What is this warning light?

[MalcolmBird]

Hi all,

New Chimaera 400 owner here.

I have two questions. The most perplexing referring to an indicator light found on the lower left (on LHD) or lower right on RHS drive cars of the tach. It is small circular and divided into two halves - the upper half red, the lower half green. For the longest time, neither of them did anything. Recently, the red has started flickering or staying on. It will go off, then the green starts flickering, etc... All the guages are good, engine sounds good...What is this thing?

The other question regard the three circular buttons. One is to turn the lights one, the next to actually trun on the headlights. The third doesn't seem to do anything....Ideas?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Malcolm Bird from Oak Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

Edit - I have added a pic of the offending light - should have done this earlier...sorry.

Edited by MalcolmBird on Tuesday 20th October 22:43

[sunbeam alpine]

You may find an answer here - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

[sixor8]

I see from your profile that it is a 1996 car. This is is the year of the dashboard changing, but I surmise from your description that you have the 3 push buttons for the lights and no owner's manual?

Presuming they are wired as a UK car, one button turns on the sidelights (with an illuminated indicator), the next button turns on the dipped beam (with no indication of it this occurring!), and the 3rd button does the rear fog lamp. With 2 buttons pressed in, main beam is controlled on and off by the stalk on the column which turns the middle lamp blue under the middle button.

This may help:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

The red / green lamp you refer to is probably the ice indicator. If it is working, it should flash through the colours on start up:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=35...

Edited by sixor8 on Tuesday 20th October 21:21

[MalcolmBird]

Hah - I have a photocopied manual from some indeterminate Chimaera model. The closest I could find was that it may be a fuel injection or emissions control issue.

And any wiring diagram I can lay my hands on seems to be a self proclaimed work in progress, that may or may not apply to my particular car, with modifications to be expected but not necessarily noted...

When the indicator was most active was during our last 'toot' to see the fall colours here in New Brunswick. It was plus 10*C, would this be enough to call the ice sensor into play?

[MalcolmBird]

So is it 'safe' to assume that 'red' means caution, and that 'green' means full speed ahead??? I mean, I wouldn't trust it anyway, rather rely on my own 'read' of conditions.

I can't make sense of the logic of an idiot light that stays off most of the time but then flashes 'red' to warn you - but that being the case, what does green mean if it wasn't on before??? Is it a transitional light ot tell you you have passed thru the warning stage to no peril at all....or...???

All I really need to know is that it is nothing dire to do with the engine...if it's just an ice sensor, I'll put a piece of black tape over it....lol

Thanks for the reply.

malcolm

[Classic Chim]

I think if it’s the ice sensor it will come on green at around 3 degrees then turn red at 0 degrees if my memory serves me.
Your sensor is likely playing up if it’s coming in at 10d
Yes it is an idiot light and I found it most useful during winter months, that light reminded me I’m no iceman and tempers my driving, and a good reminder it’s about to freeze and I need to cover the windscreen after use

[MalcolmBird]

Hi,

OK thanks - that's great - other than the set points, that would describe the activity of the lights to a tee. I never paid attention if they came on in lower areas (cooler) and went off in sunny stretches...

I have never driven the car in cooler weather (only having taken delivery at the end of April, so this was it's first exposure to the realities of Canadian climate....lol...

So if this is only the ice detector, then no worries, I can cheerfully ignore it.

It would not normally be an issue as our cars go away here in Canada about this time anyway.

Thanks all for the replies - you've put my mind at ease. At least I now know it's not a 'pink' sensor, or pending gas tank explosion....

Cheers
Malcolm Bird
Oak Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

[Classic Chim]

MalcolmBird said:

Hi,

OK thanks - that's great - other than the set points, that would describe the activity of the lights to a tee. I never paid attention if they came on in lower areas (cooler) and went off in sunny stretches...

I have never driven the car in cooler weather (only having taken delivery at the end of April, so this was it's first exposure to the realities of Canadian climate....lol...

So if this is only the ice detector, then no worries, I can cheerfully ignore it.

It would not normally be an issue as our cars go away here in Canada about this time anyway.

Thanks all for the replies - you've put my mind at ease. At least I now know it's not a 'pink' sensor, or pending gas tank explosion....

Cheers
Malcolm Bird
Oak Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

Check your fuel lines for gas tank explosion prevention

And how cool is it to see a Chimaera in Canada. She looks great right there

We put our cars away after the 3 week summer weather so your doing well

Mines a later car with a different bulb affair from yours so I hope I’m right in calling it out as the ice indicator. It must be, it’s the only twin coloured bulb system in the car.
The ice sensor itself is in the nose somewhere I believe and you can get replacements I’d expect.

Tvr Parts and I know Powers Performance are good for quality parts but I’m sure your covered.
Welcome and it’s great to see a Tvr living a charmed new life.
How are you enjoying it and how confused are people when they see you in it as it must be rarer than a tip of Donald Trump

[Classic Chim]

PS you might be able to adjust that door gap by loosening a few bolts of the bottom hinge which can be accessed through a hole by removing carpet just in front of the door. You can sometimes feel a depression by pressing into the carpet, that’s the hole you use to put an extension bar through, 13 mm socket I think and just loosen the bolts a tad, lift door very slightly and tighten. You can also adjust the in and out position of the door relative to body by loosening the lock/ latch bolts in either door and or body section, this allows a few mm movement.
Looks such a nice car, lovely roof job.

[sixor8]

I see the OP has added a photo, I can't honestly remember where on the dash an ice warning lamp was, and can't find a photo online anywhere. The original ice indicator would have maybe a shadow of a snowflake on it? (My 2000 model did but not sure about earier models)

The narrower rear window you have fitted makes the hood fold more easily.

The rear bumper strip leads me to believe it's a Mk 1 car pre-facelift but that'll mean a more robustly prepared chassis.

It may be an aftermarket ice warning lamp judging by its chewed edges, or maybe an added shift light?

This is from the owner's manual for a later car:

Edited by sixor8 on Wednesday 21st October 09:07

[Steve_D]

The ice sensor is down in the nose. Look for a 2 pin connector where both halves are plugged together but there are no wires coming out the other side.
Unplug and take the half connector to the bench. The thermister should wire between the 2 pins with a piece of plastic sleeve covering it but I expect you will find nothing there as they often just corrode away and fall off.
Replacement thermister £3.95 from Racetech direct. but you will have to solder it on yourself.

Steve

[MalcolmBird]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'll check in the nose for the thermistor.

One of the first things I did after wrestling the grill out for the first time, and then cursing a lot to get it back on, was to trim off the rear flap of the rubber grill surround. Then I spotted through 4 of the grill holes (2 in top left/right, 2 in bottom, left right) and drill/tapped into the fiberglass backing strips for M5 cap head screws. 5mm is just the right diameter for the grill holes, and the black cap-head bolts don't even show up against the black grill.

Now getting the grill off is a simple task of undoing 4 bolts - so no teeth gnashing or possible trauma to the paint.

Oh, and yes, I am a member in good standing at TVR Parts and Racetek....lol

[MalcolmBird]

And just for closure, here is a pic of the Red LED illuminated. The green is actually off but the flash makes it look like it's one.



It could be just that the LED lens is ratted out, but one can almost see a stylized car in the RED LED outline - sort of like reading Rorschach ink blots I guess.

I am convinced that this is indeed the ice detector.

Thanks for everybody's replies.

Malcolm form Canada.