[Mgs] Driving, one bump, no power ....

[Paul Root]

Yeah, that makes sense.

This morning, it won't start. Just clicks. Ignition light comes on.  
When I turn to starter. The brake warning
light comes on. Strange.

Even weirder, the clock and the radio are now working again.

So to me it sounds like I have a loose ground under the dash  
somewhere, plus something down in the
starter/solenoid area. Plus check out the alternator and change the  
belt (which I've been meaning to do,
anyway).

Paul.

On Sep 23, 2007, at 8:52 AM, Paul Hunt wrote:

> If it *was* the battery that jumped up and shorted out on the cover  
> then unless it welded itself there the interruption would have been  
> momentary and the engine would have restarted while still being  
> spun by the forward motion of the car, as you don't seem to have  
> dipped the clutch for a few moments. The alternator shouldn't have  
> been damaged by a short on the output, they are internally  
> protected against over-current, but who knows what spikes might  
> have been generated by shorting the battery (if that is indeed what  
> happened, any tell-tale weld marks on the connector or cover?) as  
> they should be disconnected when welding.  If the engine didn't  
> restart while it was still being spun, nor was there any power  
> (warning light on?) when you turned the key to crank, that implies  
> a failure of a brown connector at the solenoid, but they should be  
> on studs on a 77 and very unlikely to respond to a bump.
>
> If the clock is still off that implies a problem in the purple  
> circuit and should be easy to find.  If the courtesy lights and  
> horn are OK then it isn't the fuse so probably just the 12v or  
> ground wire to the clock dropped off.
>
> For the radio it depends where it is powered from - normally it  
> would be from the accessories position of the switch, is normally  
> the only thing that is, and should have its own in-line fuse.   
> Again it looks like a 'one-off' unless it shares the ground with  
> the clock.
>
> If the car starts and runs but the ignition warning light is on  
> that implies no charge from the alt, again easy to check at the  
> plug on the alt.
>
> With some power having come back it looks like the original cause  
> of loss of power to the engine has been lost ... until you hit that  
> bump again.
>
> PaulH.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> So I'm driving into work to replace the dns/proxy server.   And I  
>> change
>> lanes for my exit, and hit a bump.
>> Radio goes off, no power, push in the clutch, and the engine dies.  
>> Hit
>> the starter, nothing.
>
>

Paul Root
ptrmgb at gmail.com
77 MGB
99 OBS