Solenoid or alarm relay?
Discussion
A fault has started this week where I switch on the ignition and the fuel pump primes but when I turn the ignition key to turn over the engine it does nothing. When I switch off the ignition, the stepper motor whirs back so power is getting through to everything apart from the starter motor!
This has happened very occassionally in the 2 or 3 years I have had the car but always turns over and starts on the 2nd or 3 attempt - at least until this week, when it has taken a few more attempts or an alarm reset to sort.
Is this a alarm relay problem or the starter solenoid? I think the first but everything except the starter motor does what it should do! If it is the alarm, any idea which relay please?
Thanks in advance
Graham
This has happened very occassionally in the 2 or 3 years I have had the car but always turns over and starts on the 2nd or 3 attempt - at least until this week, when it has taken a few more attempts or an alarm reset to sort.
Is this a alarm relay problem or the starter solenoid? I think the first but everything except the starter motor does what it should do! If it is the alarm, any idea which relay please?
Thanks in advance
Graham
I have a similar problem at the moment albeit only when the car is hot. I have it booked in with Karl Baker to get it looked at as he did a full alarm update last December so we don't think it is the immobiliser. I changed the starter motor 3 weeks ago because the occasionally the solonoid would click but the starter wouldn't run. Now nothing happens when it's hot.
Are you able to get the car up on ramps so that you can reach the Starter exciter wire? It is worth checking if there is any voltage reaching the Solinoid. Then go to the immobilier end of the same wire and test the voltage there too. I know this sounds obvious, but I could has saved myself £110 on a new starter motor if I had followed this process. When hot there is no voltage on this wire, when cold there is 12v when the ignition switch is turned to start position.
Are you able to get the car up on ramps so that you can reach the Starter exciter wire? It is worth checking if there is any voltage reaching the Solinoid. Then go to the immobilier end of the same wire and test the voltage there too. I know this sounds obvious, but I could has saved myself £110 on a new starter motor if I had followed this process. When hot there is no voltage on this wire, when cold there is 12v when the ignition switch is turned to start position.
Have had the same problem in 15yrs of ownership of the same chimaera, normally the alarm relay that sits on the passenger side of the dash behind the roll top. I bang the underside of the dash / glove box thing and it seems to unstick or free the relay.
Doesn't sound very technical but it has always worked, do a search I am sure the subject has cropped up before in previous posts.
Doesn't sound very technical but it has always worked, do a search I am sure the subject has cropped up before in previous posts.
Forgot to mention I spoke with Abacus Alarms I found they were very helpful and supplied a Meta mail order siren for my chimaera plus associated conversion wiring. Was assured that the systems are very robust and I tend to agree.
All very straightforward and less hassle than getting someone to rip out an otherwise good original system which seems To be the approach by some....
All very straightforward and less hassle than getting someone to rip out an otherwise good original system which seems To be the approach by some....
TV8 said:
Any pic of the alarm relay please? I'm taking the car away on Friday to France and Belgium and would e good to try and sort before then. Typically, car was fine yesterday afternoon so couldn't try the dash thumping!
It's buried inside the Meta unit itself, not very practical to access TBH.A bit of an up-date. The problem has fixed it self... Dave sent me some good advice and I tried to buy the suggested kit to put a relay on the ignition and by-pass the immobiliser. They were out of stock but I will be doing the mod in the next couple of weeks.
My concern was taking the car accross to Belgium this weekend and it not starting when it was time to get off the Shuttle. It worked perfectly!
My concern was taking the car accross to Belgium this weekend and it not starting when it was time to get off the Shuttle. It worked perfectly!
Great news Graham, glad the trip went without a hitch.
Keep in mind the problem hasn't fixed itself, it's just gone away for a while.
When it returns (& one day it will return) sods law says it'll be at the most inconvenient moment.
Worth keeping in mind mate.
Keep in mind the problem hasn't fixed itself, it's just gone away for a while.
When it returns (& one day it will return) sods law says it'll be at the most inconvenient moment.
Worth keeping in mind mate.
Edited by ChimpofDarkness on Sunday 10th June 20:30
Well, I could be wrong but it seems to me that there are relays inside the immobiliser which simply close three circuits when permitting the engine to run. So the three pairs of wires that go in to the immobiliser are just connected together inside (each pair, not all together, obvioiulsy) by relays, when disarmed. So unplugging the immobiliser and linking out the pairs has no effect on current flows anywhere.
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