Newbie TVR owner
Discussion
Hi all. Just bought My first TVR. Looked for ages. Finally Decided on a Griffith, looked at 4 in total. This is the one I bought http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/273808.htm
Ive owned Corrado VR6 for 3 years as a daily drive. Now a company Skoda Yay!. plus a BMW Z3 pls dont laugh! it was a 2.8 build was excellent, just boring.
The Griff has some of the usual problems you guys have been talking about. Ive done the hot start one I Found an old relay and just figured it out its easy!.
I am stunned at the bad build quality though especially the electrics etc. Nothing is screwed down!.
My heater controls dont really work Ive ordered a new HCV. THe fresh air vent flap thing dont work. Its disconnected from the control unit and just makes clicking noises when connected.
I do have a question regarding the vents. Where is the valve or flap for directing air to either demist or footwell ventilation. I can hear the servo moving somewhere when the control is turned but air just comes out everywhere??
Cheers
BTW I love The car its AWESOME
Ive owned Corrado VR6 for 3 years as a daily drive. Now a company Skoda Yay!. plus a BMW Z3 pls dont laugh! it was a 2.8 build was excellent, just boring.
The Griff has some of the usual problems you guys have been talking about. Ive done the hot start one I Found an old relay and just figured it out its easy!.
I am stunned at the bad build quality though especially the electrics etc. Nothing is screwed down!.
My heater controls dont really work Ive ordered a new HCV. THe fresh air vent flap thing dont work. Its disconnected from the control unit and just makes clicking noises when connected.
I do have a question regarding the vents. Where is the valve or flap for directing air to either demist or footwell ventilation. I can hear the servo moving somewhere when the control is turned but air just comes out everywhere??
Cheers
BTW I love The car its AWESOME
great looking car,great value for money, you won't regret it.i have had griffs for nineyears now and still can't wait to fire up the v8 and go for a rumble, i will never sell it,you would
have to prise it from my dead lifeless fingers.enjoy it. but be careful sounds like a lot of power with
that one
very slippery this time of year.
Welcome aboard griff500.
James Agger cars are generally good uns, so you've probably got yourself a peach.
Heed Pasco's advice, there are far too many rear wheel drives thrown into ditches this time of year and I'd hate you to end up in one too. Mind you, it sounds like Paul is talking more about his Mrs than his car - Griffiths are generally known as being He's rather than She's
Have fun in your new toy, and don't worry about trying to remember wheat it feels like now, you'll still be grinning like an idiot every time you start it in 3 years time
Welcome to Griff land. It's difficult to compare a TVR with a BMW. It's taken me a year to come to terms with the differences. It's not screwed together as well, but the simplicity combined with the 'fun factor' will leave you wondering how you managed without it for all these years. Word of warning, it won't behave as predictably as the BMW.
Welcome Griff500, nice car! 
Your right the electricals are seriously Christmas tree. As far as HVAC is concerned when I bought my 500 I could only get scorching hot air out of it, but with a bit of time and patience you can sort it out.
The servos are controlled by an ECU behind the dash to the left of the radio. First of all beware if you can hear a clicking noise when a servo is connected because it’s the drive gear jumping teeth in the gearbox attached to the servo. Don’t let it do this or you will lose teeth on the driven gear and have to replace the gearbox.
The hot/cold & up/down servos are located to the left of the glove box, to remove the glove box take out the two allen headed screw at the bottom of it. The fresh air/recirc servo is located to the left of the battery box in the passenger footwell, smart place eh? Be careful when you pull carpet away to find any of the servos as it can foul on solder tags etc. and pull them right off.
When the servos go wrong it's normally because a wire to a potentiometer has come off, or the potentiometers are dirty/worn inside and not giving a good reference to the ECU (bit like the volume control on your radio, if it gets dirty/worn inside it starts crackling), or the pot has just rotated on it’s setting.
If it's the first then just solder the wire back on, if it's the second try cleaning the pot with a bit of PCB cleaner from Maplins, you need to run it into the pot from the top (quite tricky), alternatively replace it, normally a 10k linear pot RS pt. No. 463-5149. If it’s the third you need to re-locate the pot in relation to the mechanicals.
Couple of other things …..when you buy a HCV (Golf Mk.1, pt no GSF 17850 from German & Swedish) make sure it opens/closes freely or it will stress the gearbox and strip teeth. Also sometimes you can get corrosion bridging the tracks on the PCB in the ECU which causes problems, this just needs to be gently cleaned off.
Hope that helps, it’s quite a lot of work but you can get proper hot/cold, up/down fresh/recirc after doing it.
A.
Your right the electricals are seriously Christmas tree. As far as HVAC is concerned when I bought my 500 I could only get scorching hot air out of it, but with a bit of time and patience you can sort it out.
The servos are controlled by an ECU behind the dash to the left of the radio. First of all beware if you can hear a clicking noise when a servo is connected because it’s the drive gear jumping teeth in the gearbox attached to the servo. Don’t let it do this or you will lose teeth on the driven gear and have to replace the gearbox.
The hot/cold & up/down servos are located to the left of the glove box, to remove the glove box take out the two allen headed screw at the bottom of it. The fresh air/recirc servo is located to the left of the battery box in the passenger footwell, smart place eh? Be careful when you pull carpet away to find any of the servos as it can foul on solder tags etc. and pull them right off.
When the servos go wrong it's normally because a wire to a potentiometer has come off, or the potentiometers are dirty/worn inside and not giving a good reference to the ECU (bit like the volume control on your radio, if it gets dirty/worn inside it starts crackling), or the pot has just rotated on it’s setting.
