MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Flat Battery now SRS light wont go out

Hi all,

Just bought a ZS 180 and all was well. However Ive let the battery go flat and now the SRS light wont go out. What have I done and is it fixable ?

Cheers.
Mark.
M.J. Savage

Something is probably wrong with it, if you haven't disconnected and reconnected any part of the circuit. I've got a battery cut-off switch on mine which I use regularly, and have had a flat battery (hence the cut-off switch) and not had that problem.

Haynes specifically warns against diagnosing problems using 'standard workshop equipment' as they contain explosives of course. I did have this problem on a BMW when I had to disconnect an SRS connector to remove a seat, then reconnect the battery to move the car with the seat still out. It had to be reset by someone with the approporiate box of electrickery.
Paul Hunt

hi
iv recently bought a ZT and it was fine for a few weeks but now the majoroty of the time it fails to start. everything comes on bar the engine and the only way to start it is to get a jump from someone else. iv had the battery checked and its fine so any ideas ahat it wrong?
stephen trainer

If you connect the jump leads to your battery terminal clamps and it then starts then the only thing that can be wrong is your battery, or possibly how the clamps connect to its posts.

Battery testing can be hit and miss, you have to take it to someone who knows what they are doing, and these days that isn't easy! You need to put voltmeter probes directly on to your battery posts, not the clamps with the cables in them, and see what the voltage is when someone turns the key to start but it doesn't.

If you see 10v or better while *cranking* than the battery is fine, if significantly less than that then the battery is duff no matter what any tester might say. This is all assuming it won't even turn over when you turn the key to start. If it turns over but won't fire up then something else is wrong, but then connecting jump leads to the battery post clamps shouldn't make any difference.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2009 and 18/09/2009

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG ZR ZS ZT Technical BBS is active now.