I hooked up the bat and my altinator smoke on ot heaven

Asked by tink52 Jul 26, 2015 at 07:35 PM about the 1978 MG MGB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I got a 78 MGB the other day to work on. I put a new battery in and it says negative earth so I figured that was a normal neg ground. I put in the bat and my alternator smoked got hot and I am sure died on the spot. The clock was operating so I assumed it was just a wiring problem that caused the smoking alt? Right? I can't seem to get a straight answer anywhere.. give me a hint please.. G.

6 Answers

15,715

Yes, it is negative ground just like new US cars. If you Google "1978+MGB+Wiring+Diagram" you will get a wiring diagram for your car. There are several listed so go through them until you find the 78 MGB

1 people found this helpful.
15,715

To James Rhodes: He wanted a classic car but if he wanted a newer car there are many that are better than the Miata. I had a 89 and it was a POS! Actually got stolen with a new set of tires on it and when it was found, all that was missing was the radio and tires. So much for Miata's

James when you get old enough to buy a car you might find things a bit different than you do now. happy 12th b-day!

15,715

Yes, I am old, almost 80. But I still have a 55 T-bird, 65 T-bird, 56 M-B 190SL and a 80 M-B 380SL. My daily driver is an Infinity M35S. Don't try to talk to me about classic cars. Sometimes you buy a car because you had one when you were younger and want to relive those days again. No one is buying any classic for reliability! but for fun, yes. You are either too young to appreciate classics or your idea of an old car is something from the 90's.

hey oldtimer37, James doesn't understand. That leaves more fun for others. It's cool.

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