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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Dead turn signals

New to me 79 Midget with dead turn signals, control stalk locks
into place both up and down, all other stalk functions okay. 4 way flashers good, fast tempo with new battery. All bulbs working.
Suggestions?
Thanks
Bob
Bob Ketcham


Bob.

This is a common feature in my experience on earlier Midgets. When made I believe there was a plastic ring inside the steering wheel column which 'cancelled' the switch when the wheels turned back to straight ahead.

Over time & use the cancel plastic/widget thing broke & replacements were slowly exhausted. I'm pretty sure with the earlier ones they are no longer available so maybe that is the case with later Midgets.

in which case endure & enjoy!
Gavin Rowles

I would try a different flasher unit.
I have had to replace a couple over the years.

It is a different unit to the emergency, 4 way flashers, so they can still work when the "normal" one has failed.
JB Anderson

One cause of this fault is the hazard switch itself.

The feed to the direction indicators goes via the hazard switch and the contacts often oxidise, causing the indicators to stop working.

Try cycling the hazard switc a few times, with the emphasis on the 'off' position and see if that helps.


Otherwise, it's out with the voltmeter or test lamp to see where the power is getting to.
Dave O'Neill2


End & Wrong. Not the 1st or last.
Gavin Rowles

Two flashers Bob, one for the 4 way and one for the indicators (turn signal). If 4 way OK its either the flasher wiring (make sure it is all OK on the connections) or the unit.
Dave Squire (1500)

Bad grounds is the 1st place id look, 2nd place next would be the bullet connectors

Ive yet to understand flashers and brake Lights system ....flashers dont work and yet turn signals do... clean there common ground they both share... and whola, they both worked.... then a cool night in aug lots of condensation....ooouuu, nothing worked

Now everything works perfectly... I simple cut out ever connection I could find and sodered them and replaced grounding hardware with stainless steel


Theres a reason MG wiring is refered to as "the prince of darkness".... I cant imagine a better nick name, for something so hideous

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Bad grounds is the 1st place id look, 2nd place next would be the bullet connectors

Ive yet to understand flashers and brake Lights system ....flashers dont work and yet turn signals dont... clean there common ground they both share... and whola, they both worked.... then a cool night in aug lots of condensation....ooouuu, nothing worked

Now everything works perfectly... simple cut out ever connection I could and sodered them and replaced grounding hardware with stainless steel


Theres a reason MG wiring is refered to as "the prince of darkness".... I cant imagine a better nick name, for something so hideous

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Thank You all. A few hundred reps on the 4 way switch and replace the flasher in the glove box, reps on the stalk right side woke up a few more reps and the left arrived, and we are now street legal...............well until...
Bob
Bob Ketcham

****and we are now street legal...............well until...***

Are we every really street legal ????

I know im not, always a violation if the cops want to look more then 3 minutes

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

A little follow up, just the reps on the 4 way switch and new glove box flasher unit were not enough to keep the turns going so I sprayed the 4 way switch and into the column at the stalk with a product called CorrosionX
(corrosionx.com). Been working since. We sell it thru our ships chandlery to the new England fishermen. Great stuff...everything but sex. Beats the hell out of WD.
Bob Ketcham

This thread was discussed between 23/08/2013 and 27/08/2013

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