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MG MGF Technical - Alarm Problems

My MGF 1.8i 1996 seems to have a strange intermittant problem with the alarm. Every 4/5 months or so it will start going off during the night. This has happened when we have been at camp sites with the tent right next to the car so I am pretty sure its not an actual attempted break-in.

The only common denominator on each attempt seems to be temperature ie. when it has gone off the temp has normally been below 5C.

I went for 3 weeks in France during the summer with no problems at all.

Anybody have any ideas ?

Cheers,
Mark.
Mark

Mark,

Did you leave your mobile phone in the car (in the centre cubbie). It's been known for this to set off alarms.

David
David Clelland

My alarm seemed to have a mind of its own and it was all down to my mobile being in the car. Ive duplicated what david has said above, but it may give an idea to a cause if others post the same or different findings.
D Jamieson

Nearly any electric distortion field may set the alarm off. Microwave ovens, mobiles, parking near power plant 'switch-stations' (spelling?) etc.

Had some very funny discussions a couple of years ago about it. I mind the regulars on the parking direction and spy satelites term *ZzzzZzzzzz*
Can be found in the archives :)

Consumption of some technical background can be found on
http://www.mgfcar.de/alarm_blipper/eblipper.htm
and of course in the old FAQ. Link on top right of this thread.

HTH
Dieter
PS. some simply disconnected the volumetric sensor. Final solution, though.



Dieter K.

also might be the interior lighting circuit, if any of the switches are on the way out they might be conducting when they ought not to, and/or not when they ought to be. The door locks went this way on mine last year- does the key work correctly (can you type in the key code?) does the light come on when you open the door? If either of these are at fault then I would suspect a failure in the mech, leading to the alarm going off, also I would expect it to get more common.

Will
Will Munns

I know this sounds really daft and I am at serious risk of looking REALLY stupid. But someone once told me that leaving pound coins in a car with a volumetric alarm could theoretically set the alarm off.

PLEASE bear in mind however i have no technical knowledge to back up this statememt and i am merely passing on some info i once heard.

Nik
n stretton

Thanks for the advice. I have also checked the Archive and found this is almost a "Known Error" with the MGF. I will check all of the above and let you know what solves the problem.

Cheers,
Mark.
Mark

Mark

My 1996 F started doing this a few weeks ago. I first noticed that I couldn't superlock when the showercap was on! Even I thought this was illogical and went the route of checking the archives and then my car. After a while I got round to noticing that the interior light was a bit slow in coming on when I opened the rhs door. Eventually got to the stage of disconnecting the power to the horns as I got fed up with going outside during the night to stop the noise.

Took to dealer and collected later same day with new rhs door lock assembly - problem solved and even better it was done under the 'free' AA warranty that I got when I bought the car at Easter.
JohnP

Bugger - a week ago my rhs driver door stopped putting on the lights, and twice now when I lock the car the alarm goes off - sounds like I have a similar problem - starting to think I should have bought an Audi.........
How can I check?
Mark
Mark

@ Mark, edinburgh. Not stupid. I know of chocolate 'silver-paper' (spelling?) could cause the alarm going off as well. May be only when it 'moves', though it works.

@Mark, Exeter. Your car has probably a wiring/connection problem inside the door or may be a problem with the lock included switches.
One of several checks:
Close the door careful and set the alarm. Then rattle at the door, push and pull but don't break the handle or do any dents to the metal work. When the alarm goes off while this test then the lock itself and switches may be involved.
More investigtions only with removed door panel.

HTH
Dieter

Dieter K.

Nick,

Pound coins left in the car DO set off the alarm, particularly if they're left in full view :¬)

cheers

Bruce
Bruce Caldwell

>>> someone once told me that leaving pound coins in a car with a volumetric alarm could theoretically set the alarm off. <<<

Me thinks, it's time to switch to the Euro.

sorry, sorry, .. it ain't funny ;-)

hmmm, the alarm has a problem during cold nights, ... could it have something to do with the battery not delivering a very stable current?

just my 2p... euh Eurocent
Erik

starting to think I should have bought an Audi

Check out their BBS first - are answers to problems quickly and freely available? Do they even have problems?

Could you drive around in a car called a tittie? I had a look at one a few weeks ago and could be tempted.
JohnP

This thread was discussed between 01/01/2003 and 03/01/2003

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