read
The damn electrical system is now entirely dead

So a diagnostic troubleshooting battle is fought
And brand new Lucas electrical parts are sought

Hours are spent checking for oxidized wire
While hoping your MGA doesn’t catch fire

Test light, ammeter, Volt Ohm Meter, and test jumper wire
Are used to track down the problem, now thought to be dire

Many marginal parts the owner does grudgingly replace
But the problem remains, and he now has egg on his face

Poking, prodding, checking for good electrical ground
And yet after much searching, the fault cannot be found

Frustration drives the enthusiast to desperate action
Have to consult with the knowledgeable MG faction


Post the dismal symptoms on the MG Enthusiast’s website
Hoping that solving the mystery, some electrical genius might

A short time later an MGA electrical sage posts with glee
I know what’s wrong buddy, and it’s simple, laughs he

Your battery terminals are just covered with powdery gunge
So at the battery terminals, with a wire brush, you lunge

After cleaning the battery terminals, you tug the starter pull
The engine starts immediately, and I assure you is no bull

So after all is said and done, Lucas perhaps isn’t really so bad
It’s the deterioration of our MG electrics, that is really sad

Written by Glenn Hedrich




Glenn

You've hit the nail on the head Glen. 50 years after these components were made we are still maintaining them and they still work which is proof of their simplicity and longevity. All other makes at that time have long since expired but Lucas or aftermarket spares are still available off the shelf. If all you can do is complain about products which have endured half a century of use and abuse then you deserve to be left in darkness.

Let's bury the prince of darkness crap now and be done with it.
Iain MacKintosh

I second that. After 45 yrs, my car is still on original coil, switchs, horns,and turn signal flasher. I even have Lucas fuses I took out of an A in a junk yard in the 80's. I did have to replace the horn button and the high beam switch, and regulator tho, but you can't complain about that, and I forgot I'm still using the original vacuum advance on my distributor.
gary starr

I find it interesting that most of the problems I hear about with electrical on these cars these days is due to non-original parts, Chinese quality or other such things. The answer I hear most often is, 'Find an original Lucas switch.'
mike parker

We were pioneers in the manufacture of motor cars and Lucas components went back to the year dot. Oh yes like anything else they do give trouble but they generally have a tremendous reliability record. If you are restoring any 30 year old car it is always advisable at the very least to rebuild all the major electrical units and this is very easy on Lucas. If you hold on to the relatively few original switches that are on our cars you can reasonably expect to have to replace or repair them given time. Even the wiring system really couldn't be simpler, same colour coding system on every car and nothing more than bullet connectors.

Glad you both agree Mike and Gary.
Iain MacKintosh

This thread was discussed between 01/11/2005 and 02/11/2005

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.