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MG MGF Technical - New Features

Hi

While my F is being fixed I have had a couple of curtsey cars. And I have noticed a lot of cool features on them that would be good on the F like auto headlights and windows that go all the way down with one press etc.

I vaguely remember finding a company that was in the process of making a control unit for the F that would do some of these things.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Cheers

James
J Price

J,

The MY2K MGF and the current TF have 'one-shot' drivers window. I believe this is controlled by the black box of tricks screwed to the underside of the heater control box (but i'm not 100% sure at the moment).

If this proves to be the case, I am intending on sourcing a TF box and swapping it for the one in my F as part of the rebuild.

Anyone know if this will work?

SF
Scarlet Fever

Sounds like a good idea if it would work, I am sure this company I saw were making an add on box that went in line with the current one. I will try and find the page again.
J Price

J, the windows woul be fairly easy to do with a PIC, auto headlights are a bit more tricky
Will Munns

Will

Whats a PIC? :P

Scuse my ignorance :)
J Price

I think they started up being called
Programmable Interrupt Controllers, a small IC with lots of GPIO (general purpose Input Output) pins, programmable with a very simple and cheap PC software.

Since then they have had other peripherals like timers, counters, PWM (pulse width modulation- as used for servos), Uarts (as in serial drivers for the 9 pin ports on your PC), people have stopped calling them programmable interrupt controlers and call them programmable ICs or PICs. You can get them very cheaply, program software for them using 'C', and because all the work is done using software you dont have to think about doing difficult stuff with electronics.
So for this one:

Pin 0: up line for window
Pin 1: Down line for window
Pin 2: control line for relay (up)
Pin 3: control line for relay (down)

Software:

Loop:
IF Pin0:
Pin3 Off
Pin2 On
counterA=255
Else IF Pin1:
Pin2 Off
Pin3 On
counterA+1;
Else
IF counterA < QuickPressLimit
Pin2 Off
Pin3 On
counterB + 1
If counterB > WindowDownTime
counterB=0
counterA=255
Wait
goto Loop

Will Munns

Ahh I see sounds like it could be quite easy, but involve rewiring a lot of the car. :(
J Price

Argh, it removed my spaceing!!!
There shouldn't require a lot of rewireing, just intercepting the wires between the switches and their relays. The original system would involve a lot more rewireing because it included things like having your windows live for a peroid of time after your engine was switched off.
Will Munns

I feel it would make a good project for the summer :)
J Price

Maybe, but first I have to change the [bodyengine] & wireing loom on the midget .

Will
Will Munns

Would you have to use relays to switch the loads for the window motors?

Also where would be a good place to get one from I had a look on www.maplin.co.uk but couldnt find any decent ones.
J Price

Surely it is easier to get a MY2K switch box from Victoria at the MGF Centre (for next to nothing) and then simply swap the boxes?

SF
Scarlet Fever

SF

Yeah it could be (if they are compatable) What other niceties does the MY2K one have over the original?
J Price

AFAIK just the one-shot driver's window. If you wanted the passenger one to do the same then you would probably need to follow Will's suggestion.

I am not sure if they are compatible (they should be, i suspect they are externally identical, with just revisions to the internal circuitry), as i mentioned in my initial posting i will be doing this myself as part of my rebuild project (amongst other things) - it seems like a cheap and easy mod to do that's all.

MY2K F has additional speakers in the T-Bar behind the seats and additional tweeters in the door cards. It also has electric door mirrors (which is another job i am thinking of) as well as a height adjustable steering collumn (this would be nice too!)

In fact, i am going to order one from Victoria tonight, should know one way or the other by the weekend. :-)

SF
Scarlet Fever

Just spoken to Victoria at the MGF Centre, box is ordered and i should have it by the end of the week. I'll let you know how i get on. :-)

SF
Scarlet Fever

Scarlet Vader strikes again! Nice one Andy, let us know how you get on :o)

I've mailed you regarding the MY2000 single shot window control unit - is this the one you've ordered from Victoria?

BTW what controls the delayed power-down on MY2000 cars - is it the MFU?
Rob Bell

Andy - did you get the mail I sent you last night mate?
Rob Bell

Not been online at home since the weekend (SOS site update), will log onto AOL anywhere now and see if i have got it.

SF
Scarlet Fever

Just got your mail Rob, hmmm looks like i have ordered the wrong part! D'OH (_8(I)

Still, at least i know how it's done now and will be able to order the correct item (but not until Thursday as i am oat College today and out of the office tomorrow).

SF
Scarlet Fever

I have looked on Dieter's site and found the following:

http://www.mgfcar.de/one_shot_windows/index.htm

It looks like there is a kit you can get allthough I cant make much sense of it :(
J Price

No problem Andy :o)

Looking at the service schedule, the MGR unit is a descrete unit that *could* be fitted in a similar manner to the kit that Dieter fitted to his MGF (as highlighted in the link that James posted above). However, the schedule is noteably light on detail - like what the colours of the cables are?!

I'll have to have a look on Dieter's site for the wiring diagrams - hopefully MY2000 diagrams are listed...
Rob Bell

>>I'll have to have a look on Dieter's site for the wiring diagrams - hopefully MY2000 diagrams are listed...<<

Nope, just pre-MY2000 listed there - http://www.mgfcar.de/schedules/sb24.jpg

Anyone got a MY2000 electrical diagram handy and can compare it to the above? It could be quite simple. Then again...
Rob Bell

<<I have looked on Dieter's site and found the following:

http://www.mgfcar.de/one_shot_windows/index.htm

It looks like there is a kit you can get allthough I cant make much sense of it :( >>

James,

I chased this option up last year.
The company is a malaysian company, and wouldn't export to the UK, I couldn't find an inporter either.

When I did finally get in direct contact with the company, they informed me that they no longer make the part.


paul weatherill

Hmm, good news. Just had a glance at the MY2000 wiring diagram - fitting a MY2000 window lift control ECU could work out to be pretty easy - on BOTH windows if so desired (one would need one ECU per side). :o)
Rob Bell

Ah, bad news: the MY2000 switches are different. The driver's side switch allows the appropriate wire to go to ground, whereas on the Mk1 switch, the appropriate wire goes live whilst sending the other pole to ground.

Not really a problem: it just makes the installation a little more complicated, and more of a psychological barrier to breech!

Do-able.
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2003 and 13/05/2003

MG MGF Technical index

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