Odometer running when parked
Discussion
I am looking at buying a 500 (deposit paid). However the mileage doesn't tie up. The owner (honest chap) said that it racked 4000 miles up when he left the ignition on whilst the trickle charger was on. Doesn’t seem right - but knowing TVR's nothing surprises me. Also it's a 95' car with a digital odometer - is that right?
GIXERLIX said:
I am looking at buying a 500 (deposit paid). However the mileage doesn't tie up. The owner (honest chap) said that it racked 4000 miles up when he left the ignition on whilst the trickle charger was on. Doesn’t seem right - but knowing TVR's nothing surprises me. Also it's a 95' car with a digital odometer - is that right?
That doesn't ring true to me. Mine's a 97 and has the standard clockwork jobbie. There's no way that can go round with the car stationery as it's driven mechanically from the wheels!
I believe the SEs have digital odometers but a 95??? Cod, haddock *and* plaice - something must have been replaced, I'm sure of it. Any receipts for new speedos etc? How's the mileage on the MOTs looking?
Or you could simply accept the extra 4,000 miles and adjust the price down a bit accordingly?
Maybe ask him to recontruct the phenomenon by putting the charger on and leaving the ignition on - then waiting for the numbers to change....
But seriously, I'd like him to explain how a 95 car came to have a digital odometer. If he can prove that it did X miles on the original speedo and 4,000 on the new one, that's morel ike it. But it still means he tried to con you!
Maybe ask him to recontruct the phenomenon by putting the charger on and leaving the ignition on - then waiting for the numbers to change....
But seriously, I'd like him to explain how a 95 car came to have a digital odometer. If he can prove that it did X miles on the original speedo and 4,000 on the new one, that's morel ike it. But it still means he tried to con you!
No, it's true. I had the battery go completely flat on my 94 Griff 500. While charging the car, the speedo read 10mph and the ODO just clicked away with the ignition on. I had the ignition on whilst charging to try and get the immobiliser to recognise the key fob. I racked up a couple of miles in fifteen milutes or so. I could well believe that it could get to a few thousand overnight.
I have a chimaera 98 with an old fashioned odometer. I am pretty sure that TVR did not start putting digital odometers in the chimaeras until 1999 at the very earliest and would have thought the griffs would have changed over at roughly the same time. Any dealer would be able to tell you this for certain.
Either way, if it is a 1995 model with a digital odometer it is NOT the orginal one.
And if it has 4000 mls more than it should do why hasn't the guy got it fixed before trying to sell it? Wouldn't take on the problem if I were you.
Plus, if he hasn't bothered to sort that out, how many other things on the car has he not bothered with? Can you afford to take the chance.
Either way, if it is a 1995 model with a digital odometer it is NOT the orginal one.
And if it has 4000 mls more than it should do why hasn't the guy got it fixed before trying to sell it? Wouldn't take on the problem if I were you.
Plus, if he hasn't bothered to sort that out, how many other things on the car has he not bothered with? Can you afford to take the chance.
One thing I've learnt about TVR instruments and dashboards are that there are no standard ones and lots of variations, I've got a 95 Griff 500 with a mechanical clock and I've seen both older and newer versions with digital clocks from original, infact the first 400's had digital odometers so I'd be more inclined to treat what the seller says with caution but if every thing else adds up and he seems genuine I'd believe it.
I've just tried it on my 01 SE (digital). My charger is a reasonably expensive one, I checked the output from the charger with an oscilliscope and the waveform is a "flat" DC voltage (ie no ripple) connected to car with ignition on, no milometer problems.
Checked with a friends cheap (£8) charger the output waveform is a very ripply dc level (no inductance in the smoothing circuit only a couple of cheap capacitors) this did actually add miles!! All I can put it down to is the crap output waveform is inducing pulses into the speedo sensor circuit above the threshold value and is being converted to miles.
Alan
Checked with a friends cheap (£8) charger the output waveform is a very ripply dc level (no inductance in the smoothing circuit only a couple of cheap capacitors) this did actually add miles!! All I can put it down to is the crap output waveform is inducing pulses into the speedo sensor circuit above the threshold value and is being converted to miles.
Alan
tjasper said:
No, it's true. I had the battery go completely flat on my 94 Griff 500. While charging the car, the speedo read 10mph and the ODO just clicked away with the ignition on. I had the ignition on whilst charging to try and get the immobiliser to recognise the key fob. I racked up a couple of miles in fifteen milutes or so. I could well believe that it could get to a few thousand overnight.
So if under charge its reading 10 mph its adding 10 miles to the Odometer an hour.. so this bloke trickle charged his car for 400 hours, or 16 days.. I don't think so !!
Matt.
True enough. I hadn't calculated the rate so it does seem that 4000 is a lot of miles 
unless his speedo registered 100mph!! in which case it would be a weekend job (40hrs).
I might just use that as an excure to say that mine has only 16000 road miles, the rest have been clocked up over the years by charging the battery every few weeks!!!!!!
unless his speedo registered 100mph!! in which case it would be a weekend job (40hrs). I might just use that as an excure to say that mine has only 16000 road miles, the rest have been clocked up over the years by charging the battery every few weeks!!!!!!
jam1et said:
My 94-95 Griff 500 has a digital odometer, at the moment mine resets itself back to zero every time I switch off the ignition.
Thats quite handy!
"For Sale. 95 Griffith. Pristine condidtion. Delivery miles only"
Comes in handy with the limited mileage insurance as well
"err.. yes thats right.. I only want a 50 mile per year policy..." 
M@H said:
So if under charge its reading 10 mph its adding 10 miles to the Odometer an hour.. so this bloke trickle charged his car for 400 hours, or 16 days.. I don't think so !!
Matt.
That, or he lives in a hole in the time/space continuum, where time travels so slowly you'd think you were on hold to BT.
GIXERLIX said:
Thanks all - Alan your a star, but I think you could of tried a bit harder. Maybe you could test 5 or 6 makret leading chargers to be more comprehensive!!
Guess I was a bit bored.
Just repeated it with the cheap batt charger, there doesn't seem to be any logic to the time it takes to clock up a mile. I guess this is down to the state of the output ripple (this one is could almost be described as a half wave rectifier)and the state of the battery being charged. Interesting though.
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff