My car won't start - the crock of....
Discussion
..ahem
God this thing is driving me mad (no pun intended cos I can't get the bl00dy thing out of the garage!). Well what a joy this TVR ownership is turning out to be...the car has been more misery than joy in the first 2 months of ownership. Has already been to the menders twice, and now the damn thing won't start!
It turns over...and over..and over but will not "catch". It did start after a while earlier, but the exhausts were chucking out some smoke and it smelt really bad, and then stalled anyway. I don't want to do it any damage so have decided to ask for some advice on what I can do (my pockets cannot cope with another trip to the menders!).
Any help much much appreciated....btw, I am a bit of a mechanical numpty....
Thanks in advance....
>>> Edited by Gavstar on Monday 9th August 20:51
God this thing is driving me mad (no pun intended cos I can't get the bl00dy thing out of the garage!). Well what a joy this TVR ownership is turning out to be...the car has been more misery than joy in the first 2 months of ownership. Has already been to the menders twice, and now the damn thing won't start!
It turns over...and over..and over but will not "catch". It did start after a while earlier, but the exhausts were chucking out some smoke and it smelt really bad, and then stalled anyway. I don't want to do it any damage so have decided to ask for some advice on what I can do (my pockets cannot cope with another trip to the menders!).
Any help much much appreciated....btw, I am a bit of a mechanical numpty....
Thanks in advance....
>>> Edited by Gavstar on Monday 9th August 20:51
OK, I've had some dinner and calmed down a bit now. Didn't mean to rant. Of course, I love the car, but have not had the best of introductions, and what with the hot rainy weather I think I am feeling a bit bothered! So, I'm calmer now. I think I understand now, this love-hate relationship I read about before buying a TVR....ah, the little blighters, don't u just love em!!
If anyone can offer some pointers as to what I can check, it would be very much appreciated. I'm gonna have a look in the bible to see what i can see there...
If anyone can offer some pointers as to what I can check, it would be very much appreciated. I'm gonna have a look in the bible to see what i can see there...
If its turning over and not starting check that the fuel pump is working. Can you hear the usual whine at the back left of the car when you turn the ignition on?
Mine has done this a couple of times almost exactly a year apart. Sometimes something goes a bit wonky with the alarm system/electrics/whatever. Get out of the car and arm and disarm the alarm about 20 times. Try again. Repeat. Leave until following morning and try again.
Usually ends up working for me. If that doesn't help then dunno what it is.
Mine has done this a couple of times almost exactly a year apart. Sometimes something goes a bit wonky with the alarm system/electrics/whatever. Get out of the car and arm and disarm the alarm about 20 times. Try again. Repeat. Leave until following morning and try again.
Usually ends up working for me. If that doesn't help then dunno what it is.
Oh yeah, and don't worry too much about this kind of stuff. My car has been going wrong and having incidenst ever since I bought it last May, including two partial resprays, new exhaust, new head gasket, new glass (thieving gits stole my radio) etc etc.
Its still been totally worth it for those times when I do get to drive it.
Its still been totally worth it for those times when I do get to drive it.
Duh Duh, I heard rudegirl call, and I am here. (ps rude girl are you really rude?) anyway wont start. Well my friend there are lots of places to start. iam no expert, but I do have a very naughty Chimy so have experienced a lot of things. Your smoke bad smell problem could very well be the idle mix. Read your bible, try screwing down the screw (allen key style bolt on top of the plenum ) right down, then open it 2 - 21/2 turns. Unplug your ecu for 5 seconds to reset it as well.
Have a look at your ignition amplifier, make sure it is earthing correctly.
When you try and start her can you hear the fuel pump?
Try starting her with your foot on the accelerator, does this work?
Have a look at your ignition amplifier, make sure it is earthing correctly.
When you try and start her can you hear the fuel pump?
Try starting her with your foot on the accelerator, does this work?
Cool, thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure I can hear the fuel pump - it's like a sort of buzzing noise, before the engine turns? I did manage to get it started once, but cos of the smoke and the fact that it was raining and I was only going to B&Q, I thought I best put away. I think I got it started by stamping my foot on the accelerator a few times, but was wary of flooding it so didn't do it too much. I know the previous owner had 2 new fule pumps in as many years, so perhaps it is a recurring problem that was not caused by a faulty fuel pump at all?
The bummer of all this is, I am doing a long drive to Stroud a week on Friday and I really didn't want to a: turn up in my crappy old Golf, or b: try and leave in a TVR that won't start!
