Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Plus 8 issues - hood and amps

Hi all
A couple of questions if that’s ok.

1. Rain pours in. I notice that there are two parts of the hood over the door. Is one supposed to be on the outside of the side screen?
It doesn’t look easy to do.

2. With the master switch on, there is a constant 2 amp drain on the battery. I disconnected the alternator and pulled each fuse in turn with no change. Could it be the starter motor? It works ok.
Problem is if I forget to switch the master switch off it won’t start.

Thanks

Phil

Hello Phil

1 Yes there are (or should be) a flap that fits behind the sidescreen and one over the top . Much easier to do from the outside than when sitting in the car. If you have the standard 9 stud hood check that the "bolster" is inside the header rail of the windscreen, leaks there are very common if it is not set up correctly.

2 I am not a qualified auto-electrician but a 2 amp drain is too high, I think mine was some milliamps the last time I checked. The main item it should power is the immobiliser and clock if one is fitted, (that will flatten the battery but only after a couple of weeks or so of inactivity) check that by pulling the fuse (can't remember which one sorry) But even then I don't think this is a high current item. I suspect there is a leakage to earth somewhere in the system. The bad news is that such faults are usually very difficult to isolate, but just go through things methodically and it will reveal itself.

Most of us keep the battery on a "conditioner" to stop the battery discharging in between outings , that might be a worthwhile investment, but first I would try to find the root cause of the current drain.

Well that explains why it needs a Master switch The drain is definitely excessive so needs investigating. Immobiliser, radio, interior lights or some hidden aftermarket device wired with an equally hidden fuse are candidates. Unlikely to be anything to do with starter circuit.

Good luck with the search.

2 amps is much higher than normal drain on a battery as it should be of the order of a few millamps. First of all, I would not trust the in-car ammeter. Disconnect one side of the battery and install a decent multimeter selected to current mode, in series between the battery terminal and the disconnected lead to verify the actual discharge.
As you have already removed all fuses, I support Richards suggestion that it could be down to some aftermarket device, maybe an alarm of some sort? 2 amps equates to 24 watts which would be enough to emit smoke, heat or smell if it was down to broken insulation somewhere!

Radio would be my first port of call.

Happened on my Aero 8

There was no radio fitted.
The engineer used a multimeter and pulled each fuse in turn, then disconnected the alternator.
None of these reduced the discharge.
Starter motor is suspect number one,
The car has been standing for a long time which may mean corrosion of components.
It is being looked at on Monday again so I will let you know.

Thanks for the help on the hood. I have tried it. It can be done from inside but I suspect I’m going to have to do the passenger side from outside.

What year is the car?

1997

https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/wiring1990on.html

That's a shame. The wiring diagram on Gomog isn't a lot of help.

Wiring diagrams for Morgans can ever be somewhat suspect, and more generic than accurate on occasion.

Your discharge problem could even be in the master switch. Also wood if wet enough can conduct electrickery.... and switches that have not been regularly operated and living in damp conditions can begin to conduct or not as their mood suits... If you wish to try to sort this out and equip yourself with the basics of operating a multi meter, I am sure there are those here who would guide you through the process step by step...

Good luck..