Top warning light not comming on and car wont start
Discussion
Hi all,
Still having trouble with the chim!!!
I changed the fuel filter as i thought this was causing the car to splutter. Wgile the car was up on axle stands i had a look underneath, checked the 100amp fuse near the starter and noticed there was a slightly corroded earthing point so i cleaned this up.
Tried starting the car and nothing...so i changed the plugs...while they were all out i turned the engine over and there was a spark...so i know cleaning the earth has not caused a no spark problem...anyway as it got darker and i kept trying different things i noticed the top warning light was not comming on when the ignition was switched on...the other two were...the top light does flash when i turn the imobilizer on and off though...what is the second purpose of this light...am i right in thinking it double as the ignition light???
by the way the battery is only a few months old and is fully charged.
>> Edited by andy-w on Tuesday 25th October 19:11
Still having trouble with the chim!!!
I changed the fuel filter as i thought this was causing the car to splutter. Wgile the car was up on axle stands i had a look underneath, checked the 100amp fuse near the starter and noticed there was a slightly corroded earthing point so i cleaned this up.
Tried starting the car and nothing...so i changed the plugs...while they were all out i turned the engine over and there was a spark...so i know cleaning the earth has not caused a no spark problem...anyway as it got darker and i kept trying different things i noticed the top warning light was not comming on when the ignition was switched on...the other two were...the top light does flash when i turn the imobilizer on and off though...what is the second purpose of this light...am i right in thinking it double as the ignition light???
by the way the battery is only a few months old and is fully charged.
>> Edited by andy-w on Tuesday 25th October 19:11
What year is the car?
For a 98 car the ignition light (battery symbol) is in the speedo (R/H)
I think what you are refering to as the top light is the ice detector which flashes when you turn the ignition on.
After turning on the ignition, press the key fob, this brings the MIL light on (far right of dash) and takes off the alarm LED (next to radio)
You should hear the fuel pump prime and the car should then start.
For a 98 car the ignition light (battery symbol) is in the speedo (R/H)
I think what you are refering to as the top light is the ice detector which flashes when you turn the ignition on.
After turning on the ignition, press the key fob, this brings the MIL light on (far right of dash) and takes off the alarm LED (next to radio)
You should hear the fuel pump prime and the car should then start.
The car is a 94.
I am on about the three led's between the rev counter and speedo. The top one is for the alarm and flashes when the alarm is activated but it also doubles up for something else.
All three lights used to come on when the ignition was switched on but now the top one doesnt.
The fuel pump is definately priming as i can hear it...also i disconnected the fuel pipe from the rail...turned the engine over and petrol came out.
I am on about the three led's between the rev counter and speedo. The top one is for the alarm and flashes when the alarm is activated but it also doubles up for something else.
All three lights used to come on when the ignition was switched on but now the top one doesnt.
The fuel pump is definately priming as i can hear it...also i disconnected the fuel pipe from the rail...turned the engine over and petrol came out.
If you have got a spark, fuel, and the engines turning over then it should fire. It could be that the ECU has got confused by the earth and is not supplying the correct fuel for cranking. Try reseting the ECU by disconnecting the battery.
This method can also be used to reset the alarm. Although if the engines cranking and the fuel pump is priming then I dont think this is an alarm related issue.
This method can also be used to reset the alarm. Although if the engines cranking and the fuel pump is priming then I dont think this is an alarm related issue.
things have gone from bad to worse...the fuel pump is not priming now...
Things i have checked.
Battery = Fully Charged
Fuse Box = Dismounted and every fuse checked and the holders cleaned.
Earth points, all cleaned and checked.
Power getting to the ECU
Fuel relay and ECU relay both clicking on and off.
Inertia switch checked
Pulled and resat all relays including the alarm relays.
Only thing i can think of is the earth wire form engine to chasis (Drivers side)i started to undo it and had slight very slight spark...turned ignition off...then removed the cable and cleaned both ends turned ignition on and tried to move the cable and it wont spark anymore making me think there is another fuse somewhere that has blown.
Also i disconnected the two wires to the fuel pump and put a lightbulb in between the two and it did not light (Ignition was switched on)
Things i have checked.
Battery = Fully Charged
Fuse Box = Dismounted and every fuse checked and the holders cleaned.
Earth points, all cleaned and checked.
Power getting to the ECU
Fuel relay and ECU relay both clicking on and off.
Inertia switch checked
Pulled and resat all relays including the alarm relays.
Only thing i can think of is the earth wire form engine to chasis (Drivers side)i started to undo it and had slight very slight spark...turned ignition off...then removed the cable and cleaned both ends turned ignition on and tried to move the cable and it wont spark anymore making me think there is another fuse somewhere that has blown.
