Griff started stalling in traffic

[JoolzB]

Me motor stalled twice this morning whilst I was stopped in traffic. Anything I should check? The revs dropped to 100 then it finally stalled, the fans were running full speed at the time.

[stringbag]

I know you have probably tried this, but here is a great guide to cleaning the stepper motor - cause of most idle rough running snags. (that and the coil breaking down at high temps).
www.car1.clara.co.uk/tvr/stepper.htm

[seasider]

Might sound silly but how old is the battery?

[JoolzB]

stringbag said:

I know you have probably tried this, but here is a great guide to cleaning the stepper motor - cause of most idle rough running snags. (that and the coil breaking down at high temps). www.car1.clara.co.uk/tvr/stepper.htm

I was just wondering when the stepper motor prob might occur, I will have a look at the weekend. It's been fine since, I filled it up yesterday so initially wondered if it may have been fuel.
thanks for the pointer

[JoolzB]

seasider said:

Might sound silly but how old is the battery?

The battery is fairly new (just over a year old) but I wondered if my Mod-wise fan settings may be too low and be draining the battery a bit, it definitely reduces the cabin temps tho, a top bit of kit.

>> Edited by JoolzB on Thursday 9th June 20:45

[david beer]

The fans can not be anything to do with it Joolz, they only pull 20 amps when running and the alternator gives 80-100 ! and besides if it was a voltage problem you would not be able to restart, thats assuming it does ! Wiggle your air flow meter connector when running, i had to solder the wires direct on mine as the contacts had corroded tooo far, wiggle and it would stall.

[JoolzB]

david beer said:

The fans can not be anything to do with it Joolz, they only pull 20 amps when running and the alternator gives 80-100 ! and besides if it was a voltage problem you would not be able to restart, thats assuming it does ! Wiggle your air flow meter connector when running, i had to solder the wires direct on mine as the contacts had corroded tooo far, wiggle and it would stall.

Hi David,
Yep it restarts fine, I will take a look at the airflow meter connectors at the weekend too. Like I say it hasn't happened again since this morning but I guess it will probably do it again.

cheers
JoolzB

[Griffith40]

1° We encounter exactly the same symptom. We have changed the stepper motor. The idle is much better and more stable.

When the engine was idling, suddenly it cuts out again brutaly.

We have checked different wires and by coincidence, we have found an apparently bad connection with the air flow meter. We have refixed the connector. Now it seems OK even when we wiggle the air flow meter. But the dealer is not sure : the stalling phenomenon could happen again...

2° Curiously, when the engine fans start, the red ignition LED switches on just a second.

Our dealer has put an extra wire between the battery and the chassis (?). The voltage variation seems OK now but the red ignition LED still "pinking" sometimes when the fans start and cut out.

Any idea ?

[Griffter]

Griffith40 said:

1° We encounter exactly the same symptom. We have changed the stepper motor. The idle is much better and more stable.

When the engine was idling, suddenly it cuts out again brutaly.

We have checked different wires and by coincidence, we have found an apparently bad connection with the air flow meter. We have refixed the connector. Now it seems OK even when we wiggle the air flow meter. But the dealer is not sure : the stalling phenomenon could happen again...

This sounds like a loose connection in the ignition, ecu or LT coil feed. A momentary break in the circuit would cause the engine to cut out suddenly. You ought to find that even disconnecting the air flow meter completely, at idle, causes no variation in engine revs (and certainly doesn't cause stalling) so I don't think the bad connection with the afm was the cause of the cutting out.

Griffith40 said:

2° Curiously, when the engine fans start, the red ignition LED switches on just a second.

Our dealer has put an extra wire between the battery and the chassis (?). The voltage variation seems OK now but the red ignition LED still "pinking" sometimes when the fans start and cut out.

Any idea ?

When the fans start up they effectively short circuit the battery with a long coiled wire (the motor winding). This drops the battery voltage at the alternator and causes the red LED to come on. When the fans come up to speed, the current decreases as the electrical resistance increases, and the battery voltage at the alternator is restored - the LED goes out. I wouldn't worry too much about this. If it bothers you you could try increasing the idle speed a little to increase the alternator output at idle.
The extra wire between the battery and chassis will be an extra earth - again to reduce and drop in battery voltage.

[Griffith40]

Griffter said:

Griffith40 said:

1° We encounter exactly the same symptom. We have changed the stepper motor. The idle is much better and more stable.

When the engine was idling, suddenly it cuts out again brutaly.

We have checked different wires and by coincidence, we have found an apparently bad connection with the air flow meter. We have refixed the connector. Now it seems OK even when we wiggle the air flow meter. But the dealer is not sure : the stalling phenomenon could happen again...

This sounds like a loose connection in the ignition, ecu or LT coil feed. A momentary break in the circuit would cause the engine to cut out suddenly. You ought to find that even disconnecting the air flow meter completely, at idle, causes no variation in engine revs (and certainly doesn't cause stalling) so I don't think the bad connection with the afm was the cause of the cutting out.

Griffith40 said:

2° Curiously, when the engine fans start, the red ignition LED switches on just a second.

Our dealer has put an extra wire between the battery and the chassis (?). The voltage variation seems OK now but the red ignition LED still "pinking" sometimes when the fans start and cut out.

Any idea ?

When the fans start up they effectively short circuit the battery with a long coiled wire (the motor winding). This drops the battery voltage at the alternator and causes the red LED to come on. When the fans come up to speed, the current decreases as the electrical resistance increases, and the battery voltage at the alternator is restored - the LED goes out. I wouldn't worry too much about this. If it bothers you you could try increasing the idle speed a little to increase the alternator output at idle.
The extra wire between the battery and chassis will be an extra earth - again to reduce and drop in battery voltage.

[Griffith40]

Griffter said:

[quote=Griffith40]1° We encounter exactly the same symptom. We have changed the stepper motor. The idle is much better and more stable.

When the engine was idling, suddenly it cuts out again brutaly.

We have checked different wires and by coincidence, we have found an apparently bad connection with the air flow meter. We have refixed the connector. Now it seems OK even when we wiggle the air flow meter. But the dealer is not sure : the stalling phenomenon could happen again...

The problem seems solved now. Thanks

[mrmaggit]

Had this problem on the LT2006. Turned out the coil was cooked (to the stage of the paint bubling off on the engine side), so Wol now has new coil, ignition amp, HT leads and plug suppressors, and runs perfectly. Thanks to Paul and Mick at PPC for sorting it out, and for a bit less than I was expecting.