Hot start problem
Discussion
Does this suddenly appear or do the cars always suffer.
I've started to notice when been for a run that it struggles to restart and seems to run the battery down quickly.
This only seems to have happened this year after 5 years of ownership, so wondering is it Battery or Alternator or hot start issue.
Generally I put it on trickle charge and it's back to full charge overnight.
Maybe I should wait and try and start it once it cools down to check before charging?
I've started to notice when been for a run that it struggles to restart and seems to run the battery down quickly.
This only seems to have happened this year after 5 years of ownership, so wondering is it Battery or Alternator or hot start issue.
Generally I put it on trickle charge and it's back to full charge overnight.
Maybe I should wait and try and start it once it cools down to check before charging?
I had the classic hot start problem - sit in traffic on a hot day, decide to stop and take to roof off, get back in, turn the ignition, and total silence.....not even a click, or a sluggish engine turnover. And it always lets you down in the most embarrassing place possible!! Its as if the immobiliser has kicked in. If you are prepared to sit for 20 minutes for things to cool down (no, I don't know what has to cool down), then it will start perfectly as if nothing was wrong.
The relay type fix kit from Modwise worked for me - just a tad under £40.
Yours sounds like a duff battery - the "running down the battery quickly" is a dead giveaway. Car batteries have a 5-6 year life.
The relay type fix kit from Modwise worked for me - just a tad under £40.
Yours sounds like a duff battery - the "running down the battery quickly" is a dead giveaway. Car batteries have a 5-6 year life.
ok, just been out for a run, when I started my trickle charger showed green. Pulled on the drive, switched off, then tried to start and starter really strains to turn.
I'll let it cool to see if it will start then....my guess is battery is on the way out as it's well over 5 years old.
Then I'll try and push it in the garage :-( which has a slight incline uphill.
I'll let it cool to see if it will start then....my guess is battery is on the way out as it's well over 5 years old.
Then I'll try and push it in the garage :-( which has a slight incline uphill.
SlimChim said:
After battery being flat and unable to start the car, left it in the garage for 3 days didn't charge or trickle charge and hey ho starts now and battery sounds ok.
Can aa apparently flat battery be ok or has it suddenly developed hot start issues?
Had exactly the same symptoms with my MGB V8. Turned out to be the batteries. (2 x 6 volt on the old B) Invested in new batteries (old ones were VERY old) and problem solved.Can aa apparently flat battery be ok or has it suddenly developed hot start issues?
Looking at your symptoms it's worth remembering some of our schoolboy physics lessons.
Resistance is influenced by a number of elements:
1) The length of the wire
2) The material the wire is made from
3) The area / square section of the wire
4) The temperature of the wire
Heat affects resistance in a bigger way than you first imagine, the higher the temperature the higher the resistance.
Now, have a close look at the starter cable used by TVR on the Chimaera.
The first thing you'll notice is the battery is in the passenger foot well, and the starter motor is located on the driver's side of the engine block.
The necessitates a very long starter lead, in fact it's over 7ft long which (referring back to point 1 above) is far from ideal.
Now look at the square section & quality of cable used by TVR, you will find they used very thin gauge cable that (referring back to point 3 above) is also far from ideal.
Finally consider the heat present under the bonnet of your TVR.
On a hot restart temperatures can be very high, massively increasing the resistance of both that ridiculously long starter lead and the windings in the starter motor itself.
If you add all these elements up, it's actually amazing a Chimaera ever starts at all when hot.
Have a look at my post here when I was Chimpandtonic:
http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Listening to your symptoms I would suggest you replace the starter lead with some new better quality cable.
Clean up all the contacts, running an earth cable directly from the negative battery terminal to the engine block will really help too.
All this will make a big improvement to your situation, but it's also worth remembering there is one more element that increases the resistance in the starter circuit, & that's AGE!
The the older your starter cable & starter motor is, the more resistance it will have.
Having suffered literally thousands of hot cold heat cycles plus corrosion taking it's toll the starter cable & starter motor will need a lot more amps than they did when new.
Resistance is influenced by a number of elements:
1) The length of the wire
2) The material the wire is made from
3) The area / square section of the wire
4) The temperature of the wire
Heat affects resistance in a bigger way than you first imagine, the higher the temperature the higher the resistance.
Now, have a close look at the starter cable used by TVR on the Chimaera.
The first thing you'll notice is the battery is in the passenger foot well, and the starter motor is located on the driver's side of the engine block.
The necessitates a very long starter lead, in fact it's over 7ft long which (referring back to point 1 above) is far from ideal.
Now look at the square section & quality of cable used by TVR, you will find they used very thin gauge cable that (referring back to point 3 above) is also far from ideal.
Finally consider the heat present under the bonnet of your TVR.
On a hot restart temperatures can be very high, massively increasing the resistance of both that ridiculously long starter lead and the windings in the starter motor itself.
If you add all these elements up, it's actually amazing a Chimaera ever starts at all when hot.
Have a look at my post here when I was Chimpandtonic:
http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Listening to your symptoms I would suggest you replace the starter lead with some new better quality cable.
Clean up all the contacts, running an earth cable directly from the negative battery terminal to the engine block will really help too.
All this will make a big improvement to your situation, but it's also worth remembering there is one more element that increases the resistance in the starter circuit, & that's AGE!
The the older your starter cable & starter motor is, the more resistance it will have.
Having suffered literally thousands of hot cold heat cycles plus corrosion taking it's toll the starter cable & starter motor will need a lot more amps than they did when new.
Edited by ChimpofDarkness on Wednesday 27th June 20:01
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