Driving with the door open

[graeme4130]

Hi
I'm new to TVR ownership and I've had a strange problem I'd love sone advice on please
I noticed recently that I was getting all sorts of funny noises from the back of my 95 400 from what sounded to be coming from the top ish of the rear bulkhead. When I stopped to check it out, I realised that my son hadn't shut the passenger door properly. The sound appeared to be a chattering type sound from behind me almost as if the whole car was flexing or the rear roof section was about to rattle off. Once the door was shut properly, then the sound went away
I tried the same with the drivers door, and the results were the same.
Is this a normal chimaera problem ? I'm guessing with a fibreglass body that the doors form part of the structure ?
Can someone settle my mind please or give me some words of wisdom.

Also, the middle two heater vents don't seem to do anything and the one on the drivers side that's controlled by the auxiliary knob under the right of the steering wheel is cold air only.
For the summer, then it's not a problem, but I'm going to need to try and fix it before we get those crisp late autumn sunny days where roof down motoring needs some hearing
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Cheers
Graeme

[JonathanT]

Regarding your doors, it might be the door solenoids chattering because the door wasn't closed properly. If you open the door and press/release the door-switch near the rear of the kickplate, does it make the same noise?

[JonyTVR]

I have a similer problem but even with doors shut sometimes, try holding the silver support arm for the roof, my passenger one sometimes rattles/knocks and can do it more if the window is down.

[bigdods]

Its the door solenoids chattering. It usually happens when the door open switch (located in the sill) is on the cusp of making/breaking its contact. A partially open door will cause the switch to make/break/mnake/break and the solenoids tend to go a bit mad sometimes.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

My door solenoids chatter if the passenger door isn't shut properly.

O/T: I once flew a Cessna 172 all the way from Redhill to Sheffield with the pilot's side door open. The catch was a bit dodgy, and it popped open just after lift-off. I concentrated on continuing the climb-out, then reviewed the situation and decided that it wasn't dangerous; the door was being held almost shut by the airflow over the fuselage, and it was impossible to push it open far enough to slam it shut. So I continued my flight as planned. It was a hot day and the extra breeze was very pleasant!

[Jonny cobra]

The drivers vent only blows cold air , You can close it if need be .

JC.

[unclepockets]

I had a chattering which turned out to be the allen headed bolt that pivots the folding roof section near the headrest, it wasn't loose enough to move by hand only with the proper allen key/socket.

[rfein]

graeme4130 said:

Hi
I'm new to TVR ownership and I've had a strange problem I'd love sone advice on please
I noticed recently that I was getting all sorts of funny noises from the back of my 95 400 from what sounded to be coming from the top ish of the rear bulkhead. When I stopped to check it out, I realised that my son hadn't shut the passenger door properly. The sound appeared to be a chattering type sound from behind me almost as if the whole car was flexing or the rear roof section was about to rattle off. Once the door was shut properly, then the sound went away
I tried the same with the drivers door, and the results were the same.
Is this a normal chimaera problem ? I'm guessing with a fibreglass body that the doors form part of the structure ?
Can someone settle my mind please or give me some words of wisdom.

Also, the middle two heater vents don't seem to do anything and the one on the drivers side that's controlled by the auxiliary knob under the right of the steering wheel is cold air only.
For the summer, then it's not a problem, but I'm going to need to try and fix it before we get those crisp late autumn sunny days where roof down motoring needs some hearing
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Cheers
Graeme

What is the problem?
No 1: Why aren't you glad to have a warning noise signal when a door is not closed properly? Just keep the doors closed (so you son doesn't fall out) and you will not have to worry about any strange noise.
No 2: Worried about being cold in the cockpit? If there is one thing that certainly always works on a TVR is the heat supply to the cockpit. Usually, we are worried to get a bit of cold air, even in the cold season, and here we have somebody who fears to be cold on "those crisp late autumn sunny days"!

[haircutmike]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

My door solenoids chatter if the passenger door isn't shut properly.

O/T: I once flew a Cessna 172 all the way from Redhill to Sheffield with the pilot's side door open. The catch was a bit dodgy, and it popped open just after lift-off. I concentrated on continuing the climb-out, then reviewed the situation and decided that it wasn't dangerous; the door was being held almost shut by the airflow over the fuselage, and it was impossible to push it open far enough to slam it shut. So I continued my flight as planned. It was a hot day and the extra breeze was very pleasant!

Reminds me of when I went up a rickety 2 seat plane with a crap lock on the door.
I spent the whole flight cr#pping myself and refused to remove my arm from around the pilots shoulder!


It wasn't you was it?

[graeme4130]

rfein said:

What is the problem?
No 1: Why aren't you glad to have a warning noise signal when a door is not closed properly? Just keep the doors closed (so you son doesn't fall out) and you will not have to worry about any strange noise.
No 2: Worried about being cold in the cockpit? If there is one thing that certainly always works on a TVR is the heat supply to the cockpit. Usually, we are worried to get a bit of cold air, even in the cold season, and here we have somebody who fears to be cold on "those crisp late autumn sunny days"!

The concern was more towards me worrying that if the noise was coming from creaking fibreglass where perhaps the chassis had broken somewhere I couldn't see and the door closed was keeping the whole thing taught.
Thanks forall the advice so far. After a quick check this morning, it appears it's related to the door solenoid afterall
Cheers

[dog man]

I dont think the body does much, the chassis is the structure.