Taking her out tonight (fingers crossed)
Discussion
I'm hoping to be able to give the girl a run out tonight. She's been stuck in my cold garage for the past 10 days. I'm hoping the ice has cleared from my road and that the battery hasn't died on me.
I've been meaning to find out for a while now but never really done anything about it but how do you de-mist the rear window in the t350?
I've been meaning to find out for a while now but never really done anything about it but how do you de-mist the rear window in the t350?
There is a button next to the electric mirror adjusters. Press it to demist the rear screen. It only stays turned on for a minute or so, you'll notice the light go out and you may need several 'goes' before the screen is completely cleared. It clears as fast as any other car, but TVRs tend to get more condensation than most cars (due to less effective seals? my Fiat Panda is the same).
Mine is tucked away and won't come out until a dry weekend. Does your live on a trickle charger? If so then it should fire up like any warm day, mine does. The biggest issue is cranking the engine over from a very cold battery/engine. Clutch in, everything switched off, pay attention to make sure you catch it and stablise the revs/tickover if it fires etc. Last thing you want is to flood it. As long as there is juice in the battery I'm sure everything will be fine.
btw - make sure it has a good run. A 10 minute trundle won't put the same charge back into the battery as you took out starting it.
btw - make sure it has a good run. A 10 minute trundle won't put the same charge back into the battery as you took out starting it.
No don't have any power points in my garage. It's a garage en bloc 
I normally go on a run that takes a good 20/30mins, enough time for the oil to reach temp and press on a bit.
Won't be pressing on tonight mind.
Is 20mins long enough or shall I do 2 laps instead?
I took her out last Sat and the temp was -1, she sounded like a bag of spanners and warning sirens going off all over the place. I even stalled her twice. I havent stalled her since I first got her.
I normally go on a run that takes a good 20/30mins, enough time for the oil to reach temp and press on a bit.
Won't be pressing on tonight mind.
Is 20mins long enough or shall I do 2 laps instead?
I took her out last Sat and the temp was -1, she sounded like a bag of spanners and warning sirens going off all over the place. I even stalled her twice. I havent stalled her since I first got her.
Well now you say 'night' it probably means headlights, heater, rear demister etc. They suck the battery to death. I don't know how long you'd need to go for a drive for, but I'm sure 20 mins won't be enough in that case.
Did the car 'settle down' once it started to warm up or stall/play up then too?
Did the car 'settle down' once it started to warm up or stall/play up then too?
Once she was warmed up she was fine. It was just the enitial 5-10 mins when she was rough as fook. I dread to think what starting her up in -1 deg temp does for the engine
I don't get home from work until 6.30/6.45 by which time it's well and truely dark. I'll try and keep power use to a minimum then and only use the headlights. I'll wrap up nice and warm.
If there isn't enough juice in the battery to start up do you think it best to get the AA man out to jump her earlier rather than later? Or would it be better to pop down to Halfrauds and get a battery conditioner and charge her up on the drive? (That would require a push from my garage to my drive round some twisty corners)
I don't get home from work until 6.30/6.45 by which time it's well and truely dark. I'll try and keep power use to a minimum then and only use the headlights. I'll wrap up nice and warm.
If there isn't enough juice in the battery to start up do you think it best to get the AA man out to jump her earlier rather than later? Or would it be better to pop down to Halfrauds and get a battery conditioner and charge her up on the drive? (That would require a push from my garage to my drive round some twisty corners)
Personally I'd wait until the weekend. Unless you need to use the car why mess about? It may be a few degrees warmer by then too.
I can't see why starting a Speed Six in this weather is any different to any other engine. My Panda engine is noisier in this weather - it lives outside and the tappets are louder for the first 200 yards or so until everything gets some nice oil. They all get cold. The tolerances in the Speed Six might make it slap and rattle a bit while it warms up, but it shouldn't take too long to quieten down. btw a TVR makes a great garage heater when you get back/shut down.
If the battery is flat then it makes no difference when you call the AA.
I can't see why starting a Speed Six in this weather is any different to any other engine. My Panda engine is noisier in this weather - it lives outside and the tappets are louder for the first 200 yards or so until everything gets some nice oil. They all get cold. The tolerances in the Speed Six might make it slap and rattle a bit while it warms up, but it shouldn't take too long to quieten down. btw a TVR makes a great garage heater when you get back/shut down.
If the battery is flat then it makes no difference when you call the AA.
Could you not get an accumate and a spare heavy duty battery off ebay? charge up the spare battery every few days and transfer to the garage/car in the meantime to keep the battery topped up (also leave the alarm off if the garage is secure)?
So glad I have a powered garage these days. I even run a convection heater on a timer for 2 hours a night to keep the car toasty in the poor weather...I'm a big girl I know.
So glad I have a powered garage these days. I even run a convection heater on a timer for 2 hours a night to keep the car toasty in the poor weather...I'm a big girl I know.
I hadn't driven mine for a couple of weeks, so on Sunday I turned the oil heater on for a couple of hours and fired her up, went out for a spin for twenty mins and she was sweet as a nut! Could've driven her all day but had to get back as we had our little nephews over. Hope it's dry at the weekend as I feel a longer journey on the cards
Diablos-666
I use a trickle charger called a Oxford Oximiser 600 which i leave on when cold, plugs directly into the charging port in passenger footwell, it cost me £30 and so far does the job well.
