Strange whirring

[k3njw]

Anyone noticed a strange whirring sound from behind the dials pod once the ignition is switched on but not the engine. Blowed if I can work out what it is ... it definitely isn't the fans, not the blower motor, and it doesn't do it all the time.

[Robertm]

Nigel,

Mine does it as well, but I haven't got a clue what it is

Rob

[Apache]

Do you have AC? in my Saab I have a little fan in the dashboard that draws air in for the temp sensor, this runs on for quite a while after the car is switched orft

[nubbin]

They all do that sir! I wondered if there's a cooling fan or summat, but it's probably something to do with the electric motors that drive the guage needles.

(No, I haven't a clue either!)

[t3SOG]

Ah, I think you are referring to the electromechanical driver stress emotional level indicator (EDSEL) for short. Similar to the device found on many modern office machines, this TVR feature randomly determines what will go wrong next and/or fall off based on your mental state, time of day, outside temperature and a random number generator based on a lolly stick spinning around very quickly - this is the whirring sound.

My dealer tells me this feature cannot be removed, unfortunately.

Seriously, though, mine does that too. I kind of like the noise but don't know what it is.

[k3njw]

Okay, that's reassuring then. Not that anyone knows what it is, but that they all seem to do it!! It probably does it all the time, it's just with roof off and an Elise in the mirror I don't generally notice.

[hexhamhc]

I think that the noise you can here is a small cooling fan inside the dash area. It blows air across the circuit boards as in your computer. Nothing to worry about. The other thing that you will hear on start up in the power steering pump which buzzes as it primes. Hope this helps.

[k3njw]

Thanks for that ... it's definitely a whirring like a small fan rather than the buzzing which I was used to. Suffice to say I won't worry about it in future!

[mrs fish]

HHC (Tony) is spot on the dash as a processor in it which is cooled by a fan... like your computer. No need to quieten it as when the engine starts you can't hear it