Open the door - car starts ! Any observations ?
Discussion
I made one of those happy discoveries a couple of months ago which I know is "not quite right" but
has solved the intermittent non starting issue I have.
Pump primes, turn the key - nothing, open the drivers door and the engine turns over and starts !
I have hesitated to ask for comments until now as I wanted to see if things stayed the same over a period of weeks and months. About 50% of the time I turn the key and it starts, the other 50% I open the door and off it goes, so this is definately not a "one off".
Not being electrically minded I can appreciate there is an electrical switch on the drivers door that turns the interior light on, but whether that's relevant who knows.
For now I am happy that the car starts although I know this is not how TVR designed the starting sequence to be, has anyone else come across this or have any wise words ?
P.S. Hot start kit fitted long time before discovering the Door Start method.
has solved the intermittent non starting issue I have.
Pump primes, turn the key - nothing, open the drivers door and the engine turns over and starts !
I have hesitated to ask for comments until now as I wanted to see if things stayed the same over a period of weeks and months. About 50% of the time I turn the key and it starts, the other 50% I open the door and off it goes, so this is definately not a "one off".
Not being electrically minded I can appreciate there is an electrical switch on the drivers door that turns the interior light on, but whether that's relevant who knows.
For now I am happy that the car starts although I know this is not how TVR designed the starting sequence to be, has anyone else come across this or have any wise words ?
P.S. Hot start kit fitted long time before discovering the Door Start method.
I would say it's got to be something to do with the immobiliser.
It sounds like with the door closed the relay (inside the immobiliser) that controls the live feed to the starter solenoid is failing.
For some reason with the door open the relay works.
I have no idea exactly why it would do this but the immobiliser and alarm are linked and the system does recognise if a door is open or closed as part of it's anti-theft function.
There are three circuits and relays inside the immobiliser unit.
1) Ignition (live feed to the coil)
2) Fuel (live feed to the fuel pump)
3) Starter (live feed to the starter solenoid)
It's nearly always number 3 that fails first as its the immobiliser starter solenoid relay that caries the most amps.
The thing is if you look at the way TVR wired the immobiliser it's anybodies guess how it ever worked from the day it left the factory.
Carl Baker has made a small business out of TVR's lack of automotive wiring skills, and a great job he does too.
http://www.tvruk.tv/www.tvruk.tv/index.html
He can solve this problem for you once and for all, while adding some useful extra features like a remote boot release.
For the first time in your car's life the (new) Meta alarm will be correctly wired up, I think you are looking at £550.00 including the VAT and a trip to Carl's workshop in Hampshire.
I had immobiliser problems, as a temporary measure I bypassed the starter solenoid circuit at the Meta unit until funds permit Carl to sort it properly.
The immobiliser still controls the fuel and ignition so my car remains secure, I have not had a single starting problem since the bypass.
Worth a read:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It sounds like with the door closed the relay (inside the immobiliser) that controls the live feed to the starter solenoid is failing.
For some reason with the door open the relay works.
I have no idea exactly why it would do this but the immobiliser and alarm are linked and the system does recognise if a door is open or closed as part of it's anti-theft function.
There are three circuits and relays inside the immobiliser unit.
1) Ignition (live feed to the coil)
2) Fuel (live feed to the fuel pump)
3) Starter (live feed to the starter solenoid)
It's nearly always number 3 that fails first as its the immobiliser starter solenoid relay that caries the most amps.
The thing is if you look at the way TVR wired the immobiliser it's anybodies guess how it ever worked from the day it left the factory.
Carl Baker has made a small business out of TVR's lack of automotive wiring skills, and a great job he does too.
http://www.tvruk.tv/www.tvruk.tv/index.html
He can solve this problem for you once and for all, while adding some useful extra features like a remote boot release.
For the first time in your car's life the (new) Meta alarm will be correctly wired up, I think you are looking at £550.00 including the VAT and a trip to Carl's workshop in Hampshire.
I had immobiliser problems, as a temporary measure I bypassed the starter solenoid circuit at the Meta unit until funds permit Carl to sort it properly.
The immobiliser still controls the fuel and ignition so my car remains secure, I have not had a single starting problem since the bypass.
Worth a read:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Have you tried turning the interior light to the off setting & see if the same thing happens?
I think you have to pull the timer relay for the courtesy lights - that separates the circuit for the lights & then off to the heated mirror timer under the dash in the aux panel (with the flashers etc.). Personally I'd be pulling the harder one under the dash I think the power to that circuit for the mirrors & seats is more closely related to the starter solenoid circuit from memory.Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff