Overheating- Is it an issue
Discussion
Its probably been covered many times before but I am new to this forum and have spent quite a time looking through the posts etc.
As a very new Chim owner (4 days ) It appears that Chims can suffer from over heating. I doubt if any will today as its freezing out there.
I might add that I had a very enjoyable 270 mile drive bringing the car home and I was really surpised how comfortable it was.
I aim to get to grips will some of the issues and things that I will probably need to do over the coming months and this overheating issue looks like a reasonable project to undertake.
Is it really necessary as I have a 2000 (W) 4.0 chim and I dont often drive in heavy traffic. But I do sometimes have to circumnavigate the M25. And any thing can happen there
Do the later cars suffer as much as earlier models.
Am I missing something but my understanding is that the mod enables the cooling fans to be switched on continuously and overriding the Otter switch. My question is that if the engine was getting too hot then the fans would be on continuous anyway as the otter switch/temp would have switched them on. Have I missed the plot!!! or dont fully understand the issues.
Trevor
As a very new Chim owner (4 days ) It appears that Chims can suffer from over heating. I doubt if any will today as its freezing out there.
I might add that I had a very enjoyable 270 mile drive bringing the car home and I was really surpised how comfortable it was.
I aim to get to grips will some of the issues and things that I will probably need to do over the coming months and this overheating issue looks like a reasonable project to undertake.
Is it really necessary as I have a 2000 (W) 4.0 chim and I dont often drive in heavy traffic. But I do sometimes have to circumnavigate the M25. And any thing can happen there
Do the later cars suffer as much as earlier models.
Am I missing something but my understanding is that the mod enables the cooling fans to be switched on continuously and overriding the Otter switch. My question is that if the engine was getting too hot then the fans would be on continuous anyway as the otter switch/temp would have switched them on. Have I missed the plot!!! or dont fully understand the issues.
Trevor
I guess it depends on what you mean by overheating? Is the guage reading higher than you would expect as they are not really that accurate, I use mine more as a guide. If it shows something unusual then I guess there is something wrong. If, like me, you are not a mechanic then I would suggest that you get it to a decent TVR garage or Indie and get a second opinion. Then you will know if you have a problem. As far as I can tell these cars do not over heat if they are looked after properly, that said, if they do then you need to get it sorted asap or else it could cost you a fortune. Goood luck!
There is a tendency for new owners, having heard tales from 'Man in Pub' to assume that TVR's reliability is dreadful. That isn't really true, and you might be worrying about nothing, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.
Check the level of the coolant regularly - you shouldn't be losing any. Use a marked wooden spoon!
Leave the car idling and watch the temp. The cooling system has two fans, which should come on one at a time (92 and 96, IIRC), then the temp should drop and the fans cut off. You shouldn't see over 100 on the dial.
If you are losing coolant, or if the behaviour isn't roughly normal, get her checked by a pro. Possible causes would include: leaky rad, porous hoses, gone gasket, and probably quite a few others.
HTH
Check the level of the coolant regularly - you shouldn't be losing any. Use a marked wooden spoon!
Leave the car idling and watch the temp. The cooling system has two fans, which should come on one at a time (92 and 96, IIRC), then the temp should drop and the fans cut off. You shouldn't see over 100 on the dial.
If you are losing coolant, or if the behaviour isn't roughly normal, get her checked by a pro. Possible causes would include: leaky rad, porous hoses, gone gasket, and probably quite a few others.
HTH
WOO5IE said:
Am I missing something but my understanding is that the mod enables the cooling fans to be switched on continuously and overriding the Otter switch. My question is that if the engine was getting too hot then the fans would be on continuous anyway as the otter switch/temp would have switched them on. Have I missed the plot!!! or don't fully understand the issues. Trevor
Yes and no... 
