Immobiliser - Help please

[KugaWestie]

I have recently purchased a Chimaera 400 that was initially registered December 1995.

It is a basket case that I took as a project car and it needs a lot of work.

My intention is to take the body off, strip down to a bare chassis, replace the outriggers, recoat the chassis and then build it back up. The interior also needs a complete overhaul and it needs a respray. So plenty of work to be done.

When I picked it up the alarm/immobiliser was not functioning and no fob included so in the past someone has bypassed the system. I want to check how this has been done but I an not sure exactly where to look, or what components I am looking for in what location.

The car was running when I collected it but not drivable due to the clutch slave and master cylinders being seized. I have replaced both of these and free'd the clutch up. My next move was to gently drive it along a track on some private land.

The car travelled roughly 400 yards and then conked out, and it wont start again.
The engine cranks.
I cant hear the fuel pump prime.
I have checked the inertia switch and it seems fine.
No spark.
The fuel pump runs if I put an independent 12v supply on it.
The ecu and fuel pump relay are clicking when ignition turns on.

So I think either it the alarm bypass has not been done very well or there must be a dodgy connection somewhere, that has been aggravated by driving the car a short distance.

What I am looking for is someone to explain to me or send me some instructions on how to bypass the alarm/immobiliser so that I can follow the instructions and check to see if what has been done previously by someone else to either discover if this is the problem or eliminate this.

Can anyone send me some instruction for the immobiliser bypass please?

[s p a c e m a n]

If both relays are clicking I don't think that it can be the immobiliser, have you checked that there's power coming out of the relay?

[Belle427]

Try to pin point what your missing and work backwards, ie does it have power at the coil and fuel pump.
The Alarm would have lived under the dash top passenger side.

[Steve_D]

As you are new here it is unwise of us to give out instructions on how to enable an immobilised car. I'm sure you can understand this.

I would ask you to post up some photos of a 'project' to give us some confidence you are genuine. However I'm not sure if you can add photos until you have been here a while but give it a try.
When you reply to this thread you will see 'Upload and image (Beta)' click this and browse to where you have your photos...basically follow the instructions. This will post a link. Hit return after the link then do another Upload...repeat.

I and many others on here will be both willing and able to help.

If you can't do the photos find us... Southways Automotive either our web site or on FB and send photos FAO Steve.

Steve

[KugaWestie]

Steve,

That's perfectly understandable.

This is my old Westfield that I completed in 2012, and sold in 2018. It was featured in Complete Kit Car in 2017




This is my latest project recently completed









Hopefully that gives you some confidence

[KugaWestie]

Here is the Chimaera

[Steve_D]

That'l keep you in good order living across from a police station.

I've tried to PM (Private Message) you from your profile but can't so either you have not set up an email address in your profile or it is locked until you have been here a while.
Send me an email to steve@ the company name in the earlier post .co.uk

How are you with electrics? I can send you circuit diagrams I have drawn and give you pointers on where and what to test in the correct order.
I'm betting your issue is going to be corrosion of various electrical contacts.

Steve

[KugaWestie]

Thanks Steve,

There was a box unticked in my profile, so I have ticked it now so hopefully contactable in future.

I will send you an email now

[KugaWestie]

Well I am pleased to say I got the car running again today.

I started by separating and cleaning all of the connectors in the B pillar behind the passenger seat. The car started straight away after doing that but then became intermittent. Sometimes the fuel pump would prime when turning the ignition on and sometimes it wouldn’t.

After some more checking I have narrowed it down to the main battery earth cable. To prove it was this I ran a jump lead direct from the battery onto the engine with the battery earth cable disconnected and this solved the inconsistent fuel pump when turning ignition on.

Thanks to Steve_D for the wiring diagrams and pointers, most helpful

The immobiliser has definitely been stripped out by a previous owner

Edited by KugaWestie on Monday 30th August 17:36

[Steve_D]

KugaWestie said:

............... I have narrowed it down to the main battery earth cable................

Your test is valid but has bypassed more than one source of the problem. I am assuming you have already cleaned the terminals at the battery.

The first possible defect is the connection of the cable from the battery to the chassis at the top of the passenger side tunnel.
The second is both ends of the cable connecting the chassis to the engine. This runs from the drivers side outrigger brace tube (seen at the back of the inner wheel arch) to the front of the timing cover below the alternator.

Steve

[KugaWestie]

Thanks Steve.

The main objective was to get the engine running so I know that it runs, the ecu is ok and the immobiliser bypass/rip out done before my ownership wasn’t causing the problem, so mission accomplished.

Next on the agenda is to remove the body, so earth cables and connections will be sorted later.

I could have looked at the earth cable connection after getting it running but there is little point at this stage when it is going to be stripped down.