Help! I am new to TVR's with a 1994 400
Discussion
Hi guys, I apologise if some of this seems a liitle abrubt but it's the 3rd time I've typed it all in, my p.c doesn't seem to like me and has kept loosing my submission. To the plot...
I have recentley bought my 1st TVR a 1994 400 Chimaera and am delighted with it, having always wanted a TVR. I have some questions, some of which are probably verging on muppetry for those experienced folks out there, but here goes.
I had been warned that the batteries drain quite quickly when the car is parked up, however my battery will completley flat after 5 dayswithout the alarm being activated, is this normal or is it a very duff battery? I am sure i have seen battery conditioners that trickle charge by plugging into the cigerette lighter socket, do these exist and where can I buy one? It is tedious connecting the crocodile clips way down in the footwell every time I put the car away (I have a shoe box garage and cannot open the passenger door once the car is away)
Now for a lame question, should a 1994 model have central locking? I have to lock both doors separatley at present. Both doors lock with the dead locks but as the battery drains so quickly anyway I am reluctant to keep using them. The little button on top of the door knob doesn't lock the doores from inside the cabin sugesting that the c/locking is faulty, can anyone advise please?
Lastly on the questions, is there a repair kit for the rear window as a small split appeared in mine today as I raised the roof (must have been to cold and inflexible)
Last week I spent a few days touring the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales (an ambition of mine to take a real sports car across the dales since going in a Cavalier 2 years ago) the car performed fantastically and I saw a couple of other Chimaeras to wave to. Look forward to more journeys like that!
I have recentley bought my 1st TVR a 1994 400 Chimaera and am delighted with it, having always wanted a TVR. I have some questions, some of which are probably verging on muppetry for those experienced folks out there, but here goes.
I had been warned that the batteries drain quite quickly when the car is parked up, however my battery will completley flat after 5 dayswithout the alarm being activated, is this normal or is it a very duff battery? I am sure i have seen battery conditioners that trickle charge by plugging into the cigerette lighter socket, do these exist and where can I buy one? It is tedious connecting the crocodile clips way down in the footwell every time I put the car away (I have a shoe box garage and cannot open the passenger door once the car is away)
Now for a lame question, should a 1994 model have central locking? I have to lock both doors separatley at present. Both doors lock with the dead locks but as the battery drains so quickly anyway I am reluctant to keep using them. The little button on top of the door knob doesn't lock the doores from inside the cabin sugesting that the c/locking is faulty, can anyone advise please?
Lastly on the questions, is there a repair kit for the rear window as a small split appeared in mine today as I raised the roof (must have been to cold and inflexible)
Last week I spent a few days touring the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales (an ambition of mine to take a real sports car across the dales since going in a Cavalier 2 years ago) the car performed fantastically and I saw a couple of other Chimaeras to wave to. Look forward to more journeys like that!
I got a charger from peninsula about £45 as if I left my chimaera to long its battery was flat and they are a right pain to jump start, left it plugged in over the winter no probs at all starting it.
My rear screen split but I had a new one fitted cost approx £100
Lastly I think your car should have central locking but there a lot of reasons why this may not work
Hope this helps and if you want anymore help on the central locking e-mail me colin.robertson30@ntlworld.com and I will try to help.
My rear screen split but I had a new one fitted cost approx £100
Lastly I think your car should have central locking but there a lot of reasons why this may not work
Hope this helps and if you want anymore help on the central locking e-mail me colin.robertson30@ntlworld.com and I will try to help.
I wonder if the two problems you describe are linked?
Check the rubber pad at the bottom of each door that presses the courtesy light / central door locking switch in the door sill when the door closes. Sometimes these are missing and the interior light doesn't switch off (so battery discharges) and the central locking doesn't work (but I'm not sure if your car has central locking since you said it has the exterior push button with a key).