The idea of the override switch is to keep the fans running so that the coolant temperature doesn't get the chance to build up heat. In hot weather (like queueing at Le Mans in 36 deg C) there are occasions on some cars where once the temp has gone up it's impossible to get it back down (fibre glass is a great insulator) running the fans earlier seems to help prevent this. All that said, I agree a well kept TVR should not overheat. I've had my Griff 500 from new and it's never overheated, and this includes the dreaded queues at Le Mans in 2005 & 06! I don't have an over-ride switch but I did fit a modification that switches the fans onto half-speed at around 80 degrees and then full at the prescribed 92 (ish'). And before you ask why, I felt that keeping a flow of air going through the engine bay would keep the cabin cooler and it seems to work. Regards losing water, mine has always lost about 1/4 inch every 1,000 miles or so ever since I bought it. Don't know where it's going and after 9 faultless years I no longer care but it goes to show how they all have their idiosyncrasies! On the Griff 500 there is an alloy header tank mounted on the front chassis cross-member (can't remember if the Chim has one of these) but keep it half full, any more and it just gets forced out anyway when the water expands. 
Rich... Edited by RichB on Friday 16th November 10:49
Agree with all of the above. It's not an 'issue' (as long as you keep your car up together). You get stuck in traffic, the fans come on (and kick in and out) and it doesn't get any hotter. It takes a while to cool back down once you get going because, as above, fibreglass insulates well. I have a standard 95 4.0 and have been stuck in heavy traffic loads of times. The number plate is still on the grill and I haven't changes anything else either. I never go for the posts that say they all do this, that or the other - they don't. In 3 years of faultless ownership, this has never been an issue, nor has anything else as it behaves just like any other car. You beauty!
Thanks guys it is really helpful. As I said I dont have a problem . I was just trying to be a little proactive.
It is true for new owners to perhaps have a sense of forboding and to expect the worst. Everybody asks 'What on earth do you want one of those for'This forum is excellent for technical and all kinds of advice but I suppose that reading the post regularyit is easiliy to get carried away that there are many issues with all of cars all of the time. I have to keep telling myself that it is only a very small proportion of cars out there with issues at any one time and probably wouldnt be any different if NORMAL CARS had a forum like this.
Thanks again
Trevor
It is true that you have to drive one to appreciate it!!
It is true for new owners to perhaps have a sense of forboding and to expect the worst. Everybody asks 'What on earth do you want one of those for'This forum is excellent for technical and all kinds of advice but I suppose that reading the post regularyit is easiliy to get carried away that there are many issues with all of cars all of the time. I have to keep telling myself that it is only a very small proportion of cars out there with issues at any one time and probably wouldnt be any different if NORMAL CARS had a forum like this.
Thanks again
Trevor
It is true that you have to drive one to appreciate it!!
My Chimaera 400 was fine in traffic, but overheated once when the otter switch knackered and the fans weren't being triggered.
My understanding is that the switch itself can be damaged by heat (it obviously gets hot) so may need periodic replacement. Nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on the temp gauge and get used to what the normal indicated operating temp is. Carry a couple of paperclips perhaps to bridge the switch if it goes?
When I had the otter switch replaced I also had a fan override switch installed, for peace of mind as Ray Von says. Both the installation of a new otter switch and a fan override are cheap jobs - I had both done at a specialist for a total of £75 I think.
My understanding is that the switch itself can be damaged by heat (it obviously gets hot) so may need periodic replacement. Nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on the temp gauge and get used to what the normal indicated operating temp is. Carry a couple of paperclips perhaps to bridge the switch if it goes?
When I had the otter switch replaced I also had a fan override switch installed, for peace of mind as Ray Von says. Both the installation of a new otter switch and a fan override are cheap jobs - I had both done at a specialist for a total of £75 I think.
Trevor (great name for a TVR owner, by the way!! 
) if one day something does appear to be wrong, there are several remedies available, all with their merits and all effective. But you have to sort out whether you are fixing a real problem or trying to guard against one that, for whatever reason, you think may arise.
But I wouldn't drive around "waiting for something to go wrong" in the cooling dept. If one day it does, than like any other car you have to address that specific problem. Otherwise, you can do things like adding a bottle of "Water Wetter" from Leven http://www.leventechnology.co.uk/index.htm I've no idea how it works but it was in my '98 450 when I bought it and I've never had a single moments worry in summer, in traffic etc.
But the advice to keep a paperclip handy for the day the otter switch may not operate is a very good one! Are you a TVRCC member? - if so, go to a local or nearby meet and someone will show you what to do! By the way, not a million miles from you, Leven look after my car and I just cant praise them highly enough in all respects. In fact Simon supplied a much easier solution to a paper clip in case the otter switch does let go one day!!
Nick.
