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Okay so I tried taking the relay out and putting a wire over the pins you said but nothing. However did you get the right colours? The two big wires coming in, which I thought would be the starter wires are brown/red and plain brown. Should I bridge over these instead?

Nope, bridged the two large wires and nothing either. Bugger and bugger

Checked the relay and it works okay. Over the weekend I think I'll be going over the wiring diagram to see where it could be going wrong. Last time it almost started the solenoid got as far as going click then it went no further.

It's becoming a tad irksome.

Brown is constaint live, brown/red is a switched live, in this case switched by the relay.

I would replace the battery in the fob, it is a service item at the annual service anyway, and then check all the associated wiring for continuity and voltage.

I would start with the low tension lead to the starter, and proberbly start by replacing the crimp terminal as these are a known weak point.

Storm wrote: Okay so I tried taking the relay out and putting a wire over the pins you said but nothing. However did you get the right colours? The two big wires coming in, which I thought would be the starter wires are brown/red and plain brown. Should I bridge over these instead?

You are on the correct relay and wires, bridging the two large wires (brown with brown with the red tracer) bypasses everything and gives a direct feed from F20 straight to the spade terminal on the starter motor solenoid; starter should engage and spin the second you make the contact (make sure it's not in gear).

If you think it's alarm related then replace the relay and connect a ground wire into the black with the white tracer wire (scotch lock in place for the test or push the bared end of the cable into the relay base)
This will bypass the ground signal from the BCU alarm system and allow the engine to crank when you turn the key.

Attached is the wiring diagram for the starting circuit.

Brian.

Thanks everyone. If the spade is a weak point then it will be worth having a look at it. I will be sending the alarm ECU away to get the central locking switched on anyway so I'll get it checked over at the same time. No huge rush as the cars still off the road until one of the boys pass their test and Margaret wants her MG back.

Mine had the same starting issue and was also intermittent , turning the ignition on everything lit up as it should but not a peep from the starter I tried unlocking and locking it hoping to god it wasn't alarm or immobiliser related but still nothing ,tried wiggling wiring in engine bay and it started up but next attempt was back to having nothing.

Turned out to be a dodgy crimp /spade connector on starter - replaced with a new one and cleaned up terminal everything has been fine since . . . Took 10 minutes and around 5p worth of spade connector.

Hope this helps

Bloody spade connector. All starting again now

Thanks everyone.

Glad you got it sorted bud, bloody spade connector indeed!! But you always over look the simple things!!