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MG MGF Technical - To kill an Immobilier

No luck with tracking down the cause of the apparently random behaviour of the alarm/immobiliser circuit, and pretty frustrated now - locking the car is impossible without it immediately alarming, and the immobiliser override keycode just sets the alarm off!

I ain't bothered ;o) about the immobilisation, so is there a way of disabling it? I understand that it links to the ECU, but if there's a wire I can solder in that means I can use the car when I want to, not when IT wants to, I'm willing to pay in gallons of beer ;o)

If it stopped me being hauled out of bed at ungodly hours to silence an alarm I intentionally didn't (or mostly couldn't) set, that would be rather cool too ;o)
J Fox

For a good night's sleep why not remove the +ve supply to the horns. When did you really need a horn (or two) in any case? Pop it back on for the MOT. ;o)
C.R.B. Simeon

JF

A couple of questions. When you open a door do the footwell lights come on?
When you try to lock the door using the remote do you get a rattling sound coming from the door which lasts maybe 2-3 seconds?

There some earth connector points (four IIRC) under the bonnet. I have experienced some corrosion on these. They look like little nylon boxes, pluggable earth wires. They are always worth a cleanup. I've often wonder if there is any switch bounce suppression in the alarm ECU, hardware or software. Does anyone know?


Ken Waring

The footwell lights do come on if I replace the fuse, but it blows within 30mins of driving. Yes the locks chatter when locking but not always, and not always both sides. One time in ten or so attempts both doors will lock as normal. I noticed today however that turning the key in the door lock no longer has any effect, although locking by pushing down the knob still does the same.

Bizarrely, the method most likely to make the alarm/immob disarm is to lock via the knob, wait for the locks to chatter and unlock, the alarm sounds immediately, at which point repeated pressing of the keyfob unlock button works provided I hold it against the centre console. I know I probably have 2 issues but I can cope without remote locking, if only I could make the system behave with the key.

Thanks for the tips, I'll investigate further in daylight.
J Fox

It is possible to disable the immobilise from the ECU, try the kit car boards or even the K Series conversion board on here as anyone who uses the standard ECU will need to switch the immobiliser off.
A D Smith

I'd try just unplugging the door lock connector and use the key only. I think without the door lock signals the alarm circuit will not activate but you should be able enable the immobiliser in the normal way with the remote so you can still start the car. You may need to short the door switch to earth to fool the system into thinking the door is permanently closed, C83-6 purple/grey wire. This is a semi educated guess.
Ken Waring

This thread was discussed between 26/05/2007 and 27/05/2007

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