Ahhh just read you don't have power...in that case I cant imagine a night-time run in this weather will do anything to charge the battery.
Might be taking her out on Sunday morning if its dry to lubricate the s6!
I use a trickle charger called a Oxford Oximiser 600 which i leave on when cold, plugs directly into the charging port in passenger footwell, it cost me £30 and so far does the job well.
Ahhh just read you don't have power...in that case I cant imagine a night-time run in this weather will do anything to charge the battery.
Might be taking her out on Sunday morning if its dry to lubricate the s6!
Should have listened to you guys.
Not only have I not got any rwd experience before the TVR (bought 6 months ago) I've never driven in the snow/ice before.
So I take her out tonight and boy was her arse twitchy down my road, and mine for that matter.
My clutch foot was shaking like a gooden'
Anyway I gets on the main road, finally after getting stuck twice down my road, and all is nice and clear. I have a nice pootle around and come back.
Bloody thing doesn't want to get in my garage. Under the layer of snow there is chunks of 2/3" thick ice.
So I spent an hour trying to chase it out, pour hot water down and try again, her arse is still sliding all over the place.
So I've had to give up and park her on the street. It's not the nicest street in the world either, well the st is okay it's just the general area really.
And to top it off, my insurance policy only covers my car outside from 6am to 8pm. After that it needs to be garaged, I hope to god nothing happens to her.
Admit it, how many of you began reading this post and thought I'd binned it haha
I wish I hadn't of taken her out now.
Not only have I not got any rwd experience before the TVR (bought 6 months ago) I've never driven in the snow/ice before.
So I take her out tonight and boy was her arse twitchy down my road, and mine for that matter.
My clutch foot was shaking like a gooden'
Anyway I gets on the main road, finally after getting stuck twice down my road, and all is nice and clear. I have a nice pootle around and come back.
Bloody thing doesn't want to get in my garage. Under the layer of snow there is chunks of 2/3" thick ice.
So I spent an hour trying to chase it out, pour hot water down and try again, her arse is still sliding all over the place.
So I've had to give up and park her on the street. It's not the nicest street in the world either, well the st is okay it's just the general area really.
And to top it off, my insurance policy only covers my car outside from 6am to 8pm. After that it needs to be garaged, I hope to god nothing happens to her.
Admit it, how many of you began reading this post and thought I'd binned it haha
I wish I hadn't of taken her out now.
Edited by Diablos-666 on Tuesday 7th December 22:30
TA03ORA said:
nightmare.
I take it you have tried throwing stuff down to aid traction
bag of gravel?
bits of your garden?
bits of cardboard?
....your duvet?!>!?
Sadly no I take it you have tried throwing stuff down to aid traction
bag of gravel?
bits of your garden?
bits of cardboard?
....your duvet?!>!?
My garage is so tight that I was worried that she might start shaking her arse just as I got close and cause damage.
I'll have to see how it is tomorrow.
I sympathize. I've done the whole "TVR with less than perfect infrastructure" thing before; it was a nightmare. Surely job for tomorrow is to find a few mates, endure the ridicule, and push the car back into the garage?
There are some solar powered trickle chargers. I've never tried one and I imagine their effectiveness at the moment might be limited but better than nothing? You could drill a surreptitious hole in a wall (I'm guessing you don't own the garage) and put the panels on the roof. Actually, extending that idea, why not try and construct something from Maplin's solar panels and inverter?
Not taking the mick - owning a TVR should be fun. I got shot of my first one when the worry of theft/damage outgrew the excitement and that's sad.
There are some solar powered trickle chargers. I've never tried one and I imagine their effectiveness at the moment might be limited but better than nothing? You could drill a surreptitious hole in a wall (I'm guessing you don't own the garage) and put the panels on the roof. Actually, extending that idea, why not try and construct something from Maplin's solar panels and inverter?
Not taking the mick - owning a TVR should be fun. I got shot of my first one when the worry of theft/damage outgrew the excitement and that's sad.
Well she survived the night now she has to endure the little chav scrotes going to school / playing in street.
That solar powered trickle charger sounds like a good idea. Although I'm planning on moving house in the new year so probably isn't worth it.
You were right I don't own the garage.
I'll try and get her back indoors tonight when I get back from work. Pushing her in might be the solution.
That solar powered trickle charger sounds like a good idea. Although I'm planning on moving house in the new year so probably isn't worth it.
You were right I don't own the garage.
I'll try and get her back indoors tonight when I get back from work. Pushing her in might be the solution.
Diablos-666 said:
Well she survived the night now she has to endure the little chav scrotes going to school / playing in street.
That solar powered trickle charger sounds like a good idea. Although I'm planning on moving house in the new year so probably isn't worth it.
You were right I don't own the garage.
I'll try and get her back indoors tonight when I get back from work. Pushing her in might be the solution.
word of warning about the solar chargers. you need to be outside to use them....... my car was broken in to and the solar charger nicked. it was the only thing on show, so was the shiny object the magpies were attracted to.That solar powered trickle charger sounds like a good idea. Although I'm planning on moving house in the new year so probably isn't worth it.
You were right I don't own the garage.
I'll try and get her back indoors tonight when I get back from work. Pushing her in might be the solution.
i'm in the same situation as you though there are one or 2 power points i can reach with a long extension cable.
not done it myself, but i'd have thought a booster pack connected up via the anderson connection would put some charge into the battery when laid up?
Gassing Station | Tamora, T350 & Sagaris | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff