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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 - Un-freaking-believable

Today I replaced the headlight/multi-function switch that is in the steering column of my 2001 Jeep Wrangler (AKA the M Jeep). It controls the turn signals, head lights, fog lights, panel lights, and head light dimmer. The fog light portion was malfunctioning such that the fogs were on all the time, regardless of switch position. I managed to get the switch replaced without breaking anything, or setting off the air bag, but upon examination of the back side of the old switch, I was a bit surprised to find the Lucas logo molded into the part. Pretty much the same logo as is on the parts for our old cars. Actually, it explained a lot once I recovered from my shock.
Del Rawlins

Lucas did, and still does, make parts for many different vehicles.
Steve Simmons

While it is entertaining to make fun of Lucas electrical parts (dim, flicker, off, Prince of Darkness, etc), they were and are a very good company. Many of the original Lucas components are still viable on my 50+ year old cars.
Just my opinion.

GTF
G T Foster

The number of complaints we have about the modern repro parts leads me to think that the originals can't be that bad.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

Strangely enough I ( and I think most other people) had always held Lucas parts in high esteem (especially when I had my midgets from 1967 to 1976) until I started reading all the jokes about them on this BBS !!
Cam Cunningham

I find it funny also how Lucas gets a bad rap. I have a 61 A with the origional lucas headlights, brake switch (which by the way has had silicone in the lnes for years, but thats another myth for discussion later), wiring front and rear lamps and sockets etc. etc. If their electricals were so bad how did mine last for 47 years?

my 2 cents

P.S. Oh yeah, I did have to replace my generator this year. Hmmm, lets see I've replaced my alternator in my 2000 Ford F 150 three times since new, I wonder which was the better part.

(Ok, I'll concede to the fact that it's a Ford)
J Dick

It's kind of ironic that the reputation for unreliability Lucas parts have gained has nothing to do with he Lucas parts themselves. The unreliable parts of our cars are the old, corroded connections which weren't made by Lucas. People blame Lucas because that's the name plastered all over the car's electrical components.

If MG had known these cars would still be driving around in the 21st century, they would have certainly taken care to better protect the various electrical connections. I bet they didn't plan for the cars to still be on the road in 10-15 years.
Steve Simmons

Genuine Lucas NOS parts are always (at least to me) worth more than the replacements made these days. If dialectric grease had been available in the 50's, Lucas' reputation may have been better.
James Johanski

More likelythe problem is the shocking build quality that afflicts cars made in the US. Looking for a new car recently, I was shocked by the reliability of Mercedes now they are made in the US. The 300c I looked at had the same qualitly feel as the plastic used in disposable drink cups. I guess I will have to buy German or Japanese or something British like a Ford Mondeo ;-)
philip may 3

Sorry to disillusion you Philip but the Mondeo is not made in Britain- it's probably made in Belgium although some of the Ford engines are made in Wales.
Cam Cunningham

I was trying to be ironic
philip may 3

Del,
I just replaced the cam angle sensor in my 2000 Jeep. Thank god we don't have those in our "A"s. But I've actually found Lucas electricals to be fairly
reliable, too.

Steve,
My friend Keith Ansell, who has been in the British parts business since the '60s, claims that the factory expected an MGA to last about 6 years. That would explain why my '57 was all but used up when I bought it in '66.

Ken
k v morton

My brother had pulled an extra ignition switch out of his parts Saturn. Early 1990's. Guess what? It was a LUCAS too!

-BMC.
BMC Brian McCullough

Ken, I replaced the cam sensor on mine a couple years ago. As I'm sure you know, failure of that sensor shuts down the fuel injection and the Jeep will not start. Back when it was still under warranty, the Jeep died at mile 87 of the Parks highway and had to be towed at Chrysler's expense. Turned out that the drive the sensor sits on had seized up, shutting down the engine, which was not necessarily a bad thing since it also drives the oil pump. Oddly enough, other than failures of the cam sensor my Jeep has been quite reliable mechanically. There is also a crankshaft position sensor that likes to go out on newer Jeeps and mine is getting to the age where I need to start carrying a spare.
Del Rawlins

When you see the attached writing on a switch start worrying!

Steve


Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 31/01/2008 and 07/02/2008

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