Now its broken down
Discussion
I think this car is determined that I experience every TVR issue, from rough running, dodgy steering rack, dropped doors now after popping to Sainsbury's on the way back the exhaust popped a bit and cut out and wouldn't restart, the fuel pump primed and tomorrow I'll check for a spark when I got time and that is the limit of my knowledge as to what I can do so I can see it being a trip on the back of a tow truck to a garage at some point. The battery is new and strong and it turns over, but nothing f*****g car! I noticed the temp gauge has also packed up, but I suspect that's nothing to do with it
Check the basics such as fuel in the tank as gauges can lie, make sure the connections to the coil are on and feel tight.
Basic visual of things like distributor cap and rotor arm, king HT lead is in place.
2 relays in the footwell but you may have replaced them, fuel pump and main relay.
Fuel pump connections worth checking too, they corrode and give dodgy connections.
Basic visual of things like distributor cap and rotor arm, king HT lead is in place.
2 relays in the footwell but you may have replaced them, fuel pump and main relay.
Fuel pump connections worth checking too, they corrode and give dodgy connections.
Belle427 said:
Check the basics such as fuel in the tank as gauges can lie, make sure the connections to the coil are on and feel tight.
Basic visual of things like distributor cap and rotor arm, king HT lead is in place.
2 relays in the footwell but you may have replaced them, fuel pump and main relay.
Fuel pump connections worth checking too, they corrode and give dodgy connections.
yeah fuel ok and visually everything seems in order, I'll have to get a mate around to turn it over while I check for a spark as for relays, what am I looking for? there are just a mass of cubed looking things attached to the ecu and that's as much as I know, (provided you do mean the passenger footwell?),no idea where the fuel pump relay is or what it looks like, but I can hear the pump prime, so does that mean it's working?Basic visual of things like distributor cap and rotor arm, king HT lead is in place.
2 relays in the footwell but you may have replaced them, fuel pump and main relay.
Fuel pump connections worth checking too, they corrode and give dodgy connections.
If you hear the pump, I would say that this is fine.
Looks more like an ignition issue, specially if you had bangs from the exhaust.
Check for sparks, could be the coil, the distribution finger (and/or cap), leads (more unlikely you would have at least some cylinders working except if this is the main one of course).
Looks more like an ignition issue, specially if you had bangs from the exhaust.
Check for sparks, could be the coil, the distribution finger (and/or cap), leads (more unlikely you would have at least some cylinders working except if this is the main one of course).
Zeb74 said:
If you hear the pump, I would say that this is fine.
Looks more like an ignition issue, specially if you had bangs from the exhaust.
Check for sparks, could be the coil, the distribution finger (and/or cap), leads (more unlikely you would have at least some cylinders working except if this is the main one of course).
yeah that will be my first job when I got 5 mins, grab a mate and turn it over while I check for a spark, Question...I've read about immobiliser issues on here, how do they work, do they stop the fuel supply or spark, or none of the above?Looks more like an ignition issue, specially if you had bangs from the exhaust.
Check for sparks, could be the coil, the distribution finger (and/or cap), leads (more unlikely you would have at least some cylinders working except if this is the main one of course).
If pump primes and engine turns over the immobiliser is working.
The basics of checking for a spark then if you have spark checking fuel pressure on the rail via the schrader valve would be the next port of call to indicate if the pump is providing enough pressure.
Fuel pumps have been very reliable over the years but those that are now 20 years or older are bound to fail at some point so though the pump might prime that doesn’t automatically mean it’s in good working order.
Spark and fuel supply should always be where diagnosis starts.
The basics of checking for a spark then if you have spark checking fuel pressure on the rail via the schrader valve would be the next port of call to indicate if the pump is providing enough pressure.
Fuel pumps have been very reliable over the years but those that are now 20 years or older are bound to fail at some point so though the pump might prime that doesn’t automatically mean it’s in good working order.
Spark and fuel supply should always be where diagnosis starts.
As British TVR says check the fuel pressure at the shrader valve but have a cloth handy as if fuel pressure is fine it will spurt out.
My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
spark is good, fuel coming out of that valve, so could there be a fuse blown, or something? I had a look at a fuse box diagram but couldn't seem to find anything linked to the injectors nor a relay, I tested the spark plug by the way after I turned it over so expected to see a wet plug and a whiff of fuel or something but plug was dry, so for some reason I think fuel is getting as far as the rial, am i missing something here? Cheers
Pressing the valve to check for fuel is not really a suitable test, you ideally need a pressure gauge to connect to it.
This is a description of what happens to start the engine.
Ideally you want to test for some voltages at the fuel pump and injectors but this is all just guessing.
On turning the ignition back on, a short pulse (about 1- 3 seconds) is sent to the fuel pump to pressurise the fuel rail. Once the starter motor starts to turn the engine, a 12v pulse is fed back to the ECU from the negative side of the coil as it the ignition amplifier switches. The ECU then turns on the fuel pump and energises the fuel relay that provides a fixed 12 volt supply to all the injectors. The transistors in the ECU starts to ground the injectors with a longer pulse than the normal idle pulse for about 3 seconds. This provides enough fuel to start the engine, combined with the stepper motor still being in its wide open position. Once the engine has fired, the air flow meter then takes over feeding the air flow volume back signal to the ECU and the injector pulse width is reduced to match the fuelling requirements for the engine at tick over. The stepper motor is also wound in to stabilise the idle at around 800 RPM. This system accounts for the short burst of higher RPM at tick over as the stepper goes from wide open to part closed during the start process.
This is a description of what happens to start the engine.
Ideally you want to test for some voltages at the fuel pump and injectors but this is all just guessing.
On turning the ignition back on, a short pulse (about 1- 3 seconds) is sent to the fuel pump to pressurise the fuel rail. Once the starter motor starts to turn the engine, a 12v pulse is fed back to the ECU from the negative side of the coil as it the ignition amplifier switches. The ECU then turns on the fuel pump and energises the fuel relay that provides a fixed 12 volt supply to all the injectors. The transistors in the ECU starts to ground the injectors with a longer pulse than the normal idle pulse for about 3 seconds. This provides enough fuel to start the engine, combined with the stepper motor still being in its wide open position. Once the engine has fired, the air flow meter then takes over feeding the air flow volume back signal to the ECU and the injector pulse width is reduced to match the fuelling requirements for the engine at tick over. The stepper motor is also wound in to stabilise the idle at around 800 RPM. This system accounts for the short burst of higher RPM at tick over as the stepper goes from wide open to part closed during the start process.
Loubaruch said:
As British TVR says check the fuel pressure at the shrader valve but have a cloth handy as if fuel pressure is fine it will spurt out.
My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
But my Griff and all 3 Chimaeras I've had would not run the fuel pump unless the immobiliser was deactivated. This is nothing to do with the ignition amp. My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
Unless you're on about the very early Foxguard alarms. All the Meta ones have been as above IME.Yes, one cct is the starter solenoid, but I thought that it was actually the ECU that was disabled (not the pump directly), therefore the fuel pump would not run.
sixor8 said:
Loubaruch said:
As British TVR says check the fuel pressure at the shrader valve but have a cloth handy as if fuel pressure is fine it will spurt out.
My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
But my Griff and all 3 Chimaeras I've had would not run the fuel pump unless the immobiliser was deactivated. This is nothing to do with the ignition amp. My fuel pump would prime OK but pressurewas intermittent so it needed changing.
I have to disagree with the above regarding immobilised circuits the two original circuits immobilised were the starter motor solenoid and the Ignition amplifier if the ignition circuit is immobilised there will be no feedback to the ECU when the engine fires and by default the fuel pump will not run. So it is immobilised indirectly not directly.
Unless you're on about the very early Foxguard alarms. All the Meta ones have been as above IME.Yes, one cct is the starter solenoid, but I thought that it was actually the ECU that was disabled (not the pump directly), therefore the fuel pump would not run.
Interrupting the Ecu supply would reset it meaning it needs to re learn every time you kill the power.
I'm stumped with regards sorting out electrics, surely if there is fuel spirting out of the shrader valve then fuel is getting there? and there would be some sort of life regardless of possible intermittent fuel pump issues, but the car is completely lifeless.
If there are wires to the injectors, is there not a fuse linked to it? That's what I'm confused about, the intermittent voltage to the fuel pump etc... then something would happen at some point surely, something should splutter at least?...
The car turns over and it seems no petrol is getting to the cylinder as there was no smell of petrol nor a wet plug after turning it over for a few mins, no I haven't got a pressure tester nor even a volt meter lol... the fuel pump is priming, there is a spark and the fuel rail is under at least some sort of pressure, but nothing appears to be getting to the cylinder, excuse my ignorance
If there are wires to the injectors, is there not a fuse linked to it? That's what I'm confused about, the intermittent voltage to the fuel pump etc... then something would happen at some point surely, something should splutter at least?...
The car turns over and it seems no petrol is getting to the cylinder as there was no smell of petrol nor a wet plug after turning it over for a few mins, no I haven't got a pressure tester nor even a volt meter lol... the fuel pump is priming, there is a spark and the fuel rail is under at least some sort of pressure, but nothing appears to be getting to the cylinder, excuse my ignorance
Belle427 said:
No offence intended but to save you any headaches its better to try and get someone who understands these cars to have a look for you, that may mean sending it to a specialist or finding a respected local garage who are capable of working on classic type cars.
No I agree, but there aren't any local garages that like working on these cars around here, so it would mean getting it towed somewhere not local, so I just wanted to check the obvious that was within my very limited knowledge, but I looked at a fuse box diagram and couldn't seem to find anything that was linked to the injectors etc, for the sake of a few quid it would be worth changing any relay but I don't know which one it would be and unless I can identify the fuse, it looks like i'd be pulling them all out one at a time... I did do some research and I found out it would be a red 20 amp fuse? so that narrows it down, but beyond that then yes i need someone who knows what they are doing.... personally I'm convinced it may be something like that as the car cut cut out, no spluttering or nothing, but yes I no nothing about car electrics Belle427 said:
Your profile says Bristol, Amore Autos are in that area and although they sell Tvrs may know someone who can help if they cant.
I tried them before, at the time they said they only work on cars they sell, I'd like to try the obvious first, is there some sort of relay or fuse i could check/change?Belle is right you really need someone familiar with TVR's to sort your problem as it can be one of many things.
As you have good fuel pressure ( it really did spurt out strongly?) and a decent spark and you mentioned that the plugs were dry it does point to the injectors not firing. You could check this by using a Noid light that flashes when the injectors are pulsed:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-VS213-Noid-Light-S...
If no pulses are present it could then be many things, e.g. the ECU, the ECU plug/socket or a wiring fault. The ECU plug/socket are prone to problems sitting in the often damp footwell.
Are you in the TVR Club? as there are sure to be members in your area that maybe could hep you.
As you have good fuel pressure ( it really did spurt out strongly?) and a decent spark and you mentioned that the plugs were dry it does point to the injectors not firing. You could check this by using a Noid light that flashes when the injectors are pulsed:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-VS213-Noid-Light-S...
If no pulses are present it could then be many things, e.g. the ECU, the ECU plug/socket or a wiring fault. The ECU plug/socket are prone to problems sitting in the often damp footwell.
Are you in the TVR Club? as there are sure to be members in your area that maybe could hep you.
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