Strange Immobiliser / Battery issue

[nigelandjo]

Went to charge the TF85th this afternoon with a CTEK charger, but it would not charge. Put the meter on the battery and it was only reading 2.8v. Charged with the high power rapid charger. Neither of the 2 fobs will unlock/lock the car or open the boot. Unlocked the drivers door with the key, but this did not unlock the passenger door. Engine started fine without entering the EKA code and ran fine for a good 30 seconds before I switched it off I as was in a closed garage. Display is fine, but windows will not move. Has the BCU gone belly up? But why would the engine start without the EKA being entered if the fobs are not unlocking the car? Still can't lock/unlock car of boot.

[ArntyR]

nigelandjo, I feel your pain. I'm not an expert, and I look forward to one coming along, but I have a '10 MGMotors TF135 and I believe some of their electrics are a bit 'different'. eg I gather their ecu can't be accessed in the same way using the usual MGRover diagnostics + ecus are apparently relatively fragile.

I've heard that you can often lose the key transmission code on F/TFs if the battery goes flat, so I'm sorry but I'm not surprised that your doors and boot won't respond atm.

When I unlock my 'Motors' TF with the key, the button on my driver door pops up + the door unlocks - but the button on the passenger door stays down and that door stays locked. It would have registered with me if my previous '05 'Rover' TF did the same (of course currently they both pop up together when I use the fob) so in my experience your key unlock behaviour is 'normal', but I don't know another 'Chinese' TF to verify. I'd expect your key to open your boot in the same way and your fob button won't, atm. Also on my 'Motors' TF the alarm will go off if I don't start the car (or, I think, at least turn on the ignition I'd be happy to verify which if you like...) within a short time (less than a minute) and I don't remember this happening on my '05 'Rover' TF; only when I was getting the EKA code to work after the passenger door-lock failed but that's another story... Technozen recently extracted my 'Motors' EKA code from the scu/bcu but I haven't been able to make it work (and I feel reluctant to wrestle too hard) so I'm not surprised at your lack of success. So all-in-all I suspect the 'Motors' electrics have some subtle differences and the effect of the EKA code remains a mystery to me with this 'Motors' TF ...

I had my 'Motors' scu/bcu 'Technozened' with updated relays after a recent seized driver door-lock raised insecurities about not being able to get into the car - so he will be able to access yours. Windows are controlled by a relay in this box as well, so I reckon my money will be on your 'BCU gone belly up', I'm sorry to say. I haven't heard that the scu/bcu has any effect on the display tho'.

Good luck, have a word with Technozen and please keep us updated.

[nigelandjo]

Well popped the trickle charger on yesterday to keep the battery topped up and after a while the alarm sounded. Shut the bonnet as it was ajar and the alarm stopped. However the fob now works, the windows now work, so the car seems to have healed itself Drove it out of the garage whilst I moved cars around and left the engine running and all seems fine. Will see what happens on heh 40 mile run to the garage for its service and MoT.

[ArntyR]

Phew, what a relief. Was it because you used a different charger, I wonder?

[gerry.laing]

Hi
Was it because the battery back up in the alarm had also gone and needed time to charge
Gerry

[nigelandjo]

I have no idea, but all good today when it was taken for it's MoT. CTEK trickle charger this weekend as the battery wasn't flat, so it worked.

[Geoff.F]

In 2000, I bought my "F" in Basel and parked it to go for lunch. On returning to the car, the Fob would not work the immobiliser failed. The EKA also failed. Seeing that we were parked outside a Taxi Office, I went in and asked them if they would kindly turn their Radio off for a short time. I drove the car a short distance away and returned to thank them.
The Dealer showed me how to use the EKA. Failed. The EKA was wrong.
Lesson. Know the correct EKA and regularly check it.
Geoff.F

[ArntyR]

Yes I seem to remember some advice not to keep my TF key fobs in the same proximity as some other makes - BMW/MINI stuck in my mind.
I'm presuming radio frequencies might be similar and capable of interfering with each other's rolling/learning process...
(And I suppose modems, phones, TV/radio remotes, masts, power lines etc all add their ha'penneth)

[Roverlike]

MG-Rover Pektron fobs should not be kept in close proximity to any BMW, BMW/Mini or Rover75/MG ZT fob since these fobs can corrupt Pektron fobs making them useless. Technozen teach me this. They have two-way transponder systems with data transfered which can corrupt Pektron fobs.

[Rob Bell]

MG-Rover Pektron fobs should not be kept in close proximity to any BMW, BMW/Mini or Rover75/MG ZT fob since these fobs can corrupt Pektron fobs making them useless. Technozen teach me this. They have two-way transponder systems with data transfered which can corrupt Pektron fobs.

Yes - I've had the same advice. A "hilarious" problem to have... not.

[ArntyR]

Geoff.F this might be relevant:-

"However, there was a problem with early MGFs, as the cars were dispatched from the factory with an incorrect EKA (a software error on the code generating computer on the production line). This incorrect number may still be with your car.

The standard correction for this factory labelling error is to add "1" to the 2nd and 4th digit. Thus, taking our example EKA above of "2468", this becomes "2569"...

[Geoff.F]

Geoff.F this might be relevant:-

"However, there was a problem with early MGFs, as the cars were dispatched from the factory with an incorrect EKA (a software error on the code generating computer on the production line). This incorrect number may still be with your car.

The standard correction for this factory labelling error is to add "1" to the 2nd and 4th digit. Thus, taking our example EKA above of "2468", this becomes "2569"...

Late 2000 was not an early car The Dealer put it right and it gets an Annual Check and before any trip across Europe.
Geoff.F

[ArntyR]

Geoff.F, I wasn't aware that you bought your car new in 2000 and you specifically said the EKA was wrong then subsequently corrected. -This is why I got the wrong end of the stick...

Surely knowing an accepted 'fix' might benefit another member of the forum whose car is actually an early model? -This is why I thought sharing was helping.

Also, I'm glad esteemed contributors such as Roverlike and Rob Bell chipped in to flesh out the bones as well. New members (like we all are at first) hear 'snippets', which hopefully grow and develop. In my case this post scratched an itch and I learned a little more, made all the more relevant because it seems to be supported by a recognised electronics expert.

I'm not an expert; I'm just trying to pay back all the good stuff I've been able to use from the forum, and help someone else out...

[talkingcars]

Whenever I demonstrate my reader I download the EKA code.

[Rob Bell]

Geoff.F, I wasn't aware that you bought your car new in 2000 and you specifically said the EKA was wrong then subsequently corrected. -This is why I got the wrong end of the stick...

Surely knowing an accepted 'fix' might benefit another member of the forum whose car is actually an early model? -This is why I thought sharing was helping.

You're absolutely right - this was a problem with the programming on the production line - the EKA was a digit out on large numbers of early cars! Unsurprisingly it wasn't until quite a bit later that folks realised that there was a problem.

Always good to post this information - after all, the "newbies" coming onto a forum may not have had a chance to read the extensive archives.

No idea why Geoff's EKA was incorrect - the computer error was well recognised by 2000 and was fixed. A transcription error in the handbook perhaps?