Bypassing The Immobiliser (Ignition Only)
Discussion
I've sent my bypass instructions to over 100 TVR owners now and completed the bypass for a few owners that weren't confident to do it themselves. It my help to understand the immobiliser is just a switch, a switch in this case you remotely turn on or off with your IR key fob rather than how you would flick a traditional switch with your finger.
As such the bypass process is very straightforward, indeed it's no more complex than bypassing any other type of switch, but I always encourage owners who contact me for my bypass instructions to completely satisfy themselves the immobiliser genuinely is the source of their starting issue.
There are actually a number of potential starting faults that tend to afflict these cars, not least the fact TVR never used a dedicated relay on the starter solenoid circuit. TVR also used a lighter gauge starter cable than was ideal, and the starter motor is subject to lot of heat that can cause premature failure of the starter motor itself and or it's solenoid.
It's been my experience that if you go through the whole starter system you may find there is more than one issue, each one in isolation may not by itself cause the no-start condition, but combine two or more partially failing elements and it can often be enough to give a permanent or more likely intermittent issue like the so called 'Hot Start' fault.
There is something available on the market called the 'Hot Start Kt' which claims (quite bullishly) to solve the starting problems these car's often suffer from, but the truth is it's just a relay and while it does address one of the known faults it cannot and will not fix the other common issues.
One of theses issues may (or may not) be the immobiliser that TVR in their wisdom wired back to front. TVR ran the low amp ECU circuit through the high amp relay inside the immobiliser and the higher amp starter solenoid circuit through the low amp relay inside the immobiliser, if the immobiliser or more specifically the failing relay inside the immobiliser is your problem then the 'Hot Start Kit' isn't going to help you one bit, if your starter cable is on it's last legs the 'Hot Start Kit' won't help there either
If both your immobiliser and your starter cable are begining to fail then the 'Hot Start Kit' will not fix your issue, it can't fix a dodgy starter motor or a failing starter solenoid either, saying that an immobiliser bypass or a new heavier gauge starter cable won't fix these to things either.
Hopefully this helps explain why I am so careful to encourage people to systematically check each element and component in their starter system using a test meter before they jump to any conclusions, this is how a good professional auto-electrician approaches his work, please make sure you follow this example or you'll be trying to fix your problem by blindly replacing components and adding the so called hot start kit in the hope you'll get lucky and fix the problem.
Be careful of things that are being marketed as a 'cure all', because life is seldom that simple
The truth is there is no magic bullet fix here, and in my opinion people shouldn't be selling a relay kit without first making sure they carefully explain to their customers how to properly test the entire starting system and all it's components/wiring first. The real issue isn't whether the 'Hot Start Kit' works or not (it does), it's whether you really need it in the first place?
The final thing to always keep in mind is there can often be a combination of faults, the 'Hot Start Kit' may just be masking another underlying issue that really needs addressing too. For example if your starter solenoid is on the way out and performing marginally the 'Hot Start Kit' will quite possibly be enough to solve the immediate starting problem (more amps), but has it fixed your poorly performing starter solenoid? no it hasn't! What the 'Hot Start Kit' has done is helped one of the two issues which was just enough to deliver a temporary fix.
The key word here is temporary, even after fitting the hot start kit your sickly starter solenoid remains on the way out, so while the car now starts when hot the 'Hot Start Kit' is really just lulling you into a false sense of security by masking another fault. And as sure as eggs are eggs one dark night just when you don't need it that iffy starter solenoid of yours will give out once and for all.... and no amount of 'Hot Start Kits' will save you.
Don't buy into the 'Magic Bullet' hot start kit hype, begin my understating exactly how the entire starting system works and the function of each component (including the immobiliser). Then test everything systematically in the starter circuit using a test meter like a professional would and you'll be well on the way to fixing your problem properly, and permanently too.
Hope this helps?
If you do indeed discover the issue resides inside your immobiliser please feel free to PM me and I will be pleased to send you my simple bypass instructions, but do make 100% sure that you've first completed your comprehensive and systematic multimeter diagnostic tests on the entire starter circuit and all it's related components.
