and then it died!!
Discussion
New member hoping for a few sugestions - my son has a 1997 400, coming home the other day she started loosing power, kept running but would not accelerate,he stopped for fuel she restarted OK but then struggled to keep going for the next two miles, finaly cutting out completly. She will fire up every turn of the key but then dies imediatly, you can just keep her running if you tickle the throttle. Have checked the fuel delivery pressure thats at 2.5 bar when you key up and then drops to just on 2 bar when she starts. He has only had the car for about three weeks and has no information on it at all!!!! As usual when all is dark they call back home hoping that the 'old man' can fix it!!
Found this website tonight and you all seem to know your TVR's so fingers crossed for some info.
Many thanks in advance
Paul
Found this website tonight and you all seem to know your TVR's so fingers crossed for some info.
Many thanks in advance
Paul
Hi Paul.
Sorry to hear about your son's short-lived honeymoon! As you have a car repair workshop, you'll know the obvious things to check. The only things on a Chimaera not found on all cars are the carbon can (an electronic device to vent the fuel tank) and the stepper motor (a device to control the idle speed). As the carbon can only vents the tank periodically it is not likely to be this, although you said the car started after putting fuel in it (therefore manually venting the tank by taking off the filler cap). The stepper motor on the other hand can cause all manner of problems, once it is sooted up. It's certainly worth cleaning it and its mounting hole. You'll find it at the offside rear of the plenum chamber. There's a book known as 'The Bible' (The TVR Griffith and Chimaera, author Steve Heath), which contains a mass of information you may find useful.
Sorry to hear about your son's short-lived honeymoon! As you have a car repair workshop, you'll know the obvious things to check. The only things on a Chimaera not found on all cars are the carbon can (an electronic device to vent the fuel tank) and the stepper motor (a device to control the idle speed). As the carbon can only vents the tank periodically it is not likely to be this, although you said the car started after putting fuel in it (therefore manually venting the tank by taking off the filler cap). The stepper motor on the other hand can cause all manner of problems, once it is sooted up. It's certainly worth cleaning it and its mounting hole. You'll find it at the offside rear of the plenum chamber. There's a book known as 'The Bible' (The TVR Griffith and Chimaera, author Steve Heath), which contains a mass of information you may find useful.
. 
had the same problem on my cerb which turned out to be a cracked big fuse 100amp - 65p - when changing it myself I knocked the coil leads which caused a problem with only firing on one bank so watch out for that. The heat in the engine causes them to get very brittle and crack. Well worth checking and replacing anyway on process of elimination. Good luck
i hope i'm wrong, but here goes.
i had those symptoms when my car's engine dies a couple of years back, it lost all go and then stopped after a couple of minutes, almost like i was driving with the handbrake on, it turned out that the big end was fooked, which in turn killed the crank.if there are no nasty noises when it is running it is unlikely to be this though and i would second the stepper motor possability
Greg
i had those symptoms when my car's engine dies a couple of years back, it lost all go and then stopped after a couple of minutes, almost like i was driving with the handbrake on, it turned out that the big end was fooked, which in turn killed the crank.if there are no nasty noises when it is running it is unlikely to be this though and i would second the stepper motor possability
Greg
Just a thought "Emergency Fuel cut off valve"....
Would probably give slightly more severe running problems.
The other day after someone over enthusiastically closed the clove box
the valve seemed to half actuate giving me very bad running…
Not sure where its situated on a chimp but might be worth pressing to check its not the problem
Edited to add: Otherwise known as "Inertia cut off switch"... i think
>> Edited by seasider on Monday 8th August 15:31
Would probably give slightly more severe running problems.
The other day after someone over enthusiastically closed the clove box
the valve seemed to half actuate giving me very bad running… Not sure where its situated on a chimp but might be worth pressing to check its not the problem
Edited to add: Otherwise known as "Inertia cut off switch"... i think
>> Edited by seasider on Monday 8th August 15:31
There's two plug-in silver/tin relays on leads attached to the ECU (both are identical) one handles the fuel pump, the other the ECU itself (responsible for ignition I believe - maybe this one is faulty).
Try swapping them over - if you can't hear the fuel pump whirring anymore, then you have a faulty relay...only thing is identifying which one is faulty.
You could change them both, after all if one is faulty it could only be a matter of time before the other one goes.
Hope this helps.
Try swapping them over - if you can't hear the fuel pump whirring anymore, then you have a faulty relay...only thing is identifying which one is faulty.
You could change them both, after all if one is faulty it could only be a matter of time before the other one goes.
Hope this helps.
my 99 chim had similar problem last week - died on me in the middle of Bristol. Kept stalling, had no power when you put your foot down. Managed to get it going again, but eventally it stopped altogether, and wouldn't fire up! Turned out to be the coil - new one fitted and now running fine.
matt
matt
First off many thanks to all of you that replied - I will have to recover her back to to the workshop and work my way through the list!! With no history on the car I think there may be a fair bit of sorting to do!!She looks like she has had a new coil,leads and dist cap very recently so there may have been an underlying problem before he bought her.
Also have to sort out the lights going out and the wipers coming on when you hit any bumps at above sixty MPH ????
Will post back as work progresses and let you Know the outcome.
Have to sort it out so that I can have a run in it and listen to that brill V8 soundtrack!!!!
Hope to post a picture of her soon she is painted in a 5 colour rage flip paint that goes from purple through gold and finally to green, I also read the post on wheel sizes she is running on 245/35x19 on the rear and 225/35x19 on the front and nothing seems to rub.
Also have to sort out the lights going out and the wipers coming on when you hit any bumps at above sixty MPH ????
Will post back as work progresses and let you Know the outcome.
Have to sort it out so that I can have a run in it and listen to that brill V8 soundtrack!!!!
Hope to post a picture of her soon she is painted in a 5 colour rage flip paint that goes from purple through gold and finally to green, I also read the post on wheel sizes she is running on 245/35x19 on the rear and 225/35x19 on the front and nothing seems to rub.
Stick your head near the fuel pump. It will runs for a few seconds and cut out prior to starting. When started it should run all the time and they are loud enough to hear over the exhaust if you're close enough.
If it's not running or sounds stressed then try:
Also the pump connections get pretty shited up from road crud too. Pump is on bottom chassis rail near the NS rear wheel.
Good luck.
If it's not running or sounds stressed then try:
chim666 said:..in the passenger foot well on fly leads.
There's two plug-in silver/tin relays
Also the pump connections get pretty shited up from road crud too. Pump is on bottom chassis rail near the NS rear wheel.
Good luck.
Stepper motor instructions to be found at
www.tvrcc-south-wales.co.uk/stepper.asp
(off to do mine now in fact - engine cutting out when @ 90 degrees when idling but ok at all other times)
www.tvrcc-south-wales.co.uk/stepper.asp
(off to do mine now in fact - engine cutting out when @ 90 degrees when idling but ok at all other times)
parrot of doom said:
Ged, shine a torch down the end of the stepper housing when you do it, if the end isn't smooth you'll need a new housing (like I do )
>> Edited by parrot of doom on Tuesday 9th August 16:22
You're just saying that to cheer me up.
Already checked the motor- it was still clean from my last effort so not that. will check the housing tomorrow. Cheers
dodgyviper said:
You're just saying that to cheer me up.
Already checked the motor- it was still clean from my last effort so not that. will check the housing tomorrow. Cheers
Sorry to possibly add to the gloom, but what you're describing sounds a lot like I started suffering in Le Mans. Despite having cleaned the stepper before leaving, I was cutting out when the temp reached 90.
Turned out my stepper motor was knackered and so I had to get a new one fitted...
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff