tf lights staying on

[andys1981]

just went round to the shop and my daughter noticed that the map lights in my tf mirror are staying on,but staying very dim,is it because they are led lights,could this be a problem with draining the battery,could this be the problem when my alarm kept going off,anybody had any similar problems?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lbpxxpcqnjoaluu/2014-12-28%2016.50.32.jpg?dl=0

[petet16]

I think that has something to do with using leds, have you tried normal bulbs to see if they're the same

[peterzs]

dont they need a resistor in the line, to close them down.

I know nothing about electrics, just something I've read somewhere!!!!

[Maxfly]

Just because they are led's Andy. Takes so little to light up an led. When I had all rear lights as led's my high level brake light lit up dimly. Nothing to worry about though :)

[mattyprice4004]

As above, had the same in my last ZS. Use CANBUS friendly LEDs and it should stop.

[talkingcars]

I have had this discusion on several of the F/TF forums - map lights fitted with LED's in the F/TF do not normally stay on.

I'd remove the LED's and see if that cures the alarm problem.

[Maxfly]

I have had this discusion on several of the F/TF forums - map lights fitted with LED's in the F/TF do not normally stay on.

I'd remove the LED's and see if that cures the alarm problem.

Remeber they are not staying on but are dimply lit...but if not then I would suggest a difference between f/tf's and zs's then as all three of my zs's have had this. On ZS's if you have no tf mirror and fit an led festoon into the standard interior light you get a small glow from it but if you fit a tf mirror with led's then the glow appears in them instead...would guess this is due to the fact the wiring is spliced into before the standard light.
Not just cars, I have led replacements for halogen bulbs in the house and they pick up residual power in the wiring and some of the individual leds glow slightly even when the switch is off.

[talkingcars]

What I am saying is that a illuminated mirror in a TF with LED bulbs should not have even a residual glow, the system that switches these lights on is wired differently to in the ZS.
The power is controlled by on/off switches, not an electronic control board.

[Maxfly]

Yes but as most leave the switches in the on position so that the lights come on with the interior light then there will be a glow.

[talkingcars]

But hay ho, what do I know.

Wind and pish apparently.

[talkingcars]

And sorry Andy, I was just talking wind and pish when I said that I would remove the LED's to see if that cured the alarm problem.

[andys1981]

i removed them this morning when i got home,funny thing is,all the interior bulbs are leds,and my front side lights,and had no problems,i cant even say how long this has been happening,maybe the earth getting slack,will try get a proper look when i have time.

[Maxfly]

We are talking about the MGF interior rear view mirror aren't we?
The mirror that has two down lighters?
The two down lighters that are either on or on when the door is open?
As fitted in the MGF?
The MGF that has two down lighters and two foot well lights as the interior lighting?

Assuming we are.
And assuming that I am a MGF owner that knows his car quite well.
And assuming that I am a regular on several MGF forums ( www.mgfforum.com AKA www.the-t-bar.com where I am a moderator and the MGF register) and more general MG forums (xpower and .org).

And assuming that most MGF drivers don't drive with their interior mirror mounted down lighters on all the time they must have them switched to coming on when a door is open.

And assuming that in a recent thread on one of the above forums drivers of MGF's fitted with LED's in the down lighters in the interior mirrors did actually mean that there was no residual glow from the LED's when the switchs were switched to on when a door was open
actually meant that there was a residual glow from the LED's then I apologise, I am wrong.

I shall go and tell them that their cars are wired wrongly and that the mirror mounted down lighters and the footwell lights should not be controlled by a relay in the BCU (body control unit) mounted behind the internal fuse box but should be controlled by the Lucas 5AS or Pektron alarm and immobiliser ECU mounted on the transmission tunnel behind the central console.

But hay ho, what do I know.

Well by the sounds of it nothing but your own wind and pish. Not really caring about mgf's here now are we? More a part that is fitted to them as standard which some then remove to fit in other models, eg ZS's as an example maybe? In fact Andy's ZS in particular maybe?

[talkingcars]

And there was me thinking wind and pish.

[Maxfly]

And there was me thinking Andy had a TF (also in yellow) and he was talking about that and not his ZS.

Since when has this been a forum that only talks about ZS's?
Plenty of threads about other cars and other stuff.

http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=73

This forum has always had threads about other cars and stuff, but as it is a model specific site common sense might point out that if it is something other than a ZS it would be stated somewhere?

Thought Andys other car was a ZR??

[maxtherotti]

My zs also does this with led lights in the tf mirror
So I just put standard bulbs back in

[talkingcars]

wind and pish

[talkingcars]

wind and pish

[andys1981]

anyway guys no point in argueing over this please,the tf mirror is in my zs,and my other car is a zr,just wanted to find out if indeed someone had come across a similar problem with a tf mirror fitted.

[Roverlike]

I fitted MGF mirror in my R200 mk3, and put LEDs inside it, as well I put LED in place of regular roof light. So it is controlled by Lucas 5AS. My roof light dim a little when everything is closed, but my mirror light do not dim at all. I personally wired them to the same wires that are controlled by 5AS.
Andy, I do not know what alarm box you have - Lucas or Pektron? There could be a difference.

[talkingcars]

Sorry - just wind and pish.

[Roverlike]

Switches operate as they should. In one position they are on, and in the other they are off. When they are off, then light is operated by Lucas alarm box.
Ignition on or off, doors are shut.

[mattyprice4004]

If they're wired in with the interior light, which DOES suffer from the issue of LEDs receiving a little residual power, then it's logical to assume a TF mirror wired to the same circuit will suffer the same issue. :)

[andys1981]

well the plot thickens lol,was driving home this morning to this.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/uqrpc5ymwjc761e/AAD2KhSeq2YqnMgiYC1TBMXua
this was the front and back interior lights.

[Maxfly]

Haha, can never be simple eh. Were the switches for the TF light in the off position and where have you taken the feed for the rear light from?

[andys1981]

ive just got the feed off the original interior light,noticed at school tryed to plug one of the lights into the tf mirror and the interior light went out so,maybe the tf lights have always done that,or possibly i may have a faulty led bulb,should find out weds when im off.

[mattyprice4004]

CANBUS LEDs should stop this. :)

[andys1981]

yeah matty thats what im thinking,funny as they bulbs have been in the car for about 6 months,but never noticed the lights staying on.

[andys1981]

ok folks been out and done a few tests with these lights,had one led light plugged in,and that puts out the main interior light,tryed it with a normal bulb and they all go out,so come to the conclusion that its just these cheap led lights that are staying on but very faint,it must have been doing this from the start.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8xuafhej9yvigel/AAD0WfyJ57ZC17bNq9C21ykla