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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Mg midget Wiper wiring 1500

Hi everyone,
I have been restoring a 78 MG midget for about a year now and have finally got stuck with something that the Moss catalouges and Haynes manual cannot help me with!

The wiper switch was missing from the car when I started working on it and I cannot find a wiring diagram to tell me which wires go where on it!

It is a dual speed system. Does anybody have a wiring diagram for it or would someone be able to pop the switch out off their dash for me and take a picture so I could see the wiring?


Thanks,

Chris
C Hammers

are you sure its a 2 speed. my 78 isnt. on mine 2 greens together go on no 2 green red on no 4 and green brown on no 5.
hope this helps.
bob.
bob taylor

As Bob, my early 78 1500 is single speed and wired as he says.

Make sure you look at the one and only wireing diagram for a standard 78. Best and easiest to identify is in the correct drivers handbook or make sure you are looking at the 1978 diagram in Haynes and not any of the ones headed with US or US state in the header unless you have an import left hooker. The US ones are wired different with lots of other stuff.
Dave Squire (1500)

Hiya,

My 1500 is an august 78 ie &9 model car and has 2 speed wipers.


If you have 5 wires at the wiper motor it's deffo wired for two speeds.


Connections to the switch are as follows:


Green(2 wires) to pin 2.............from fuse



Light green/blue to pin 3..........high speed


Light/green/red to pin 4.........low speed


Light green/brown to pin 5.....parking circuit from motor



Hope that helps. The worst you can do is blow the fuse!


Tip, there is a connection between the Lt green/brown and the Light green/red with the switch in the off position. That is how the parking circuit works.


Hope that helps.


Regards Steve
SR Smith 1

Sorry for the slow reply but I've been refitting the bonnet and a few other bits this morning!
Looking at the wires I believe to be all for the wipers and I have the following:
twin greens in a single terminal
Green with red
Green with brown
Green with blue

Now looking at the diagram the LGB is actually for a washer pump... So maybe I in fact have a single speed

Steve I have tried connecting as you said but didn't get any luck
The switch I have for it has connectors on pins 1,2,4,5 but not 3...

It is a late 78 and was registered in 79
C Hammers

Hiya,


Look at the plug where the wiring fits to the motor, has it got 4 or 5 wires?


If you have 5 it is deffo 2 speed.


Sounds as if yr missing the connector with the 2 greens at the switch end, that's the live supply off the fuse.


Uk spec were never wired for electric s/wash, so the lg/black shouldn't be there.


I'll wander out to the garage and check mine as the fascia is out for repainting, the previous info was lifted from the wiring diagram which isn't always right!


Bear with me.


Steve
SR Smith 1

I have just tried applying power to the red brown and blue but get no movement... I had the motors moving yesterday but forgot to note which wires caused this.

The switch I have operates 1 to 2 with the others disconnected
2 to 4 with all others disconnected
4 to 5 with all others disconnected
C Hammers

My wiring diagram seems different. I am looking at one described MG Midget 1275 from GAN 105501 and 1500 all markets in the haynes
C Hammers

On the motor I have in the connector

Black
Greenblue. Browngreen
Redgreen. Green
C Hammers

Hi,
Deffo 2 speed then.


lt/green/red is low speed


lt/green/blue is high speed.


Just looked at the connections to my dash switch.

2 greens to pin 1


lt green/blue to pin 2


lt green/red to pin 3


lt green/brown to pin 5.



Just connected up the battery and it works, so if you have the same switch as me, that should work.


Good luck.
SR Smith 1

Haha it's alive! Or at least fast and parking work but I have no slow speed... Would that be a MOT failure?
Time to start buzzing that wire I guess... Unless something has packed up on the motor.

Also is it possible to adjust the travel positioning as one seems to travel too far and stop before it reaches where it home should be.

Thanks for all your help!
C Hammers

Looks like you may have a 79 according to the wireing diagrams then.

The wipers just need to work for MoT and on an older car they also expect them to be human parked.

Make sure the washer pump works well enough and puts water on the screen. Seems to be a common failing on cars if you still have a hand pump.
Dave Squire (1500)

I've come to the conclusion that the switch is different to the factory original... If I swap the fast and slow over then the slow works and fast doesn't.
The wiring of the switch means that when it is in the position for slow it is actually connecting fast modes and slow modes together with no power...
More confusing now!
C Hammers

Thanks Dave the washer spay pump has actually just packed up on me!
One battle at a time and all that!
I can live with the wipers as long as it goes through the MOT which I'm hoping to book for Friday. All the little niggles ill fix later in the year I just need the car ready for May as its going to be our wedding car!
So on to the next job of screen pump!

Does anyone know if the car would of had fog lights fitted as standard and if they are needed for the MOT as some one had started fitting them from the look of it and if they're not needed ill just remove them for the MOT...

Thanks for everyone's help! Ill post a picture later!
C Hammers

Hiya,


Glad you got it sorted at last.
Sounds like you have a non OE wiper switch though. As long as one speed works it'll be ok for MOT purposes.

A. to the parking issue just reposition the arms on the spindles!



I take it you mean rear fog lamps? Not needed on any Midget as they are only mandatory on cars registered Jan 1980 on I think, and Midget production ceased at the end of '79.

But if fitted they will be tested at the MOT.


Good luck with the test.


Regards Steve.
SR Smith 1

This thread was discussed on 07/04/2013

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