[Mgs] no rich cunky volts

[Aaron Whiteman]

(first reply sent only to Paul, so you'll get two copies; sorry about that)

On Jul 6, 2010, at 10:08 AM, Paul Hunt wrote:

> some peoples stupid shorts do deserve to be cut off and burnt.

Agreed.  But my utilikilt is cherished (except when driving a MG).

> Even if the alternator suddenly packed up the battery should get it another
40 miles at least.  And if there is enough energy in the battery to turn the
engine over, but it won't start, then there is some other issue.  Check you
have HT with a timing light clipped onto the coil lead and each plug lead in
turn and watch the flashes while cranking.  Remove a fuel feed pipe from a
carb (ignition off!) and see if you get a spurt of fuel.  If so, more research
needed.

OK, the car is home.

The alternator has 3 spades--2 that provide charging amps, one that provides
the signal to the red light in the cockpit.  The top charging spade was not
attached to it's wire, which was sitting "over" the spade, potentially making
intermittent contact with the alternator body (it's a plastic covered
connection, so the chance of a short is smaller.  Possibly, there was no short
here at all.

However, a fuse that I had wired in-line in the white circuit under the dash
had blown.  While the car was running, that bulb was full on, I suspect
current was going through the indicator and to the fuel pump as an alternate
circuit when the fuse "protected" the normal path failed. Once the car died
(insufficient power to pump enough fuel to go up a hill?), the alternator no
longer lit up the circuit, but because the white line was cut, the bulb was
dead when "ignition on, engine off" too.

In any event, when I replaced that fuse, I had no trouble getting home.
Finding the short that caused the failure could be Real Fun.

--
Aaron