Weird Ping from behind dash and some supplier questions

[jamescooper47]

Hi All,

I'm thinking I might have little creatures living behind my dashboard who every now and then left off a bottle of champagne. Weird popping/pinging noises every now and then emanate from behind the drivers side dash..... Everything is working ok, so what bloomin eck is this strange noise?

While I'm here, where's the best place to buy a spare coil, dizzy cap and rotor arm? The prices across the different suppliers are so vastly different it makes no sense. I originally bought from Clever Trevor as I bought most service items at the same time, but cap and arm are being sent back as totally useless..... any ideas guys/gals?

Im also after gearbox oil, and diff oil if you have any recommendations for good value stuff?... This will complete my service and put my mind at ease that all is up to date with the car.

The Chimaera is still our daily driver, and running lovely at 107,000 miles now... burble burble.

Thanks

[SILICONEKID346HP]

You say ping behind the dash ! If you had a pong you could play table tennis

[ChimpOnGas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky1c_pF5qoc

Well it is wet out there

[DAKOTAstorm]

I think I have the same problem with the ping, it's difficult to describe and has an electric/plastic type sound to it. I have often wondered what it is and with the dash top off I ran the car but it never done it. I hope someone comes along with an answer . . .

[TJC46]

jamescooper47 said:

Im also after gearbox oil, and diff oil if you have any recommendations for good value stuff?... This will complete my service and put my mind at ease that all is up to date with the car.

Thanks

Here you go for capacity

http://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-gu...

Here you go for the ATF gearbox oil.[as used by TVR from new.]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1L-Mobil-ATF-220-GM-DEXR...


As for the diff plenty of choices i used this...

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-736-castrol-syntrax-li...

Edited by TJC46 on Tuesday 7th January 21:09

[jamescooper47]

TJC46 said:

Here you go for capacity

http://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-gu...

Here you go for the ATF gearbox oil.[as used by TVR from new.]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1L-Mobil-ATF-220-GM-DEXR...


As for the diff plenty of choices i used this...

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-736-castrol-syntrax-li...

Edited by TJC46 on Tuesday 7th January 21:09

Thankyou kind sir

[speedtwelve]

DAKOTAstorm said:

I think I have the same problem with the ping, it's difficult to describe and has an electric/plastic type sound to it.

Mine also does this. It sounds like the plastic lenses on the dash instruments expanding/contracting and going 'ping', but probably isn't! The sound does appear to come from the vicinity of the engine gauges though... I'd guess it's perhaps a relay.

[jamescooper47]

Very strange indeed,

Usually everyone on this forum dives straight in with an answer to anything from the meaning of life, to the conditions for bio chemistry to produce ammonia...

However,

Weird Ping diagnosis un answered

[wuckfitracing]

Are you sure its a ping and not a click as that would be the mileometer. Does it do it whilst stood still or whilst driving. If it does it whilst driving keep an eye on the mileometer to see if the numers change.

[swallet]

Don't think its a relay.
I have my dash off at the moment and all the relays are on the passenger side.
Not much behind the speedo and rpm other than wiring.

[jamescooper47]

wuckfitracing said:

Are you sure its a ping and not a click as that would be the mileometer. Does it do it whilst stood still or whilst driving. If it does it whilst driving keep an eye on the mileometer to see if the numers change.

Defo not the tacho... It's very random

[gavgavgav]

the weird random ping I also have, and has been described away in the past as the gauge lenses as they heat up. Never noticed any problem, so not worried about it much.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Mine has always made a random pinging/clicking sound. It seems to happen particularly when things are getting hot - like when you're stuck in a traffic jam, for example. I've always assumed it's just various dash components expanding at different rates - possibly the wood veneer?

[JonathanT]

gavgavgav said:

the weird random ping I also have, and has been described away in the past as the gauge lenses as they heat up. Never noticed any problem, so not worried about it much.

I definitely get this. You could try occasionally pushing gently on the gauge covers as the car interior warms up to see if you can replicate the sound. In my case I say they were more clicks than pings though.

[jojackson4]

It's not the springs on the pedal box is it

[SteveSPG]

i thought it was veneers and dash and plastic parts moving against each other when warming cooling.....bit like the pinging exhaust as it contracts after turning the engine off.

[BmthRob]

When looking for the same ignition parts a couple of years ago I found www.famousfour.co.uk to be the best value (prices are from Nov 2010 and mine is a 98 Chimaera)

FF000751 - Distributor Cap
9.50 GBP EACH

FF000752 - Rotor Arm
9.95 GBP EACH

FF003776 - Ignition Coil
29.50 GBP EACH

Parts: 48.95 GBP
Carriage: 7.95 GBP
Total (no VAT): 56.90 GBP
VAT: 9.96 GBP

Total: 66.86 GBP

I also have the clicking sound when things start to warm up. Like others I assumed it was the plastic gauge covers expanding.

Rob.

[DAKOTAstorm]

Ok got somewhere today with the ping/click. Before setting off I pressed against the speedo and rev counter and got a very recognisable but slightly quieter ping/click. Sitting in traffic and the fans kicked in, the cabin was getting warm and sure enough the ping/click occurred. I pressed against the dials again and they didn't budge no noise what so ever. To top this off I got home and when the heating came on in house after a while the conservatory started a whole symphony of similar noises, so I am confident now that this theory is now fact

[jamescooper47]

DAKOTAstorm said:

Ok got somewhere today with the ping/click. Before setting off I pressed against the speedo and rev counter and got a very recognisable but slightly quieter ping/click. Sitting in traffic and the fans kicked in, the cabin was getting warm and sure enough the ping/click occurred. I pressed against the dials again and they didn't budge no noise what so ever. To top this off I got home and when the heating came on in house after a while the conservatory started a whole symphony of similar noises, so I am confident now that this theory is now fact

Good Effort Fella

[jamescooper47]

BmthRob said:

When looking for the same ignition parts a couple of years ago I found www.famousfour.co.uk to be the best value (prices are from Nov 2010 and mine is a 98 Chimaera)

FF000751 - Distributor Cap
9.50 GBP EACH

FF000752 - Rotor Arm
9.95 GBP EACH

FF003776 - Ignition Coil
29.50 GBP EACH

Parts: 48.95 GBP
Carriage: 7.95 GBP
Total (no VAT): 56.90 GBP
VAT: 9.96 GBP

Total: 66.86 GBP

I also have the clicking sound when things start to warm up. Like others I assumed it was the plastic gauge covers expanding.

Rob.

Fantastic Stuff..... Ordering away right now. Many Thanks