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September 29th, 2008

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Q & A: Electrical Issues

Friday March 29th, 2002
Q & A, MGA, MGB, MGC, MG T-Type, Midget
DEAR JOHN,
I HAVE NOT USED THIS SERVICE BEFORE AND I DO NOT KNOW IF I AM USING IT
CORRECTLY I.E., AM I SUPPOSED TO E-MAIL YOU OR FAX YOU AND DO I NEED TO
GIVE
YOU A CREDIT CARD # TO GET AN ANSWER TO E-MAIL (IF SO JUST LET ME KNOW SO
I
CAN GET THE # TO YOU ASAP).
MY FIRST CAR (1971) WAS A 1964 MIDGET. MY NEXT CAR WAS A 1972 MGB-GT.
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO ANG WHILE I USED TO BE VERY HANDY UNDER THE HOOD
AND
HAVE BEEN SURPRISED HOW MUCH HAS COME BACK TO ME AFTER 23 OR 24 YEARS, I
NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT ELECTRICAL TO SPEAK OF. I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED
A
1976 MGB THAT APPEARS TO BE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE
PREVIOUS OWNERS HAVE REMOVED THINGS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD WASHER UNIT AND
OTHER
THINGS UNDER THE HOOD AS WELL AS HAVING GIVEN THE CAR ONE OF THE NASTIEST
PAINT JOBS ON THE PLANET. I CAN DEAL WITH THESE THINGS. IN ADDITION TO
UNHOOKING THINGS AND THEN HOOKING THEM BACK UP, I'M NOT SURE THE THINGS
WERE
HOOKED BACK UP PROPERLY. THE HORNS WORK WHEN YOU USE A WIRE TO CROSS THE
CONNECTIONS AT THE HORNS THEMSELVES BUT WHEN YOU PUSH THE HORN BUTTON YOU
GET
NOTHING(THERE IS FIRE TO THE SWITCH) OR IF YOU TOUCH THE ONE WIRE RUNNING
TO
THE SWITCH TO THE STEERING WHEEL, YOU GET A DULL LOW NOISE FROM THE HORN
AS
THOUGH IT IS TRYING TO SOUND BUT JUST CAN'T. HELP! I HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN
ALL THE LIGHTS TO WORK, HURRAY! I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE
PRESSURE SWITCH. IT HAS A HOT WIRE RUNNING TO IT, BUT DOES NOT WORK--I
HAVE
DISCOVERED THAT THE WIRE THAT RUNS FROM THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT HOOKED
UP
AND THERE IS NO CONNECTION ANYWHERE TO HOOK IT TO--HELP! THERE ARE OTHER
THINGS THAT I WILL NEED HELP ON IN THE FUTURE, ( I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN
MUCH
HELP FROM YOUR ARCHIVE FILE) BUT FOR NOW I ALSO NEED TO KNOW HOW THE FUSE
BOX
SHOULD BE SET UP--I AM NOT SURE THAT WHO ERVER HOOKED THE WIRES BACK UP
DID
IT PROPERLY BECAUSE THE HORN LINE WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD BE HOT ALL THE
TIME
IS ONLY HOT WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ON. WHAT COLORS GO TO WHICH POLES
ON
THE BOX--PLEASE HELP. IF I CAN JUST GET THE ELECTRICAL FINISHED THEN I
CAN
GET ON TO THE MECHANICS AND THEN THE ESTHETICS AND THEN TO DRIVING HEAVEN.
THANKS--GREG COTTON

GREG! Reading your note, all in capital letters, is a real eye burner!

The fuse box: If you look at the fuse box from the carburetter side,
then the left side, or front side of the box is the UNFUSED side. The right<... read more