Hi
Lucas struck me again Fri night. Naturally it was extraordinarily cold and
I was all dressed up for dinner and a dance production. The normally
reliable 68 MGB decided to not start. We are talking DEAD battery with only
the faintest hint of life from the charging light when the key is turned.
Strange thing is that it acted like a short associated with the lights, the
turning on of which immediately killed the engine after a jump start. I
managed to get it a third of the way home before it abruptly died at a red
light. The rpms got relatively low, 1200 or so, as I put it into gear for
the green, then complete electrical failure. Fed up and wondering how much
of a trade-in I could get for a pair of MGs, I taxied home. I had a charged
up but older battery that I took back with me the next morning. I didn't
have enough juice to start the engine but I made it back home after a jump
sight. This time I kept the rpms high the whole way. Once safely in the drive,
I switched it off - it would not restart. Hum, problem with the alternator
or also with this battery? The original battery was hosed - would not take
a charge. The replacement battery appeared to be okay. But, these are both
Pep Boys batteries (inexpensive but fit in the 6V compartments) and I have
had several fail. In fact, I will never buy one again. I took the dead battery
back to Pep Boys and found out that they burned me on the deal. Be forwarned,
when the battery I purchased 4 years ago failed late last year, I returned it
and got a small fraction of a battery credit towards a new one. I paid the
balance and was satisfied - until Saturday when I found out that, even though
I paid 85% of a new battery, the battery warranty was listed as starting when
I bought the original battery (ie 5+ years ago) and was no longer any good.
I'm given the impression that this is the normal Pep Boys procedure.
Anyway... I have decided that this is indeed the appropriate time to replace
the cracked dash and sort out the wiring of the whole car. Before I stick in
my new Die Hard, I am still wondering about what could of gone wrong. No fuses
were blown, but it acted like an abrupt short. I'm looking at the starter
(which is unfused) but it works fine on jump starting.
Any suggestions/comments are welcome.
John Sanders
PS the dash panel I got from Moss doesn't appear to be of very good
quality.
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