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 MGA - Starter switch problem

I have just got my car back on the road. The first problem that showed up seems to be a dodgy starter switch.

At first I needed to give the starter pull a wiggle and an extra firm pull. Now it seems not to turn over at all. I've checked that there are 12 volts across the switch and put a jump lead between the two connections giving a satisfactory spark and I think the starter span a bit.

The engine starts on the crank.

Is there anything in the starter switch that can be repaired?

thanks
Dan Smithers

Dan

Join the club!

You can prise the unit apart and clean the disc that makes contact, but the switch will look untidy when you try to crimp the edges to assemble the unit again. Barney has some pictures of the corroded switch.

This was mine (attached) when I prised it open.

Steve


Steve Gyles

Dan, just posted about a starter switch on Steve's starter motor brush thread but will repeat it here for you. These people supply a starter switch very similar to the original Lucas one. http://tinyurl.com/38csbr8 I have one fitted to my car and have had no problems with it. I have, however, had problems with two of the starter switches with the white nylon bases, commonly found on eBay!
Lindsay Sampford

Noticed yesterday that your 3rd choice- alternative starting system (me!) didnt crank the engine over fast enough for you Lyndsay!

But on saturday morning your 2nd choice-alternative starter system (6 men pushing!) was very effective! (except that most of us couldnt spare breath to speak coherently for 10 minutes after you had driven off!)

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn

Tell us more! Are you sayng that Lindsay failed to start?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve
Steve Gyles

I live on the TD-TF side of the fence, but since the MGA shares a similar starter switch with the TD and TF, I thought I'd ask the question here. For a starter switch which begins to make intermittent contact, could the protruding starter switch shaft be chucked in a drill and briefly spun to wear away the corrosion between the moving contact disk and the permanently fixed copper pads? Those of you who have been inside the switch may know.

Thanks.

Larry
Larry Shoer

Larry

I wondered the same until I dismantled the switch. However, I found that the copper contact disc was free to rotate on the spindle. So rotating the spindle may or may not rotate the disc.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Duff recon distributor Colyn! Although the points seemed to have the correct gap when I checked them twice whilst on the tour, the gap proved to be too small when I checked them again when I got home, giving an ignition timing 11 degrees too retarded (4 degrees ATC static), probably making the engine not too keen to fire up. I tried to force the points to move without loosening the fixing screw, but they would not budge, so I can't understand how they can be adjusting themselves. Adjusted the points to 15 thou and the ignition is again spot-on. There is something screwy about this recon distributor, so if it does it again, the 25D4 goes back on.
Started after about 5 pulls this morning despite sounding like it wasn't going to, ran like a pig for 3 miles, but then got better although a bit gutless. The starting problems could be down to the batteries losing a bit overnight, but I never had this trouble before I fitted the isolater switch, so I am wondering whether it could be introducing some resistance to the line. But if the batteries ARE giving up the ghost I think I will go the single 12 volt battery route if only to reduce the number of connections (as well as being cheaper!).
Lindsay Sampford

This thread was discussed on 27/09/2010

MG MGA index

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