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 Midget and Sprite Technical - Rear lights.

Ok I've got a 75 midget. I need help in hooking the rear lights up. I'm not sure if I'm even using correct bulbs even though they fit. The problem lights are the main L/R. Everything else (license, side marker lights) works. Here's what I'm getting- when the lights are turned on I get top bulb on the L/R works- when I use a tester brake signal and turn signal are coming through but not lighting the bulbs up. All the wiring is there- it seems obvious to me that you would match color with color when hooking up- right? Is the top bulb double filament for braking and running lights? And single filament for the bottom bulb for turning? I've spent literally hours trying to get this to work. I have a feeling that I'm not using the correct bulbs. Could someone please tell me what's required?

"Warning- approaching an electrical malfunction without a test light or helter skelter is a certain route to madness."

Thanks!
MM75.

Mighty Midget 75

In the UK, the top bulb is single filament and is for the turn indicators. The lower bulb is twin filament for running light and brake light. I presume yours are the same, but the easy check is to remove a bulb and look inside the socket that it fits into. Single bulbs will have a single central terminal, the twin ones have 2 terminals to match with the two soldered terminals on the end of the bulb. You can also look closely inside the glass bulb to see if the filaments are intact, although this isn't fool-proof that the bulb will work.

You should be right matching the wire colours from the lamps to the same colour wires in the loom. Except I believe that the turn indicator wire from the lamp units both sides is green, connecting to Green/white for the right and green/red for the left. But refer to a wiring diagram if possible as your specifications may be different to UK ones.

I you also need to make sure that the units are properly earthed too the body. They do this via the fixing bolts but I suggest adding extra earth tails to each lamp. Without a good earth all sorts of things happen with different combinations of weird lighting effects!

Guy
Guy Weller

some export markets had the red and orange sectors of the rear lights the other way around. As usual a pic will save thousand words.
More about earthing - IIRC there's a black earth wire in the loom for each tail light assembly which has a round terminal and goes under one of the 3 mounting studs.
David Smith

This thread was discussed on 10/08/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.