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MGB MGB, starts... not

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StevenA

Jedi Trainee
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My 79B has been sitting for a few months and the battery was down... I had added a new radio a few weeks back and thought that was the problem... maybe a grounded short. Anyway I charged the battery and noticed that it was almost up all the way (read 11.82 volts). I checked fuses and all were good. I hit the key and it cranked. So, I left it til next week. I went out this last weekend and hit the key and I heard a pop like a fuse blowing and it didn't start. No noise after that at all. But my clock worked (more on that in a moment). I turned the key and the clock would stop but nothing else worked. The lights wont' work and the horn and I rechecked the battery... 12.45 volts. I came back the next day and have the same problem.
Where is a fuse/relay/ gremlin that would effect the starter, the lights, the turn sigs, horn, etc but not the clock until the key switch is in the start position. The clock stops when the key reaches the start position and comes back on when the ley goe back or is taken out.
Tomorrow I am off after 3pm and will start tracing wires and relays until something works... unless any of you know a location to look first. ????
 
I would first check the battery terminals and the connections, make sure that they are secure. Then I would take a look at the earth strap in the engine compartment, make sure that it is in good condition and has solid connections at each end. But I would certainlyuspect the battery connections.
 
Battery! Put a new one in it with clean battery ends & she'll fire right up...
...oh, have your alternator checked...should be putting out like 14 amps
 
Steve is on the right track. The pop you heard was a ground. Either at the battery or at the engine ground strap. You have a loose or corroded ground. If you have the battery clamps that you cut the cable and put the clamp on. I would look real hard at that. You may want to get a new ground wire for the battery. One other place that could be the problem is a loose or dirty connection at the starter. Either way theres n easy fix.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tony barnhill:
Battery! Put a new one in it with clean battery ends & she'll fire right up...
...oh, have your alternator checked...should be putting out like 14 amps<hr></blockquote>

thats 14 volts, Tony
wink.gif
 
Just in case you don't already know, there is a wire brush available at auto parts stores with a male end for cleaning battery connectors and a female end for cleaning the battery posts. Best little investment you can make to eliminate most of the causes for this problem.
This is the first thing to try and 90% of the time that will be it.
 
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