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MG MGA - erratic indicator

I have a problem with the the front offside indicator on my MGA 1500. It works fine most of the time, but stops after the headlights have been switched on for some time (approx 20 minutes).

Then it won't work at all for a few hours.

I suspect that this is related to the heat generated by the side light. Can anyone suggest how to test this and what to do to correct it?
Dan Smithers

Hi Dan. I just had this problem myself. What I found was that it is a problem with the flasher box mounted on the firewall. (Not the flasher unit with three wires, but the rectangular box with 8 wires) To fix the problem, remove the cover. You can pry it off with a small screwdriver. The cover can be pried off while the unit is still on the car. Before attempting repair, remove one of the wires going to your ignition coil. This is so you dont burn your coil or points, since the ignition will need to stay on for troubleshooting. Once the cover is off, you will see 2 coils of wire. Turn the ignition switch on, turn the turn signal switch to the side that doesnt work properly. Now, press on one, and then the other coil armature units. (The moveable metal arms that have the electrical contacts on them) When you press on the armature unit that is not working properly, your non working turn signal should start to work, at least temporarily, while you are holding the relay contacts down. Having discovered which relay unit is causing the problem, shut off the ignition switch, and run a piece of fine sandpaper, cut into a narrow strip through BOTH sets of contacts on the relay that is defective. You need to look carefully. There are 2 sets of contacts on each relay, (4 in total) After cleaning the 2 contacts, turn on the ignition switch, and turn on the turn signal switch. If the bad turn signal now works, the repair is complete, if not, then the contacts on the relay need to be adjusted a bit. The object of the game is to bend the armature frame containing the contact units a tiny bit at a time, until both contacts are oriented properly, so that the relay works correctly. Try bending the armature frame away from the firewall first, and in tiny increments. (small needle nose vise grips are a good tool to use here) Test the signal after each adjustment. If the turn signal still doesnt work correcly after adjustment, try bending the armature frame toward the firewall, again in small increments. Sooner or later, you should find a happy medium, where both of the contacts are oriented properly. At that point, your turn signal should work properly again. The cover you removed just snaps back in place. Hope the explanation is clear enough. Cheers! Glenn
Glenn

This thread was discussed on 08/10/2004

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