Bump Starting a Tamora???

[benmc]

Hi

Just come back from a holiday and found the Tamora will not start and the battery is dead!! Unfortunately I don't have the Anderson connector jump leads. Wondering if it is OK to bump start, the car is on a flat road so should be easy to do?

Thanks

Ben

[K4TRV]

The logic follows that if your battery is "dead" how will your fuel pump prime, the ECU go through the start sequence and then provide the spark at the correct time?? Oh, and I forgot, deselect the immobiliser?

I doubt the engine being turned over would also provide sufficient amps/volts from the alternator to start all the above sequence? Not to mention no power for the steering?

Either borrow an Anderson Cable, or take apart the battery compartment and replace the battery or use cables from a charged battery?

Sorry mate, maybe not the answer you wanted?

Trev

[alex_gray255]

It may also bugger the ECU.

[benmc]

No worries, looks like I will be on the hunt for a set of Anderson connector jump leads on a bank holiday weekend. Going to be fun!

Cheers

[ShiDevil]

Looking at the Graham Varley bible, which is how i live my life, tricky when it's not car related :/ It mentions bump starting is a no no!

Surely you can get a battery charger and plug it into your cigarette lighter? I trickle charge mine from there.

Edited by ShiDevil on Sunday 26th May 07:11

[TVRWazzock]

benmc said:

Hi

Just come back from a holiday and found the Tamora will not start and the battery is dead!! Unfortunately I don't have the Anderson connector jump leads. Wondering if it is OK to bump start, the car is on a flat road so should be easy to do?

Thanks

Ben

I had the very same thing happen to me when I came back from Hols. The Tamora would not start because the battery was completely dead. I had not shut the boot properly so the boot light drained the battery

I tried to charge the battery up with the accumate but the battery would not start charging, so had to call out the AA in the end, as I have home start, and they managed to use a booster to get the Tamora started and the battery charging again.

To avoid this in the future, I have had a live terminal Lug put into the engine bay on the side next to the air box (orange lug in picture). That way I can jump start the Tamora without having to take the front wheel off to get at the battery, because the AA don't have anderson connectors on their boosters.



Also at the same time another usefull mod to make is to bring out the 100Amp fuse holder (which is situated underneath the air box) and mount it on the side of the engine bay as shown below:





I've also taken the bulb out of the boot interior light

Hope this is usefull.

[benmc]

This then gets more fun. Was planning to call the RAC this lunchtime and get them to jump it via the Anderson connector but if they dont have them onboard then they will be taking the wheel off etc!

What fun!

[Chim450]

I have bump started my Tuscan a few times, admittedly there was enough charge in the battery to prime the fuel pump etc... It did not result in any ill effects.

[m4tti]

Is taking the wheel off a big deal

[Laser Sag]

Could be wrong, frequently am, but I think the battery sets the AA and the RAC use have an anderson connector at the battery, they should be able to reverese this so they use the clamps on their jumper battery and the anderson on your car.

[darkmark07]

OP, I expect that the AA / RAC will have a jump starter with an Anderson Connector, in my experience they do.

Alternatively, it's really not that much of a big deal to get at the battery via the front wheel well - will take less than 10 minutes to get at and either get a trickle charger on it insitu or get it out.

[TVRWazzock]

m4tti said:

Is taking the wheel off a big deal

Yes, try it

It takes about 10-15 mins to take the wheel off to the AA guy's disgust, get into the wheel arch and try and connect the battery charger connectors to the battery, where as it takes 2 seconds when you have a live terminal lug in the engine bay.

So as I see it, 2 seconds is better than 10-15 minutes, or have I lost the plot

[m4tti]

TVRWazzock said:

Yes, try it

It takes about 10-15 mins to take the wheel off to the AA guy's disgust, get into the wheel arch and try and connect the battery charger connectors to the battery, where as it takes 2 seconds when you have a live terminal lug in the engine bay.

So as I see it, 2 seconds is better than 10-15 minutes, or have I lost the plot

Uhh I do. And it wouldn't take me 15 minutes. More like 2...And on the tuscan a lug in the engine bay would require mucho pissing around taking the bonnet off.

Wire a ctek in and leave it on charge in a garage.

Edited by m4tti on Monday 27th May 00:40

[benmc]

Got it running with the help of the RAC.

They do have anderson connectors but not the right size for the Tamora. So the RAC man fashioned a connector with some big crocodile clips, great work!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Ben

[tamore]

m4tti said:

TVRWazzock said:

Yes, try it

It takes about 10-15 mins to take the wheel off to the AA guy's disgust, get into the wheel arch and try and connect the battery charger connectors to the battery, where as it takes 2 seconds when you have a live terminal lug in the engine bay.

So as I see it, 2 seconds is better than 10-15 minutes, or have I lost the plot

Uhh I do. And it wouldn't take me 15 minutes. More like 2...And on the tuscan a lug in the engine bay would require mucho pissing around taking the bonnet off.

Wire a ctek in and leave it on charge in a garage.

Edited by m4tti on Monday 27th May 00:40

what? PH was once a place where TVR owners helped each other. some people don't own a racing jack (me, for instance), some don't have a garage, some might not even own a wheel brace or basic toolkit.

2 mins to jack a tamora up, take the wheel off and take the access panel off? McLaren await your services....

[m4tti]

tamore said:

some don't have a garage, some might not even own a wheel brace or basic toolkit.

I'll stick my neck out and say a tvr probably isn't the ideal choice for them then....

[nrick]

Crikey, more entertainment on here than on the tele,

Fitting a terminal post is more practical on a Tam, T350 or Sag as the bonnet comes up, but a major drama on the tuscan (unless you have a hinged bonnet). I have fitted a Ctec terminal which is pretty good actually, the question I would have if you fit any modification what would the insurance company say? I do like the terminal post idea (same as my M3), I wonder if you could modify the BMW OEM part?

Anyone up for a wheel changing competition?

Right back to the Tuscan forum for me...........