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Another DPO story

To: spridgets@autox.team.net, mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Another DPO story
From: Ajhsys@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 12:09:03 EST
Reply-to: Ajhsys@aol.com
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
Well, I took a day off yesterday to try to get my turn signals working so I 
can get my Midget inspected.  ('77 Midget 1500)  Here's what I found.

The circuit for the turn signals is *supposed* to go from the hazard switch 
to the flasher to the turn signal switch on the column.  I had replaced the 
hazard switch because the plastic was broken, and the hazards worked fine.  
So I looked up behind the dash above the glovebox (which I had removed) and 
found the flasher.  Both of them.  The Lucas flasher in it's 
holder...disconnected, and the NAPA flasher with two wires connected, wrapped 
in electrical tape.  (The tape, presumably, is to keep the smoke in.)

One wire (lt. green with brown tracer) went toward the driver's side.  I 
assumed it went to the turn signal switch as indicated in the wiring diagram. 
 The other wire was somewhat suspect.  It was orange, went first to a 30 amp 
fuse, then to more electrical tape, and emerged as a black wire that went 
thru the firewall TO A GROUND!!!!  And it was grounded to a screw on the 
heater valve control, which is the best place to get corrosion in the entire 
engine bay!

I can't imagine how they expected the turn signals to work that way, with no 
power source.  Or why they thought it necessary to put a fuse on the ground!  
The black wire was plenty long enough to reach to the flasher.

I found the green wire with the little black ends that came from the hazard 
switch, and traced it to another small electrical box next to the original 
flasher.  I am not sure what this box is, but I suspect it is the voltage 
stabilizer for the fuel gauge.  The green wire for the turn signals was on 
it.  I put both wires on a new flasher and the turn signals now work properly.

(Standard DPO disclaimer.  This was not done by the PO from whom I bought the 
car.  Scott is a lister on the MGs list and would never do this sort of 
thing.  He just didn't get around to fixing it before he sold it.  The DPO 
existed before Scott.)

For all of you new listers, this is what we endears these cars to our hearts. 
 They have so much character, and they are not without a sense of humour.  So 
now I believe everything is in order so I can get the car inspected without 
too much expense.  Maybe next week.

Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport

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