If its not the door closing switch at fault, then it sounds like it needs a new battery, especially if it loses its charge that quickly. I regularly leave mine with the alarm activated for weeks and it never fails to start first time. Check the Leven site for the Accumate charger - it can be permanently wired into the car so that you dont need to crawl into the footwell and risk disturbing the electrics carefully
placed in the same location as the battery.
If the car does have central locking and it's not working once the battery is charged/replaced, check the 15 amp fuse.
Welcome to TVR ownership and PistonHeads - you'll get great support on here. Always folks here with good advice.
Check the rubber pad at the bottom of each door that presses the courtesy light / central door locking switch in the door sill when the door closes. Sometimes these are missing and the interior light doesn't switch off (so battery discharges) and the central locking doesn't work (but I'm not sure if your car has central locking since you said it has the exterior push button with a key).
If its not the door closing switch at fault, then it sounds like it needs a new battery, especially if it loses its charge that quickly. I regularly leave mine with the alarm activated for weeks and it never fails to start first time. Check the Leven site for the Accumate charger - it can be permanently wired into the car so that you dont need to crawl into the footwell and risk disturbing the electrics carefully
placed in the same location as the battery. If the car does have central locking and it's not working once the battery is charged/replaced, check the 15 amp fuse.
Welcome to TVR ownership and PistonHeads - you'll get great support on here. Always folks here with good advice.
Hi, welcome to TVR ownership.
I had the same problem with my 1997 Chimaera battery. The battery would drain in approx 5 days with the alarm activated. It turned out to be the battery (it was 5 years old). Once the battery was changed all was fine. I now have an Accumate battery/conditioner charger from Leven that plugs into the cigarette lighter (much easier than fumbling about in the passenger footwell). Often I am away on business for a couple of weeks at a time and it keeps the battery topped up, much better than getting her indoors to start the car.
Fat Chap
I had the same problem with my 1997 Chimaera battery. The battery would drain in approx 5 days with the alarm activated. It turned out to be the battery (it was 5 years old). Once the battery was changed all was fine. I now have an Accumate battery/conditioner charger from Leven that plugs into the cigarette lighter (much easier than fumbling about in the passenger footwell). Often I am away on business for a couple of weeks at a time and it keeps the battery topped up, much better than getting her indoors to start the car.
Fat Chap
I had a 94 Chimaera and the central locking only works with the deadlocks, ie insert key press down, twiddle through 270 degrees. If you just twist the lock to lock that door it work sindependently of the other door.
Your battery problem sound just the same as mine. Get a new battery. £50 and no more problems.
Finally, get remote central locking installed. Cost me £180 from an alarm place in MK and I got a plipper that worked both doors at the same time ! Mix that with a new battery and life was so much easier.
Your battery problem sound just the same as mine. Get a new battery. £50 and no more problems.
Finally, get remote central locking installed. Cost me £180 from an alarm place in MK and I got a plipper that worked both doors at the same time ! Mix that with a new battery and life was so much easier.
Thanks chaps, later this week I will have a chance to have a look at the c/locking etc, providing it stays dry! I'm not far from Penninsula (i am in Bridgwater) and actually looked at a couple of cars there whilst I was searching. Will let you know how I get on!!I've had 7 TVR's including 2 Chimaera's and I have always used a normal trickle charge left permanently on with a cigarette lighter plug attached to it so that it can be easily plugged into the cigarette lighter. This was a normal charger purchased for about £20 from a normal motor supplies shop.
OK welcome to P'Heads, an endless source of information. I would say your battery is knackered, certainly leave mine for 3 weeks no problem and it fires ok, however in the winter I keep a trickle charger handy with a cigartette lighter end plug and use this because batteries loose their charge more quickly on cold weather. Do a simple check to see if your cig' lighter works with the ignition off, if it does then bingo no more problems but first I would invest £65 in a new battery. Rich...
You could also try a Halford's battery charger. They have a combined charger/trickle charger for £30-40 ish. Once the battery is charged up it automatically swithces to trickle mode to keep the battery ready should the rain stop and you want to go out! [and no I don't work for them!]
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