Starting problems
Starting problems
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Surrey_Wombat

Original Poster:

16 posts

244 months

Monday 15th October 2007
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Dear All. Please forgive me if this is an obvious one or has been answered many times in the past. Over the last 10 days or so, my Chimaera has left me stranded on 3 occassions and it's driving me nuts. During the summer months, I have from time to time experienced the hot start problem but leaving it for 20 - 30 mins to cool down has always done the trick (I know there's a fix out there for this but I've never got around to doing it as I haven't used the car much this year). Anyway, about 10 days ago I jumped into the car having just completed a short journey from home and filled it up with fuel and the igntion came on, fuel pump whizzed but no joy on turning the key. I stayed with the car for 2 hours but still no joy. Eventually, I left it there and retreated to the pub to consider my options (that's my excuse anyway!). I went back after another hour and still no joy. On returning some 4 hours later it started. Used it for a couple of days on longish journeys and all fine. Then went to take it out my garage where it had been sitting for perhaps 36 hours and the battery was totally flat (had new battery just 3 months ago). Since then, I've had 2 further episodes of having to abandon it at the side of the road for several hours until it deems to start (on one occasion I did bribe some total strangers in a bar with beer to give me a push start) and it keeps going flat if left for more than 24-36 hours. Now, this suggests to me a voltage leak perhaps but I'm not sure. The other thing that's happening is the door locks are 'bouncing' when I press the key fob making it impossible to lock the car although the immobiliser seems to function. Has anybody got any bright ideas? Thanks and much appreciated.

Surrey_Wombat

Original Poster:

16 posts

244 months

Monday 15th October 2007
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Quick update. Having a quiet day so read through some old posts regarding locking problems and checked the push switches on the doors. The drivers side is badly corroded and one of the wires had come unconnected where the spade connector has completely corroded through and disappeared. This will undoubtedly be the route of the lock bouncing problems but does anybody have a view as to whether this could be a contributing factor to the starting / flat battery problem?

f1fx

1,370 posts

240 months

Monday 15th October 2007
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Check the battary is connected nice and tight . maybe take the terminals off and reconnect them.
also check the ecu box has been put back correctly . as this can sit ontop of the battary.

Surrey_Wombat

Original Poster:

16 posts

244 months

Tuesday 16th October 2007
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Small update. Visited the excellent guys at Racing Green and purchased a new pin switch. Has not fixed the locking problem as anticipated. Whilst there, it refused to start and an incredibly helpful and knowledgable chap called Chris had a look for me and told me to put it in first gear and rock it back and forth. Hey presto, it started. New starter motor required me thinks. Anybody and more ideas on the locking problem?

TVR Pablo

79 posts

256 months

Wednesday 17th October 2007
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I've had a frustrating few months with similarly random starting. In addition to some dodgy wiring/relays it's finally been traced to an intermittent immobiliser problem. I'd make sure if you can that that's definitely all working fine as well, because it's easy to fiddle around with other stuff and have it look like it's been fixed.