Driver side lights not working

So I needed to remove the driver's side bumper overrider a few days ago on my '73 B... that was a chore. A hacksaw had to be used on the siezed up bolt. But anyway...

After doing this and disconnecting the license light wire in the overrider, I notice my driver side running lights (back, side & front) and both back-up lights aren't working.

PO did some crazy stuff with the wiring, which I am gradually fixing. But I am totally lost on this one. I have 3 ground wires dangling on the driver side in the trunk, near the rear light, along with some wires just stripped and wound togeher.

PO also used any old color wire to make mends, which makes this task harder.

The wiring diagram is not helping me here. (Using Bentley #14, 72-73)

Anyone have some idea what could be wrong on the driver side?

Thanks

most lights problems are ground problems. (headlights are a little different).

I recommend Rick Ashley's book "MGB ELectrical System"--availabel from AMazon.

Sigh - as future dpo myself (9+ year daily driver) , I can understand YOUR dilema, as well as the PO's. Sounds like a grounding-fault.
Get, make or steal a continuity tester - basically a lightbulb with 2 leads. Attach it to the wires you messed with (PO didn't give you a list of his "aftermarket owner modifications" huh?) - until you find the proper chartruse, beige or burnt wire - then ground the tester to the chassis somewhere where "Proper British Rust" does not appear. You may have to modify the metal with a Dremel Tool, wire wheel or wire brush to achieve the desired effect to achieve proper earth (ground).
Keep us appriswd of how your Empirical efforts culminate....

DAMMIT JIM - up too long again...

Get to bed, Dammit!

K....

The dangling ground wires might be a clue. Excepting that the lights ground through the housing to the bodyshell.

chris Wrote:

Yeah... the dangling ground wires are a huge clue. But dangling wires don't really tell me what I need to know. No connectors... nothin'.

Which leads to another question. Do any local-type auto places carry the OE style female bullet connectors? The type with two connects on each end? Most of mine are shot.

I've never found anyone who carries Luclar connectors but would also like to hear of a source closer than 4 days away.

chris Wrote:

http://www.advanceautowire.com/ AWW! Too bad - sorry.

http://www.britishwiring.com/

Did you check to see if you are getting power to the sockets? If yes, then either the sockets are corroded (unlikely but not impossible since it is affecting all the lights on one side) or a grounding issue (again it seems unlikely since it affects all the lights on one side).

If you look at your wiring diagram and trace the red wires from the sockets in question, you will notice that the probable common point of failure is the fuse. Have you checked the output terminals to the top two fuses for power?

Does your car have hazard lights?

Snap connectors/sleeve connectors are available at http://www.britishwiring.com Moss Motors, and Victoria British. Look at the wiring diagram and count how many singles and doubles the car requires. For less than twenty dollars you should be able to get enough replace them all if needed. British Wiring also sells wire and bullet connectors.

The tail lights in the trunk grounded through those 3 dangling blackwires, they are supposed to have a ring terminal on them and be grounded to the body under a bolt that holds the license plate holder on.

I can take a pic if needed.

Just for the heck of it wiggle the wires at the fuse box and see what happens. bob

joemamma Wrote:

robieusa Wrote:

Kimberly Wrote:

Try switching the fuses around. Sometimes they blow at the ends inside and look good when they aren't. If that switches the side that works and doesn't, you are good. The 3 black wires in the trunk ground the fuel pump for sure. If that is working, I would think anything else grounded there would also be grounded.

Brilliant! I went ahead and replaced the two top fuses with new fuses. I now have running lights on the drivers side front, but still not the rear. Getting closer, I think.

Cool! NOw check your wire connections in the trunk AND take the bulb out of the socket then scrape the contact point across rough cement to clean it. Reinstall and see if it works. Checking continuity back there would also be a good plan.

Ground all the black wires in the trunk.

Robert,

You said you have hazard lights, why did you choose diagram 14 for your car?
As far as the tail lights, it doesn't matter since the schematic for the tail lights are the same on all four diagrams for a '73.

Kimberly Wrote:

The wires that go to the lights in the trunk.

green/purple - brake lights
green/white - right side turn signal
green/red - left side turn signal
red - after you are able to get power to the red wires, you need to determine which is the left side and which is the right side.

Are the blue wires pigtails from the marker lamps? If yes, then using bullet connectors and snap connectors, I would connect them to the appropriate side's red wires.

If the blue wires are coming from the wiring harness, there are different steps I would take. Do you have blue wires in the harness?

For parts, I would make a list of the number of bullet connectors, snap connectors, and the gauge, length and color of wire needed and place an order with British Wiring.
Or find a parts car and cut the section of the harness for the trunk from it and splice it to the harness for my car.
To connect new lengths of wire, I would solder the new length of wire or section of replacement harness to the existing harness and use shrink tubing to insulate the splices.
Paul used a replacement section of harness when the harness in his trunk burned up due to a short.

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,561752,562379#msg-562379
http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,562793,562793#msg-562793

The trunk harness from any B '71 and newer can easily be adapted. Paul used the harness from a rubber bumper B to fix his early '70's B.

Kimberly:

Thanks.

I have an order in for a bunch of bullet connectors. Most of mine are original and thus crumbling, many are gone. I also need to unwrap the harness a bit to see where the original wires begin -- as PO replaced some with blue, black, whatever he seems to have had on hand. To make it tougher, he painted the trunk, along with the wires, several years ago, so it's really hard to see what's what.

I am also looking for replacement harness... but need to make do and just get it wired correctly for the time being to avoid the terrifying possibility of fire.

Your comments above are very helpful.

I do have one additional question about the ground wires. Should they go into the same double-bullet connector? That is, should Grounds 1 & 2 in the first linked image go into the top of a connector and ground 3 into the bottom of the same connector?

I am a wiring idiot... well... just an idiot in general.

Kimberly Wrote:

robieusa Wrote:

UPDATE & CLOSE:

Got the lights working. Turns out the PO had spliced a wire in the harness, and that wire was no longer connected to give juice to the running lights.

Lights are now working. I just need to figure out where the reverse lights are screwed up & all wiring will be in order (he says, waiting for the Lucas zap of lightning to strike).