If it's the first then just solder the wire back on, if it's the second try cleaning the pot with a bit of PCB cleaner from Maplins, you need to run it into the pot from the top (quite tricky), alternatively replace it, normally a 10k linear pot RS pt. No. 463-5149. If it’s the third you need to re-locate the pot in relation to the mechanicals.
Couple of other things …..when you buy a HCV (Golf Mk.1, pt no GSF 17850 from German & Swedish) make sure it opens/closes freely or it will stress the gearbox and strip teeth. Also sometimes you can get corrosion bridging the tracks on the PCB in the ECU which causes problems, this just needs to be gently cleaned off.
Hope that helps, it’s quite a lot of work but you can get proper hot/cold, up/down fresh/recirc after doing it.
A.
Edited by Argent on Saturday 24th November 11:57
Hi Griff 500 and everybody else - I ve just bought my first TVR a Griff 500 and completed nearly 100 miles without any real dramas, apart from the `stepping out`incident that occured when the right hand pedal was pressed a little too hard on a wet road. My daughter was with me at the time and thought it was brilliant. I thought I`m glad I`m not wearing white trousers.
Still can`t wait to go out for a drive though - just hope it stays dry for a few more weeks
Still can`t wait to go out for a drive though - just hope it stays dry for a few more weeks
Hi Thanks for all the comments. Just waiting for some good weather so I can use it.
Yes Ill be carefull Just got to remember not to use the gas pedal like the company car, like i did the other day and sat there just spinning the rears.
Ive been challenged by my friend who has a Nissan R32 (6 pot with a blower) he rekons he can top *55 but im not sure im ready for that yet.
Argent. thanks for your advice. I did have a look today and noticed wires that are not connected to the servo motor. the solder tag is broken. Just needs a bit of TLC. Im fairly confident with electrics, 16 years building control panels should help.
This seems a good forum. Friendly and not to many cat fights. Which is nice.
I changed my user name. to BicesterGriff hope this does not confuse.
Cheers
Yes Ill be carefull Just got to remember not to use the gas pedal like the company car, like i did the other day and sat there just spinning the rears.
Ive been challenged by my friend who has a Nissan R32 (6 pot with a blower) he rekons he can top *55 but im not sure im ready for that yet.
Argent. thanks for your advice. I did have a look today and noticed wires that are not connected to the servo motor. the solder tag is broken. Just needs a bit of TLC. Im fairly confident with electrics, 16 years building control panels should help.
This seems a good forum. Friendly and not to many cat fights. Which is nice.
I changed my user name. to BicesterGriff hope this does not confuse.
Cheers
Justin-welcome to the griff forum.Thats a lovely looking car and in a very good colour combo,it really does look beautifull
.
Alan-welcome to you as well,you'll have to show us some pics of your car when you can.
Hope you both thoroughly enjoy your cars,as many of us do on here,you certainly made the right choice with the griff
.Thats a lovely looking car and in a very good colour combo,it really does look beautifull.Alan-welcome to you as well,you'll have to show us some pics of your car when you can
.Hope you both thoroughly enjoy your cars,as many of us do on here,you certainly made the right choice with the griff
Hello Bluebottle,
I is in Somerset, just outside of Taunton. Thinking about joining the owners club as those around me are getting bored of all the TVR chat.
Have now taken wife and kids out in the car (not all in one go obviously) and they all love the noise. Normally the first thing they do when getting in any car I`m driving is switch on the radio to avoid any meaningful conversation, apart from the wife sadly who switches it off and insist on meaningful conversation. But on the two occasions she has been out in the Griff she`s been silenced by the sound of the mighty V8.
Well worth the extra petrol consumption in every respect.
Are there any other Griffs in Somerset local to me ??
I is in Somerset, just outside of Taunton. Thinking about joining the owners club as those around me are getting bored of all the TVR chat.
Have now taken wife and kids out in the car (not all in one go obviously) and they all love the noise. Normally the first thing they do when getting in any car I`m driving is switch on the radio to avoid any meaningful conversation, apart from the wife sadly who switches it off and insist on meaningful conversation. But on the two occasions she has been out in the Griff she`s been silenced by the sound of the mighty V8.
Well worth the extra petrol consumption in every respect.
Are there any other Griffs in Somerset local to me ??
Hi Alan. Welcome.
I've actually never seen another Griff around Taunton. Bought mine from near Minehead and garage it in Bath now, but frequently down visiting the folks in Taunton. I recall some good roads in the Devon/Somerset countrytside from my youth...
Hope you enjoy the Griff.
Laurence
I've actually never seen another Griff around Taunton. Bought mine from near Minehead and garage it in Bath now, but frequently down visiting the folks in Taunton. I recall some good roads in the Devon/Somerset countrytside from my youth...
Hope you enjoy the Griff.
Laurence
Hi Bicester500,
I own a 500 and live just outside Bicester in Chesterton. Had my L reg Griff 500 for just over year now. Had a few little issues but am fortunate enough to have a large garage and am reasonably mechanically proficient. The thing that attracted me to the Griff was super-car type power and simplicity so I can fix it.
Mine is totally standard and gives me and the wife big grin factor.
Are there any others in Bicester ?
cheers
Alex
I own a 500 and live just outside Bicester in Chesterton. Had my L reg Griff 500 for just over year now. Had a few little issues but am fortunate enough to have a large garage and am reasonably mechanically proficient. The thing that attracted me to the Griff was super-car type power and simplicity so I can fix it.
Mine is totally standard and gives me and the wife big grin factor.
Are there any others in Bicester ?
cheers
Alex
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