Sounds like your boot light switch location needs a tweak, judging by your
previous diagnosis. Maybe it is only just switching off when the lid is
shut, try bending the plate it is located in up a little.
PaulH.
http://freespace.virgin.net/paul.hunt1/
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Huber <rickhuber@home.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: 22 June 1999 15:51
Subject: Draining the Battery (longish)
>Hi List,
>
>I keep thinking with all these years of experience troubleshooting and
>fixing MG electrical problems that I'll get to the point where one
>doesn't stump me and I can fix it without asking for help. That just
>hasn't happened yet.
>
>The latest is a problem with the battery draining while the car is
>stopped and off. At first, if you left the car not running for 2 days
>(rainy days), it turned slowly and wouldn't start. Now if I leave it
>several hours it turns slowly. I've had the battery in to the auto
>parts store and it's good - only 4 months old.
>
>Troubleshooting yesterday, I pulled off the ground cable on the battery
>and hooked up the multi meter between the cable and the (-) terminal on
>the battery to see if I was bleeding off power. Sure enough, it showed
>12 volts. Disconnected the new electric fans, since that was the last
>thing changed before the problem started, but still showed 12 volts
>between the cable and the post. Started pulling out fuses one by one
>and the 12 volts stayed on until I pulled out the bottom fuse, the one
>with the brown wires in and purple wires out - the circuits that work
>when the key is off. Finally the voltage dropped to 0 with that fuse
>out. Pretty simple - buzzer, boot light, interior light with the doors
open.
>
>Put the fuse back in - got 12 volts again. Opened the boot, removed the
>bulb from the boot light, and the 12 volts dropped off. Light in, 12
>volts again. Cycled the switch a few times and put the bulb back in.
>Now the switch controlled whether the 12 volts was on or off.
>Reconnected the (-) cable to the battery - light on with switch up,
>light off with switch down. Light on with boot lid up. Closed the boot
>lid, disconnected the (-) cable, and no voltage flowing. Pretty happy
>with myself with such a quick fix.
>
>Little while later we went to start the car and it turned slowly again,
>but the battery had been disconnected since the last time I drove it so
>it should have been fine. Charged it for awhile, started the car, drove
>around, shut down, disconnected the (-) cable again, and 12 volts is
>showing again.
>
>Took out the fuse box and cleaned all the contacts thoroughly. Put it
>all back together, checked for no voltage at the battery cable and it's
>all good. Charged the battery for 5 hours, disconnected it to go to
>bed, then got up this morning and the battery is weak again. I'm at a
>loss as to what to do now, so I just took out the bottom fuse - brown in
>and purple out, and I'll just live without the key off things for awhile
>until I think of something else clever to do.
>
>Any help on this problem would be appreciated.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Rick 'stumped in Baton Rouge' Huber
>'75 V8 B Daily Driver (after an every morning battery recharge)
>'65 B undergoing lengthy restoration
>
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