Chim 450 not starting! Help me please, lovely people!
Discussion
Hi All!
So since my last small issue with the chim (a few months back it wasnt running great, you lovely people pointed me at rotor arm and dizzy cap, which I changed and its been running great ever since!) everything has been perfect.
I used the chim this weekend to run some errands and generally give it a run as it hadnt been used as much over the past few weeks.
Occasionally once or twice the past few weeks when its been very cold in the morning, the car has died the moment its been started. I simply started it a second time gave it a blip or two of throttle and its been fine. Usually the car lives in an underground car park during the week and I just use it in the evenings when needed and the weekends I drive it home from the car park Friday, and back to the car park Monday!
Yesterday, I went to drive it back before work as normal. The car wasnt used on Sunday, only on Saturday (when I did finally give it a wash!). I turned the key and it started first time as normal, then it died. No worries I thought, so again started it a second time and gave it a blip, this time I didnt give it as much of a blip as I usually did and it died again straight away. Since this second start it now wont start at all.
Fuel primp is priming, starter motor seems to be cranking the engine, but it wont start. I tried 5 times yesterday, then had to head to work.
I didnt get a chance to look last night, and I guess I kind of expected it to work fine today, and yesterday to just have been the car having a funny five minutes.
Again this morning though it wouldnt start! I tried another 5 or 6 times and no joy!
So thoughts? Its been pretty wet and cold the past few days, could there be moisture in something? Should I give the battery a boost and try again?
Thanks All!
So since my last small issue with the chim (a few months back it wasnt running great, you lovely people pointed me at rotor arm and dizzy cap, which I changed and its been running great ever since!) everything has been perfect.
I used the chim this weekend to run some errands and generally give it a run as it hadnt been used as much over the past few weeks.
Occasionally once or twice the past few weeks when its been very cold in the morning, the car has died the moment its been started. I simply started it a second time gave it a blip or two of throttle and its been fine. Usually the car lives in an underground car park during the week and I just use it in the evenings when needed and the weekends I drive it home from the car park Friday, and back to the car park Monday!
Yesterday, I went to drive it back before work as normal. The car wasnt used on Sunday, only on Saturday (when I did finally give it a wash!). I turned the key and it started first time as normal, then it died. No worries I thought, so again started it a second time and gave it a blip, this time I didnt give it as much of a blip as I usually did and it died again straight away. Since this second start it now wont start at all.
Fuel primp is priming, starter motor seems to be cranking the engine, but it wont start. I tried 5 times yesterday, then had to head to work.
I didnt get a chance to look last night, and I guess I kind of expected it to work fine today, and yesterday to just have been the car having a funny five minutes.
Again this morning though it wouldnt start! I tried another 5 or 6 times and no joy!
So thoughts? Its been pretty wet and cold the past few days, could there be moisture in something? Should I give the battery a boost and try again?
Thanks All!
Ok, thanks! I shall dry everything visible ignition related and spray some WD40!
The battery is still turning the starter, but given the number of times I have tried, it must be down on power some amount!
I have a spare ignition coil, which I shall try as well if the above doesn't work!
Wish I had parked it back in its weekday home Saturday evening now, probably going to end up with a parking ticket as well (its singles yellows outside my house, which is fine on Sunday and Saturday evening!)
The battery is still turning the starter, but given the number of times I have tried, it must be down on power some amount!
I have a spare ignition coil, which I shall try as well if the above doesn't work!
Wish I had parked it back in its weekday home Saturday evening now, probably going to end up with a parking ticket as well (its singles yellows outside my house, which is fine on Sunday and Saturday evening!)
Hi All!
So after all the suggestions on here and quick call with Nick from Fernhurst. I ordered some new plugs and set about the work. I removed the fuel pump relay and started it a few times to clear an excess fuel. Fitted the new spark plugs and tried again. Once again no joy. I fitted a spare new ignition coil I had, again no joy. I went and got an extra 5 litres of petrol in case it had run out, again no joy. I sat there with my foot to the floor and kept cranking for a few minutes, again no joy.
The one thing I forgot to do was put a plug next to the block and check for spark, shall do that this evening (I blame the fact I was cold and wet and it was 10PM)
Its not even trying, it doesn't cough and splutter and not start, it just sits there turningover not even trying.
Another odd thing I noticed, I locked the car, drove off in the other car to get fuel and as I drove past the TVR the alarm went off. I stopped, unlocked and locked again, and went to get fuel, when I came back and drove past it, it went off again. Later that night a neighbour told me that it had been going off and on all Sunday?
Its never been that sensitive, in fact its only gone off once or twice in the past, if a door hasn't been properly closed, or I have unlocked it, but not disabled the immoboliser, then locked again.
Does the alarm/immobiliser (its the Meta one with a remote fob), do anything ignition wise? I know it controls the fuel pump relay, which I can hear (and I can hear the fuel pump) turning on just before I start the car once the fob has been pressed, which I have always been told means the immoboliser is disabled, but does it doing anything 'spark' wise as it were?
