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Lord Lucas strikes again

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Lord Lucas strikes again
From: Neil_Oldfield@nag.national.com.au
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 15:22:57 +1000
     Well listers, I've been struck by lord lucas again.  It all started a
couple of weeks ago, my wife decided she would take the MG to work and
leave me with the S******u, she got in started the car and went to turn on
the wipers to clear the screen, nothing.  She proptly cracked it for the
shits, left me a nasty note saying that hte **** car dosn't work, and took
the other car.   I go out and don't have a problem at all.  I then out of
stupidity ignore this symptom.

     Monday morning I go out to go to work,  its raining.  start the car
turn on the wipers.....  nothing, everything else works just no wipers.
hmmmm.  As I have no covered area at home, not even a carport, I limped
into the nearest peetrol station, using their roof I started to
systematically trace the problem, having no test light or multimetre(?).  I
could only clean the terminals along the way and hope this fixes the
problem.  Luckily I have the factory workshop manual, that has a good
wiring diagram (Best $40 I ever spent at a swap meet).  still nothing,  by
this time the station owner had got a little pissed off at this idiot in a
convertible with the roof down (in the rain) and his feet out of the roof,
so he came over with a test light.  Diagnosis, power to the motor in the
green wire from the fuse box, no power in the light green wire to the
switch, but all the other things on this circuit (Fuel Guage, Indicators,
Ect) work.  This I diagnosed as a stuffed switched,  called friendly MG
specialist, they confirmed my diagnosis.  Ring work tell them cant get into
town today, and arange day off, (Maybe they should have LBC Repair days as
a leave entitlement).  Now how do I get this thing down to get a new
switch, dealer is 45 Min away, down two busy roads.   Hmmmm.   Bugger it ,
it has stopped raining, I took off the drivers side wiper arm, and with the
window down, reached out of the car and manually wiped the windscreen with
the wiper (Do not try this at home).  Boy those trucks put up some spray.
1 HR latter, and 2 stop's, for increased rain (Arm couldn't keep up with
rain), I finally make it to the dealer.  Just to be sure I had diagnosed
correctly got one of their mechanics to check it.  He sits in the car,
turns on the ignition, flicks the switch.  What are those things moving on
my windscreen. ARRRRRRRRRRRRR.


     I hate lucas. Turns out I have an intermittent problem with the
switch,  brought a new one, and drove home, no problems.  At least i got
1/2 a day off anyway.  Maybe their is some truth the the saying, edison
discovered the electric circuit, but lucas discovered the short curcuit.


Neil

64 MGB  (The Baby)
28 Graham Paige (The Mistress)

P.S. Maybe it got jealous, I Took the Misstress out on a club run on
sunday, and gave it a wash, but didn't wash the baby.




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