The essential guide for new chums

Here is a place to put tips for both new & prospective new owners of the MG F and TF.

I have a MGF so my recommendations relate to that model range.
Please feel free to add to the list, and I hope the owners of TF models also add to this list. (Please state if your tip applies to the F or TF)

For the F, I consider the fitment of a low coolant alarm is essential for minimising the risk of head gasket problems.
I would also fit the tail light covers to the back of the tail lights in the boot, I had a great many tail light problems until I fitted these.

I have 97 mk1 F vvc. She's done 92000ish miles. Re-bushing and new gas filled shocks (kyb's) transformed the drive and banished lots of Clonks and bangs! Well worth the outlay and time spent. Highly recommended.

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As an F driver I concur with Cobber on the coolant sensor & rear light covers & I would interlink the washer circuit with the wipe, it's one wire a a bit of a fiddle. Another is to fit the alarm passive coil that fits around the ignition barrel from a later car, again its a bit of wiring to the alarm module & it prevents having to reset the alarm when you stop for a few minutes. It's hardly a hardship, but it bugged me. Keep a diary & costings, but don't let your wife / husband / partner know about it.

I would interlink the washer circuit with the wipe

Can you expand on how you did this? Which wires are interlinked and where?

I'm sure others will be interested and I for one have not seen this anywhere else.

Thanks. :broon:

Don't fit Suplex... :rant:

Airportable wrote: As an F driver I concur with Cobber on the coolant sensor & rear light covers & I would interlink the washer circuit with the wipe, it's one wire a a bit of a fiddle. Another is to fit the alarm passive coil that fits around the ignition barrel from a later car, again its a bit of wiring to the alarm module & it prevents having to reset the alarm when you stop for a few minutes. It's hardly a hardship, but it bugged me. Keep a diary & costings, but don't let your wife / husband / partner know about it.

Can you do how to's for the wash/wipe and the passive coil?

I will do a “how to” on both mod's as soon as I get back from holiday, however I am away for a month. These mod's are applicable to cars with the Lucas 5AS system, as yet I haven't come to grips with the Pektron unit. The inspiration for the wiper mod came from the Rover 200 wiring diagram, the F has a lot in common here. So from the washer switch positive (light green / black tracer) you take a wire to C62-23 on the multi function unit. I can't put my hands on my original notes & as I'm supposed to be packing for holiday, I'm being grumbled at so I'll sort that out when I'm back.
The passive coil connects to pins 11 & 12 on the alarm unit; the coils were fitted to MY2k onwards but my guess is that any AR cars from that period will have them. They simply unclip from the ignition barrel & pop onto the vacant spot on the recipient. You will need to extend the wires.
Another thought, which flows out of the R200 diagram piece, is know your car bits & what is used elsewhere. Bits for the “K” engine crop up all over Rover & Land Rover stuff. There are more Land Rover specialists than MG, so when I needed an engine sensor urgently I went to the nearest LR bods to pick one up & it was cheaper than an MG specialist.
One last bit before I get slaughtered; shorten the gear stick & tighten up your gear linkage. Do make sure you have a gear knob that will fit after or one that has been modified. Tighten up the gear stick yoke & change the scroll pin on the selector shaft (buy some new boots & change those when your underneath.)
Right I'm off.

Make sure you can get your spare out, the screw thread behind the knob rusts solid & you don't want to find that out when it's dark & raining.

Dont place the keys in the boot and shut it.... :slapme: