Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello, I've just bought my first Moggy and on the drive back from Coventry to Birmingham, an orange light kept coming on every now and again on the speedometer - I presumed this was the battery light?

Today, I've gone to start the car up after a couple of days and it won't start. Am I right to assume it's the battery? It looks as though it's seen better days?

Any help would be appreciated, couldn't spot anything similar in other posts and as I have no manual yet, haven't much idea about what the light is?

oil pressure or blocked filter. Check your oil level pronto! If its low top up with a quality 20w/50.

Battery charge light is RED - but may have faded to orange ? The 'real' orange light indicates low oil pressure-on some later cars there is also an orange light to tell you the filter is blocked - either is very bad news. I suggest an oil change (use 20W50) and a new filter be fitted asap. Why does it not start - is the starter not churning the engine fast enough - or is the engine just not firing up despite plenty of churning? If the first case - start it on the handle ! If second case check firstly the fuel pump (give it a bang with a spanner) and then check all the ignition bits and pieces.

Today, I've gone to start the car up after a couple of days and it won't start.

If it was me I'd check with the previous owner to see if they had any tips.

Unfortunately 'won't start' could cover a million things so to help get the correct advice, you need to give a little more info.
First question is what year is the car?
(And a really silly question - if it is an early minor, are you sure you tunrened the ignition on before pulling the start switch?)
(Silly question #2 - do you know how to use the choke?)

As asked already - did the engine turn over rapidly, or did it struggle / not turn over at all?

Regarding the lights on the speedo, depending which model there are 2, 3 or 4 lights. Only 2 could be orange and both of these are oil related.
Sometimes (rarely) people put the bulbs into the wrong position on the speedo, so it can be confusing.
On a standard Minor, the red light can come on at tickover and this is normal. At tickover the dynamo doesn't produce enough power to charge the battery - hence the red light.

Thanks for the suggestions - I will change the oil filter and top it up tomorrow when I have a whole day to look at it all, and let you know how I get on...

Sorry to miss out vitals - It's a '68 Minor Saloon - the engine did start jumpily then stopped. Silly questions welcome! I'll double check when I try next time

Topped up the oil - still no joy. Checked out the battery and it had no power whatsoever despite a green light saying it was charged, wouldn't even power the lights so have put on a new battery and now, all is well again!

Thanks for all the help - much appreciated! This is a brilliant forum for people like me who are starting out with no clue whatsoever

Good, but, if the battery goes flat again then you will have to investigate
further. Check the fan belt which should be set so that you can JUST move
the fan round by hand if you have a dynamo and,if you have an Alternator,
you should NOT be able to turn the fan by hand.

There is no green light to tell you the battery is charged ! As Willie says - you need to wonder why the battery was flat. maybe just an old battery that doesn't hold the charge, and maybe the charging system is not working. Any chance you can take some voltage readings from the battery ? Reading with engine off (before starting), and then again when the engine is running at fast tick-over would help.

There is no green light to tell you the battery is charged !

A lot of batteries have this feature - it is meant to highlight the condition of the battery but once the battery is a few years old (i.e. when you most need a visual indicator) I've never heard of one that worked properly.

My old one didnt, it just constantly showed green even when it was knackered

Will try and get voltage readings over the weekend - has started up fine since the new battery, but as you say, it could be more serious (hopefully not tho!)

Easy test - set the car with headlights shining against wall - run engine at idle, then rev up. Do the lights get brighter ?

Mine do, is that a problem? Battery charges all right

That's good ! Lights should get brighter, even with an alternator unless the idle speed is set a bit high.

Cool you got me worried there!

Yes - lights get brighter. Thanks for that! Now to find the person that has dented all my rear arch and drove off

Ouch! That happened to me, except my mum did it, it bent the rear bumper into the rear wing . Tub of filler sorted though it always seems like such a bodge though