FAQ
home Electrics
  • What specification bulbs does the F/TF have ?
  • What is EPAS ?
    • Dieter gives a full explanation here about the Electronic Power Assisted Steering system.
    • Another description of EPAS from Gregg Hiltons MGF FAQ web site.
       
  • My steering is turning left by itself, is there anything I can do ?
  • What are HID headlights ?
    • Note - before you consider fitting a HID kit, please read this page from Department for Transport as they may be illegal.
       
    • this explanation from Steve 'SHARKYMGF' White from MG-Rover.org ;

      "HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. As you know normal bulbs have a filament suspended in a gas. The gas used (Halogen, Xenon etc) and the wattage that the filament operate at both effect the brightness.

      A HID bulb is filled with Xenon gas but it has no filament. It has an electrode at each end and when a voltage of 20,000 volt is passed through it an arc is struck between the electrodes. The arc heats the enclosed metallic salts to vaporization point. Once vaporization of the salts has occurred the HID bulb produces its full light output. This 'warm up' process take about 4 seconds.
      To generate a stable voltage that high, the bulbs are connected to a ballast unit (or inverter). The power drawn by the ballast unit is only 35 Watts, so less than a conventional bulb, but the amount of light produced is considerably more due to the higher voltage powering the bulbs. Bulbs are also available in different 'temperatures'. The temperature they operate at changes the colour they produce. I am sure you have noticed some cars with HID fitted as standard have white, blue or even ' lights, this is down to the temperature of bulb they have fitted.

      The conversion basically involves replacing you normal bulbs with the HID bulbs. You then plug the ballast unit into the bulb. Some kits then simply allow you to plug the bulb connector on the car harness into the ballast unit, whereas some of the cheaper kits don't have this ability so there is a bit more work to be done. Conversion kits can cost anything from £100-200 for the 'unbranded' ones to £250-350 for the name branded ones sold by PIAA, Hella, Phillips etc etc."
       
  • My SRS light sometimes stays on, what can I do?
  • My radio has stopped working, which fuse should I look for?
    Here are some pictures showing the passenger compartment and under bonnet fuse box layouts......
     
    • the following pictures relate to pre VIN4D620548 VIN numbers (pre MY04)
      passenger compartment fuse box (located under the steering wheel behind a panel located by two twist screws)
      thumbnail main
    • the following pictures relate to the passenger compartment fuse box for VIN numbers from VIN4D620548 onward
      thumbnail   main thumbnail main

      thumbnail   main thumbnail main
      all the relays in the newer fuse box are identical, all being part number YWB000440.
      Pictures and information courtesy of Steve White (sharkymgf on the MG-Rover.org forum)
       
    • under bonnet fuse box, located at the back right hand side, looking from the front. (this is common, as far as I'm aware, to all model years)
      thumbnail main
       
  • What rear light options are there ?
    • Rob Bell has this page covering most options.
       
  • My heater is always blowing hot air, what can I do?
    • Stu Dickens on the MG-Rover.org forum had this problem, this is how he fixed it -

      "It normally takes about a minute for the air to go cool, If it doesn't go cool it could be a loose cable, but it's most likely that the valve is not shutting off fully and it only takes a small opening to allow the air coming through to stay fairly warm.

      I lived with it for months and it takes only about 15 mins to fix once you understand the problem.

      If your heater problem is the same as mine was (it most likely is) have a look at the attached jpg and I’ll try to explain what to do.

      thumbnail main

      (The grey struts are the VHS stiffening frame, you probably won't have these)

      1)Remove the driver side access panel and you can see the heater cable coming down and the clip (which is just a push fit).

      2)Remove the clip (1) by just pressing the rear of it. It comes out easy enough.

      3)Rotate your heater control to the cold position.

      4) It’s hard to see from the photo but the fixing (3) has two hands coming from it a bit like a clock (one is smaller than the other) The larger or hour hand is the part that slots into the frame (4)

      The smaller hand is the one your interested in. When the heater is on cold, the smaller hand should have rotated clockwise up against the mechanical stop (2)

      If it’s not, it’s not shutting the warm feed off.

      With the cable disconnected you can rotate the hands so the small hand does hit the stop.

      Once it’s in the correct position, reconnect the cable with the clamp and hey presto its done.

      You will find now the cable will not allow the mechanical part (4) to travel to its fully on position with the heater knob on max which I first thought would be a problem with the hot air, but it’s not, the valve only needs to be open a little to allow plenty of hot air through as you well know.

      It sounds complicated and is a little hard to explain but in reality it only took me 15mins at most.
      "
       
  • How do I remove the third or high level brake light?
    • this is courtesy of Perry Gogas (PERRY-MGTF on MG-Rover.org's forum). Original thread can be found here.
      • You open the boot
      • On the left hand side and inside the boot lid there is a rubber grommet where the 3rd stop light cables are coming out
      • Disconnect the cables
      • Push them inside the rubber grommet and in the boot lid.
      • You may take the grommet out or not
      • Use a long screw driver and try to locate the 3rd stop light left plug as you cannot reach the right hand side one from that space.
      • Push the plug with the screw driver so that the left side of the brake light pops out.
      • Then it is easy to pull the right side out too.

    Notice that when you unseal the stop light the led's are placed facing the opposite way!!! so that the connectors run on the front side of the brake light.

  • What does the engine ECU do?
    • Its the engine management computer, controls timing, fans etc. For a brilliant graphical explanation of the workings of the ECU, click here and hover over the various areas for more information. Note, this is a generic layout and may not be F/TF specific.
       
  • How do I use the EKA code?

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