Bypassing The Immobiliser (Ignition Only)
Discussion
First off before I start the answer should be sent to me by PM for obvious reasons.
For the last six months I have been suffering from an intermittent starter fault.
Every so often I turn the key and get absolutely nothing from the starter, not even the faintest click.
The new starter motor checks out fine, and as long as the solenoid gets a good feed (which is does 90% of the time) it cranks the engine extremely well.
After a lot of messing about, a hot start kit, a new starter and some extensive testing, the fault seems to be within the immobiliser unit.
I have researched this on PH and had a chat with Carl Baker & it does seem the relays in the immobiliser are a common cause of this fault.
Carl explained the immobiliser relays were wired incorrectly by TVR which doesn't help the situation and the hot start kit I fitted may not improve my situation if these relays are past their best.
While I am saving up the pennies for Carl to put a new upgraded alarm system on the car I figured a quick fix to temporarily get around the fault would be to simply bypass the immobiliser on the ignition circuit.
Now I know some of you have already done this so I would be grateful one of you kindly PM me with how you configured your wiring.
I have my own ideas on how to wire it up that include utilising the hot start relay (& perhaps a hidden switch for added security) but I would be keen to know how others have done it.
I simply want to turn the key and know the car will start, the immobiliser still controls the live feed to the fuel pump so the car will remain secure.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can PM me the details.
For the last six months I have been suffering from an intermittent starter fault.
Every so often I turn the key and get absolutely nothing from the starter, not even the faintest click.
The new starter motor checks out fine, and as long as the solenoid gets a good feed (which is does 90% of the time) it cranks the engine extremely well.
After a lot of messing about, a hot start kit, a new starter and some extensive testing, the fault seems to be within the immobiliser unit.
I have researched this on PH and had a chat with Carl Baker & it does seem the relays in the immobiliser are a common cause of this fault.
Carl explained the immobiliser relays were wired incorrectly by TVR which doesn't help the situation and the hot start kit I fitted may not improve my situation if these relays are past their best.
While I am saving up the pennies for Carl to put a new upgraded alarm system on the car I figured a quick fix to temporarily get around the fault would be to simply bypass the immobiliser on the ignition circuit.
Now I know some of you have already done this so I would be grateful one of you kindly PM me with how you configured your wiring.
I have my own ideas on how to wire it up that include utilising the hot start relay (& perhaps a hidden switch for added security) but I would be keen to know how others have done it.
I simply want to turn the key and know the car will start, the immobiliser still controls the live feed to the fuel pump so the car will remain secure.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can PM me the details.
Edited by Chimpafrolic on Tuesday 7th June 16:58
WOO5IE said:
I may be wrong but doesnt the little plug-in fob thing by the ignition lock bypass the immobiliser or does it still need the relays etc working
I think you'll find that the little plug-in fob thing is just another way of disconnecting the immobiliser.I need to bypass the immobiliser completely on the ignition circuit.
The way I see it I just need a wire from the sprung part of the ignition switch to the starter solenoid with the addition of a relay to protect the switch.
Correct?
OK so I did the surgery yesterday, after a bit of testing with a meter the bypass actually required no additional wiring.
Taking great care to ensure the changes are completely reversible I eliminated the involvement of the Meta immobiliser on the starter solenoid circuit to establish if it would solve my annoying intermittent starting fault.
Once the correct wires were traced and the circuit was understood it was an amazingly simple job to eliminate the immobiliser on the circuit that energises the starter motor solenoid.
It ended up being a really neat and simple connection that involved very little invasive surgery of the loom, pleasingly it also retains the hot start relay to protect the contacts within the ignition switch in the start position.
Recently the starting fault had become so bad almost every time I have tried to start the engine I got absolutely nothing with the key in the start position.
It had also just started to develop the habit of occasionally blowing the ignition fuse in the fuse board & my hot start kit fuse too
It always eventually started but only after the fifth, sixth or seventh turn of the key, so something had to be done.
Well I have now extensively tested the car's ability to start both hot and cold and so far my bypass seems to have completely resolved the problem.
I have gone from totally unreliable starting, to a car that starts first time, every time I turn the key
That cheap new Ex-MoD Prestolite Land Rover V8 starter I got from EBay was perfect after all.
In fact the Prestolite starter sounds super smooth and has massive cranking power, way better than my condemned original which thinking about it is also likely to be without fault.
This excellent Prestolite starter is available from Brookwell Land Rover Parts at a very reasonable price.
http://www.brookwell.co.uk/item/243/replacement-st...
I now have the old original & a brand new expensive PowerLite starter for sale, both working perfectly and all for the sake of a duff relay in the immobiliser
Its been an expensive, highly frustrating but ultimately very rewarding journey, without this forum it certainly would have taking me much longer to trace the fault.
Many thanks to everyone that helped me and in turn I hope my experiences help others with this fault and stops them spending unnecessarily like I did.
OK so I accept you could call the bypass a bodge, & yes I could have fixed it properly by spending over £500.00 with Carl Baker for a new alarm; & when funds permit I probably still will take this option.
But for now my solution cost me nothing more than a few connectors and an hour of my time, it's completely reversible and because the immobiliser still controls the live feed to the fuel pump the car's security is in no way compromised.
I call that a result
PS: If I want to, it's now possible to crank the engine on the starter without fuel, so perfect for bring the oil pressure up (without starting the engine) after an oil change.
Taking great care to ensure the changes are completely reversible I eliminated the involvement of the Meta immobiliser on the starter solenoid circuit to establish if it would solve my annoying intermittent starting fault.
Once the correct wires were traced and the circuit was understood it was an amazingly simple job to eliminate the immobiliser on the circuit that energises the starter motor solenoid.
It ended up being a really neat and simple connection that involved very little invasive surgery of the loom, pleasingly it also retains the hot start relay to protect the contacts within the ignition switch in the start position.
Recently the starting fault had become so bad almost every time I have tried to start the engine I got absolutely nothing with the key in the start position.
It had also just started to develop the habit of occasionally blowing the ignition fuse in the fuse board & my hot start kit fuse too
It always eventually started but only after the fifth, sixth or seventh turn of the key, so something had to be done.
Well I have now extensively tested the car's ability to start both hot and cold and so far my bypass seems to have completely resolved the problem.
I have gone from totally unreliable starting, to a car that starts first time, every time I turn the key
That cheap new Ex-MoD Prestolite Land Rover V8 starter I got from EBay was perfect after all.
In fact the Prestolite starter sounds super smooth and has massive cranking power, way better than my condemned original which thinking about it is also likely to be without fault.
This excellent Prestolite starter is available from Brookwell Land Rover Parts at a very reasonable price.
http://www.brookwell.co.uk/item/243/replacement-st...
I now have the old original & a brand new expensive PowerLite starter for sale, both working perfectly and all for the sake of a duff relay in the immobiliser
Its been an expensive, highly frustrating but ultimately very rewarding journey, without this forum it certainly would have taking me much longer to trace the fault.
Many thanks to everyone that helped me and in turn I hope my experiences help others with this fault and stops them spending unnecessarily like I did.
OK so I accept you could call the bypass a bodge, & yes I could have fixed it properly by spending over £500.00 with Carl Baker for a new alarm; & when funds permit I probably still will take this option.
But for now my solution cost me nothing more than a few connectors and an hour of my time, it's completely reversible and because the immobiliser still controls the live feed to the fuel pump the car's security is in no way compromised.
I call that a result
PS: If I want to, it's now possible to crank the engine on the starter without fuel, so perfect for bring the oil pressure up (without starting the engine) after an oil change.
Edited by Chimpafrolic on Sunday 12th June 18:37
Chimpafrolic said:
OK so I did the surgery yesterday, after a bit of testing with a meter the bypass actually required no additional wiring.
Taking great care to ensure the changes are completely reversible I eliminated the involvement of the Meta immobiliser on the ignition circuit to establish if it would solve my annoying intermittent starter fault.
Once the correct wires were traced and the circuit was understood it was an amazingly simple job to eliminate the immobiliser on the circuit that energises the starter motor solenoid.
It ended up being a really neat and simple connection that involved very little invasive surgery of the loom, pleasingly it also retains the hot start relay to protect the contacts within the ignition switch in the start position...
