MG ZR. Yes.

[andyberg]

Well, I knew it couldn't last. In the great British car building tradition there is an issue with the MG.

Ever since I have had it the temp gauge has stayed firmly just below halfway, no matter whether stuck in traffic, going along or just idling. Yesterday however, coming out of Bristol, I noticed it had crept up to half way. Cue mild panic. Then sat at some traffic lights the gauge continued to rise, cue slightly more panic. I heard a fan cut in,phew, but the gauge continued to rise to 3/4, OMGHGF was my next thought, but no coolant warning light so it could be ok. I stopped at J&S motorcycles and had a look. The fan cutting in was only the a/c fan, the main radiator fan wasn't working. On the way home I watched the guage more than the road, it stayed on half way.

Today coolant check, still full and not contaminated, phew. Did a check on the fan sender switch, if it is disconnected the fan should cut in, nope, bugger. Off to my son's work it is then. It's booked in for the 20th to have this issue and the non operative intermittent wipe looked at. 

I will get it fixed, even if I have managed to bork the head gasket, it's not time for this car to cross the bridge just yet.

[SiC]

Sounds like you had a lucky escape. Did you get the BCM sorted?

Is it the BCM control and drive the fans?

[andyberg]

13 minutes ago, SiC said:

Sounds like you had a lucky escape. Did you get the BCM sorted?

Is it the BCM control and drive the fans?

That's what will be found out when it goes in. I have an inkling that the BCM controls the the fan, I can't find a definite answer online. The intermittent wipe is controlled by the the BCM so I have a feeling that it will be good practice just to get it sorted anyway. I'll do what it needs, it's strange but it's a car that has got inside me and I want to keep it going. Maybe it's because they and the normal rovers didn't get much of a chance when new, now they need every chance. It's our car heritage at the end of the day, no matter what you think of rover in the dying days. 

[SiC]

It's a thing that I think @dieselnutjob may know. Unfortunately he's not been on for a month or so. 

[2flags]

These are such lovely cars. They always make you feel special when you drive them, even the smaller ones. They always felt much nicer, more up market than the opposition. Worth saving. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Cooling fan is ECU controlled, by pins 60 and 67 from engine ECU to be precise.

It's not uncommon for them to go phut, so hopefully that's all it is 

[High Jetter]

32 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Cooling fan is ECU controlled, by pins 60 and 67 from engine ECU to be precise.

It's not uncommon for them to go phut, so hopefully that's all it is 

You know many stuffs. Thank you for being here.

[RoverFolkUs]

30 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

You know many stuffs. Thank you for being here.

I have to say it's not always fresh from the mind, it's often "where do I have the answer to that" from the years of sleuthing diagnostic info, saving useful resources, etc etc 🙂

So within 30 seconds I knew exactly where I needed to go to access the diag info and tell which pin was for what

Might as well share that info publicly before I expire/go senile/get run over or whatever and take it with me! 😆

1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

It's not uncommon for them to go phut, so hopefully that's all it is

I remember a story, I cannot remember exactly where from, but a chap had a leaking rad on his Rover 400, he went to a scrappy and procured a cheap replacement, fitted it up and the kettle boiled over. Turns out the rad fan (for whatever reason he decided to use the scrappy one) was faulty, most likely causing the donor car to boil over and end up being broken for parts. Unfortunately, said faulty part also ended up killing the recipient vehicle

[andyberg]

Well the MG is in my son's garage for diagnosing and hopefully fixing. I have set them a budget as I'll be in Paris from tomorrow until Friday next week. If I don't get a text message from my son I will know it's come under budget🤞

If it goes over budget I may have to sell my motorbike or see if they can find a cheap fix. I did think maybe about fitting a manual switch for the fan? I'll do what I can to keep it on the road.

[Sunny Jim]

Fingers crossed for you and have a great time in Paris. 

[andyberg]

Well back from holiday last Friday, popped into my son's garage to collect the MG. Boss said he hasn't had a chance to look at it yet! Only had it a week! Asked my son last night if it's been looked at yet, he said no.  Today still no news. I will go into the garage tomorrow myself to see what is occurring. I get the feeling though that because I am the apprentice's dad the boss thinks I won't kick up a fuss?

[andyberg]

Popped into the garage. Still not had a chance to look at the car, it's on the 'to do list'. Son came home last night to inform me they were going to run a diagnostic on it yesterday afternoon but the battery was completely flat, what a suprise it's only been sat untouched for 2 weeks. I know my son works there but I don't think I will take my car back there if the attitude is like this😡 might see it back next week who knows. 

[andyberg]

Update. Had to buy a new battery, got Halfords finest* coz that cost has to come off the budget for fixing the car. Still don't see how it's my fault the battery died🤷 anyhow, garage owner complained that 'those batteries are rubbish' . Well chap if you had looked at my car when you said you would then my battery wouldn't have died. They said they would look at the car yesterday, son comes home, no they haven't touched the car ,😡 Boss also said that my budget may not be enough to fix the issue! Let's see if anything happens this week🙄

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, andyberg said:

Boss also said that my budget may not be enough to fix the issue!

That's a bold claim when they haven't even looked to establish what the issue is!