The above is advice offered by one TVR enthusiast to his fellow TVR enthusiasts for free and in the hope it will help someone, unlike others I am not running a business here, or profiting from this common fault by selling a simple relay and claiming it will fix your problem.
Dave.
As such the bypass process is very straightforward, indeed it's no more complex than bypassing any other type of switch, but I always encourage owners who contact me for my bypass instructions to completely satisfy themselves the immobiliser genuinely is the source of their starting issue.
There are actually a number of potential starting faults that tend to afflict these cars, not least the fact TVR never used a dedicated relay on the starter solenoid circuit. TVR also used a lighter gauge starter cable than was ideal, and the starter motor is subject to lot of heat that can cause premature failure of the starter motor itself and or it's solenoid.
It's been my experience that if you go through the whole starter system you may find there is more than one issue, each one in isolation may not by itself cause the no-start condition, but combine two or more partially failing elements and it can often be enough to give a permanent or more likely intermittent issue like the so called 'Hot Start' fault.
There is something available on the market called the 'Hot Start Kt' which claims (quite bullishly) to solve the starting problems these car's often suffer from, but the truth is it's just a relay and while it does address one of the known faults it cannot and will not fix the other common issues.
One of theses issues may (or may not) be the immobiliser that TVR in their wisdom wired back to front. TVR ran the low amp ECU circuit through the high amp relay inside the immobiliser and the higher amp starter solenoid circuit through the low amp relay inside the immobiliser, if the immobiliser or more specifically the failing relay inside the immobiliser is your problem then the 'Hot Start Kit' isn't going to help you one bit, if your starter cable is on it's last legs the 'Hot Start Kit' won't help there either
If both your immobiliser and your starter cable are begining to fail then the 'Hot Start Kit' will not fix your issue, it can't fix a dodgy starter motor or a failing starter solenoid either, saying that an immobiliser bypass or a new heavier gauge starter cable won't fix these to things either.
Hopefully this helps explain why I am so careful to encourage people to systematically check each element and component in their starter system using a test meter before they jump to any conclusions, this is how a good professional auto-electrician approaches his work, please make sure you follow this example or you'll be trying to fix your problem by blindly replacing components and adding the so called hot start kit in the hope you'll get lucky and fix the problem.
Be careful of things that are being marketed as a 'cure all', because life is seldom that simple
The truth is there is no magic bullet fix here, and in my opinion people shouldn't be selling a relay kit without first making sure they carefully explain to their customers how to properly test the entire starting system and all it's components/wiring first. The real issue isn't whether the 'Hot Start Kit' works or not (it does), it's whether you really need it in the first place?
The final thing to always keep in mind is there can often be a combination of faults, the 'Hot Start Kit' may just be masking another underlying issue that really needs addressing too. For example if your starter solenoid is on the way out and performing marginally the 'Hot Start Kit' will quite possibly be enough to solve the immediate starting problem (more amps), but has it fixed your poorly performing starter solenoid? no it hasn't! What the 'Hot Start Kit' has done is helped one of the two issues which was just enough to deliver a temporary fix.
The key word here is temporary, even after fitting the hot start kit your sickly starter solenoid remains on the way out, so while the car now starts when hot the 'Hot Start Kit' is really just lulling you into a false sense of security by masking another fault. And as sure as eggs are eggs one dark night just when you don't need it that iffy starter solenoid of yours will give out once and for all.... and no amount of 'Hot Start Kits' will save you.
Don't buy into the 'Magic Bullet' hot start kit hype, begin my understating exactly how the entire starting system works and the function of each component (including the immobiliser). Then test everything systematically in the starter circuit using a test meter like a professional would and you'll be well on the way to fixing your problem properly, and permanently too.
Hope this helps?
If you do indeed discover the issue resides inside your immobiliser please feel free to PM me and I will be pleased to send you my simple bypass instructions, but do make 100% sure that you've first completed your comprehensive and systematic multimeter diagnostic tests on the entire starter circuit and all it's related components.
The above is advice offered by one TVR enthusiast to his fellow TVR enthusiasts for free and in the hope it will help someone, unlike others I am not running a business here, or profiting from this common fault by selling a simple relay and claiming it will fix your problem.
Dave.
Three ways to do it...
