Go Back   The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > Technical Help Forum
Register FAQ Image Gallery Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read
Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 30th September 2020, 11:26   #1
MickeyV
Newbie
 
MY ZT

Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Coleford
Posts: 8
Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Default Body control module

Hi all
My first post is a plea for help and its entirely my fault!
Back in the summer I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade the stereo in my MGZT 120, to a DAB unit.
All went well until I suddenly started having odd things happen like the wipers coming on on their own, hazards not going off when locking the car etc etc.
Initially I tried reversing the live feed but that didn't help
In my infinite wisdom I called a mobile auto electrician and thats where my problems have really occurred.
He's been out twice on the second occasion removing the body control module (I wasnt here otherwise I wouldn't have let it go) but has pretty much disappeared.
He reckoned the BCM was the problem so I even purchased a brand new BCM. However since then he's had excuse after excuse, promised to call and has simply disappeared citing family illness (which is fair enough) but I'm now left with a car whose MoT has expired and with no BCM fitted.
My questions are-
1. Assuming I can book the car for an MOT is my local general garage who are good going to be able to recode the BCM (assuming it needs coding)
2. If they can't MoT the car (which could be an issue as the BCM controls the windscreen wash wipe which now isn't functioning) what can I do?
I'm in the Forest of Dean so if any of you know a 'local specialist I'd be grateful.
I'm at the end of my tether, this has been going on for the best part of 3 months and I feel like I've been let down massively.
Thanks for any help, suggestions or commiserations!
Michael
MickeyV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th September 2020, 12:31   #2
vitesse
I really should get out more.......
 
Rover 75 Saloon

Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Gävle
Posts: 2,516
Thanks: 395
Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts
Default

First suggestion would be to start at the beginning and disconnect all the wiring to the new stereo. You might find that everything goes back to normal. However if it doesn't and you believe that the BCU is really at fault then just buy a secondhand one from either eBay, one of the forum traders or a scrapyard, ideally with the same part number. If everything is fine then you can reprogramme the BCU yourself with Toaf (use the search for more info).

Regards

PS See that you're not that far away from http://www.mjnmotors.com/ - said to be a top bloke who can sort out your BCU, (but I'd still start with the stereo).

Last edited by vitesse; 30th September 2020 at 12:35.. Reason: More info with link
vitesse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th September 2020, 12:36   #3
trikey
Premium Trader
 
trikey's Avatar
 
Rover 75

Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 33,711
Thanks: 8,837
Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts
Default

If you can get your original bcu back from the auto electrician then do it! I suspect you have put a 12v supply down the canbus wire when you fitted your stereo.

Chances are the original bcu will be ok (Try removing the stereo and fitting the original bcu and see if all is well)

Failing that, your new bcu can be easily programmed via T4 or toaf.
__________________
Lest we forget..
trikey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th September 2020, 14:37   #4
Jamiewelch
Posted a thing or two
 
Jamiewelch's Avatar
 
Alpina D3

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cheslyn hay
Posts: 1,002
Thanks: 58
Thanked 294 Times in 227 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MickeyV View Post
Hi all
My first post is a plea for help and its entirely my fault!
Back in the summer I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade the stereo in my MGZT 120, to a DAB unit.
All went well until I suddenly started having odd things happen like the wipers coming on on their own, hazards not going off when locking the car etc etc.
Initially I tried reversing the live feed but that didn't help
In my infinite wisdom I called a mobile auto electrician and thats where my problems have really occurred.
He's been out twice on the second occasion removing the body control module (I wasnt here otherwise I wouldn't have let it go) but has pretty much disappeared.
He reckoned the BCM was the problem so I even purchased a brand new BCM. However since then he's had excuse after excuse, promised to call and has simply disappeared citing family illness (which is fair enough) but I'm now left with a car whose MoT has expired and with no BCM fitted.
My questions are-
1. Assuming I can book the car for an MOT is my local general garage who are good going to be able to recode the BCM (assuming it needs coding)
2. If they can't MoT the car (which could be an issue as the BCM controls the windscreen wash wipe which now isn't functioning) what can I do?
I'm in the Forest of Dean so if any of you know a 'local specialist I'd be grateful.
I'm at the end of my tether, this has been going on for the best part of 3 months and I feel like I've been let down massively.
Thanks for any help, suggestions or commiserations!
Michael
Definitely try and get the original back! If not a T4 is the best bet with the new one, the barcodes will also have to be generated for your remote fobs and reentered in. By all means the BCU is something I could sort for you. But you're a 3 hour round trip .

