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MG MGB Technical - Won't start

Went out to drive tonight, and when I turned the key the wipers went on , interior light went on , then out , and no response from the starter. Where do I start? Any help would be great. thanks
Kevin Donahoe

Exorcism?
David DuBois

Daylight would be the first place - no fun doing anything at night.

Check connections on the battery, and charge level in the battery. If the car will jump start on some nice juicy fat jumper cables you have a duff battery. Charge it and if it holds you are OK, if not you either have a dead cell or a short to earth.

Either way, begin with the easy stuff and eliminate as you go along.

All else fails - AAA!
Paul Barrow

If the lights went out when you turned the key to crank there is probably a bad connection in the main cable from battery to solenoid or the battery ground cable.

While the lights are out (attempt to crank again if needs be) check with a voltmeter or test-lamp between the battery 12v and ground posts. If nothing there, and you have twin 6v batteries, then the interconnecting cable could be at fault so do the same test with each battery. If the (or either) battery shows no or very low voltage then that battery is bad.

Otherwise check the ground cable by measuring between the 12v post and a good body ground somewhere. If nothing there it is the ground cable, which could be cable to connectors, or connector to post/body.

If that's OK measure between a good body ground and the 12v connector at the battery, then at the solenoid stud, and then the brown terminal at the fusebox. One or other of those should show no voltage, between where you do and don't measure voltage lies the problem.
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 22/07/2007 and 24/07/2007

MG MGB Technical index

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