My Chimaera won't start - Fuel pump?
Discussion
Hi everyone,
after 2 years of ownership of a '97 Chimaera 400 with no trouble my car won't start.
I had since a while sometimes problems to start the car and I thought it was due to the alarm or immobiliser that I have (I have the Meta alarm and Immobiliser still the originals I think): the car would'nt start sometime for 10 min and these last days it wouldn't start at all.
I had the dashboard removed to get access to the alarm and the immobiliser to bypass the alarm/immobiliser but no change. I lifted the car to put 12v directly on the fuel pump and it works fine.
I also changed the two Bosch relays but it didn't help, so I am now a little bit lost.
Here is what the car does at the moment: alarm and immobiliser seem to be working fine, I put the key with the ignition but I dont hear the fuel pump starting and if I start the motor will crank but as there is no fuel it will not start.
Has anyone any idea what I could possibly do to get the fuel pump working?
Many thanks for your help guys
Emmanuel
after 2 years of ownership of a '97 Chimaera 400 with no trouble my car won't start.
I had since a while sometimes problems to start the car and I thought it was due to the alarm or immobiliser that I have (I have the Meta alarm and Immobiliser still the originals I think): the car would'nt start sometime for 10 min and these last days it wouldn't start at all.
I had the dashboard removed to get access to the alarm and the immobiliser to bypass the alarm/immobiliser but no change. I lifted the car to put 12v directly on the fuel pump and it works fine.
I also changed the two Bosch relays but it didn't help, so I am now a little bit lost.
Here is what the car does at the moment: alarm and immobiliser seem to be working fine, I put the key with the ignition but I dont hear the fuel pump starting and if I start the motor will crank but as there is no fuel it will not start.
Has anyone any idea what I could possibly do to get the fuel pump working?
Many thanks for your help guys
Emmanuel
Others will be along soon.
You clearly have a working fuel pump, which to me suggests either a bad earth or dying immobiliser.
So check the wiring to/from the fuel pump.
If that seems ok,
You are in Luxembourg with good spoken English?
Try speaking to Carl Baker. Www.tvruk.tv for contact details. Best time to call is early evening or early morning.
He now lives in south western France. He is the TVR Meta alarm/immobiliser expert.
He can at least tell you how to test if this is the problem.
My immobiliser finally failed last winter (99 car). I came out one morning to find the drivers side yellow lights permanently on. Not flashing. On.
Battery flat. I had previously had hot start issues.
Carl changed the entire alarm immobiliser in one day while I sat in his kitchen and worked.
No problems since. And I have a button on the key to open the boot.
You clearly have a working fuel pump, which to me suggests either a bad earth or dying immobiliser.
So check the wiring to/from the fuel pump.
If that seems ok,
You are in Luxembourg with good spoken English?
Try speaking to Carl Baker. Www.tvruk.tv for contact details. Best time to call is early evening or early morning.
He now lives in south western France. He is the TVR Meta alarm/immobiliser expert.
He can at least tell you how to test if this is the problem.
My immobiliser finally failed last winter (99 car). I came out one morning to find the drivers side yellow lights permanently on. Not flashing. On.
Battery flat. I had previously had hot start issues.
Carl changed the entire alarm immobiliser in one day while I sat in his kitchen and worked.
No problems since. And I have a button on the key to open the boot.
When you say you had the dash off to bypass the imobilisor did you in fact do that?
If you turn the ignition on and check for 12V on the fuel pump relay is it there? If so can you check to see if the relay is energising?
The simplest thing to do is to test the whole of the fuel pump circuit from the relay to the pump... Check the pin outs for the pump relay and if there is 12V leaving there, then test at the fuel pump for that 12V, or failing that do a resistance check between the 12V terminal on the pump and the 12V output leg of the relay.
It may be a broken connection somewhere between those 2 points. The actual terminal on the pump is prone to corrosion but I assume you checked that when applying 12V directly to the pump.
BTW when you applied 12V to the pump did you start the car? If not - you should also try that...
If you turn the ignition on and check for 12V on the fuel pump relay is it there? If so can you check to see if the relay is energising?
The simplest thing to do is to test the whole of the fuel pump circuit from the relay to the pump... Check the pin outs for the pump relay and if there is 12V leaving there, then test at the fuel pump for that 12V, or failing that do a resistance check between the 12V terminal on the pump and the 12V output leg of the relay.
It may be a broken connection somewhere between those 2 points. The actual terminal on the pump is prone to corrosion but I assume you checked that when applying 12V directly to the pump.
BTW when you applied 12V to the pump did you start the car? If not - you should also try that...
I had exaclty the same issues as the OP.
Turns out the immobilser had fried itself in the hot weather.(was about 5 years old) Started fine when bypassed so a New alarm fitted last week by Carl and all fine again.
The AA even paid out £465 contribution under the repair cost cover!
Speak to Carl, he'll be able to sort you out.
Turns out the immobilser had fried itself in the hot weather.(was about 5 years old) Started fine when bypassed so a New alarm fitted last week by Carl and all fine again.
The AA even paid out £465 contribution under the repair cost cover!
Speak to Carl, he'll be able to sort you out.
same problem 3 weeks ago - it was definitely the fuel pump - changed it and all good. Fuel pump died at traffic lights.
I knew it was not the immobiliser - i checked the fuses - relays etc (bear in mind the fuel pump relay is only active for a few seconds when ignition on untit the car starts (priming).
I had suffered the odd strange priming noise in the weeks before the final failure.
When changing i cleaned up the wiring and also reconnected the capacitor thingy that stops interference on the radio i think - anyway it was not connected but now is and better radio reception on medium wave for once.
