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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - MOT and Accessories

I have fitted a while back a hazard warning switch. In typical fashion reflecting the poor quality of the component supplies, the relay has failed. The indicators are permanently on although this is only on hazard. For normal direction use, all is fine.

I am due an MOT. Will the hazard device, being an "extra" be tested in the MOT? If so, can I say I am in the middle of fitting it, or if I disconnected it, would it have to be removed?

The car is '71 so theses were not fitted ex factory
G Williams (Graeme)

Can't see your problem, just remove it permenantly or hide the switch behind the dash.
HALL JOHN

If it is fitted, it must be working and it will be tested. It doesn't matter that the car didn't have hazard lights when new. The same is true of rear fog lights. Once they are fitted they become part of the test. If you can't fix it, remove the switch or the car will fail.
Mike Howlett

Nice understanding approach John!

All it needs in the longer term is a replacement relay. Bu8t the MOT is due in the next couple of days.
G Williams (Graeme)

THanks Mike, that is exactly what I needed to know.
G Williams (Graeme)

woooooooooooooh, bit tetchy with John there, MoT rob you of your usual humour

Mike's right - can be confirmed here (and you can check out other MoT requirement to them for sure too) -
1.4 Direction Indicators and Hazard Warning Lamps
'However, if they are fitted, they must be tested'

http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/doitonline/bl/mottestingmanualsandguides/mottestingmanualsandguides.htm
Nigel Atkins

Too much time spent reading Front Wheel Bearing threads Nigel - lost my sense of humour around about post 180.
G Williams (Graeme)

next time skip post 180 and go straight on to post 181





. . . although post 180 could be the post that explains it all to everyone's satisfaction :D

that link to the MoT is a good one as you can browse or download the MoT details
Nigel Atkins

No worries Graeme, I'm a Virgo, practicalities alway come first! Just thought it was easiest way to get it through MOT. It can be fixed later.
Cheers John
HALL JOHN

THe problem is a practical one in that it is never easy working below the dash. It usually means turning upside down in the seat, waith all the blood rushing to your head! It took a fair bit of installing, breaking connections and so on and getting it nicely positioned. Removing it or resiting it is not really a job to be contempleted. The purpose in my question was to check whether I could just leave it and sort it "at leisure". I now know I can't and bought a modern electronic flasher relay today which I shall use as a replacement in the back of the MGOC Lucas-lookalike-but-rubbishy hazard switch assembly.
Apart from the flasher relay failing with use only in testing, I also discovered that the contacts in the switch have no spring in the metal, as so very easily pull away from the other half of the contact and no-longer make.
G Williams (Graeme)

As part of this "sorting out" I have replaced both the hazard flasher unit and the standard flasher with the electronic versions.

I did this based on Nigel's suggestion in an earlier post about an indicator fault. The electronic ones seem much superior to the old style bi-metallic strip versions. The switching rate is independent of the resistance of the lamp circuitry and so run at a set rate. Unless you are after "original" spec, why stick with the old style? Only other factor is whether the electronic need negative earth - I suspect that might be an issue.
G Williams (Graeme)

plus the current stock (and for some time back) of original style flasher units seem to be poorly made and play up in a short time of use

I'm almost (note almost) sure I've seen them for positive earth too

it's useful that the indicators do slow to almost nothing at tickover as you wait in the road to turn

Graeme,
I did wonder if it might be easier to prise the switches forward out of the dash to do the work and sit comfortably :)
Nigel Atkins

Nigel: the hazard flasher box is about 6" long and I have mounted it to the right of the steering column attached at it's front edge to the square bottom edge of the dash. THere was no-way I was going to find enough clearance anywhere behind the dash. An hour on it yesterday and my back is suffering this morning!
G Williams (Graeme)

blimey I thought it was just another switch and another relay is your unit from a tank
Nigel Atkins

No it doesn't work like that Nigel. You have to isolate the existing circuit otherwise you hit some strange conditions if you turned on the indicators when the hazards were on. You can buy a "Lucas-style" as they call it, unit from MGOC and others. But as I said earlier, I'm not impressed with the quality. The switch has 6 terminals, plus a few spare which turned out useful when one failed when the contact bent and wouldn't spring back.
G Williams (Graeme)

I was thinking of the later cars where it was factory installed, I can't think of any big units but I've never had to look at the hazards on a car so don't really know
Nigel Atkins

Interestingly the same approach does NOT apply in motorsport. If you have something you don't need (car is exempted a rule by age) so long as it isn't deemed dangerous it doesn't need to meet the regs.
Daniel Stapleton

This thread was discussed between 29/03/2013 and 01/04/2013

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