I've checked the bible and there are a few bits about starting problems, but not sure I have the balls to try them myself...
Anyway, thanks again for answering, and any more ideas are welcome! I particularly like the one about the alarm as that sounds like a simple answer!! Not sure it could be that though, as when immobilised the engine does not turn at all. This might be worth pointing out though - since someone told me to start the engine by turning the key fully, then pressing the alarm button, it has been starting progressivly worse. Could this be related?? Prior to this I just stuck the immobilser fob into the little slot (um, ooh err). Red herring???
The bummer of all this is, I am doing a long drive to Stroud a week on Friday and I really didn't want to a: turn up in my crappy old Golf, or b: try and leave in a TVR that won't start!
I've checked the bible and there are a few bits about starting problems, but not sure I have the balls to try them myself...
Anyway, thanks again for answering, and any more ideas are welcome! I particularly like the one about the alarm as that sounds like a simple answer!! Not sure it could be that though, as when immobilised the engine does not turn at all. This might be worth pointing out though - since someone told me to start the engine by turning the key fully, then pressing the alarm button, it has been starting progressivly worse. Could this be related?? Prior to this I just stuck the immobilser fob into the little slot (um, ooh err). Red herring???
jamesuk28 said:
Well my friend there are lots of places to start. iam no expert, but I do have a very naughty Chimy so have experienced a lot of things.
I had read a lot of our posts before I bought it, and was determined not to end up with a problematic one like u seem to...doh!
jamesuk28 said:
Have a look at your ignition amplifier, make sure it is earthing correctly.
How do I check it's earthing properly?
rude girl said:
I think the alarm thing is a red herring - best wait for more answers I reckon.
>> Edited by rude girl on Monday 9th August 23:08
This is a solution I have had quoted to me in the past and it has worked, so its not a red herring. However, if you can hear the fuel pump then its presumably a different problem.
Gavstar said:
Oh yeah?? Am i missing something here?
No not really. My ex is one of the TVR Independents and I was talking to him on Messenger. I asked him to have a look but he made me tell him what to check instead. So here goes:
Turning over but not catching - check:
Spark plugs, HT leads, blocked return line from fuel pump.
Choky smoke - it's overfuelling - check:
ECU- try a reset, Injectors - one stuck open?, look for wiring fault to injectors, check Lambda sensors, pressure regulator.
All that thinking's knackered me - I'm off to bed. Good luck!
edited because I thought of something else to check!
>> Edited by rude girl on Tuesday 10th August 00:31
Not fully. The last position before ignition + the plipper = disable immobiliser. I don't know what ignition position would do, but I can imagine it might be bad.
jamesuk28 said:
Try starting her with your foot on the accelerator, does this work?
Nooooo! - Never touch the accelerator before it fires! - It will flood and then take AGES to start. This happened to me when I was a TVR novice (with my 4.0L wedge) and I had to leave it for about 3 hrs. When it eventually fired on about 3 cylinders it coughed and spluttered, blew smoke out the exhaust for a few seconds whilst I gently coaxed it into life with gentle blips. I never did that again, and it never happened again.
Well sorry mate, but i had a persistant hot start problem a few months ago, the only way she would start is by pressing the loud pedal. Yes you can flood it, i accept, but as a last resort it is worth a try.
Not even a mention of the stepper motor!!!!!! my car keeps getting flat tyres .... well check the stepper motor.
My car does not handle very well in the wet...... well check the stepper motor.
That seems to be the general answer on most posts.
Not even a mention of the stepper motor!!!!!! my car keeps getting flat tyres .... well check the stepper motor.
My car does not handle very well in the wet...... well check the stepper motor.
That seems to be the general answer on most posts.
rude girl said:
Turning over but not catching - check:
Spark plugs, HT leads, blocked return line from fuel pump.
Choky smoke - it's overfuelling - check:
ECU- try a reset, Injectors - one stuck open?, look for wiring fault to injectors, check Lambda sensors, pressure regulator.
All that thinking's knackered me - I'm off to bed. Good luck!
Thanks for that rudey....I guess the answers to "how do i check all these things?" are in the bible? Is it recommended for a mechanical numpty like me to try and have a go??? Computers I can do....cars...nope! :-)
And I should get myself some tools as well yeah??!
>> Edited by Gavstar on Tuesday 10th August 10:28
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