MG Car Repair: 79 mg midget electrics, e mail address, windscreen wipers

Question
I've been experiencing problems with the windscreen wipers working very slowly and indicators not working intermittently. I undid the wiper motor plug and connected directly to the battery and they worked fine. I cleaned up the fuse box connections and contacts on the wipers switch - still no good. when looking at the ignition switch, I noticed a connector casing on the back of the ignition / starter switch had melted. So am going to replace the starter switch to see if this solves the problem - Do you have any other thoughts what this could be and also, how do I get the starter switch out of the steering lock housing to replace it ..... any help appreciated.

Answer
Hi Ern,
The first thing you need is a wiring diagram of your car. I would not plug a new electrical switch into a harness that had melted a wire. If there is a short somewhere you will just melt the new switch.
The MINIMUM tools you should start with is the wiring diagram, a volt/ohm meter, a test light and a couple of test wire leads.
To remove the electrical switch from the lock assembly look on the bottom of the lock to see a small set screw a short distance from the electrical switch. After removing the screw you should be able to remove the switch from the lock assembly. Look on your diagram for the color code of the wire that is melted and see what it goes to. Then disconnect that item. Now take your test light and connect the clip end to a power supply and touch a ground with the probe to confirm you get a light, then touch the end of the melted wire. You should not get a light. If you get a light, you have a short in the harness, if not then it is possible that the item that was powered is shorted internally and it needs testing. If you need a diagram send me your e-mail address.
You can get a test light form any auto parts stores, or better still, get a "Logic Probe" from a place like Radio Shack. Make sure it is in the 12 volt DC range. They are not expensive and you will rarely use a test light when you start using a Logic Probe.
Howard