1. The proper way - Have one of the TVR alarm specialists fit a new system or get the DIY TVR kit from Abacus
2. Bypass the system on the starter solenoid circuit - I have instructions but you'll need to PM me
3. Simply run a new wire from the sprung start position terminal on your ignition switch to the starter solenoid
In all cases it's best practice to use a relay, the relay TVR deemed unnecessary.
A relay will extent the life of the contacts in your ignition switch and ensure you're putting full helping of amps to the starter solenoid, you can get away without a relay as TVR did..... but it's always best practice to fit one.
Dave.
1. The proper way - Have one of the TVR alarm specialists fit a new system or get the DIY TVR kit from Abacus
2. Bypass the system on the starter solenoid circuit - I have instructions but you'll need to PM me
3. Simply run a new wire from the sprung start position terminal on your ignition switch to the starter solenoid
In all cases it's best practice to use a relay, the relay TVR deemed unnecessary
.A relay will extent the life of the contacts in your ignition switch and ensure you're putting full helping of amps to the starter solenoid, you can get away without a relay as TVR did..... but it's always best practice to fit one.
Dave.
I have a Jag E TYPE starter button sat waiting for me to pluck up the courage to work out how to wire it up to the ignition switch using a Relay to starter motor.
Where to place it in the dash is also a dilemma for best but subtle effect.
it's even spring loaded,,,, sexy,,, I used to start my dad's 1967-68 Jag 3.8 S as a 4 year old,,, and drive it
Any suggestions on a suatible relay for such a starter Dave. It's my responsibility to work out what I need and I'll use a proper electrical expert to install anyway but some pointers as to what relay is appropriate would be nice to mull over
I started a Chim that's on a button today,,, just the once but that's it I'm hooked
Gotta do this
Where to place it in the dash is also a dilemma for best but subtle effect.
it's even spring loaded,,,, sexy,,, I used to start my dad's 1967-68 Jag 3.8 S as a 4 year old,,, and drive it
Any suggestions on a suatible relay for such a starter Dave. It's my responsibility to work out what I need and I'll use a proper electrical expert to install anyway but some pointers as to what relay is appropriate would be nice to mull over
I started a Chim that's on a button today,,, just the once but that's it I'm hooked
Gotta do this
Them clocks are uber cool, as is that button position. It's the touch that counts, I seem to remember me old Papa teaching me to let go when it fired, I reckon I was 3 years old
Then by the time I'm five it felt like touching the beast into life with a gentle touch,,, today I remembered that by pressing this hidden button on a really cool Tiv,,, probably for the first time I'm 40 ,,, jeez nearer 50 years or so, it was there, that same feeling of stroking it into life with far more aplomb and gentleness let alone gentlemanly sense than clunking some old set of keys around a notchy ignition barrel, how crude,
And the barrel might last longer,,, good mod
Proper.
Chilli has his Aston, get it there Richard,, this will go a long way to gain parity
My brain hurts
Night boys.
Chuffed my bonnets done
Then by the time I'm five it felt like touching the beast into life with a gentle touch,,, today I remembered that by pressing this hidden button on a really cool Tiv,,, probably for the first time I'm 40 ,,, jeez nearer 50 years or so, it was there, that same feeling of stroking it into life with far more aplomb and gentleness let alone gentlemanly sense than clunking some old set of keys around a notchy ignition barrel, how crude,
And the barrel might last longer,,, good mod
Proper.
Chilli has his Aston, get it there Richard,, this will go a long way to gain parity
My brain hurts
Night boys.
Chuffed my bonnets done
Edited by Classic Chim on Friday 8th September 23:53
Hi All,
new member here from The Netherlands, with a 1994 4.3 Chimaera.
It is my first British car, and it is RHD. Which is a bit of getting used to, but I enjoy the car very much.
As mine has hot start problems, but the starter motor is running well , and after say 10 times switching the alarm on and off before the car finally starts, I suspect the immobiliser.
So I am planning to bypass it. have send the immo-guru over here already an email, as I do not have a Meta but a Laserline immobiliser...
But looking at the car and the wiring underneath the steering column just now, I noticed three push buttons of which I do not know the functions.
Could it be possible that one of these is a bypass? Or a combination of them? Does anybody recognise them?
And if so, any idea's how to use them ? push one or all while starting? before I put to much amps on the system, I better ask for opinions here first...
new member here from The Netherlands, with a 1994 4.3 Chimaera.
It is my first British car, and it is RHD. Which is a bit of getting used to, but I enjoy the car very much.
As mine has hot start problems, but the starter motor is running well , and after say 10 times switching the alarm on and off before the car finally starts, I suspect the immobiliser.
So I am planning to bypass it. have send the immo-guru over here already an email, as I do not have a Meta but a Laserline immobiliser...
But looking at the car and the wiring underneath the steering column just now, I noticed three push buttons of which I do not know the functions.
Could it be possible that one of these is a bypass? Or a combination of them? Does anybody recognise them?
And if so, any idea's how to use them ? push one or all while starting? before I put to much amps on the system, I better ask for opinions here first...
Correct, the blue button manually switches the fans. Of course when I first tested it, the fans were already running, so no effect then.
Now with a cold engine it switches the fans. So that one is clear, thanks.
(Car does not have AC)
Then one of the other 2 is for the dash lights I now assume, as there is a button for it somewhere on the left knee I read. Have not tried it, will do that later with the lights on and dash lights visible.
So that still leaves one button unaccounted for...
Now with a cold engine it switches the fans. So that one is clear, thanks.
(Car does not have AC)
Then one of the other 2 is for the dash lights I now assume, as there is a button for it somewhere on the left knee I read. Have not tried it, will do that later with the lights on and dash lights visible.
So that still leaves one button unaccounted for...
Hi Robbe,
The blue switch adjacent/behind the ignition switch is normally where TVR put the heated seat switch, but it's usually black.... well it is on my 1996 Chimaera
One of the two switches you show under the dash (probably the black one) will likely be for turning your dash lights off at night, put your headlights on in the dark and experiment to see if it turns your gauge illumination on and off.
The orange switch is just for the Dutch and you should only press it on Kings Day
, but seriously it could be for a fresh air fan in the footwell as I believe some earlier Chimaeras had this feature, try it with the engine off and listen for a fan motor noise. If the orange switch doesn't summon up the Dutch Royal Family or turn a fan on it may well be your immobiliser switch, but it would be a later addition by a former owner if it is.
I've responded to your PM and sent you my immobiliser bypass instructions, these are for the later Meta system but the basic principles will be the same, but to be honest with TVRs you are far better off using a test meter to confirm the purpose of those switches and the origins of wiring as nothing was what you might call standardized, in some cases two TVRs produced in the same year could be wired quite differently in a number of respects.
Good luck with it, Dave
The blue switch adjacent/behind the ignition switch is normally where TVR put the heated seat switch, but it's usually black.... well it is on my 1996 Chimaera
One of the two switches you show under the dash (probably the black one) will likely be for turning your dash lights off at night, put your headlights on in the dark and experiment to see if it turns your gauge illumination on and off.
The orange switch is just for the Dutch and you should only press it on Kings Day
, but seriously it could be for a fresh air fan in the footwell as I believe some earlier Chimaeras had this feature, try it with the engine off and listen for a fan motor noise. If the orange switch doesn't summon up the Dutch Royal Family or turn a fan on it may well be your immobiliser switch, but it would be a later addition by a former owner if it is.I've responded to your PM and sent you my immobiliser bypass instructions, these are for the later Meta system but the basic principles will be the same, but to be honest with TVRs you are far better off using a test meter to confirm the purpose of those switches and the origins of wiring as nothing was what you might call standardized, in some cases two TVRs produced in the same year could be wired quite differently in a number of respects.
Good luck with it, Dave
RobbeS said:
Hi Dave,
thanks very much, email has been replied to.
I am a bit late summoning the Royal family, as that was last Friday
Will test the buttons in various conditions (engine cold/dark etc) and will report back after the weekend (leaving for a short holiday)
thanks very much, email has been replied to.
I am a bit late summoning the Royal family, as that was last Friday
Will test the buttons in various conditions (engine cold/dark etc) and will report back after the weekend (leaving for a short holiday)
Hope it made you laugh?
