MG Car Repair: 1976 mg midget that wont start, coolant leak, mg midget

Question
My 1976 mg midget was running well till coolant leak soaked the engine compartment...fixed the leak and drove the car home...now it won't start..thought it was a jump start but it didn't help start the car..was making a clicking sound on first jump start attempt...now no clicks...dead...could the leak of coolant have ruined the coil...please give me some advice...thanks

Answer
Hi Jill

The coolant may have gone everywhere, but one thing is for sure, it will not have damaged the coil.

It will probably have got inside the distributor.  You need to take the cover off, dry the distributor and the inside of the cover with an absorbent cloth, and leave it off for a while so any moisture can evaporate.  You could even blow warm air inside it with a hair dryer.

The spark plugs and leads should also be clean and dry, including the 5th lead that goes to the coil.  

The fact that you drove home afterwards tells me that there is nothing basically wrong with the distributor, but it could have condensation inside it, so best to dry it out.

I am a bit worried about that click.  It could be the solenoid mounted on the top of starter motor.  They sometimes play up if the battery is a bit flat.  Can you put a charger on the battery overnight?

A flat battery can be caused by a faulty alternator, and if you have sprayed coolant all over the alternator this could be another problem.  Once again, blow warm air over the alternator, especially where there are cooling holes in the casing.  You might be lucky and successfully dry it out.

Try charging the battery overnight and it might be ok the next day, but if the alternator has failed, then the battery will soon flatten again.  At least this time you will know what the problem is, and you will then need to get an exchange alternator.

I have just found the wiring diagram for a 1974 Midget to USA specification.  Yours should be similar.  There is an interlock relay that prevents the starter from turning if you have not done up both seat belts.  It operates ANOTHER relay which is somewhere in the engine compartment.  You must find this relay.  That is what you probably heard clicking.  It will have 4 wires going into it.  Black, Brown, White with brown stripe, Yellow with pink stripe.  My guess is that this relay has got wet and stopped working.  Just replace it with a general purpose automotive relay, and maybe all will be well.

Hope this helps,