My car will not start ...

[TVR Thomo]

There's Plenty of juice in the battery (it's new) lights on the dash come on and headlights work fine, fuel pump is priming OK, can hear it everytime. Car has not been driven for just over a week (week past Saturday) could it be the 100A fues ? If so where is it located?

Any suggestions comments are more that welcome.

Many thanks
Neil.

[chim666]

IIRC - The 100A fuse is located underneath the car, to the rear of the engine and parrallel with the right-hand main chassis rail (You should be able to get to it laying on the floor and reaching in from the driver's side).
It's housed in a plastic box about the size of a matchbox. You unclip the cover and pull out the fuse (actually, I believe that it's bolted in)....but I believe that it is the alternator fuse, and would not be the cause of your problem....but I cannot help out with a suggestion I'm afraid.

When you turn the engine over, does it make any attempt at firing at all?

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 19:52

[germs]

Do your sparky things spark?

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

IIRC - The 100A fuse is located underneath the car, to the rear of the engine and parrallel with the right-hand main chassis rail (You should be able to get to it laying on the floor and reaching in from the driver's side).
It's housed in a plastic box about the size of a matchbox. You unclip the cover and pull out the fuse....but I believe that it is the alternator fuse, and would not be the cause of your problem....but I cannot help out with a suggestion I'm afraid.

When you turn the engine over, does it make any attempt at firing at all?

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 13:38

Hi chim666,

Thanks for the quick reply. No there is no attempt to turn over at all so suspect that it may have something to do with the starter motor now ? Maybe corroded connections or a loose wire ?? Not with the car right now so will check after work.

Edited by TVR Thomo on Tuesday 13th February 13:42

Edited by TVR Thomo on Tuesday 13th February 13:43

[chim666]

TVR Thomo said:

No there is no attempt to turn over at all so suspect that it may have something to do with the starter motor now ? Maybe corroded connections or a loose wire ?? Not with the car right now so will check after work.

Sounds like a problem with the immobiliser to me - not sure how you can do it, but a good starting point would be to make sure the immobiliser is being disabled.

Try turning the engine over with the headlights on (I assume you are in your garage - or can see the light's beam while sitting in the car). If you have a bad connection, the lights will go really dim when you try to crank the engine over. If the lights stay bright, then there's nothing getting to the starter motor - which could be the starter solenoid or immobiliser.

Where's shpub when you want him!

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 13:55

[tvr keith]

I know this is silly, but;
IT HAS GOT PETROL IN IT HASN'T IT?????!!!!!!!!!!

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

TVR Thomo said:

No there is no attempt to turn over at all so suspect that it may have something to do with the starter motor now ? Maybe corroded connections or a loose wire ?? Not with the car right now so will check after work.

Sounds like a problem with the immobiliser to me.

Not sure about that because the alarm has not been on for the week It's the one thats done via the door key/button (not the fob).

tvr keith said:

I know this is silly, but;
IT HAS GOT PETROL IN IT HASN'T IT?????!!!!!!!!!!

Yes just filled it up (full tank), car is not turning over at all.

[paulga]

TVR Thomo said:

could it be the 100A fues ? If so where is it located?

It looks like yours is an early car, in which case it doesn't have a 100A fuse.........just in case you are crawling around under the car looking for it!!

[TVR Thomo]

paulga said:

TVR Thomo said:

could it be the 100A fues ? If so where is it located?

It looks like yours is an early car, in which case it doesn't have a 100A fuse.........just in case you are crawling around under the car looking for it!!

yes it is, it's 94' Chimaera 430 ... does that not have one ??

[chim666]

TVR Thomo said:

yes it is, it's 94' Chimaera 430 ... does that not have one ??

I'm prepared to be corrected, but after looking in Steve Heath's 'Bible' it says nothing at all about specific years having the fuse or not...in fact, apart from a picture showing the alternator fuse's location (Page 238 in the second edition), I can't see any reference to the 100A fuse at all! But I still don't think that's your problem. Have a lookie here www.chimaerapages.com/resources_fuse.php

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 19:23

[GreenV8S]

If the headlights come on OK you know there is juice in the battery. If you turn the key and the engine doesn't crank over, you have either a dead starter motor, or some problem preventing power from reaching it. The most likely problems would be the immobiliser playing up, or a poor connection at the multi-plug between the ignition switch and the main loom, or the connection to the solenoid. I think you can safely ignore any issues to do with 100A fuses etc as that would prevent the alternator from charging the battery but wouldn't stop you engaging the starter motor (until the battery went flat, which your headlamp test has shown is not the case).

[TVR Thomo]

GreenV8S said:

If the headlights come on OK you know there is juice in the battery. If you turn the key and the engine doesn't crank over, you have either a dead starter motor, or some problem preventing power from reaching it. The most likely problems would be the immobiliser playing up, or a poor connection at the multi-plug between the ignition switch and the main loom, or the connection to the solenoid. I think you can safely ignore any issues to do with 100A fuses etc as that would prevent the alternator from charging the battery but wouldn't stop you engaging the starter motor (until the battery went flat, which your headlamp test has shown is not the case).

