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MG MGF Technical - Battery Flat, Can't get in to the car

Hi,

I have not been using my 98 Abingdon for a while (2 months) as I was out of the country.
Wanted to start the car up today, and as I expected the battery was flat.
The biggest problem I have is that the remote to open the car doesnot work. Even using the key I cannot open the drivers side door.
Any suggestions?

Gerrit
Gerrit Kremer

That's one of the reasons to fit a battery cut off switch, see Topic: Switch it off.
Bas

Gerrit, open the boot with the kay, open the front bay, charge the battery and ready !!
Bas

Your key should open your driver's door, flat battery or not. Get it repaired.

Bruce
Bruce Caldwell

As Bruce says the door should open with the key with or without a battery. The lock may be rusted from not being used for a while. Try a bit of wd-40 or similar.

Spyros
Spyros Papageorghiou

Gerrit,

Had the very same thing last weekend. not one light lit up in the car or boot. opened the driverīs door with the key.

Although, there is a unique combination of left/right key turns to disable the alarm "mechanically", in case the battery of the remote key has died. Your dealer should have given it to you. Most of them forget to though,

succes,
david.
David Peters

Hi All,
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I can open the booth with the key, but cannot open the bonnet. When I pull the handle it feels loose and the bonnet won't open.
Still the car door won't open when using the key.
I will make a visit to my dealer tomorrow and see what they have to say.

Gerrit
Gerrit Kremer

Gerrit,

>>When I pull the handle it feels loose and the bonnet won't open

It sounds as if you've also suffered the common 'bonnet cable end slips of mounting' syndrome. Quite a coincidence. Your dealer ought to be able to release the bonnet from the front - through the grille. I had this problem and the dealer opened the bonnet, re-connected the cable and bent some component to prevent it from happening again - all in about 5 mins! Hopefully yours will be as simple and will not actually by a broken cable.
Dave Livingstone

In the meantime, you should be able to charge the battery by:

find the large fuse against the engine/boot firewall

Use a multimeter to work out which terminal goes to the battery (one should give a very weak reading the other none WRT the chassis)
connect the +Ve of the charger to this connecton and the -ve to the chassis

then remember to resync the fob by standing close and pressing the lock or unlock key four times.
Will Munns

>> find the large fuse against the engine/boot firewall <<

Do you mean a large diameter cable Will?

Jeepers Gerrit - you can't open the driver's door with the key and you can't open the bonnet because the release cable has snapped/ slipped: how unlucky can you be? Don't bother buying a lottery ticket this month mate! LOL

I think that Will's suggestion is going to be best - namely, attempting to charge the battery from a cable in the boot. Assuming that the bootlight cable hasn't suffered an internal break (and knowing your luck at the moment, I wouldn't rule that out!) you can trickle charge the battery from the bootlamp loom (as it is always live when the boot lid is open). If you can get into the engine bay, then there are higher-capacity cables to choose from which may serve the job better, but are clearly going to be harder to get too under the circumstances.
Rob Bell

There is a Big ar*e fuse in the engine bay, I think its from the alternator, saying that, i've just thought of another connecton - the alternator - big terminal!

I wouldn't charge thru the lamp wireing as the wire is probebly not up to continous charge current
Will Munns

I have spoken to my dealer today, and they suggested I would use my breakdown insurance, for them to pick the car up and try to open the bonnet. They have done that before.
Will/Rob, your suggestion sounds OK to me, however I am a little reluctant at the moment to charge the battery in that way. (It's the luck thing :))
I will call Lancaster today and see what they say on the breakdown issue.
Gerrit Kremer

Hopefully you'll be mobile again soon Gerrit! Your luck has to turn soon - LOL
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 12/12/2003 and 16/12/2003

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