MG Car Repair: MGC-GT Electrics

Question
Barrie,

The other day was fiddling with my "C" installing a clock into what I thought was the other side of the radio fuse.  I hooked up the lighting which seemed to work well as I had issues with my high beam flasher switch. Found out that the flasher housing was loose.  While driving the car the rev counter became flaky - working sometimes and others not.  Never had this issue before.  Then I heard static through the speaker, as I pulled in the drive way, I saw a hot lead for the lights gauge lights come loose and ground out.  As I grabbed the lead, the car died,  I tried to restart the car, and the electrics went totally dead.  No lights. horn, gauged, no clicks, nothing.  What could have happened?

Answer
Hi Robert

The MGC wiring is basically the same as the 1967-69 MGB.  There is one main wire which powers everything in the car.  It is coloured BROWN and goes from the starter solenoid to the ignition switch.  

From the ignition switch it then goes to a 4-way bullet connector behind the centre console.  This is where you should have attached your radio, using an inline fuse.  

From this bullet connector there are two more Brown wires.  One goes to the main fuse box and the other goes to the lighting switch.

You say you have no lights, no horn and no gauges.  From this description I have concluded that the main Brown feed wire from the starter solenoid to the ignition switch has burned out.  It is the only wire that supplies all three of the items that you mentioned.  It may just be that the ring terminal on the end of the wire needs cleaning up or replacing, or you may have to run a new wire.