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MG MGB Technical - Hazard lights/indicators

Supposed to have MOT 9 am tomorrow! - spent the evening checking it all and suddenly no hazard warning lights AND indicators at the front not working but both sides at rear working albeit the flashing is at a quick pace. Have checked bulb connections and bulbs and these seem fine (all working before engine and gearbox came out!!)

Any suggestions?
/Moss
Moss

Probably too late -it's 9.08- but aren't there a whole bunch of bullet connectors near the fuse box/inner wing and another behind the grill. These corrode. Fronts (on my 69) are Green/red stripe and green /white stripe -left hand and right hand respectively. Also check the earths!Good luck
Michael Beswick

Sounds to me like two separate problems. Bullet connectors are likely suspects for the indicators. You need to check where the voltage is getting to.

Hazards could be down to the switch, the flasher unit or even the fuse. Do you have voltage to the flasher and to the switch?
Dave O'Neill2

Hi Chaps, thanks for response - my own fault - last minute etc. Was up til 2 am trying to find the problem - there were/are two.

1) the bulb in the indicator was the wrong type, certain it was working but it was not. One of those double 5/21w types with two filiments in the same bulb. Never seen one of those before. Took the light unit apart and found the inside connection was completly corroded to nothing so no connection and wrong bulb.

2) The hazard warning light switch in/on the dashthe problem. I wiggled the wires behind and whoopti worked again. So will take that out and look - a loose connection somewhere there.

I tried for the MOT - had too as I was overdue otherwise here in DK you have to hand in your nummber paltes or wait for a fine! It failed on the indicator, and rear brake right hand side - not working at all - not even as handbrake. And the winged centre spinners. And the emission was 7%. It must be 5.5% or lower.

So still work to do - I have until no later that 19th Feb...
/Moss
Moss

Dual filament 5/21 are bog-standard on all MGBs for the parking/brake lights (UK anyway, may be different functions for USA but still the dual filament bulb).

Problems with hazards and/or indicators not working at all are often down to hardened grease inside the switch. Flipping it back and fore may help, but in the end I had to dismantle mine (in a poly bag to catch the bits), dig out the old grease in put some fresh in. Been fine since (getting on for 15 years).
PaulH Solihull

Well Paul I have learnt something new again. Thanks for that.
The switch is fine actually - the problem is the connection in the light unit in the bumper - non existent due to corrosion - the holder for the two pins on the side of the bulb housing is corroded away.
/Moss
Moss

Sounds like quite stick MOT in Europe now ( is Denmark part of Europe? )Here in oz slightly less stringent, but while you pay for registration every year usually no yearly checks ( unless it is a random police safety check). If you let your registration lapse, oh no, then full road safety check before you can re-register. If you move states, the same full check, and the various transport departments get their share of the fees!. Mike
J.M. Doust

J.M, DK is part of the European Union. It's the small piece of land on top of Germany - about the size of a very large farm in Australia - you know the farms where they use helicopters to round up the cattle at the end of the day :)

The MOT system is strict in one sense but beneficial in other respects - especially for classic/veteran vehicles. The MG is now 35 years old. This means that is gets veteran status. This means the next MOT (when it eventually passes!) is in 5 years and after that every 8th year. Road tax falls to 25% of the usual rate and insurance gets reduced by approx. 50 %. But one can only drive 6000 km a year and one is not allowed to use the car between Novemeber and March on public roads. Fair enough in my book. 'Normal' non-veteran/classic cars have to have an MOT every 2 years and new cars the first MOT after 4 years.

A fair system despite the strict rules and regulation.

Moss

There's talk in the UK of adopting the European standards for MOT periodicity in place of the 'every year after three years' we have now. Also scrapping it altogether for pre-1960 cars. But even the classic car world thinks scrapping it for pre-1960 cars is pretty stupid, not all of us know what to look for and what we are doing in terms of keeping them safe. And for affordable classics like the cheaper MGs and Triumphs a lot of owners are pretty impecunious and would let things slide if they could. Personally I think even the relaxation for modern cars is pretty stupid, the failure rate (all vehicles) in 2010 was 38% and it is increasing. 12% of all tyres are illegal on replacement, and you have only got to glance at the tyres of 'modern' cars in supermarket and the like car parks to see why. Manufacturers have steadily reduced the owning as well as driving experience to a totally passive one, other than refuelling too many people probably don't bother with anything else.
PaulH Solihull

Yes, one of the things that strikes me is how cheap cars are in the UK. The value loss after 3 years is astounding. Here in DK there is a registration tax on new cars of approx. 180%. So that is what the dealer pays for the car then 180% of the price in tax. It means people take good care of their cars because they are so expensive. A Ford Focus estate 1.6 diesel costs about 30.000 pounds (hard to believe but it's true). A BMW 5 series or Audi A6 saloon costs over 65.000 pounds....
/Moss
Moss

Moss

What is the situation with importing a 'used' car from another European country?

Back in the '70s, my next-door neighbour's sister bought an Austin 1300 in Denmark for about 20% less than in the UK.
Dave O'Neill2

Import laws stipulate that any car coming into the country, used or new has to pay registration tax. If used then the tax authorities look at the value of a similar car on sale in DK and the difference in the purchase price payed abroad and what one would pay for an already registered car is then calculated with the end results being the tax sum to pay...you can imagine the paperwork. You have to prove where and how much you have paid - cash transfer etc. It then has to be tested with a certain time. You have to have 'try plates' to get insurance for a limited time. I thought about it a few times but gave up - a minefield of complications.

Export of a car out of DK is the opposite process - but the values are at the price level determined by the car's age, not new. The registration tax return sum decreases with number of years. Yes it can be benefical for some owners to do that but that is the purpose - the attitude being less old cars in DK the better!

/Moss
Moss

Oh how times have changed... No longer "Rip of Britain". Well for new cars anyway... I remember the 80's and 90s when cars were much dearer in the UK as the manufactures applied a "right hand drive surcharge" as they said it cost more to tool up for RHD. It was also cheaper to order a RHD car and fly into "Europe" to collect and drive home....
Now the UK market has reached saturation levels, our disposable income has reduced and you can no longer re-mortgage the house to free up money, the prices have corrected and the deals available can be impressive. Our consumer driven approach to cars ie run until broken and replace, means the depreciation is significant which is great for us that can fix some of the easier faults!

MGmike
145k miles in a C5 eurobox when SHMBO whats to travel in some comfort,,,,,,
M McAndrew

This thread was discussed between 17/01/2012 and 22/01/2012

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