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MG MGF Technical - Battery Drain Again-More HELP PLEASE!!!!!!

Picking up from R Horne's thread 22 April

The wife's MG F is having the same problem, and has been for a long time even when MG Main Dealers were alive and kicking!
It's just come back from the garage yet again they cannot find why it keeps draining, fitted a new battery, (seems to need a new one every two years), the car's been used every day for 10 days left over the weekend, gone to go to work today, dead as a dodo. Could not even unlock with the key fob.
The alarm has gone off a couple of time over the last week, which makes me think it's a problem with the alarm.

Has anyone got any more answers or knows anyone that could help.

I'm print off the last thread to take in with the car, in the hope it may help.

We really are at the end of our tether on this one.
Gordon
Gordon the Gofa

Gordon,

Are you sure it's fully charged? Take it for a run for 1/2 an hour and make sure you can start it when you get home. If it's not charging properly it could be the corroded earth lead problem that seems to crop up in the archives (though I imagine you've been through there with a fine toothcomb by now).
Leigh Reid

The latest (June) issue of MG E has a good write-up on how to use a Multi Tester to solve just your problem.
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Thank's Leigh & Geoff, been down those roads to no avail.
Having the ECU route tested today, (hopefully if the garage can get hold of one to try), as it's a very early F may take time to track down the right unit.
Gordon
Gordon the Gofa

What sort of drain are you getting? Autosparks are normally spot on getting to the bottom of these things, though I'm surprised the garage have had no luck. Can you list what's been eliminated from the list so far?
Leigh

I had a battery drain problem for a little bit, found that the courtesy light under the front bonnet was intermittent (that and a dead cell in the battery didn't help)

I solved my problem simply by disconnecting the courtesy light.
A M Cox

Mine was draining all the time. Changed the battery but it still drained. Tracked it down to a dirty earth strap on the battery.

Cleaned the connections where strap meets body and hasn't drained for months even though I don't used the car regularly
I Laity

> Changed the battery but it still drained. Tracked it down to a dirty earth strap on the battery

I'm confused why a dirty earth strap would cause the battery to drain?
Leigh

The volts go up but the current can't flow through a high resistance.
The F has a double stupid system by using the bodywork for a return between battery and alternator which are at opposite ends of the vehicle. It relies on 2 weedy earth straps to link the 'negatives' via the body work. Pants. You can easily see both ends by the battery and tell its condition, but what about the engine earth strap? Either or both in bad condition equals problems which manifest themselves in tricky ways.
The fix is very simple you ensure that both ends of both earth straps are in pristine condition always. Or you can also connect the battery -ve to the engine with a piece of large diameter wire like some people, self included, have done.
C.R.B. Simeon

This thread was discussed between 08/05/2007 and 14/05/2007

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