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MG MGF Technical - Superlocking - 4 flashes

My F seesm to be flashing the indicators four times when I superlock it. (Double press of lock button on fob)

I thought it was supposed to be three flashes. Is my F trying to tell me something?
Russell Parslow

Is it not just the car giving one flash for "lock" and a further 3 flashes for "superlock", so if done smoothly then you see 4 flashes?
Graham Martin

I thought of that but it never used to do 4 flashes.
What does everyone else's do?
Russell Parslow

Hi Russell - just checked mine (got wet going to the car park, hope you appreciate that ;-)) My MY2001 does 4 flashes. Listening to the lock activating at the same time, I'd go along with Graham's explanation.

Cheers, Bill.
wjf farnsworth

Sorry to be a bit thick, I've only had the car 3 years and never knew I could 'superlock' what is that?

Cheers, Russ.
Russ D Mellor

Hi Russ, its Russ here.
RTFM!
Hit the lock button once and the car will lock and perimeter (doors and boot and bonnet) sensors are armed. Indicator lights flash once. You can still unlock the car by smashing the window and lifting the lock button on the door. Alarm won't go off when you smash the window - only if you open a door.

Hit the lock button twice and the car dead-locks the doors, arms perimeter and volumetric alarms and flashes indicators 3 (or 4) times. You cannot unlock the doors by lifting the lock button and any movement within the car will trigger the alarm, e.g. window breaking, arm put into cabin when roof is down.
Russell Parslow

Strange my TF160 superlocks on one press of the fob and yes gives 4 flash'es
Ian Hunter

What year is your TF Ian? The cars received an electrical 'overhaul' in 2004 IIRC, with a number of electrical systems redesigned, and a new alarm ECU employed.

The new system can be identified quite readily - it uses the round remote door lock fob, as opposed to the earlier trapezoidal item associated with the Lucas 5AS immobiliser system...
Rob Bell

>>You cannot unlock the doors by lifting the lock button and any movement within the car will trigger the alarm, e.g. window breaking, arm put into cabin when roof is down.

Interior protection should activate on the first press if you have it.

Ian, I assume you have a mid to late 2004 or a 2005 TF? if so then these have a differnet alarm system to the Lucas sysetm fitted to earlier cars. With the newer alarm, the car superlocks on a single button press. I beelive this new alarm may be the same as the one used on the ZR, in which case it may be possable to use a ZR keyfob whcih has an extra button, to activate a boot release :D
Steve White

Rob/Steve, car first registered May 03 key fob is an oval shape. Is this normal ??
Ian Hunter

Ian, does your blipper look like this one? http://www.mgfcar.de/alarm_blipper/blipper2_t.jpg
Rob Bell

Just checked Deiters site -

VIN 4D620548 Alarm Blipper changed
VIN 4D631801 Burglar Alarm ECU changed

SO it would seem that having the newer fob doesn't necessarily mean you have the newer alarm system?
I find this a bit odd as I know of at least 1 F'er who was told by their dealer that the new style fobs cant be used with the Lucas alarm.

Ian, my last car was registered in March 03 and it had the old alarm system, so I can only assume the new system was introduced a lot earlier than I thought and yours is one of the first to have had it fitted.
Steve White

>> SO it would seem that having the newer fob doesn't necessarily mean you have the newer alarm system? <<

A question for Dieter, but I suspect that 4D631801 represents yet another blipper (the ovoid one in the picture link above). I wonder whether 4D620548 represents 3TXC or later Lucas fob????
Rob Bell

I have the new style fob, but still need 2 presses to superlock, this is on a jan 04 135, I assume therefore that the new fob does work with the old Lucas alarm?
Colin Ashworth

Silly me. 4 flashes is normal.From the manual:-

1. Locking with the handset
Aim the handset at the car and briefly press the lock button (PADLOCK SYMBOL) once: Both doors lock automatically, the perimeter and interior protection are both activated and the engine is immobilised. If the doors lock correctly, the direction indicator lights will flash once.
Press the left handset button to unlock (the alarm is disarmed, the engine re-mobilised and the direction indicators flash once).
2. Superlocking with the handset
Aim the handset at the car and press the lock button (PADLOCK SYMBOL) twice within 1 second: In addition to the features described above, superlocking also inhibits the door locks, making it impossible to operate the sill locking buttons from either inside or outside the car. If the doors lock correctly, the direction indicator lights flash once, and then an additional three times.
Press the left handset button to unlock (the alarm is disarmed, the engine re-mobilised and the direction indicators flash once).
Russell Parslow

Rob,

In a nutshell yes.
Ian Hunter

Interesting! What's your car's VIN?

It appears you have the later immobiliser unit.

I presume that your car has the later electrical system too?

Does your fuse board look like this? http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/common_problems/hgf_pages/fuse15.JPG - I suspect probably not... you've probably got the later version.

Look through Dieter's VIN survey results (http://www.mgfcar.de/vin/emgf_vin.htm), it appears that the alarm and electrical systems were changed in late 2003- so it seems that your car, Ian, is one of these!
Rob Bell

I have the feeling that the dealers could disable the auto-superlock on the later TFs if requested, much the same way as they can disable autolock if you unlock and don't open a door within 30 seconds. FWIW, my 04 model year TF160 (delivered on something like the 27th December 2003) has the later style fob and auto-superlocks (4 flashes).

Cheers,
Tim.
Tim Jenner

Rob,

VIN SARRDL8PC30617634.

Fith letter could be an O hard to see as its p...... down at the moment
Ian Hunter

Looks as though Tim's got the answer for us Ian! :o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2006 and 10/03/2006

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