MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Turn signals

Help! I am slowly going mad! I've read all the posts regarding problems with turn signals on my 1954 TF but still can't find the problem. I have wiring continuity between switch, repeater light, relay box, flasher unit and lights. All bulbs work and fuses are OK. The relays work when left or right is selected with ignition on. Right hand front and rear lights flash as they should do but when left are selected the rear light bulb is on permanently but the front light doesn't come on at all. Hope this is understandable, I'm useless at electrics! Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions on which circuits or connections I should check please. Thanks in advance for any ideas that will keep me away from the bottle!
K L Bennett

It sounds like the relay to me. I'd try popping off the aluminum cover and checking the contacts next.
-David
D. Sander

Thanks for prompt reply David, The relay seems to be working OK in that the contacts move when I switch for left or right. I have also cleaned them with fine emery paper. Any suggestions as to how I could definitely confirm whether or not the relay is in fact faulty please? I don't really want to purchase a new one if it's not the relay as they are pretty expensive, even over here! Regards,
Keith
K L Bennett

I agree with David. The relay is at fault. Not that it is not operating, but the contacts on the side that is not working properly may not be making a good contact. Try GENTLY bending those contacts so they are under a bit more tension when activated (but not so much as to close when they are not supposed to. The spring steel they are made of is known to lose some of its springiness with age, so a gentle reforming is likely in order.
Lew Palmer

K L, are your lamps still operating as originally designed? Some of the UK folks have done things to get amber lights in the front fenders. Is your relay can readily accessible? Had they been working, or is this a new hookup? Keep in mind that the flasher can expects the lights to be working. Bud
Bud Krueger

Sure you don't have a bad ground on the left front lamp? As Bud says, if both lamps do not carry a current then that side won't flash.
Chris Couper

A quick test is to connect a jumper wire from the ungrounded side of your battery to pin #2 of your turn signal relay (should have a green with red wire). Your left front turn signal lamp should come on. Does it? Does the left side lamp come on when you turn the lights on? Bud
Bud Krueger

Keith,

I agree with Lew that your issue is most likely the relay.

Years ago I got into mine and spent hours cleaning the contacts until I finally got it to work as it should. The key is that there are 3 contacts on each relay arm, and that the spring material the contact arms are made of have to be making contact at the proper time.

I fixed mine while it was still installed in the car and hooked up, by bending the individual spring arms to ensure that contact was actually made.

At the time I wrote up a step by step as to how I managed to get it corrected, and it is in the archives under my name and a title similar to "Turn Signal Relay Fix".

I'm no electrical technician either, but I do have perseverance, and I was able to get to the bottom of the relay problem. If I can do it, anyone can. But I had to admit, it was mainly because I was too cheap to have to buy another relay.

Gene
G Burgess

Try gently rapping on the relay box with the left directional on. I still think it is a fault with the relay. The relay unit is very temperamental.
-David
D. Sander

I'd chack that left front marker light to (1) make sure the bulb is good and (2) make sure the ground is good. Just run a jumper to it from the battery and see if it glows. If it doesn't jumper a confirmed ground and see if that helps. I'd do that first just because it's easier but I agree with the others that the problem is probably the relay because if a bulb is out or not grounded the flasher (I'm assuming a simple thermal flasher can) flashes more rapidly.

Jud
J K Chapin

Thanks to you all for the replies and suggestions. I'll check them all over the weekend and report back. Fingers crossed! Hope the cure is at hand as the bottle still beckons! Regards, Keith
K L Bennett

To all my friends across the pond.............Some Good news and some bad news re the Turn signal problem. The good news..... IT'S SORTED!!!!!!! The bad news.........the bottle that was beckoning has been replaced in the drinks cabinet awaiting another MG crisis!! I methodically went through all your suggestions and all of a sudden everything worked! I think it was down mainly to dirty contacts (I'd missed the third one underneath at the rear when I cleaned the others) and a very bad connection on the "X" wire to the Flasher Unit. My wife is over the moon!- now we can actually start to take left turns again when we go out, it was getting a bit monotonous keep turning right! As a thank you here's a link to some Brit jokes about Lucas that you may appreciate. Thank you all once again for your valued help. Happy MGing! Regards, Keith http://www4.ncsu.edu/~mtmorris/index3.html
K L Bennett

Must have been a Conservative MG - only made RIGHT turns.
Lew Palmer

This thread was discussed between 08/11/2013 and 09/11/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now