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MG MGF Technical - No Electrics

Help!

My wife drove car to work this morning, after 20 ish miles all electics failed, engine continued to run however.

She can still start car but has no electric services still...car was garaged about 6 days ago and this is it's first run since then. It's a 52 plate TF 160, was wondering if battery has had its day?

Will there be any problems with the alarm after battery change?

Last question for now...What type/ size battery do I buy if I replace the old one (hand book burried in a box post house move!)?

Many Thanks guys.

Timmeh
Timmeh

If the car still starts then it is unlikely to be the battery.

What electrics does she still have OR not have!
Ted Newman

'All electrics failed' and the 'Engine continued to run & starts' is a contradiction as the engine runs on electrics.
If the battery will start the engine, then it can be assumed to be OK.
You need to check each circuit/accessory in turn to determine exactly what is not working and then check the relevant fuses.
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

I know its a contradiction and hence my asking!
It starts and runs, then there seems to be a series of warning lights: battery, ABS, PS, SRS, all lights, e-windows & wipers not working. Internal lights are dim and digital mileometer is not displaying. Clock still working too...

My wife told me that car starts with battery warning light remaining on, but as car idles warning lights 'cascade' on as mentioned above.

I had a similar problem about 9 yrs ago with a Jetta GTI- turned out to be a bad/ damp earth in the electrics...before I garaged the MG it had been sat outside in horrid wet, cold, windy weather.


Timmeh

Timmeh to the rescue...car has immobilised itself now...
TIMMEH

Why wasthe car "garaged" 6 days a go. That might give us a clue to what's going wrong
Keith

Sorry, 'garaged' as in put into one after I tidied it out! Nowt wrong with it at the time...
Since my last post I've brought the car home with a new battery; turns out the old one wasn't completely discharged but it died a couple of miles down the road from rescuing it. I'd bought a new battery today just in case, swapped them over and got home 15mins ago.
As for the electrics faff, my Mrs noticed a rattle from the engine bay which I'm about to investigate...she first noticed it when she got to work- the electrics failed half way through her journey, but she managed to nurse the car to her place of work.
I'm wondering about the alternator drive belt breaking...Fingers etc crossed for nothing more serious than that!

PS, where is the alternaror..? ;-)
Timmeh

Taking the NSR wheel off is the easiest way to get to the alternator belt. When I've had a belt snap it's been fairly silent, so check also for a snapped tensioner bracket or a snapped mounting bolt on the alternator.
Mike Hankin

Sorry, I meant the drivers side rear...
Mike Hankin

Belt not snapped, all contacts appear sound, all fuse are good (Mrs has told me battery light came on first so I checked handbook and ended up with system not charging conclusion- haven't figured out why it isn't charging though).

Rattle comes from under cam-cover @ OS end of engine...oil leak from same area of cam cover too. Sounds expensive to me :-((

Any reliable & trust-worthy garages in North Yorkshire that anyone knows of?

I am, to say the least, forlorn with this troublesome automobile.
Timmeh

The additional symptoms are telling a story and suggesting that you lost battery voltage, not due to poor earthing but lack of charging. The battery might have recovered sufficiently to start the engine and then dropped beyond recovery. A good idea is to have a multimeter. An essential tool when chasing electrical problems. Check the voltage across the battery terminals which should show an increase after starting and the alternator commences charging.
Hopefully the problem is with the adjusting bracket or belt and that the oil is a red herring.
It is doubtful that you need a multi-dollar mg specialist but a local garage with an alternator tester. Do you have a local LSUK branch that would certainly sort you out. www.lsuk.co.uk
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Common place for an oil leak, but I don't see how that could impact on the electrics.

Does the battery light remain lit when the engine is running? It should do if the alternator isn't charging. Did you check the tension of the belt? It's a long shot, but I've had the upper alternator mounting bolt shear, which results in the belt slipping and the alternator rattling against the head, in the area you describe.
Mike Hankin

Cam shaft & oil leak not linked to electrics- just another thing I've found whilst looking!

Battery light stays on whilst engine running. have had engine cover off; alternator, drive belt and pulleys/ idlers all appear to be sound and correctly tightened.

I have a multi-meter, I'll look for voltage change later tonight. I take it that an increase in voltage across the terminals = charging, and the same or decreasing voltage = not charging/ discharging?



Timmeh

Car going to Mike Saturs next week. The End.
Timmeh

This thread was discussed between 03/01/2007 and 06/01/2007

MG MGF Technical index

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