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MG MGF Technical - MGF alarm trouble

MGF's always have trouble with the alarm in New Zealand. It depend son radio waves or something in certain areas the remote wont work so you cant take the immobiliser off.

This is even with extending the aerial in the footwell. Also happens even with a new remote with new batteries.

Does this happen in other countries or is it Unique to NZ?

Any ideas how to get around it
Paul (NZ)

I have heard of it happening when near transmitters or such but not as a general thing.

Ted
Ted Newman

Paul, I have never had any trouble with either my old F or TF here in Auckland, though I do know of one F that has problems in some supermarket car parks in particular.

Try the 'blipper under the chin' trick next time to see if the extra signal strength sorts it out. This doubles or triples the blipper range.
Neil Courtney

Paul,

Ted is right. If you are in close proximity to a Radio Transmitter, then it may not work.
I had this problem when parked outside a Taxi Office in Basel Switzerland. Unfortunately my Door Access Code did not work either. We asked them to stop transmitting whilst I started the car.
Do you have a Door Access Code to over-ride your immobiliser ?? My Code did not work as the wrong number was supplied with the car. I now check it after each annual service.
There are also two notes in my handbook. The handset must be on the ignition key ring and a second handset must not be on the same keyring.

Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Paul
Same for me in CHCH - though someone mentioned a mechanic suggested to do with mine being a Japanese import, and the those MGFs had a different frequency setting (i.e. NZ's cellphone frequency's cause troubles for the remote)

was told only way around was to replace whole unit at hideous price

Lindsey
Lindsey

Hi Paul, good to see you on the BBS!

I know of many Fs that have had this problem in NZ, and the problem is getting worse. It does appear to relate to cell phone transmitters...each time I've had a problem (Milford, Newmarket, Epsom, and now in Devonport) I've been in line of sight of a cell phone transmitter (the tall building-mounted panel antennae).

You can lock the car with the key, which will arm the alarm, and unlock with the key, however unless the alarm is fully disarmed by the key fob, the engine won't start. I know of two people who have experienced this, and in one case, the car had to be towed to an area out of the range of the problematic cell phone site before the car could be restarted.

I think the freq is around 15 MHz, which seems to be a problem, and I think the problem is restricted to Jap imports (the majority of Fs in NZ).
Karl Woodhead

Both of my cars have been NZ new. That may explain the reason I have not had a problem.
Neil Courtney

Hi I have the same problem, I find if get in the car and hold the remote down in the left foot well it works.


mac

Yes, the arial for the alarm in in behind the light in the left foot well. I have never done it, but if you remove the light and stretch out the short yellow (I think) wire so that it is straight, the signal is received much better. It probably increases the cell phone signal receptions as well, but in normal situations it will increase the blipper range.
Neil Courtney

Welcome lol. Ive probably beeen on this forum longer than most people here, I just dont post too often.

Ill explain the situation. The car Im talking about is a 95 Jap import owned by my father.

Usually the range of the remote is about 1m but sometimes in certain areas you have to unlock the door using the key then hold it in the footwell and most cases it will remove the immobiliser.

Have been talking to Lawrie Steere at MG service centre in chch and he said it was a common problem and theres nothing you can do about it.

Yes the import ones run on a different frequency to NZ new. The remotes for the imports are also more expensive, about $400ish compared to $250ish I think from memory.

The way they get into car that wont unimmobilise is to either push the car a few metres or if this isnt enough tow it a k or two.

Just as I thought noone can really say anything I didnt already know. Probably good to have a reference to it for anyone looking in the future.

Cheers
Paul
Paul (NZ)

Oh G Farthing. What do you mean by a door access code? Ive never heard of it.
Paul (NZ)

Paul

This your four digit security code that is on your security card that comes with the car - there is an emergency sequence of key in door lock movements (explained in your security handbook) to unset the imobilser and alarm.

Every MGF has it.

Ted
Ted Newman

OK, have got the good oil from my local MG guru (Terry Kelk, Heratage Mechanical Services, Henderson. Highly recomended.)
http://www.geocities.com/terrykelk/

I asked if the freqency can be easily changed. Terry's reply:

"Regards the alarm remote situation it is far more complex than that.

Firstly 315MHz is the frequency stipulated by the NZ govt for such items and frequency's are allocated by the relevant govt body for any country that a manufacture wishes to export into. In the case of NZ the govt kindly disbanded the body responsible for frequency location and regulation as far as I have been able to determine approx 5 years ago under the then new Labour regime.

In consequence Telecom and Vodafone are using these frequencies illegally.

