MG Midget Forum

A most unusual thing happened yesterday while driving in the rain. It was my first time driving in the rain and after driving for about 10 minutes going 40 mph, the car suddenly died. I tried to start it up again and it barely fired up before dying again. Thankfully a nice man and a sheriff stopped to assist me to the side of the road.

We looked at the distributor and it was dry inside. There was fuel flowing from the fuel pump. The current flowed from the battery.

I still got towed home, however, I was able to start the car but kept the foot on the gas to prevent the car from stalling out again and did back the car into the driveway while it was still raining.

This morning with the sun out I decided to see if the car would start and it started without much problem. It did run rough for a few minutes. I decided to fill up the tank to see maybe I was low on gas. At the pump it came out to 4.28 gallons. The gauge still showed a 1/4 full when I filled up the car. Afterwards I started the car and it drove like nothing happened.

So I was wondering maybe I was running low on gas and it had nothing to do with my car not liking the rain? Yet I still wonder if water got into something and caused the car to suddenly die out and I couldn't get the car to start.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

Have you run the fuel tank that low before?

Yes once. Learned never to do so again.

I only drove for 94 miles with a full tank so I was surprised I could have ran out already.

I once drove my 1971 through a very large puddle that was maybe a good 3 inches deep. The car ran really rough and even then barely after that and it was obvious that the cap was cracked. You could see sparks dancing around on the cap. The inside was still dry, but the water caused some arcing on the outside. I suppose low fuel could be a problem too, but if it ran fine when dry I'd suspect a cracked cap. Start your car, spray some water on the cap and see what happens.

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Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-03-01 03:00 PM by AmishIndy.

You may have a crack or hole in the fuel pickup tube in the tank.

In that case I need to remove the gas tank to fix that.

I'm guessing this only will be an issue when it's raining then?

I would agree with Seth that it's likely the distributor cap or something else electrical. It really does not sound like anything with your fuel tank.

I had a weird one once on a Midget. I had a crack in the top of the coil case, and when it get wet, it would short the high tension to the 12V post on the coil. This was a little bit newer car, and it blew out one leg of the full-bridge rectifier in the voltage regulator (internal to the alternator). Anyway, you might look really close at the distributor cap and coil case for tiny cracks. Also, old spark plug wires will do the same thing, for the same reason. They can have tiny cracks that will conduct electricity when they get damp. More likely to be something minor electrical than fuel.

Yes Had this happen in the 74. 30+ years ago. Coming back from a date. Driving in the rain and quit. Called boss to tow me home. Got it started when he got there. Would run a few miles and quit. [Cap getting wet].
Got home found cap cracked. Ordered 2 cap and extra wires.
Always keep extra cap with spark plug wires already in it. [side entry type] in trunk just in case. Never happen again. Maurice

Back in the '60s, this used to happen all the time in heavy rain or deep puddles with my MK II Sprite, when it was used as a daily driver. Something about the tire spray pattern underhood from the right front tire. New cap and wires never really solved the problem. We used to keep a spray can in the car to dry out the coil, wires and cap when it stopped running. Seems it was called "Start Wet Engines". Took about 5 minutes to dry out and start again. I think it was some kind of alcohol spray to dry out trapped water.

This never happened in my MK 3 Midget, but it hasn't been driven in the rain for 32 years and it was not a daily driver. Given the chance, I'm sure it would act similarly since the right side underhood environment is very much the same.

Bruce

I looked at my distributor cap and it looks fine. It was replaced less than 2 years ago.

The thing I did notice was the "L" shaped rubber connector from the vacuum line to the vacuum unit on the distributor is pretty shot. There's cracks and can barely connect the line to the vacuum unit hole. Maybe that could be the issue?

It's 153-840 in the Moss catalogue.

I doubt that it is that hose fitting and I am betting on the cap (maybe) or the coil (probably) getting wet and shorting out as Robert (above) said
BillM

I'm with Seth, Mike, Bill and others in suspecting a problem with cap, wires or coil. As one guy already recommended, start the engine, then spray some water on the distributor, then the plug wires and, finally, the "business" end of the coil. I expect that will show you where the fault lies, pretty clearly.

I'll check that out then! To think wet weather can stop a British car

I'm curious to find out what distributor cap, wires and coil you are running. The more recently produced stuff is, usually, not of the same quality of the original stuff. Carbon-tracked distributor caps can be successfully reconditioned by blasting with something like walnut hulls.
The original, side-terminal Lucas distributor caps are the best. I've even had acceptable results from the new Lucas replacements (side terminal, of course).