Good to hear Chimpafrolic ... could you PM me with your wiring fix, it'd be much appreciated.Taking great care to ensure the changes are completely reversible I eliminated the involvement of the Meta immobiliser on the ignition circuit to establish if it would solve my annoying intermittent starter fault.
Once the correct wires were traced and the circuit was understood it was an amazingly simple job to eliminate the immobiliser on the circuit that energises the starter motor solenoid.
It ended up being a really neat and simple connection that involved very little invasive surgery of the loom, pleasingly it also retains the hot start relay to protect the contacts within the ignition switch in the start position...
Edited by Chimpafrolic on Sunday 12th June 15:29
TV8 said:
Hi i would be interested in having this wiring fix emailed to me as well please. I am sure my alarm system is the thing that eats my stored volts when the car is parked up!
Hi TV8,This is not going to be a fix for the classic TVR parasitic drain.
My bypass is to solve what is often referred to as the hot start problem.
After the bypass the immobiliser and alarm remain connected.
The drain from the immobiliser and alarm system will therefore remain too.
If you have access to a mains power socket close to the car, I recommend the Halfords maintenance charger as a cheap fix.
This little device completely solved the drain problem for me.
If you don't have access to mains power, disconnect the clock, make sure you remove the face of the stereo when you leave the car and fit a PriorityStart or BatteryBrain.
This will give you a couple of weeks before the voltage drops to a level where the PriorityStart or BatteryBrain cuts in to protect the battery from draining any more.
You should then be able to simply re-engage your PriorityStart or BatteryBrain & start the car even after a couple of months of inactivity.
Ultimately though, the best solution for the parasitic drain problem is to drive the car once a week, this will keep the battery charged and everything else working as it should.
No car likes to be left standing for long periods.
Ok Dave thanks for explaining. The car is used fairly regularly but very occasionally throws a wobbly when a little low on volts.. It locks itself shut and refuses to attempt to start!
I was going to get a new alarm fitted but a mate is certain he can sort with change and/or clean up of the main relays and asked me to get some wiring info to aid his investigations
I was going to get a new alarm fitted but a mate is certain he can sort with change and/or clean up of the main relays and asked me to get some wiring info to aid his investigations
Morning,
Is it possible for you to also send to me the details of your modification. I only ask as I have found on a few occasions the immobiliser not protecting the starter, so I assume the immobiliser is on the way out. I would prefer to take it out, before it fails and leaves me stranded.
Cheers Ian
Is it possible for you to also send to me the details of your modification. I only ask as I have found on a few occasions the immobiliser not protecting the starter, so I assume the immobiliser is on the way out. I would prefer to take it out, before it fails and leaves me stranded.
Cheers Ian
tvrman said:
Morning,
Is it possible for you to also send to me the details of your modification. I only ask as I have found on a few occasions the immobiliser not protecting the starter, so I assume the immobiliser is on the way out. I would prefer to take it out, before it fails and leaves me stranded.
Cheers Ian
No problem Ian, just drop me a PM & I will send you the details.Is it possible for you to also send to me the details of your modification. I only ask as I have found on a few occasions the immobiliser not protecting the starter, so I assume the immobiliser is on the way out. I would prefer to take it out, before it fails and leaves me stranded.
Cheers Ian
I'm sure you will be more courteous than the last chap I sent the instructions to, who sadly didn't see fit to say thanks
Best regards, Dave.
Chimpafrolic - Please can you send me details of this wiring mod. I have a similiar intermittent non start problem which so far I have managed to overcome by thumping the lower dash to free the sticking immobilier relays. Carl Baker tells me that a new unit is required but at the moment I do not have the funds. Your mod should keep me going until the piggy bank is refilled. Many thanks, Derek
BennyHill said:
Chimpafrolic - Please can you send me details of this wiring mod. I have a similiar intermittent non start problem which so far I have managed to overcome by thumping the lower dash to free the sticking immobilier relays. Carl Baker tells me that a new unit is required but at the moment I do not have the funds. Your mod should keep me going until the piggy bank is refilled. Many thanks, Derek
YHM 
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