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MG MGF Technical - Brown and Gammons electric boot release kit

I fitted that Brown and Gammons electric boot release (manufactured by RDM) the other week and it went in reasonably ok...probably about 4 hours...still sounds a long time!

I thought that the whole kit was much better engineered and thought out than the equivalent kit from Moss and others. The instruction are easy to follow and much more comprehensive than the instructions with the Moss kit. However there are anomalies in the instructions and if you ever have a go at fitting one get in touch with me first. I have a few photos of the installation too.

The Moss kit uses a solenoid to pull the catch in the boot but the RDM kit uses a motor. I found this easy to fit (there is a drilling template in the instructions) and worked first time without further adjustment. The motor is very small and neat and doesn't foul luggage in the boot.

The electrical connections (to the handbrake, fuse board and hazard warning switch) are well described and relatively easy to make. The connection to the handbrake is fiddly but ok. To gain access to the hazard warning switch I suggest you carefully lever out the centre air vent using a screwdriver top and bottom, (thanks to Mike Satur for this tip). Take care with the orientation of the centre vent when refitting and it will push back in with no problem. The boot release switch only operates when the handbrake is on and the ignition switch is at position 2. (Not sure but i don't think the Moos kit includes a connection to the handbrake).

An attractive round alloy push switch is supplied with the kit to be mounted on the fascia, i guess it works fine. I decided to use a Rover fascia switch to activate the release which would fit in the spare switch blank I had. I used a MGF 'air recirculation' switch (looks like a circular arrow), one of the two you get with aircon fitted, cost approx £6 from my dealer. I had more trouble with this switch then any other part of the installation, it works fine as a switch but getting it to illuminate at night was another story. I had to alter the circuit board in the switch (carefully!) to make an independent circuit for the illumination, (as standard it shares an earth with the activation switch and as soon as you turned the lights on if the handbrake was on it would pop the boot). If you want advice on how to alter the switch then get in touch, but its time consuming….the switch supplied with the kit is a much easier alternative.

Routing the wire through the car is not difficult but again it can be time consuming. I routed mine up through the centre console (remove the ashtray and the centre armrest cassette holder to pull the wire through) and followed the existing wiring loom across the engine cover, though the rubber grommet, through the engine bay and up the boot hinge. Getting the wire around and through the cavity in the boot lid where the existing cable runs is easy if you use a piece of bent stiff wire (coat hanger) to progressively pull the wire around via the grommet holes in the boot lid. (Thanks to Rob bell for this tip).

Each to his/her own but I find the boot release really useful and use it several time a day. Sometimes its useful to not have to switch off the car to get in the boot, (I know I should have a spare key…*smile*.)
Paul

Paul,

>The Moss kit uses a solenoid to pull the catch in the boot but the RDM kit uses a motor. I found this easy to fit.

Let me confirm your impression. The adjustment of the pull solenoid is a really tricky thing. I haven't had the original Moss Kit but don't think it can be easier.

>I had to alter the circuit board in the switch (carefully!)

Did you cut the inner leads under the bulbs and solder an extra wire to the PC board ?
Its the same circuit then as at the alternative rear sreen heater switch I used.

dk
Dieter

Hi Dieter,

Not sure what your first question is asking.

In answer to your second question. First i dismantled the switch. Then I removed some of the plastic over the curcuit board to expose the copper tracks using an engraver. Then I broke one of the copper links with the engraver to separate the two circuits. Finally I soldered in a link across to use the unused centre pole of the switch as the earth for the illumination circuit.

Paul

Paul

An alternative boot release swithc could be the RV8 one as this is a dash mount switch and may be a similar size and fit.

Rog
Roger Parker

I am pleased to see that the B&G kit seems to be easier to fit than the Moss. I had so much trouble getting the Moss solenoid fitted properly so that it worked without compromising the normal boot operation that I still have not wired in the rest of it (more than a year later!). Maybe this year?

Peter.
Peter Ambrose

Nice work Paul!

I have put plans for my own electric boot release on the back burner for a while, but reading of your exploits, I may be tempted to think again and have a go! :o)
I have spare web space so if you want your instructions posted, let me know. :o)

Rog, what was the part number for the Metro rear hatch release again?

Anyone know the part number/ cost of the 7 hole switch panel employed in cars with air con? My 5 hole switch panel is already fully employed!

Cheers

Rob

Oh no, HOW many projects have I got planned now??? HiFi, boot release, power delay... Gulp!
Rob Bell

>Oh no, HOW many projects have I got planned now??? HiFi, boot release, power delay... Gulp!

ROFL...
Rob, see the result at me, or better said mine ?
Nothing gets ready.
But I need that chaos :)

dk
http://mgf.tech.here.de
Dieter

>>Nothing gets ready.
But I need that chaos :)<<

Come on Dieter, don't give up your investigations on hydragas suspension !! ;-))

CU this evening,

Fabrice
Fabrice


In my first post under this thread I mentioned that there were a few anomalies in the instructions for the electric boot release kit and I thought I’d just post them up so that they remain in the archive when this thread disappears. Some comments may be a bit confusing but will make sense if you actually have the kit.

1. The drilling template for the motor fits over a indent in the metal next to the boot latch to position it properly. Do not push the template into the indent as this makes the holes when drilled too close together, just stick the template flat and flush over the indent.

2. The drill hole size specified in the instructions for the mounting holes for the motor is too big. Match the holes drilled with the size of the self tapping screws supplied to mount the motor.

3. The kit says the connection to the fuse board is made to the 'back' of the board. I originally took this to be the side of fuse board facing away from me and started to loosen the board to get access until I realised the connection was staring me in the face. I probably should know this but the 'back' of the board is of course the bit with the fuses on and is the bit facing you when you drop down the hatch under the steering wheel. The connection is made to one of the 3 male connectors which are in a horizontal line right in the middle of the fuse board.

4. The bolt supplied for mounting the relay will not fit into the relay connection/mounting block when the relay is also in place and is useless. I also could not find the 'spare mounting hole' referred to in the instructions to mount the relay with an alternative bolt so I just ended up taping it in place.

5. A fuse is supplied with the kit and this is not used at all.

Maybe this stuff will be of some help to someone in the future.



Paul


"Maybe this stuff will be of some help to someone in the future"

Paul , You are in the future!! See date of posting....
From MGH-owner 2036.

Rob,

The motor is the Metro tailgate central locking motor found under part number FUD 10034.

The switch panel is I believe FJM 100650 PMA. Do double check this one as the slides are especially unclear in this area.

Rog
Roger Parker

Thanks for the info Rog. I shall start collecting the necassary parts for the conversion.

Paul, do you have a copy of the wiring diagram? I am interested in the handbrake lock out... is a relay invlolved?

Rob
Robert Bell

The handbrake switch is on the earth side of the switching circuit of the relay Rob. The power for the switching circuit comes through the push on/off switch to the postive side of the relay from a connection into the hazard warning wiring which actually ends up being the feed to the instruments (only works at ignition position 2). Thus the switch only gets a closed circuit and activates the relay if the handbrake is on and the ignition is at position 2.
The kit supplies a loom to tap into in parallel with the existing handbrake switch and a loom to tap into the hazard warning wiring.

The switched side of the relay gets its power from the accessory connection on the fuse board and earths the other side of the motor through to the existing earthing strap in the boot latch area.
Paul

Hi Paul

How much does the kit cost??

Stefan
Stefan Gibney

Thaks for that info Paul. Sounds very logical.

Cheers

Rob
Rob Bell

Stefan the kit costs £70 incl VAT from B&G
Paul

This thread was discussed between 08/03/2000 and 16/03/2000

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.