TF115 Owners please read and take heed (everyone else have a laugh)

I honestly never thought i'd post a thread like this... one designed to dissuade people from modding their F/TF

Now i know that fitting Central Locking (called C/L from now on) is entirely possible to a TF 115 (which didn't come with it fitted as standard).

So I decided to fit it. I had read a few sketchy threads and posts about issues with it and how it was difficult to fit but decided that it's all part of the fun (what was i thinking?!) and that evan if it all goes wrong the motors only cost me £40 so it's not much of a sting really (astonishingly miss-placed optimism that was!).


I bought the Motors off MGFnTF bitz and knew they were reliable and set about trying to fit them... I failed.... miserably.

anywhoo as is generally the case CJJ to the rescue and he got them in


they didn't work


in what's becoming a tradition in my MG ownership i said some four letter words...

so off to Rovtec to have the T4 plugged into her and the ECU set to turn them on £70 out my pocket... thats £110 so far, cue the four letter words...

"bad news" says steve (top bloke who knows his MGs/Rovers), "The motors work but there clicking allot, sounds like the solenoids are going crazy"

"No problem" says I (there's that misplaced optimism again) "I'll get on the forums and have a play and see what i can do"

2 months later I'd had all sorts of problems... sometimes the doors would lock but not unlock... sometimes they'd unlock but not lock... in both cases using the key may or may not open/close the passenger door, so I was no better off then pre-C/L.

This wasn't the biggest problem however. The biggest problem was the cars alarm which would now sound if I locked the doors and walked away before the immobilizer armed (sort of defeats the point of C/L doesn't it?). Worse of all it would occasionally sound for no reason what so ever. Dammed embarrassing when it's parked outside the restaurant me and the GF are eating in for example! (cue those four letter words from me and a lecture on the drive home about "that bloody car" from her)

while all this was going on i tried all sorts, unplugging the battery, fob re-sets, all sorts... evan had my mates Snap-on diagnostic kit hooked up and got no where.


the piste' resistance was a week ago when i came to do my seat lowering mod (see soon to be posed thread) and the passenger door wouldn't open... my uncle was taking a sizable chunk of his time out to help me with this mod and we wasted an afternoon as the door would not budge.

nothing worked... the C/L removed the barrel lock so can't use the key... the leaver wouldn't pull up and the fob did sweet *insert four letter word here* all... in the end I had to physically rip off the door card (cue another unknown expense).

I tried flicking the lock off with a screwdriver but no such luck the ECU seems to have decided the door WILL be locked come heck or high water... the string of profanity was, how shall we say, 'colourful'...

soo off to rov-tec with simple instructions "get the *four letter word*ing door open and I don't care if you have to cut the door off to do it!"

fortunately slightly less drastic action was needed. Steve hooked up the T4 and discovered power was intermittent to the C/L on the passenger side... they hooked up a power source and disengaged the lock as normal... he then unplugged the motor so it's now permanently unlocked thank god

and the bill? £70........ thats £180 down, plus the cost of a new door card!


I plan on putting the standard TF non Central Locking locks back in ASAP and warn others that this job can be a total pig... i'm out £200 and still have no C/Ling!

so i have 2 Central locking motors for sale, the issue is with my car not the motors so... if anyone has a motor thats failed i have replacements for £15 each inc p+p... and if anyone has a door card going spare let us know! lol








this is supposed to give you all a bit off a laugh at my expense, hope you enjoyed my misery and don't worry i still love my TF as much as i ever did! -adam

Adam-MGTF;13297 wrote: I honestly never thought i'd post a thread like this... one designed to dissuade people from modding their F/TF

Now i know that fitting Central Locking (called C/L from now on) is entirely possible to a TF 115 (which didn't come with it fitted as standard).

So I decided to fit it. I had read a few sketchy threads and posts about issues with it and how it was difficult to fit but decided that it's all part of the fun (what was i thinking?!) and that evan if it all goes wrong the motors only cost me £40 so it's not much of a sting really (astonishingly miss-placed optimism that was!).


I bought the Motors off MGFnTF bitz and knew they were reliable and set about trying to fit them... I failed.... miserably.

anywhoo as is generally the case CJJ to the rescue and he got them in


they didn't work


in what's becoming a tradition in my MG ownership i said some four letter words...

so off to Rovtec to have the T4 plugged into her and the ECU set to turn them on £70 out my pocket... thats £110 so far, cue the four letter words...

"bad news" says steve (top bloke who knows his MGs/Rovers), "The motors work but there clicking allot, sounds like the solenoids are going crazy"

"No problem" says I (there's that misplaced optimism again) "I'll get on the forums and have a play and see what i can do"

2 months later I'd had all sorts of problems... sometimes the doors would lock but not unlock... sometimes they'd unlock but not lock... in both cases using the key may or may not open/close the passenger door, so I was no better off then pre-C/L.

This wasn't the biggest problem however. The biggest problem was the cars alarm which would now sound if I locked the doors and walked away before the immobilizer armed (sort of defeats the point of C/L doesn't it?). Worse of all it would occasionally sound for no reason what so ever. Dammed embarrassing when it's parked outside the restaurant me and the GF are eating in for example! (cue those four letter words from me and a lecture on the drive home about "that bloody car" from her)

while all this was going on i tried all sorts, unplugging the battery, fob re-sets, all sorts... evan had my mates Snap-on diagnostic kit hooked up and got no where.


the piste' resistance was a week ago when i came to do my seat lowering mod (see soon to be posed thread) and the passenger door wouldn't open... my uncle was taking a sizable chunk of his time out to help me with this mod and we wasted an afternoon as the door would not budge.

nothing worked... the C/L removed the barrel lock so can't use the key... the leaver wouldn't pull up and the fob did sweet *insert four letter word here* all... in the end I had to physically rip off the door card (cue another unknown expense).

I tried flicking the lock off with a screwdriver but no such luck the ECU seems to have decided the door WILL be locked come heck or high water... the string of profanity was, how shall we say, 'colourful'...

soo off to rov-tec with simple instructions "get the *four letter word*ing door open and I don't care if you have to cut the door off to do it!"

fortunately slightly less drastic action was needed. Steve hooked up the T4 and discovered power was intermittent to the C/L on the passenger side... they hooked up a power source and disengaged the lock as normal... he then unplugged the motor so it's now permanently unlocked thank god

and the bill? £70........ thats £180 down, plus the cost of a new door card!


I plan on putting the standard TF non Central Locking locks back in ASAP and warn others that this job can be a total pig... i'm out £200 and still have no C/Ling!

so i have 2 Central locking motors for sale, the issue is with my car not the motors so... if anyone has a motor thats failed i have replacements for £15 each inc p+p... and if anyone has a door card going spare let us know! lol








this is supposed to give you all a bit off a laugh at my expense, hope you enjoyed my misery and don't worry i still love my TF as much as i ever did! -adam

Dude, that really sucks! Sorry to hear you had to go through so much and then have to undo it all again. You're right... It is kind of funny though :grouphug:

That is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying Adam. Maybe your ECU is mad or something as quite a few 115 owners have installed CL with no problems.

It is typical though - when you think a job will be easy it never is!

AdamElphick;13306 wrote: That is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying Adam. Maybe your ECU is mad or something as quite a few 115 owners have installed CL with no problems.

It is typical though - when you think a job will be easy it never is!

always my luck! lol

Adam-MGTF;13333 wrote: always my luck! lol

Central locking is way over-rated:yesnod::whistle:

David Aiketgate;13337 wrote: Central locking is way over-rated:yesnod::whistle:

now you tell me! lol... on the upside im now older, wiser and not to badly off as i got £30 for the motors