T350 won't start

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NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Saturday 7th November 2015
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More help please!

Changed the alternator belt on my T350 and took it for a test drive. Belt started squealing very badly and dash was reading 12.2V with the engine running, so decided to return ti base. Car then cutout entirely.

I've refitted the old belt as a precaution and turned it over- engine turned strongly but did not start, or even try to start.

Attached jump leads from a van and tried again, reasoning that maybe I just didn't have enough power to start the engine - same result - turned over strongly but wouldn't start. Dash was reading 13.2 V with the donor car battery attached.

Changed the fuel pump relay, no difference. Changed the fuel pump fuse and no difference. Gave up on it and got it towed home.

Dssh is not showing any faults and voltage drops to around 9 - 10 when the ignition is turning over.

Also checked the fuel inertia switch and it seems OK.

Out of ideas now, any help gratefully received!




NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Sunday 8th November 2015
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Thanks again Shep. I wouldn't have thought the immobilizer would allow the engine to turn? If I try to start the car usually without disarming it I get nothing at all? However nothing ventured, nothing gained.


NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Sunday 8th November 2015
quotequote all
Ignition coil fuse 17 was gone and continues to blow when it's replaced. We've tried checking the live feed to the coil pack and that doesn't give any response to a multimeter, suggesting wiring issue rather than coil itself?

We also tried attaching a HT lead and plug to the coil pack and no spark at all.

I'm not sure how a slipping alternator belt led to this! Although to be complete, we did also stick in a second engine / chassis earth at the same time to attempt to fix a poor hot start problem. We took it from a redundant screw hole on the engine to the other engine mount bolt.

Tempted to try a new coli pack simply because it's a bolt on fix and doesn't involve tracing wiring faults.





NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Monday 9th November 2015
quotequote all
I think it does yes, but I'll waste another fuse or two rechecking that!

We'll try running an alternative live to the coil and see if it can start the engine, which would isolate the live feed as the fault

Thanks for all the help folks smile

NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
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SPS said:
Hi mate - can't add to the advice offered - just wondering if you have been talking to Ian re this issue?
Is Ian the guy at Torque RVT?

No, it's just me and my more mechanically adept mate fiddling with it for the time being. At least we've isolated it to something to do with the coil pack, somehow smile

Hopefully we'll get a chance to do some more this week , I'll keep the thread updated smile


NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Sunday 15th November 2015
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And lo,on the seventh day a miracle did occur. The dead were raised into life and did let forth a might roar.

Car started first time on standing for a week, no parts replaced, no remedial actions at all.Praise the Lord, it's a miracle!

Fecking TVRs...

Thanks for all the suggestions,clearly water got somewhere it shouldn't somehow.

NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Tuesday 17th November 2015
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shep1001 said:
I love it when the cars self heal BUT I would still change the coil pack to be sure. Next time it gives up you might be in the arse end of nowhere stranded. If you have the diagnostics software, plug the car in and have a look at how smooth the ignition coil trace is. If its not smooth on tick-over then it points to the coil pack breaking down and/or a fault with the HT leads
Burn him! He's a witch!

Guess what happened to me last night???

Yep,got it one one,70ish driving home then no power and managed to coast it far enough to get it off the road.



NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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Now fixed, properly this time I hope. Fuse blew even with the engine loomed detached at the bulkhead connector, so problem with the internal loom, which we've hopefully now resolved.

Ah the joys of TVR ownership. Hail, howling wind, rain, everything you need when working on electricssmile

Thanks for everyone's help.

NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Saturday 28th November 2015
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Will this never end!

Car starts and runs fine,but dash readouts are all over the place.

Refitted another new alternator belt today,had to charge the battery of another vehicle as the battery was flat as a pancake, alarm going off willy nilly,doors wouldn't open etc.

Car started fine but now the dash reports water temp,oil temp and oil pressure faults and the numerical values for these are all over the place. The voltage read out is fine however.

Read outs seem stable sensible when that car is started, but go mad with running or it seems, turning the heating on. Car drives fine,so I'm pretty sure it isn't sensor faults.

Would a very flat battery cause this? Is there anything I can do to test it, reset the dash ECU?

It's beginning to get on my nerves now I have to admit.


NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Sunday 29th November 2015
quotequote all
Alternator belt was the initial problem, well i say problem, it was fine but I thought I'd change it as I'd replaced the alternator and put the old belt on. Everything was actually running fine before I fiddled.

New belt slipping and car cut out, turned out to be coil pack wiring, so no obvious link there.

Battery appears to be fine, read out is 13.5ish when running, the car has had about 30 miles and multiple stop starts in this mileage. In fact only the voltage read out is stable / reliable. Water temp, oil temp, oil pressure and fuel volume are all random.

No reason for an earth problem, none of the earths have been touched recently. Car sits at idle and the readings seem OK, but driving along they are all over the shop. Turning the heating on does seem to instigate dash readout problems,but turning it off again doesn't solve them.

These things are sent to try me (and my mate who is mechanically adept). Thanks for all the suggestions,I'll look into them. I'd like to blame the alternator since that's what kicked it off, but it's providing stable voltage it seems - is there anything else it can do to upset the dash?





NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Monday 7th December 2015
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Well just to keep the thread updated, it isn't the passenger footwell earth, that seems fine with any amount of turns!

Will get the alternator checked this weekend with any luck,Car stood all weekend and has driven too and from work for a week without starting issues, so I suspect it's doing something.


NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Wednesday 9th December 2015
quotequote all
Well the wiring loom in the footwell has been replaced once already and is fairly new, but could still be it I suppose.

The earth both does seem to tighten /loosen without holding the battery side, but I can give it another go with the wheel off.

Readouts are fine when I start and rev the car, but turning on the heater sends them mental, or just driving along as well. I'm not sure if that's indicative of anything?Maybe it is the load the heater draws?

Drives fine however, no problems with running / starting. Battery seems to hold a charge OK





NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Wednesday 9th December 2015
quotequote all
I will give it a go. Driving in and home today the readouts are reasonably sane ans stable, without the heater on.

NWTony

Original Poster:

2,849 posts

228 months

Saturday 19th December 2015
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Well, just to close the thread...

The winners are LeeT350C , Serg and Shep for their suggestion it was a bad earth. Wheel off, battery off, earth bolt clearly loose, tightened in,dash back to normal. smile

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond- I'm glaad it wasn't anything more serious! Virtual pints all round and real ones should we ever meet!