I got the fuel pump from a local motor factors - original Bosch one - although they had cheaper after market ones. The bosch one was far cheaper than the TVR parts suppliers sell it at.
I knew it was not the immobiliser - i checked the fuses - relays etc (bear in mind the fuel pump relay is only active for a few seconds when ignition on untit the car starts (priming).
I had suffered the odd strange priming noise in the weeks before the final failure.
When changing i cleaned up the wiring and also reconnected the capacitor thingy that stops interference on the radio i think - anyway it was not connected but now is and better radio reception on medium wave for once.
I got the fuel pump from a local motor factors - original Bosch one - although they had cheaper after market ones. The bosch one was far cheaper than the TVR parts suppliers sell it at.
Hi there
I dont know if you have sorted it but I can tell you about my similar experience which may help you. When I tried to start, you couldn't hear the fuel pump prime. Some kind soul on here suggested it could be the relays so I changed them and it started so I thought job sorted, wrong. What it actually was was a lose contact in a connector by the relays so when I changed the relay I must have moved it enough to make the connection but it soon would turn off. I found the lose connection by shaking the wiring loom and pin pointing it down. Once I found which connector it was I could actually squeeze and bend it and you could here the fuel pump turning on and off, even when running.
I chopped the dodgy black connector off and replaced it with electrical connector strip. Perfect ever since. I must point out mine failed while driving, lost all power then wouldn't start.
If you need more info on my problem im happy to help best I can......
Rich
I dont know if you have sorted it but I can tell you about my similar experience which may help you. When I tried to start, you couldn't hear the fuel pump prime. Some kind soul on here suggested it could be the relays so I changed them and it started so I thought job sorted, wrong. What it actually was was a lose contact in a connector by the relays so when I changed the relay I must have moved it enough to make the connection but it soon would turn off. I found the lose connection by shaking the wiring loom and pin pointing it down. Once I found which connector it was I could actually squeeze and bend it and you could here the fuel pump turning on and off, even when running.
I chopped the dodgy black connector off and replaced it with electrical connector strip. Perfect ever since. I must point out mine failed while driving, lost all power then wouldn't start.
If you need more info on my problem im happy to help best I can......
Rich
Finally got my car running, I didn't have time to work on it before.
After having sent power directly to the fuel pump the car started. So the problem was linked to the immobiliser who was blocking power to go to the fuel pump.
To solve the problem I bypassed the immobiliser for the fuel pump and it works just fine.
I am now thinking of replacing the immobiliser, any recommandation on what model I could replace it with?
After having sent power directly to the fuel pump the car started. So the problem was linked to the immobiliser who was blocking power to go to the fuel pump.
To solve the problem I bypassed the immobiliser for the fuel pump and it works just fine.
I am now thinking of replacing the immobiliser, any recommandation on what model I could replace it with?
TVR LUX said:
Finally got my car running, I didn't have time to work on it before.
After having sent power directly to the fuel pump the car started. So the problem was linked to the immobiliser who was blocking power to go to the fuel pump.
To solve the problem I bypassed the immobiliser for the fuel pump and it works just fine.
I am now thinking of replacing the immobiliser, any recommandation on what model I could replace it with?
Again, talk to Carl. When e changed mine he said that Meta had changed the design of the immobiliser. You may also need to revise the wiring, as the original may have been wired wrongly by TVR. Carl is in south west France if you fancy a little drive!After having sent power directly to the fuel pump the car started. So the problem was linked to the immobiliser who was blocking power to go to the fuel pump.
To solve the problem I bypassed the immobiliser for the fuel pump and it works just fine.
I am now thinking of replacing the immobiliser, any recommandation on what model I could replace it with?
TVR LUX said:
Hi everyone,
after 2 years of ownership of a '97 Chimaera 400 with no trouble my car won't start.
I had since a while sometimes problems to start the car and I thought it was due to the alarm or immobiliser that I have (I have the Meta alarm and Immobiliser still the originals I think): the car would'nt start sometime for 10 min and these last days it wouldn't start at all.
I had the dashboard removed to get access to the alarm and the immobiliser to bypass the alarm/immobiliser but no change. I lifted the car to put 12v directly on the fuel pump and it works fine.
I also changed the two Bosch relays but it didn't help, so I am now a little bit lost.
Here is what the car does at the moment: alarm and immobiliser seem to be working fine, I put the key with the ignition but I dont hear the fuel pump starting and if I start the motor will crank but as there is no fuel it will not start.
Has anyone any idea what I could possibly do to get the fuel pump working?
Many thanks for your help guys
Emmanuel
If the MIL flashes when cranking it may be the fuel cut off switch.after 2 years of ownership of a '97 Chimaera 400 with no trouble my car won't start.
I had since a while sometimes problems to start the car and I thought it was due to the alarm or immobiliser that I have (I have the Meta alarm and Immobiliser still the originals I think): the car would'nt start sometime for 10 min and these last days it wouldn't start at all.
I had the dashboard removed to get access to the alarm and the immobiliser to bypass the alarm/immobiliser but no change. I lifted the car to put 12v directly on the fuel pump and it works fine.
I also changed the two Bosch relays but it didn't help, so I am now a little bit lost.
Here is what the car does at the moment: alarm and immobiliser seem to be working fine, I put the key with the ignition but I dont hear the fuel pump starting and if I start the motor will crank but as there is no fuel it will not start.
Has anyone any idea what I could possibly do to get the fuel pump working?
Many thanks for your help guys
Emmanuel
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