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MG MGB Technical - High beams not working.

Just removed radio from my 73 MGB to put a noise suppressor in, I was very careful but still disconnected one connection while putting it back. Reconnected it.

Now my high beams are not working. What did I do?

I swear, every simple job on this B seems to lead to a bigger job!
KRV Veid

KRV,

Try this site for good electrical info. I found it very helpful:

www.mgcars.org.uk/electrical/index.html.

I just did a lot of re-wiring under the dash of my 74 1/2 "B: Roadster last winter, and recollect that there is a purple wire in the console area that has a connector to the headlight dip switch, but it is used for the "flash" function. The blue wire from the headlamp on/off switch to the dip switch is used to switch between high and low beams. Looking at the diagram I don't see a connection of any kind for that wire in the console area. Of course, something could have been marginally connected and a little shaking around broke it loose. I had a case where the Hi beam indicator was very intermittent, and discovered that a connector pin was half out of the connector.

Again though, the on/off headlamp switch is fed by a hot brown wire. The output of the on off switch is fed to the dip switch via a blue wire, so perhaps you can trace that out with the help of the above site. Good luck.

Cheers, Doug


Doug Keene

Does the tell-tale light? If it does, or if the headlamp flasher doesn't light the high-beams either check the continuity of the blue/white from the switch towards the headlights. If the headlamp flasher works then the problem is in the switch. If the dipped beams work the brown and blue via the main lighting switch must be OK.
Paul Hunt

I had exactly this problem the other day. I'd been messing about with and behind the dash. The blue light on the dash worked, except the HB lights were off. It turned out there is a conector up behind there in the middle of the high beam wire. A blue and white wire I think (might be different in a '73). Why there is a conector I don't know as there is no obvious reason for one, but is clearly part of the origional loom. The male and female bullet conector had come apart. Of cause I didn't spot it until I had given up and wired in a bypass (which I then had to remove).
In RHD cars this bullet conector (male and female)floats somewhere between the windsheild wiper motor and the speedo. Might be similiarly located for you , or maybe behind the glove box.
Peter

This thread was discussed between 10/07/2003 and 12/07/2003

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