Warning for MG ZT and Rover 75 users.. "Engine Disabled"
Discussion
WARNING! ATTENTIONE! ACHTUNG!
Any Rover 75 or MG ZT user reading this, please be advised, this time of year with cooler temperatures could run down your car's battery if it is not up to scratch. Particularly if car little used during a cold snap. If on trying to start the car you get a large Engine Disabled warning in the display, DO NOT REPEATEDLY TRY TO START THE CAR. You will scramble the key's internal chip in some way so that the car does not recognise the key..
That will cost a few quid to reactivate.
DO NOT TRY THE SECOND KEY until you have changed the battery for a good one. You could scramble the second key that way too so the car would be impossible to start.
Any Rover 75 or MG ZT user reading this, please be advised, this time of year with cooler temperatures could run down your car's battery if it is not up to scratch. Particularly if car little used during a cold snap. If on trying to start the car you get a large Engine Disabled warning in the display, DO NOT REPEATEDLY TRY TO START THE CAR. You will scramble the key's internal chip in some way so that the car does not recognise the key..
That will cost a few quid to reactivate.
DO NOT TRY THE SECOND KEY until you have changed the battery for a good one. You could scramble the second key that way too so the car would be impossible to start.
MGJohn said:
WARNING! ATTENTIONE! ACHTUNG!
Any Rover 75 or MG ZT user reading this, please be advised, this time of year with cooler temperatures could run down your car's battery if it is not up to scratch. Particularly if car little used during a cold snap. If on trying to start the car you get a large Engine Disabled warning in the display, DO NOT REPEATEDLY TRY TO START THE CAR. You will scramble the key's internal chip in some way so that the car does not recognise the key..
That will cost a few quid to reactivate.
DO NOT TRY THE SECOND KEY until you have changed the battery for a good one. You could scramble the second key that way too so the car would be impossible to start.
That sounds like a lesson you've just learnt the hard way?Any Rover 75 or MG ZT user reading this, please be advised, this time of year with cooler temperatures could run down your car's battery if it is not up to scratch. Particularly if car little used during a cold snap. If on trying to start the car you get a large Engine Disabled warning in the display, DO NOT REPEATEDLY TRY TO START THE CAR. You will scramble the key's internal chip in some way so that the car does not recognise the key..
That will cost a few quid to reactivate.
DO NOT TRY THE SECOND KEY until you have changed the battery for a good one. You could scramble the second key that way too so the car would be impossible to start.
SimonD said:
That sounds like a lesson you've just learnt the hard way?
Actual experience is an effective teacher.... 
Exactly that. I will get the key reprogrammed once things return to normal after the Holiday period. I hate having only one operative key for a car. Asking for trouble with Sod's Law always lurking.
If there's ever a next time my seeing the Engine Disabled warning I will not try the key more than once.
timbo48 said:
Never heard of this in 5 years ownership of a ZT and the same time spent on one of the forums. Are you going to put this on said forum MGJ? Would be interested in any reactions to this. This is our first winter with a second car so the ZT might be left unused for longer periods.
Have already done so. Including the prime forum 75/ZT which after I searched when first faced with this small hitch, I discovered several warnings about this very "Engine Disabled" problem. Several others have done exactly as i did and rendered their keys inoperative. Had I read one of them previously, it would not have been a problem. Their warning to NOT to repeatedly try to start the car with a weak battery will render the Key inoperative. One learns by one's ignorance or mistakes or both combined .. I have two nice ZTs, one on permanent SORN now. I have disconnected that one's battery after checking the car started easily last time I checked it with both chipped keys. When I start to use that car again in the better weather, I will ensure the battery is up to scratch before trying to start it. My daily drive car was unused since before Christmas and alarmed. The alarms on cars are always a steady drain on the batterys. The alarms on my MGF and my son's Rover 25 will sound off when the battery runs low if car is unused for a lengthy period. I'd prefer that to simply going flat and activating that pesky "Engine Disabled" warning when unused for a period.
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