Let me know how you get on and don't hesitate to ask if you have any more questions.
Best of luck, Dave.
BennyHill said:
Chimpafrolic - Please can you send me details of this wiring mod. I have a similiar intermittent non start problem which so far I have managed to overcome by thumping the lower dash to free the sticking immobilier relays. Carl Baker tells me that a new unit is required but at the moment I do not have the funds. Your mod should keep me going until the piggy bank is refilled. Many thanks, Derek
Please can you send me details of this wiring mod. I have a similiar intermittent non start problem.BennyHill said:
Carl Baker tells me that a new unit is required but at the moment I do not have the funds. Your mod should keep me going until the piggy bank is refilled. Many thanks, Derek
It shouldn’t cost much more than £100 to replace the immobiliser (I did this through Dave at HF Solutions). You’ll need to send your alarm unit away and your key fob to get them all coded together. You just then re-attach the new immobiliser which should now be wired the correct way, not the factory way which was wrong and was the cause of the “hot start” issue. ChimpOnGas said:
Hi Robbe,
The blue switch adjacent/behind the ignition switch is normally where TVR put the heated seat switch, but it's usually black.... well it is on my 1996 Chimaera
One of the two switches you show under the dash (probably the black one) will likely be for turning your dash lights off at night, put your headlights on in the dark and experiment to see if it turns your gauge illumination on and off.
The orange switch is just for the Dutch and you should only press it on Kings Day, but seriously it could be for a fresh air fan in the footwell as I believe some earlier Chimaeras had this feature, try it with the engine off and listen for a fan motor noise. If the orange switch doesn't summon up the Dutch Royal Family or turn a fan on it may well be your immobiliser switch, but it would be a later addition by a former owner if it is.
I've responded to your PM and sent you my immobiliser bypass instructions, these are for the later Meta system but the basic principles will be the same, but to be honest with TVRs you are far better off using a test meter to confirm the purpose of those switches and the origins of wiring as nothing was what you might call standardized, in some cases two TVRs produced in the same year could be wired quite differently in a number of respects.
Good luck with it, Dave
Could a thicker cable be fed from a spare way on the fuse box direct to the spring ignition ? Would this eliminate the problem at the immobiliser ?The blue switch adjacent/behind the ignition switch is normally where TVR put the heated seat switch, but it's usually black.... well it is on my 1996 Chimaera
One of the two switches you show under the dash (probably the black one) will likely be for turning your dash lights off at night, put your headlights on in the dark and experiment to see if it turns your gauge illumination on and off.
The orange switch is just for the Dutch and you should only press it on Kings Day
, but seriously it could be for a fresh air fan in the footwell as I believe some earlier Chimaeras had this feature, try it with the engine off and listen for a fan motor noise. If the orange switch doesn't summon up the Dutch Royal Family or turn a fan on it may well be your immobiliser switch, but it would be a later addition by a former owner if it is.I've responded to your PM and sent you my immobiliser bypass instructions, these are for the later Meta system but the basic principles will be the same, but to be honest with TVRs you are far better off using a test meter to confirm the purpose of those switches and the origins of wiring as nothing was what you might call standardized, in some cases two TVRs produced in the same year could be wired quite differently in a number of respects.
Good luck with it, Dave
SILICONEKID 345HP 12.03 said:
Could a thicker cable be fed from a spare way on the fuse box direct to the spring ignition ? Would this eliminate the problem at the immobiliser ?
I've used a relay fitted at the unused position 2 on the fuseboard. The supply to the starter then exits via Fuse 5 using a nice heavy wire. You could stimulate the relay direct from the ignition switch.If you wished to do the same I can give you the pin numbers of the fuseboard back connectors.
Steve
Just to dive in here, could I possibly get wiring guide for the immobiliser bypass PM’d By one of you fine folk?
I had to suffer the shame of holding up a queue of rather nice classics getting on the ferry to Le Mans Classic and want to test some things before spending a wedge on her.
Thanks!
Harvey
I had to suffer the shame of holding up a queue of rather nice classics getting on the ferry to Le Mans Classic and want to test some things before spending a wedge on her.
Thanks!
Harvey
Edited by Harveybw on Wednesday 25th July 22:40
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