New owner won’t start “please help”
Discussion
Hi , I’ve 96 first ever TVR and my dream to have one but now gutted !
Picked it up (private sale) and it’s ran fine stopped started last 4 days , then on Sunday would not start then kept trying and it started ran it Monday and Tues no probs then tonight same would not start
Immobiliser LED goes out off Dallas key all dash lights but nothing as if battery dead
Checked both relays in passenger footwell (both click) swopped them around also , fuel pump primes checked connections underneath car , hit the dash where the alarm box is , locked unlocked checked fobs battery’s it all works as in locks and unlocks tried every combination , rocked car in gear hit the starter etc... etc...
Battery on charge but currently reading 12.1volts and still it’s as if the battery is dead but still locks and unlocks fine
Even pushed the rubber fuel pump plunger above glove box !
Anyone got any ideas ???
Picked it up (private sale) and it’s ran fine stopped started last 4 days , then on Sunday would not start then kept trying and it started ran it Monday and Tues no probs then tonight same would not start
Immobiliser LED goes out off Dallas key all dash lights but nothing as if battery dead
Checked both relays in passenger footwell (both click) swopped them around also , fuel pump primes checked connections underneath car , hit the dash where the alarm box is , locked unlocked checked fobs battery’s it all works as in locks and unlocks tried every combination , rocked car in gear hit the starter etc... etc...
Battery on charge but currently reading 12.1volts and still it’s as if the battery is dead but still locks and unlocks fine
Even pushed the rubber fuel pump plunger above glove box !
Anyone got any ideas ???
Immobiliser relay on the starter motor circuit. Try bump starting the car to make sure it does work which will narrow it down.
Others will have better answers but that’s where I’d assume the problem lies.
Basically age and wrongly wired the contacts stick inside the relay and won’t allow you to start the car. Try putting the small key into it’s slot just below starter key on steering column as that sometimes helps. Also just try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes to re set alarm. When you re connect battery you might need to press your key fob to lock / unlock doors and set alarm.
There is a remedy though which involves bi passing said relay
Check what others say first
Oh and welcome to Tvr.
Sad to hear your having trouble but this is a known fault so not the end of the world.
ETA your battery power is low. These cars need a strong battery or it can play havoc with electrics and can give running issues.
Others will have better answers but that’s where I’d assume the problem lies.
Basically age and wrongly wired the contacts stick inside the relay and won’t allow you to start the car. Try putting the small key into it’s slot just below starter key on steering column as that sometimes helps. Also just try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes to re set alarm. When you re connect battery you might need to press your key fob to lock / unlock doors and set alarm.
There is a remedy though which involves bi passing said relay
Check what others say first
Oh and welcome to Tvr.
Sad to hear your having trouble but this is a known fault so not the end of the world.
ETA your battery power is low. These cars need a strong battery or it can play havoc with electrics and can give running issues.
Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 27th June 21:59
Yeah as if no power to the starter , it don’t turn over just dead , but I’ve got power all dash lights work , fuel pump kicks in , alarm fobs all work and lock and unlock , as I say the relays are clicking
Gonna need to check power to the starter , just was not sure if it was alarm /immobiliser related or starter etc, hard as it stuck on my drive I’m not a mechanic and on my own have no one to help bump start it and or push it back if it don’t start !!
Gonna need to check power to the starter , just was not sure if it was alarm /immobiliser related or starter etc, hard as it stuck on my drive I’m not a mechanic and on my own have no one to help bump start it and or push it back if it don’t start !!
Battery minimum voltage should be 12.6v which is 6 cells each producing 2.1v. If the battery is fully charged and reading 12.1v then a cell is faulty. You may get the lights to come on and the door locking to work but you will not have the current to turn the starter motor. If it starts with jump leads or a battery pack then that will confirm it. You must check the alternator is charging once you have it running and a minimum of 13.8v indicates it is working okay.
UPDATE !!!
Had an alarm specialist round tonight to figure it out , battery good , start motor good, both relays (ECU and Fuel) good , all fuses good took the main ECU apart and the main chip was pushed onto the board at an angle , refitted this correctly and hey presto it fired up !