Quite agree. I turned the head lights on and then turned the key and there was no dip in the lights. There is nothing at all getting to the starter motor so don't think it's the motor. Probably a loose connection somewhere or corrotion on one of the wires or something. You can tell i'm not technical can't you ...

[chim666]

GreenV8S said:

If you turn the key and the engine doesn't crank over, you have either a dead starter motor, or some problem preventing power from reaching it.

...or the starter motor solenoid stuck.
You could try rocking the car whilst in gear to see if it frees it (not with the ignition on though!)

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

GreenV8S said:

If you turn the key and the engine doesn't crank over, you have either a dead starter motor, or some problem preventing power from reaching it.

...or the starter motor solenoid stuck.
You could try rocking the car whilst in gear to see if it frees it (not with the ignition on though!)

Good suggestion but just tried it with no joy. Thanks anyway Chim666

[chim666]

So we know that the ignition is coming on (your fuel pump is priming), and your battery's fine (lights on good & bright), and they don't dip when you try to start it (bad connection to starter unlikely, otherwise you would see them dip and hear the starter 'chatter' as it tries to turn).
The starter's just not turning at all maybe your ignition switch is duff.

Just seen on p 241 in the 'bible' that there's a 10A 'Ignition' fuse in the main fuse holder (9th slot from the left - with the solenoids at the top) and a 15A 'Engine & coil' (10th from right).

And also a 25A 'Ignition Switch' fuse - farthest to the right (I'd start here!) . There's also 4 spare fuses, though not sure what ratings.

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

So we know that the ignition is coming on (your fuel pump is priming), and your battery's fine (lights on good & bright), and they don't dip when you try to start it (bad connection to starter unlikely, otherwise you would see them dip and hear the starter 'chatter' as it tries to turn).
The starter's just not turning at all maybe your ignition switch is duff.

Just seen on p 241 in the 'bible' that there's a 10A 'Ignition' fuse in the main fuse holder (9th slot from the left - with the solenoids at the top) and a 15A 'Engine & coil' (10th from right).

And also a 25A 'Ignition Switch' fuse - farthest to the right (I'd start here!) . There's also 4 spare fuses, though not sure what ratings.

Your quite right! I never even thought about the fuses, i'm looking at the same page as you now in the bible. I'm away to find my tourch ... will be back with an update in a bit.

[chim666]

P 266 (Mechanical testing) gives some tips on checking your starter motor...particularly the bit saying 'If the lights do not dim when the starter is tried....' )

Done a search on PH and found this (might be of use ) www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=1&f=8&t=302455&h=0&hw=starting+problems

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 20:30

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

So we know that the ignition is coming on (your fuel pump is priming), and your battery's fine (lights on good & bright), and they don't dip when you try to start it (bad connection to starter unlikely, otherwise you would see them dip and hear the starter 'chatter' as it tries to turn).
The starter's just not turning at all maybe your ignition switch is duff.

Just seen on p 241 in the 'bible' that there's a 10A 'Ignition' fuse in the main fuse holder (9th slot from the left - with the solenoids at the top) and a 15A 'Engine & coil' (10th from right).

And also a 25A 'Ignition Switch' fuse - farthest to the right (I'd start here!) . There's also 4 spare fuses, though not sure what ratings.

Fuses all checked and working correctly although they don’t appear in the same order as the book in some cases which threw me a bit. Just checked them all to be on the safe side.

chim666 said:

P 266 (Mechanical testing) gives some tips on checking your starter motor...particularly the bit saying 'If the lights do not dim when the starter is tried....' )

Done a search on PH and found this (might be of use ) www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=1&f=8&t=302455&h=0&hw=starting+problems

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 20:30

Yes your right I will need to test the started motor but might need to get it up on a ramp first .. Don’t fancy banging it with a hammer while being under the car

I notice on the thread that you pointed me to that the person that started it never wrote the final out come which is a real shame because it exactly the same problem as mine

[chim666]

TVR Thomo said:

I notice on the thread that you pointed me to that the person that started it never wrote the final out come which is a real shame because it exactly the same problem as mine

Yes, I noticed that.
Might be worth dropping him a mail? He's even in your neck of the woods! (ish !)

Edited by chim666 on Tuesday 13th February 21:09

[TVR Thomo]

chim666 said:

TVR Thomo said:

I notice on the thread that you pointed me to that the person that started it never wrote the final out come which is a real shame because it exactly the same problem as mine

Yes, I noticed that.
Might be worth dropping him a mail?

Already have! Someone else also mentioned that the heavy duty cable going into the back of the starter motor becomes persished/corroded over time caused by the heat. Something else to check tomorrow, too dark now and I look suspect being out there with my tourch.

Anyway Paul thank you very much for all your help on this one very much appreciated!!

Cheers
Neil.