Its not starting, so it can only be spark, fuel or compression surely. I can't see that it would have lost all compression overnight (it did after all start then die twice Monday morning and was fine all saturday). Which leaves fuel or spark. I can hear the fuel pump and relay once the button is pressed (and the key is in stage 3).
Very very frustrated
!
So after all the suggestions on here and quick call with Nick from Fernhurst. I ordered some new plugs and set about the work. I removed the fuel pump relay and started it a few times to clear an excess fuel. Fitted the new spark plugs and tried again. Once again no joy. I fitted a spare new ignition coil I had, again no joy. I went and got an extra 5 litres of petrol in case it had run out, again no joy. I sat there with my foot to the floor and kept cranking for a few minutes, again no joy.
The one thing I forgot to do was put a plug next to the block and check for spark, shall do that this evening (I blame the fact I was cold and wet and it was 10PM)
Its not even trying, it doesn't cough and splutter and not start, it just sits there turningover not even trying.
Another odd thing I noticed, I locked the car, drove off in the other car to get fuel and as I drove past the TVR the alarm went off. I stopped, unlocked and locked again, and went to get fuel, when I came back and drove past it, it went off again. Later that night a neighbour told me that it had been going off and on all Sunday?
Its never been that sensitive, in fact its only gone off once or twice in the past, if a door hasn't been properly closed, or I have unlocked it, but not disabled the immoboliser, then locked again.
Does the alarm/immobiliser (its the Meta one with a remote fob), do anything ignition wise? I know it controls the fuel pump relay, which I can hear (and I can hear the fuel pump) turning on just before I start the car once the fob has been pressed, which I have always been told means the immoboliser is disabled, but does it doing anything 'spark' wise as it were?
Its not starting, so it can only be spark, fuel or compression surely. I can't see that it would have lost all compression overnight (it did after all start then die twice Monday morning and was fine all saturday). Which leaves fuel or spark. I can hear the fuel pump and relay once the button is pressed (and the key is in stage 3).
Very very frustrated
!I changed them as I had issues with the car running slightly rough on occasion, changing the rotor arm and dizzy which were both worn fixed the issue.
I checked the rotor arm and dizzy yesterday and they both looked fine.
Popped home just now at lunch, took one of the old plugs I removed yesterday, attached it to one of the ht leads from the dizzy, wedged by the head and turned the car over while a buddy of mine looked for a spark. None!
Replaced the king lead with one of the HT leads directly onto a plug and again wedged it by the head, again no spark. So spark seems to be the issue.
I changed the coil last night, and it wasn't working with the old one or the new one, so pretty sure its not that. So I suppose I could be looking at a blown fuse somewhere or maybe the ignition amplifier?
I also considered the batter might not be at full strength (I have tried starting it a good number of times now), but the car still tries to start and the lights work etc, so I would have though even if it was low, if it has enough juice to turn the starter motor and power the lights, it would have enough to generate a spark?
Thanks
I checked the rotor arm and dizzy yesterday and they both looked fine.
Popped home just now at lunch, took one of the old plugs I removed yesterday, attached it to one of the ht leads from the dizzy, wedged by the head and turned the car over while a buddy of mine looked for a spark. None!
Replaced the king lead with one of the HT leads directly onto a plug and again wedged it by the head, again no spark. So spark seems to be the issue.
I changed the coil last night, and it wasn't working with the old one or the new one, so pretty sure its not that. So I suppose I could be looking at a blown fuse somewhere or maybe the ignition amplifier?
I also considered the batter might not be at full strength (I have tried starting it a good number of times now), but the car still tries to start and the lights work etc, so I would have though even if it was low, if it has enough juice to turn the starter motor and power the lights, it would have enough to generate a spark?
Thanks
Have a new ignition amplifier/module on its way to me now, will try that this evening.
I haven't tried just a wire from the coil on the head, will try that if this fails.
Phazed, no I am Hampshire based. The username is CaterhamJoy becuase at the time I signed up I had just done a few caterham driving courses and was looking to buy one. I didn't! The username has remained the same however.
I haven't tried just a wire from the coil on the head, will try that if this fails.
Phazed, no I am Hampshire based. The username is CaterhamJoy becuase at the time I signed up I had just done a few caterham driving courses and was looking to buy one. I didn't! The username has remained the same however.
Hi All!
Thanks so much for all the advice, the issue is now resolved.
I put in a new ignition module amplifier last night and it fired straight up, the battery didn't even need a boost, which is impressive since it had been cranked about 15/20 times!
I am not sold 100% on the quality of the replacement item that my local factors provided (its the best quality they had in stock), so I shall purhcase a replacement lucas item and fit over the holidays.
Once again, thanks to everyone who put forward their thoughts and suggestions!
Thanks
Anton
Thanks so much for all the advice, the issue is now resolved.
I put in a new ignition module amplifier last night and it fired straight up, the battery didn't even need a boost, which is impressive since it had been cranked about 15/20 times!
I am not sold 100% on the quality of the replacement item that my local factors provided (its the best quality they had in stock), so I shall purhcase a replacement lucas item and fit over the holidays.
Once again, thanks to everyone who put forward their thoughts and suggestions!
Thanks
Anton
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