Fixing Griff ice warning
Fixing Griff ice warning
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Discussion

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
quotequote all
Went for a drive in the Griff today, great fun, still throlls me to drive it on open roads. One little thing that niggles is the ice waring light being on all the time. Is there a prescribed way to fix these. I know I can ignore it but I'd like it working properly. smile

davep

1,157 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
quotequote all
Move further south, out from within the Artic Circle, or ...

you need a new Ice Warning sensor. wink

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
quotequote all
Jeez... perhaps I should have put this in the Lounge.

p.s. ETA having been around Griffs for 12 years or more I know the ones fitted by TVR usually broke withing the first year so I was wondering if any one knew of a replacement part and how to fit it. tongue out

Edited by RichB on Sunday 21st August 22:04

davep

1,157 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
quotequote all
You could try one of the TVR parts suppliers. The TVR part number is:

N0077 Ice Detector

On a pre-cat these are usually mounted up inside the nearside lower front wing void in proximity to the heater blower intake, for a 500 it could be the same, but I'm not sure.

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
quotequote all
Thank you.

Murph7355

41,961 posts

285 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
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I'm sure I recall the griff pages mentioning a fix...?

5.0ltr

2,834 posts

228 months

davep

1,157 posts

313 months

Sunday 21st August 2011
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V8 GRF

7,299 posts

239 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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A temporary fix is to find the sensor, cut it off and then join the two wires together. That will extinguish the red light on the dash as it works by a variable 'open' circuit (or whatever the proper term is smile )

Johno

8,593 posts

311 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Rich, the sensor on mine itself is just a resistor in a housing which corrodes over time as they're often housed in the light pods and get exposed to all kinds of crud. Mine was an in_line banded resistor in the link above in the blue and black housing, not the the other type which perhaps in for earlier cars?

I replaced mine a while ago when I was doing the refurb and it still doesn't work properly and remains a low level light permanently on the dash. It never worked when the car was 2yrs old either, and it really annoys me as I don't like bits on the car that don't work as they should.

I suspect the rate of resistance is the issue, but I never got the 3 stage lights, only occasionally did it ever show up there might be ice about, but as I had driven in heavy snow from London to Nth Norfolk and the car now had a fresh 3-4inches on it in the morning, I think I'd worked it out for myself hehe

So if you find the fix works out well let us know smile



Edited by Johno on Monday 22 August 11:40

MPoxon

5,329 posts

202 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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The Ice detector is on my list of items to fix. I just looked up the user manual to work our which LED the ice warning is and found this description which is quite interesting:

Griffith 500 Owners Manual said:
Upon switching on the ignition, the ice detector will go through a series of checks. Initially the light will illuminate yellow/orange for two seconds. It will then illuminate red for two seconds after which the light will extinguish.

In use the light will illuminate green if the air temperature is 5C or less, yellow/orange if the air temperature is 2C or less and red if the air temperature is 0C or less.
As others have said it is hardly an essential instrument but nice to see it in working order non the less.

Mine does not work at all, no light no self test sequence.

Johno

8,593 posts

311 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Mine self tests, but not for the prescribed time, just a flick through, then permanent feint glow frown

WOO5IE

966 posts

226 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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if you knew the electrical value of the item it would be only around 20p as its only a Thermistor


Johno

8,593 posts

311 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
WOO5IE said:
if you knew the electrical value of the item it would be only around 20p as its only a Thermistor
I tried this route first, but no one could or would give me the answer, so I then wasted 20+ on the housing as per the link above and it didn't work.

The thing is it's an annoyance it doesn't work properly, but I suspect many never did and for all the hours spent trying to solve it, there were other things that actually were more important to do so got put on back burner . .. But I agree, 20+ isdaylight robbery really.

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
V8 GRF said:
A temporary fix is to find the sensor,
OK I'm goinf to investigate so to start can anyone confirm if this is this the passenger side pod or driver's side? (1999 500)

5.0ltr

2,834 posts

228 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
RichB said:
OK I'm goinf to investigate so to start can anyone confirm if this is this the passenger side pod or driver's side? (1999 500)
Gotta recollection it is behind and above N/S main beam unit, that sort of area, do not have bible to hand...

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
5.0ltr said:
RichB said:
OK I'm goinf to investigate so to start can anyone confirm if this is this the passenger side pod or driver's side? (1999 500)
Gotta recollection it is behind and above N/S main beam unit, that sort of area, do not have bible to hand...
Right, wheel off at the weekend to have a look. Once I find it I'll decide what to order to replace it...

5.0ltr

2,834 posts

228 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
RichB said:
5.0ltr said:
RichB said:
OK I'm goinf to investigate so to start can anyone confirm if this is this the passenger side pod or driver's side? (1999 500)
Gotta recollection it is behind and above N/S main beam unit, that sort of area, do not have bible to hand...
Right, wheel off at the weekend to have a look. Once I find it I'll decide what to order to replace it...
Whoa.. Main beam, lower ones, no need to remove wheel, if I have got this right that is!!...........

RichB

Original Poster:

56,258 posts

313 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
5.0ltr said:
Whoa.. Main beam, lower ones, no need to remove wheel, if I have got this right that is!!...........
Ah ok, mainbeam, I mistakenly assumed you meant dip headlamp because of all the chat about pods.

ruaricoles

1,240 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Mine stopped working, but is now fine having replaced the little sensor with one bought from one of the TVR suppliers. As above, it seemed a lot for a thermistor, but at least I knew it had a chance of being the right one!

On my car (a 1994 500) it was tied up just behind the LH main beam lamp, and I put a bit of heatshrink around the new one to give it a bit more protection.

Ruari