Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax aero not starting

Just picked up on this thread. My Aero is august 08 and there is something a bit quirky in the electronics.
Two of the panel switch lights remain on all the time whether the ignition is on or off and when returning from Aalborg my wipers and indicators failed - they restarted spontaneously when I stopped and restarted the engine.

The Roadster has a "Dashboard ECU". There was a thread on Mogtalk where one had failed in an 05 car and was horribly expensive to replace. It sits behind the row of switches, so I'm thinking that the Aero also has one. Don't let water near it........

i also have 2 lights that stay on the dash all the time.
and also had various issues with electrics,, the horn went on and stayed on, windows going up and down them selves.
The dealers sent down a mechanic to look over the car with a computer but nothing apparent so i phoned morgan assistance the car was picked up within the hour.
I hate to complain but i have had the car just over 5 months, and it has been off the road for 7 weeks now.
if i get anymore problems do you think it would be unreasonable
to ask for another car to be built.

Scottie
If you have paid 70K or 20K for any car you have a right to expect a servicable product. If it were any major manufacturer I bet you would already have a solicitors letter on their desk by now. I think because we think of Morgan as ideosyncratic and an 'old' firm we cut them a fair degree of slack and I am coming to the impression that they at least rely on that, if not trade on it. I have a +4 on order and although they are not as expensive or sophisticated as an aero I am starting to get an uneasy feeling about things reading this and other threads. I had hoped that the new car would provide a degree of reliability from a sound starting point. If I were you I would certainly have a serious ultimatum on the table for them.
Good luck, sounds like you have not had much so far.

Andy

As far as I can see, the only complex piece of kit (apart from the engine ECU) on the trads is the dashboard ECU, which apparently incorporates the indicators flasher unit in a chip. The circuit board is visible behind the push buttons switches and is a sizeable board. I spoke to Dave Bright (Yorkshire MSCC) at Ledgerwoods open day before Christmas, and in the conversation, we discussed this board, and he had found a company (possibly Isle of Wight?) who had repaired a chip for him recently, but I don't think it was MOG related.
Aero's are much more complex (look at the bare shots from my August Factory Trip), so it's hardly surprising that some glitches happen in the circuit boards. Let's face it, modern electronics are not well suited to living outside (in convertibles). So far, all I've had to suffer is a fuel gauge which steams up inside for twenty minutes or so on most trips.
To put some perspective on this, I had the Climate Control ECU fail on my Golf at 4 years old, and that cost £750 to put right. But the VW dealer did the job in two days as promised and supplied a 'new' loan car without conditions or cost.
With normal cars you interact with the dealer, not the factory. The trouble is that Mogs are not normal cars, and I don't imagine Dealers are too keen on providing loan cars in such circumstances. Sooner of later, complex electronics will give trouble - it's a fact of life. Anyway, best of luck to all who are suffering with Aero's. I wouldn't worry too much about the new +4 though!!

This isn't just a Morgan problem as the electronic have got more complex the trouble shooting has become more difficult.

Brand new 5 series, after 3 months have reason to use the horn,nothing, fortunately I can shout and did so at the p**t who had nearly run me off the road.

Back to dealer 3 hours couldn't find the problem. Simple me thinks it just a case of changing a switch. No 2 days of reprogramming to get the horn working. Collects the car, starts raining wipers not work not. Anyway about 15 hours of labour to fix the horn.

Moral of the story fit a £3 switch