So fingers crossed that was the issue , just out of curiosity pulled the main two relays , as I was telling him these can fail and he said it would “not” stop it cranking and to prove his point he got me to turn car over with relays out and the car does indeed crank just won’t fire , so the all lights and fuel pump primed but “NO” cranking (dead on key) would not be the relays
Just glad it seems to be working the relief to hear the V8 fire into life was great , I now have my fingers crossed
Thanks to all that have taken the time to comment
Had an alarm specialist round tonight to figure it out , battery good , start motor good, both relays (ECU and Fuel) good , all fuses good took the main ECU apart and the main chip was pushed onto the board at an angle , refitted this correctly and hey presto it fired up !
So fingers crossed that was the issue , just out of curiosity pulled the main two relays , as I was telling him these can fail and he said it would “not” stop it cranking and to prove his point he got me to turn car over with relays out and the car does indeed crank just won’t fire , so the all lights and fuel pump primed but “NO” cranking (dead on key) would not be the relays
Just glad it seems to be working the relief to hear the V8 fire into life was great , I now have my fingers crossed
Thanks to all that have taken the time to comment
If it is sorted, I am pleased for you. However I am sceptical.
When you say main ECU do you mean main Lucas ECU or the alarm module?
The main ECU would not stop it cranking. It only controls the fueling. You can disconnect the main ECU and it will still crank and still have a good spark & if there is fuel in the cylinders (i.e. if you have just flooded it) it will even run for a couple of seconds.
Therefore, if you are referring to the main ECU, you have not cured the problem.
If you were referring to the alarm module, then you may have cured it.
Otherwise, it sounds like it is a bad earth somewhere and in all the fault finding / testing that your specialist carried out, he may have disturbed it and it became a good earth, for the time being.
Sorry if this sounds doom and gloom, and hopefully you meant to type alarm module.
When you say main ECU do you mean main Lucas ECU or the alarm module?
The main ECU would not stop it cranking. It only controls the fueling. You can disconnect the main ECU and it will still crank and still have a good spark & if there is fuel in the cylinders (i.e. if you have just flooded it) it will even run for a couple of seconds.
Therefore, if you are referring to the main ECU, you have not cured the problem.
If you were referring to the alarm module, then you may have cured it.
Otherwise, it sounds like it is a bad earth somewhere and in all the fault finding / testing that your specialist carried out, he may have disturbed it and it became a good earth, for the time being.
Sorry if this sounds doom and gloom, and hopefully you meant to type alarm module.
Yes meant main ECU , he did say that it might not have been the issue , he does alarms and trackers so the extra messing he was doing was just helping me out , he had not messed with TVR’s before he mostly does trucks it was a Friend , problem is once fired up it’s tracing back the fault ? But he checked the loom etc
Tracing intermittent electrical faults is fustrating.
You have to be logical. In order for the engine to turn over you need:-
Sufficient battery voltage.
Good connection on each end of wire from battery to starter.
Good connection on each end of earth lead to chassis.
Solonoid to be working.
12 V supply to Solonoid from ignition key.
Starter motor to be working.
You then have to be prepared to prove or eliminate each of those when it doesn’t start, even though that will be at an inconvenient time.
I expect someone will add to the above or correct me on something, but that is the gist of it.
You have to be logical. In order for the engine to turn over you need:-
Sufficient battery voltage.
Good connection on each end of wire from battery to starter.
Good connection on each end of earth lead to chassis.
Solonoid to be working.
12 V supply to Solonoid from ignition key.
Starter motor to be working.
You then have to be prepared to prove or eliminate each of those when it doesn’t start, even though that will be at an inconvenient time.
I expect someone will add to the above or correct me on something, but that is the gist of it.
It's good that you are up and running
The problem you are now facing is that the car may fail to start due to the same fault on another occasion when out in the middle of nowhere
You need to try and get that fault back on it and as mentioned above trace the fault in a logical manner
Unfortunately, in a way you now have a bigger problem than before, faults can always be found, once someone as you mentioned has messed around with the wiring....the unknowns can escalate
Good luck in attempting to find the original problem
The problem you are now facing is that the car may fail to start due to the same fault on another occasion when out in the middle of nowhere
You need to try and get that fault back on it and as mentioned above trace the fault in a logical manner
Unfortunately, in a way you now have a bigger problem than before, faults can always be found, once someone as you mentioned has messed around with the wiring....the unknowns can escalate
Good luck in attempting to find the original problem
Steve_D said:
over_the_hill said:
.......give the drivers wing a couple of good bounces up and down and retry.
Please explain. I can't work out how bouncing on the wing will fix a starter fault.Moving the car backwards and forwards in gear could clear the starter if it was jammed in mesh.
Steve
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