) if one day something does appear to be wrong, there are several remedies available, all with their merits and all effective. But you have to sort out whether you are fixing a real problem or trying to guard against one that, for whatever reason, you think may arise. But I wouldn't drive around "waiting for something to go wrong" in the cooling dept. If one day it does, than like any other car you have to address that specific problem. Otherwise, you can do things like adding a bottle of "Water Wetter" from Leven http://www.leventechnology.co.uk/index.htm I've no idea how it works but it was in my '98 450 when I bought it and I've never had a single moments worry in summer, in traffic etc.
But the advice to keep a paperclip handy for the day the otter switch may not operate is a very good one! Are you a TVRCC member? - if so, go to a local or nearby meet and someone will show you what to do! By the way, not a million miles from you, Leven look after my car and I just cant praise them highly enough in all respects. In fact Simon supplied a much easier solution to a paper clip in case the otter switch does let go one day!!
Nick.
Mine seems to be "underheating" at the moment - if there is such a thing! I know we are having a bit of a cold snap at the moment but the guage struggled to move at all. I only did a small journey and after about 8 miles was reading 60C. Also the fans kick in at about 65-70C. The heater was working fine and kicking out some heat!
Paul M said:
Mine seems to be "underheating" at the moment - if there is such a thing! I know we are having a bit of a cold snap at the moment but the guage struggled to move at all. I only did a small journey and after about 8 miles was reading 60C. Also the fans kick in at about 65-70C. The heater was working fine and kicking out some heat!
I would consider the possibility that your guage is knackered and the rest of the system working fine! Your dealership, or most competent garages, should have an I/R thermometer to check it with.Paul M said:
Mine seems to be "underheating" at the moment - if there is such a thing! I know we are having a bit of a cold snap at the moment but the guage struggled to move at all. I only did a small journey and after about 8 miles was reading 60C. Also the fans kick in at about 65-70C. The heater was working fine and kicking out some heat!
Same thing with mine, problem is with the location of the temperature transmitter, it is situated on the front of the engine in a dead leg, some people have changed the transmitter to the spare one from the engines range rover days, I am sure if you do a search on this forum you will find lots of information.Phil
PRTVR said:
Paul M said:
Mine seems to be "underheating" at the moment - if there is such a thing! I know we are having a bit of a cold snap at the moment but the guage struggled to move at all. I only did a small journey and after about 8 miles was reading 60C. Also the fans kick in at about 65-70C. The heater was working fine and kicking out some heat!
Same thing with mine, problem is with the location of the temperature transmitter, it is situated on the front of the engine in a dead leg, some people have changed the transmitter to the spare one from the engines range rover days, I am sure if you do a search on this forum you will find lots of information.Phil
The guages in a chim tell you the actual temperature rather than averaging it out like most modern cars do (and they can be reliable, mine was).
I think most car manufactures these days find making the guage stay at 90 stops people bringing their cars back every 10 minutes claiming they are overheating.
Being a nervous sort, I didn't like the idea of the temp going over 90 even slightly so I fitted a Leven cooling kit which has a lower temp thermostat and otter switch as well as the water wetter previously mentioned.
Even in the baking heat it wouldn't go over 90.
My alfa had the same sort of guage although there wasn't a kit for that so I just had to live with it, it still never overheated though.
My current car is a mg with a guage that tells me what I want to see, even though I know its lying to me it does stop me worring about the temperature.
GF.
I think most car manufactures these days find making the guage stay at 90 stops people bringing their cars back every 10 minutes claiming they are overheating.
Being a nervous sort, I didn't like the idea of the temp going over 90 even slightly so I fitted a Leven cooling kit which has a lower temp thermostat and otter switch as well as the water wetter previously mentioned.
Even in the baking heat it wouldn't go over 90.
My alfa had the same sort of guage although there wasn't a kit for that so I just had to live with it, it still never overheated though.
My current car is a mg with a guage that tells me what I want to see, even though I know its lying to me it does stop me worring about the temperature.
GF.
WOO5IE said:
Am I becoming a TVR neurotic or is is this the norm
Trevor
Thanks for the Tips. I'll be gauge watching over the next few weeks
Temp rather that Revs
Sounds about right. Trevor
Thanks for the Tips. I'll be gauge watching over the next few weeks
Temp rather that Revs
I was also listening for any funny noises all the time.
Unfortunately the TVR makes lots of these most are perfectly normal!
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