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MG MGB Technical - Dead Lights

I have a 73 mgb,I changed the choke cable and now I have no headlights,taillights and no dashlights.The car also will not crank it barely clicks,I even tried to jumpstart it and nothing.The brakelights and turnsignal work.
Paul

It seems that I remember cars with a short going to ground via the choke cable --- the cable was hot to touch.

If I were you, I think I would charge the battery and then use a test light, starting at the fuse block.
Dan

I had this with a reliant robin (don't laugh...same basic wiring and bits as a B).

I take it this car is negative earth...if so, you could try running a battery jump lead from the battery negative terminal to a known good earth on the shell. If that works then you have a bad earth...

Also try running it from battery negative to anywhere on the gearbox, and see if it's the engine mounting earth strap.

As a reliant is plastic shelled, I'm not sure which would work, but try both and see if one solves it!

Good luck!
karl

The others are right - check your battery earths (grounds, I think you call them). The neg side of the battery must be securely bolted to the bodywork, and there must be a thick braided strap connecting some part of the engine/gearbox to the body also. This can break due to flexing. Have a look around the lower reaches of the engine bay. The strap could be fitted at the bell housing bolts or near the front around the engine mounts. If there isn't such a strap, all the current for the starter (around 300 amps) is trying to ground by some other route, often the choke control cable.

Mike
Mike Howlett

Unless you have a hazard flasher for a turn flasher the turn signals are more sensitive to bad connections and hence battery voltage than anything else, and the brake lights take quite a lot of current. If these are OK I would say the battery and its connections are OK. The engine/transmission ground strap will affect cranking but not lights, but even so the starter will try and turn the engine. Sounds like you have more than one problem. You probably disturbed the brown on the main lighting switch when fitting the new choke, and the lack of cranking could be anything in the white/red - starter relay - white/brown - starter solenoid circuit. Investigate the two separately.
Paul Hunt

Thanks for all the info. It appears to be the wires to the light switch & ground wires that are all connected behind the dash. Thanks, Paul Ga.USA
Paul

This thread was discussed between 11/12/2001 and 13/12/2001

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