Regards the cars when BMW were in charge of Rover in NZ they were forced due to high demand to take vehicles with not only 315MHz systems but also 433MHz as allocated to the UK home market, hence some vehicles don't appear to suffer in the same way, but never take a vehicle with 433MHz to 277 Broadway Newmarket!!

It should also be of interest to note that the Lucas 5AS system as fitted to the MGF is and has always been used in Discovery/R400/R200 Freelander and Defender also on 315MHz but in these vehicles the problem is nowhere near as pronounced.

Regards the fix to change the frequency requires new remotes and receiver current approx cost is over $1000.00 and therefore rather cost prohibitive to most owners, if anyone that you know is suffering serious problems and I haven't spoken to them already get them to give me a call as I have a number of short term solutions and can get most cars going again when stuck in serious problem areas. The long-term fix, which I am currently working on at the moment, is to change the engine management ECU from robust to non robust and am working with the guy in the UK that designed the system.

Hope this answers some questions."
Neil Courtney

Cheers for you help everyone

I have printed this out and shown to my father.

Will let you know how we get on

Paul
Paul (NZ)

Hi,
I have read this thread about alarm trouble with great interest. In the village where I live in Sweden my wife’s MGF now for three times has refused to start. Everything works ok with locking/unlocking the doors and all signals when putting the key in and turning it are “go” for start but turning the key to start gives no ignition. Last time I went home for another car to tow the F home but waiting in her car my wife then and now tested to start and… suddenly it worked.

When trying to start the stubborn car we have read everything in the handbook several times, tried everything including re-synchronisation of the key. But.. no success. For the moment we just do not understand what is going on which gives a bad feeling every time we stop the car and are going to start it again. Will it start this time???

What this thread has shown us is that there might be a connection to a cell phone transmitter as there is one quite new just outside the village an only about 400m from the last “problem area”. Might that be the problem? Do we have the same frequency trouble here in Sweden as in NZ? Any likewise experience for other Swedish F-drivers?

Or…is there something we do not understand about how to handle this lovely “baby” of ours?

/ C-G
CG Svensson

Ah. A used Japanese Import will probably not come with an English handbok or a Door Access Code. A trip to the Dealer should provide the info.
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

@ C-G,

>when putting the key in and turning it are “go” for start but turning the key to start gives no ignition.

Does the alarm LED down at the instrument go dark when you key the blipper unlock button ??

If not ...
Check cable connection at the starter motor for *green* corrosion.
Unbolt, clean, grease, re-bolt should do the trick. Or new battery.
Dieter K.

Hi all,
there is an explanation on Dieters site about the rather lousy receiver (the one inside the car) that is easily blocked by interfering signals on or close to the "blippers" working freq.
BR, Carl. (Out of internet for some day´s due to tropical rains and flooding!)
Carl Blom

Dieter,
>Does the alarm LED down at the instrument go dark when you key the blipper unlock button??

When the car was left for some time (us reading for the tenth time the instruction book) and we put in the key, the signal came for "press a blipper button". Doing so the LED get black and when turning the key further the starter engine go in turning the engine but no ignition comes.

For me, not yet knowing so much about the MGF, it seems to be that, when the passive immobilisation is on, the sensor at the key (the coil around the ignition switch barrel) doesn’t receive the correct signal from the transponder in the blipper when it asks for one as we turn the key to turn the starter engine. And here I can see that a strong cell phone transmitter can give problem. If, hopefully, my theory is wrong what can then be the problem? Blipper battery seems to be ok as we never have had any problem to lock/unlock the doors. And shouldn’t we have problem there too from the external transmitter?

Regards
C-G
CG Svensson

Thanks guys - Just come on board after a three week absence - Nothing will make the blipper work when it wants to pack a sad. Thought is was faulty batteries until I went to change one after three months and the retailer tested the battery for me - no problems. Thought it was wet weather as this was a common strand. But when I look at the problem more closely it is when I have the car in the city CBD area.
1996 Jap Import.

By the way - repairs almost finished - just fitting new radiator and oil cooler. Front end looks great. As the crash was not my fault the insurance company are being absolutely great - thanks AMI

David

David

New "blipper" or key fob is available from TechTronic of Trafford, Manchester. Sent my duff one to them and they sent a new programmed one by return of post. And only £30 too! Has an uprated battery that, with extending the aerial in the footwell, now means I can "blip" the alarm/immobiliser at around 50m !!
E.J. Griffiths

This thread was discussed between 01/07/2004 and 13/07/2004

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