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MG MGF Technical - Electic windows fuses blowing :-(

hi everyone, i have just bought a 1997 R vvc which i have had less than 48 hours and the problems have already began!!!!

Last night the electic windows failed to work due to constantly blowing fuse 18. This happens everytime you turn the ignition on. I have called rover today who told me is was not a " common fault".
Does anyone have any ideas before i start paying £55 per hour labour charges for something which is probably simple and i could fix myself

Many thanks Emma :-)
emma nicholson

Hi Emma,

welcome to the club and sorry for the gone fun so early.
I think you may know now why the last owner sold ... Err, just joking ;)

Anyway, F18 sounds like any short circuit with the window lift relay itself or Black wire leading to the relay coil.

Not sure, but I'd recommend to pull off the relay from the socket and see what F18 does then.
Should be two or three relays located far at the right of the fuse panel. (three relais, if you have a hardtop with heater)
http://www.mgfcar.de/fuse/Fuses_2.jpg
(third place shown empty here)
Better shown here at a LHD car (mirrored)
http://www.mgfcar.de/fuse/relais_00293.jpg

Notice the location of this 'satellite' relay panel. If it had come loose then this could be a reason for short circuit on the rear. This small panel is clip on only to the fuse panel.
I think the upper yellow coloured relay is for the windows.

http://www.mgfcar.de/schedules/sb24.jpg

BTW, I daubt, the relay itself could cause a short circuit. Assume it's the black wire.

Regards
Dieter
Dieter K.

Hi Emma, welcome to the "joys" of MG driving from another Hertfordshire owner (Welwyn Garden City in my case).

<<I think you may know now why the last owner sold>> You need to excuse Dieter's germanic sense of humour; he is a fountain of knowledge about the MGF and if it is not on his site somewhere then it may not exist.

I hope you didn't get your car from Diamond Rover @ Hatfield? as I understand the group went belly up just before the weekend.

Stay with the BBS and you will soon get the fault corrected as well as links to other usefull sites.
sprinter @home

And Emma, if you brought if from a grage then they have to fix it (for the next 6 months for non-wear'n'tare).

If not then for godsake, don't take the car to a rover dealer for an electrical problem. Look in the yellow pages for an auto-electrician these guys really know their stuff and will find the fault much faster, and at a lower hourly rate than any garage (you may still have to go to a grage to get the faulty piece fixed, but at least then they are doing what they are good at!)
Will Munns

Welcome to the club - and sorry to hear about the problems with fuse 18 blowing. Almost certainly going to be an electrical short causing this - and it can be any component that is fused through that same fuse - be that the electric windows or, perhaps more likely, the electric heated door mirrors.

I agree with what Will says - all work should be covered by your dealer's guarantee - but an autoelectrician is certain to be more successful and quicker in identifying this irritating fault for you.

Best of luck - and do keep us informed as to progress.
Rob Bell

How handy are you with a screwdriver? you could do the obvious youself if you brought from a private sale.
Will Munns

Hi guys, thanks for the help...........the problem has now been fixed, it was a wire for the heated mirrors that had been pinched by the door trims......and was shorting everything on the same circuit out. I have done nearly 1000k in the F now and am really starting to enjoy it properly.......Hopefully i wont be on the "technical" board too often, but if i need to its good to know its here. :-) Emma
Emma Nicholson

Thanks for the feedback Emma - and good to hear that we were of use :o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 10/03/2004 and 17/03/2004

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