[andyberg]

14 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

That's a bold claim when they haven't even looked to establish what the issue is!

£70 an hour plus VAT labour rates my son said. So that's 3 hours work not including parts 🙄

[2flags]

Sorry to hear about your problems with the car. Unfortunately £70+vat per hour does seem to be the going rate. It does seem a shame that the garage seems to be taking the piss with this. If the owner dosen't want the job, why didn't he just say?  They are not difficult cars to work on. 

[andyberg]

 

9 minutes ago, 2flags said:

Sorry to hear about your problems with the car. Unfortunately £70+vat per hour does seem to be the going rate. It does seem a shame that the garage seems to be taking the piss with this. If the owner dosen't want the job, why didn't he just say?  They are not difficult cars to work on. 

I think it's more a case of, it's only the apprentices dad, no rush. 

[2flags]

Still, that is no excuse. If it is any help, the Haynes Motor Museum has a workshop and their rate is the same as your sons place. Maybe worth a phone call? Get my MoT's done there.

[andyberg]

5 minutes ago, 2flags said:

Still, that is no excuse. If it is any help, the Haynes Motor Museum has a workshop and their rate is the same as your sons place. Maybe worth a phone call? Get my MoT's done there.

Thanks. If nothing happens this week I will collect it and take it somewhere else.

[SiC]

1 hour ago, andyberg said:

Thanks. If nothing happens this week I will collect it and take it somewhere else.

A & D automotive services in Bristol. Bit of a wait to get booked in but top notch guys. 

[RoverFolkUs]

I'd say just take it elsewhere by this point

Quite the opposite at my place, family cars get looked after at cost of parts, in the staff's spare time. Or in the case of the apprentice, with supervision and help where required, cos that's only fair. If it's urgent then it's charged through the books at a very reasonable price

Look after your staff they look after you!

Remind me of the problem, was it wiper and cooling fan woes? 

How far are you from the MG Rover mobile mechs based in Derby? their workshop is Derby (clues in the name 😉) , they travel (most of) the country at cost of fuel 

[andyberg]

Thanks for that. I must admit that if I was the garage I would do the same as you. 

Yes the intermittent wipe doesn't work, I think that is a relay on the BCU. I know a place that can repair that for £50, but the BCU needs sending off to them. And my cooling fan doesn't cut in, I know it's not the temperature sender because I have tested that. I'm near Bristol so a bit far for the Derby based specialist after taking in fuel costs. I am giving them until Friday then I will collect the car and take elsewhere. My son says he fitted the new battery and started the car, first time in almost 3 weeks, and it was fine. But still no one has had a look at the issues.

[Cookiesouwest]

The mobile mechanics from Derby are really good and reasonable.

There is also the Rover specialist in Brislington, who I've used a few times.

Plus the mobile auto electrician who fixed the CRV.

[mercedade]

5 hours ago, andyberg said:

And my cooling fan doesn't cut in, I know it's not the temperature sender because I have tested that. 

The cooling fan on my 820 had the same issue. Earlier 800s had fan controlled by a temperature switch in the radiator, but later ones were ECU controlled. And they give up.

I ended up removing a blanking plate from the radiator and wiring in an old-skool switch and relay affair.

[andyberg]

29 minutes ago, mercedade said:

The cooling fan on my 820 had the same issue. Earlier 800s had fan controlled by a temperature switch in the radiator, but later ones were ECU controlled. And they give up.

I ended up removing a blanking plate from the radiator and wiring in an old-skool switch and relay affair.

I think this is the way I will end up going. From what I gather the mk2 MGs had the same set up. I have asked about a simple on/off switch, the garage say that because I have air con it's a bit more complicated 🙄

[andyberg]

The MG is back!

Cooling fan issue sorted, I hope. In the end the garage needed to sort it because the @BerginJR ex @Sunny Jim 106 decided it didn't want it's exhaust anymore. Cost came in just under budget at £260 including the new battery.

Intermittent wipe is not done, but to be honest I will send the BCU off to a specialist to sort out. 

Was so lovely to get back in her after 3 weeks, but also a bit of a shock to the system after driving the @Cookiesouwest Mondeo today. Thank you mate for that. The Mondeo is so quiet and smooth and relaxing to drive (if you put the powershite gearbox out of your mind) then I get into the MG and it really feels like I'm driving it🤣

Progress report to follow.

 

[SiC]

You left your address uncovered btw

[andyberg]

9 minutes ago, SiC said:

You left your address uncovered btw

Will sort that, thank you.

[Sunny Jim]

Sorry to hear about the 106's exhaust @andyberg but glad to hear you've got the MG back. I'm going to a funeral in Yeovil on Wednesday, I'll get in touch with @BerginJRto try arrange dropping off the parcel shelf on either Wednesday or Thursday.

[andyberg]

So far so good with the MG, haven't managed to get the fan to cut in yet but even stuck in traffic yesterday the temp gauge stayed on half.

In other news, fitted an @jakebullet pool ball gear knob to the MG. Not to everyone's taste but I really like it and it fits well. Very pleased. Also it's lucky 8 so gets my wife's (from Hong Kong) approval.