Speedo clicking.....

[dexdringle]

I have an early (1993) Chimaera. Recently the speedo stopped working (circa 40k miles - I'm told this is common breakdown mileage). There was no warning it just stopped (both mileometer and speedo).

I took it to a TVR specialist who removed the speedo and sent to the manufacturer (ETB ?) for repair. Collected it on Saturday and all was fine. Then, yesterday, the speedo started making an loud clicking noise 10 times a mile. It never did this before (when it was working) and didn't do it for the first 50 or so miles after I collected it.

The specialist says this is normal but I'm taking it back tomorrow for them to have a listen. I can believe some clicking would be a bit audible being a mechanical.

Any ideas whether this is normal ????

Thanks

Dave

>>> Edited by dexdringle on Monday 2nd September 10:57

>>> Edited by dexdringle on Saturday 7th September 15:46

[shpub]

It's normal on cars of your vintage that were fitted with the clicking speedo. It is the TVR patented audible "your life is clicking by and you need to buy a Griff/Cerbera/Tuscan/Tamora before it is too late" warning system. If the speedo wasn't doing it before and is now then something could have changed and that could be that whatever was stopping the click has now gone while the speedo was repaired or the unit was exchanged for a clicking one.

Caused by a unused wheel on the odometer tapping against something.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

>> Edited by shpub on Monday 2nd September 11:20

[pbrettle]

Mine does that - rather than "your life ticking away" as Steve suggests, I like to think of it as "ticking timebomb until the next major expense"....

Still, you are obviously not driving it fast enough or with the roof off - either way you wont even notice it anymore... To be honest I have even forgotten that it is there now - it is amazing what the mind can do when it wants to....

Cheers,

Paul

P.S. Mines a '94 model. You can get newer speedo's but for a click its not worth it.

[dexdringle]

Steve

Thanks for the reply. Is there point in getting it looked at again d'ya think ? It really is "do your head in" loud. I can't understand why it was quiet for the first 50 miles after picking it up then it started. It never did this before (when working).

Can the "unused wheel" be removed (or filed down or something) ???

Paul - Yours is really loud then too ?

Dave



>> Edited by dexdringle on Monday 2nd September 11:33

>> Edited by dexdringle on Saturday 7th September 15:47

[shpub]

No not really. It can be fixed but it is risky and may result in damaging the whole speedo which starts getting very expensive especially as they are no longer made. In other words it cost several hundreds. Most people get used to it and eventually you don't hear it.

Steve

[pbrettle]

Dex,

I thought the same of mine - its a bit loud. But seriously you just get used to it and after a 1000 or so miles you just learn to ignore it.... in fact it can be a little comforting when I have forgotten the head unit of the stereo.!!!

Also it gives you an audible marker of 10th of a mile. Means you can start to measure all sorts of things - if you are sad like me that is....

Cheers,

Paul

[paulu]

mine does it and it did before it went for repair also!! I only notice it when I forget the head unit. does not sound like it does it ten times a mile! but why should they all be the same?

[chuckh]

hi dave ive not been on site for a while so ive only just seen this thread. i hate to throw petrol on the fire mate but the speedo in your car clicked when i owned it though i didnt notice it till my wife pointed it out then of course i cuold hear sod all else!!!!!!!!!! nice to see u the other day car looked and sounded ace !!!!! ive just ordered a civic type r yesterday hope it dont click !! cheers chuck

[MartinB]

I had a 95 Chimaera and covered 35,000 miles with 350,000 very loud clicks. You will stop noticing after a while. I did, or at least I think I did. Maybe it didn't click all the time.
No seriously, you'll soon grow to love it as one of those endearing TVR quirks.

[chuckh]

martin you realy have to be joking. endearing quirks!!!!that reminds me of a mechanic at tvr relling me that problems on a reguler basis is CHARICTER BUILDING my arse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MartinB]

Chuck

OK - maybe if you're ankle deep in water (with the accompanying mouldy dog smell), lurching around (because the stepper motor needs cleaned), without your seatbelt on (because it's stuck/rusted, you've got mysterious clonking from the back end and one of your indicators is permanantly on (because a relay has siezed).... and then you hear the clicking. Maybe that could cause you to park it around a tree/lampost.

But, if the clicking is the only thing amiss and the sun is shining, you might just pat the steering wheel and smile whimsically.

[chuckh]

dave i was told that the thing that clicks is a mechanism which would move the digits on the trip meter should there be one. thats why i clicks every one tenth of a mile. though why tvr did not rectify them when new I dont know. why didnt the repairer of your speedo remove said item as it ts serving no purpose!!? you dont get this character building with jap cars you know !!!!!!!!!!you do get on average one more hours sleep every night!!

[dexdringle]

Yes - it does seem that TVR go out of their way to make ownership a testing experience !

As the car doesn't have tenths the mechanism for ticking these off is redundant. I can't believe that the place mine was sent to for repair didn't eliminate this. Is it me or what ?

Re Jap cars - I've had a few and an inclined to agree. Same with bikes I guess.

Dave