As Trikey said above, sounds like you may have connected the K-Bus wire to something that it shouldn't be. The K-Bus wire is very similar to the illumination feed except it has yellow splodges every so often.
Jamiewelch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 08:16   #5
MickeyV
Newbie
 
MY ZT

Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Coleford
Posts: 8
Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Default

Morning all

Firstly massive thanks to those that read and responded to my call for help, I hadn't realised my membership had expired so have just renewed to ensure I can still access your sage advice.
Anyway I managed to re-establish comms with my missing electrician, so fair play, he cam yesterday.
However am still puzzled by all this, the problem only started after I simply swapped my existing stereo a Kenwood unit, for a BUSH DAB unit, and in doing so I changed nothing at all.
Anyway he arrived and couldn't re-programme the brand new BCM I had purchased, so instead he re-installed the old one, but still had the same symptoms as before (mainly windscreen wipers functioning on their own with no keys in ignition).
He started to look at the standard Rover ISO connector, which he felt was wired oddly (again I'm no expert here so bear with me) so he went through testing all the connections and reconnected a different ISO connector using what he had found, he reattached the BUSH stereo.....and still we had problems, anyway he reattached the original Kenwood stereo and hey presto no problems.
So we tried the old Kenwood stereo and unbelievably the car started behaving itself.
Fortunately I had another DAB stereo to hand (Blaupunkt) so we connected that and again NO problem (so far so good, touch wood, etc etc).
So in short it appears that the brand new BCM wasn't needed (as some of you suggested) The BUSH DAB unit, clearly does something odd and I now have a rewired ISO connector that seems (and I do mean SEEMS, given its less than 24hrs) to be behaving.
I must admit this is the first time I've had any issues with this MG (which I love despite its measly 120 BHP) and I still don't understand what has happened, however I think I'm happy, although I'll be honest I think this episode has cost far more than if I had sought someone who truly understands these frustrating but lovely old motors. So now I can go and get the car MoT'd with fingers crossed that it passes.
As a slight aside I bought the car off EBay last year on the basis it was a Le Mans Green ZT 160, the bloke was listing it for his father in law who had passed away so some £500 later I picked it up without ever seeing the car in the flesh let alone test driving it, to find it was just the 120 (although I couldn't diagnose that for sure until a week later when I finally managed to get past the broken bonnet catch and open the bonnet which I hadn't been able to do on collection) however I loved it so much I didn't complain, for £500 quid (with a spare Alcantra interior) I had a bargain, it needed some paint which I've had done, I had the HG replaced, new power steering pump, new brakes (all purchased really cheaply via EBay) and now have a clean 54,000 mile motor.
Anyway lets see how the MoT goes and whether I can safely listen to my choonz, thanks for reading and thanks for your help, its reassuring to know there are places to come for wisdom!
MickeyV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 08:42   #6
vitesse
I really should get out more.......
 
Rover 75 Saloon

Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Gävle
Posts: 2,516
Thanks: 395
Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts
Default

Glad that things are now hopefully sorted, and thanks for getting back to us with the result - far too many people ask, receive advice and are never heard of again.

Regards
vitesse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 08:45   #7
Jamiewelch
Posted a thing or two
 
Jamiewelch's Avatar
 
Alpina D3

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cheslyn hay
Posts: 1,002
Thanks: 58
Thanked 294 Times in 227 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MickeyV View Post
Morning all

Firstly massive thanks to those that read and responded to my call for help, I hadn't realised my membership had expired so have just renewed to ensure I can still access your sage advice.
Anyway I managed to re-establish comms with my missing electrician, so fair play, he cam yesterday.
However am still puzzled by all this, the problem only started after I simply swapped my existing stereo a Kenwood unit, for a BUSH DAB unit, and in doing so I changed nothing at all.
Anyway he arrived and couldn't re-programme the brand new BCM I had purchased, so instead he re-installed the old one, but still had the same symptoms as before (mainly windscreen wipers functioning on their own with no keys in ignition).
He started to look at the standard Rover ISO connector, which he felt was wired oddly (again I'm no expert here so bear with me) so he went through testing all the connections and reconnected a different ISO connector using what he had found, he reattached the BUSH stereo.....and still we had problems, anyway he reattached the original Kenwood stereo and hey presto no problems.
So we tried the old Kenwood stereo and unbelievably the car started behaving itself.
Fortunately I had another DAB stereo to hand (Blaupunkt) so we connected that and again NO problem (so far so good, touch wood, etc etc).
So in short it appears that the brand new BCM wasn't needed (as some of you suggested) The BUSH DAB unit, clearly does something odd and I now have a rewired ISO connector that seems (and I do mean SEEMS, given its less than 24hrs) to be behaving.
I must admit this is the first time I've had any issues with this MG (which I love despite its measly 120 BHP) and I still don't understand what has happened, however I think I'm happy, although I'll be honest I think this episode has cost far more than if I had sought someone who truly understands these frustrating but lovely old motors. So now I can go and get the car MoT'd with fingers crossed that it passes.
As a slight aside I bought the car off EBay last year on the basis it was a Le Mans Green ZT 160, the bloke was listing it for his father in law who had passed away so some £500 later I picked it up without ever seeing the car in the flesh let alone test driving it, to find it was just the 120 (although I couldn't diagnose that for sure until a week later when I finally managed to get past the broken bonnet catch and open the bonnet which I hadn't been able to do on collection) however I loved it so much I didn't complain, for £500 quid (with a spare Alcantra interior) I had a bargain, it needed some paint which I've had done, I had the HG replaced, new power steering pump, new brakes (all purchased really cheaply via EBay) and now have a clean 54,000 mile motor.
Anyway lets see how the MoT goes and whether I can safely listen to my choonz, thanks for reading and thanks for your help, its reassuring to know there are places to come for wisdom!

He wouldn't be able to program a replacement BCU unless he has a T4. It could probably be bodged with TOAF but it wouldn't work properly.

Glad you got it working
Jamiewelch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 10:01   #8
vitesse
I really should get out more.......
 
Rover 75 Saloon

Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Gävle
Posts: 2,516
Thanks: 395
Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamiewelch View Post
He wouldn't be able to program a replacement BCU unless he has a T4. It could probably be bodged with TOAF but it wouldn't work properly.

Glad you got it working
Apologies to the OP for going slightly off topic, but why the negative comments about Toaf? I’ve reprogrammed my BCU taken from a tourer and used in my saloon and it worked for the lifetime of use possibly eight years (car now relegated to donor status). Was actually recommended by another T4 owner Rover54, a most helpful gent.
MarinaBrian recognised that Toaf has its uses especially when the car is immobile or the poster far from a T4.
I can easily enable the digital speedo, switch off the rear auto defroster, add s/h remote boards - can you with your T4?

Regards
vitesse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 14:02   #9
Jamiewelch
Posted a thing or two
 
Jamiewelch's Avatar
 
Alpina D3

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cheslyn hay
Posts: 1,002
Thanks: 58
Thanked 294 Times in 227 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by vitesse View Post
Apologies to the OP for going slightly off topic, but why the negative comments about Toaf? I’ve reprogrammed my BCU taken from a tourer and used in my saloon and it worked for the lifetime of use possibly eight years (car now relegated to donor status). Was actually recommended by another T4 owner Rover54, a most helpful gent.
MarinaBrian recognised that Toaf has its uses especially when the car is immobile or the poster far from a T4.
I can easily enable the digital speedo, switch off the rear auto defroster, add s/h remote boards - can you with your T4?

Regards
Toaf works alright with a second hand unit as it has already been programmed before and car specific options can be changed. I'm not saying toaf is bad, it just can't program brand new things properly as more goes on with a T4 with brand new things, it does a good job with second hand ones though.

No need to try and mention functions that were not available in the T4. I can program S/H circuit boards as I wrote a windows application to regenerate the barcode. A BCU replacement using the T4 procedure copies the fob information across for you. Can you program in a virginised diesel ecu with toaf? They both have their uses and toaf is a handy piece of software.

I'd like to see what toaf can do with a brand new ecu to be honest, it can't read the ZCS codes from an NNN100720 or NNN500340 properly.

Toaf is fine for second hand ecus, but a T4 is always best for brand new ecus as it sets everything properly for the car it is being fitted to.
Jamiewelch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th October 2020, 16:23   #10
vitesse
I really should get out more.......
 
Rover 75 Saloon

Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Gävle
Posts: 2,516
Thanks: 395
Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts
Default

Thanks for the detailed reply. If you have another look at my post 2 you’ll see I advised using Toaf together with a used BCU. Your your own post speaks of a replacement BCU but requires a T4, could be bodged with Toaf but it wouldn’t work properly.
I have no idea if Toaf is capable of programming a virgin diesel ECU, I don’t have a diesel or any interest in one, however I’d be surprised if this knowledge is confined to a select few T4 owners. The Poles, unlike the Swedes, do run diesels and despite their absent have been busy with remaps etc. There was even talk of a Android version but sadly they’ve stopped posting here.
But, back to the BCU and not the used one but the new one. Wouldn’t it be possible for someone to back up their own BCU, send the OP the file for him to restore to his virgin BCU with Toaf?
Anyway I was pleased to see you say that Toaf is a handy piece of software, there was a time on here that only Phil-T4 could get away with saying anything positive about Toaf.

Regards
vitesse is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 22:18.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © 2006-2023, The Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners Club Ltd