Also i disconnected the two wires to the fuel pump and put a lightbulb in between the two and it did not light (Ignition was switched on)
the imobiliser turns on and off ok as far as i can tell in that when activated it does the central locking and the top light flashes...deactivate it and it undoes the central locking and the light stops flashing...getting close to the stage where a gallon of petrol is going to be poured over the whole thing and a 'careless' use of matches applied...!!!
Starting to get disillusioned with the whole TVR experience now as in the 5 months i have had this car i dont think i have gone a week without having the bonnet up....which is a shame as i have wanted one for sooooo long.
Starting to get disillusioned with the whole TVR experience now as in the 5 months i have had this car i dont think i have gone a week without having the bonnet up....which is a shame as i have wanted one for sooooo long.
Run a direct feed from the battery to the fuel pump, if it works then its the relay or fuse, if it doesn't then its the pump, or the earth to the pump. Also just because the relay is clicking doesn't mean its working. Electrics can be seen as a TVRs Achilles heal, and 95% of faults are bad earth related.
andy-w said:
Starting to get disillusioned with the whole TVR experience now as in the 5 months i have had this car i dont think i have gone a week without having the bonnet up....which is a shame as i have wanted one for sooooo long.
Andy, sorry to hear about your TVR woes. Don't get too disillusioned and stick with it. When I first got mine I had loads of strife, and I ended up biting the bullet and just chucking money at it to solve the problems. Since then, twelve months ago, the car has run like a dream. Worth every penny. Unforfunately I'll be trading in the Chim very shortly for a new Tuscan. I'll bloody miss that car.
If you've got fuel pump problems and not having any joy tracking them down, take a fused positive feed direct from the battery to the pump. If your pump is like mine then the positive connection to the pump is an oversize spade connector, my local motorfactor sells these. If the problem is in the electrical supply to the pump, this will immediately cure the symptoms and the engine will start and run reliably. If you *are* having intermittant problems with the pump then keep the wire in the car, you know that if it starts playing up while you are driving then whatever else happens you can use this to get the car going again.
I had several different problems with the fuel pump supply which drove me up the wall (it was my daily drive at the time) and took me months to track down, but at least once I had the wire ready I knew I would never be stranded.
I had several different problems with the fuel pump supply which drove me up the wall (it was my daily drive at the time) and took me months to track down, but at least once I had the wire ready I knew I would never be stranded.
I am assuming the engine will not turnover? If so, I have recently experienced a lot of the symptoms you describe which all resulted from a failing battery.
My battery was replaced just over two years ago. The car is mainly used at weekends and sits in a garage connected to an Accumate battery conditioner.
Never the less I came to the car the other Saturday morning and it would not turnover. The alarm & central locking all worked although a little sluggish and everything looked OK. I thought that perhaps the starter had jammed.
I charged the battery which then showed full charge and tested gave 12+ volts. But still nothing. I took the battery to a specialist who tested the output under load and the specific gravity of the acid in each cell.
The battery was shot, with three of the six cells knackered and the other three down on power. During this time my own tests had suggested the battery was good? So the battery could produce a few amps to make all the right noises, but did not have the power to turn the engine.
So a quick way of establishing if the battery is your problem, would be to get a working battery from another car and use jump leads to connect it to yours and see if your car will then start.
I suggest that you unbolt the battery box from under the car, then slide the battery towards you as far as the cars battery cables will allow. This makes connecting jump leads securely a lot easier. If I am right you will be removing the battery anyway!
(Watch out for the battery vent pipe if fitted)
Good luck
My battery was replaced just over two years ago. The car is mainly used at weekends and sits in a garage connected to an Accumate battery conditioner.
Never the less I came to the car the other Saturday morning and it would not turnover. The alarm & central locking all worked although a little sluggish and everything looked OK. I thought that perhaps the starter had jammed.
I charged the battery which then showed full charge and tested gave 12+ volts. But still nothing. I took the battery to a specialist who tested the output under load and the specific gravity of the acid in each cell.
The battery was shot, with three of the six cells knackered and the other three down on power. During this time my own tests had suggested the battery was good? So the battery could produce a few amps to make all the right noises, but did not have the power to turn the engine.
So a quick way of establishing if the battery is your problem, would be to get a working battery from another car and use jump leads to connect it to yours and see if your car will then start.
I suggest that you unbolt the battery box from under the car, then slide the battery towards you as far as the cars battery cables will allow. This makes connecting jump leads securely a lot easier. If I am right you will be removing the battery anyway!
(Watch out for the battery vent pipe if fitted)
Good luck
still having issues with the chim.
I have ordered a new ignition module hoping this will fix the problem!!!
The battery is fully charged and the engine turns over nicely.
There is petrol in the car and it is flowing through to the injectors.
I have got sparks at every plug...although an orange colored spark which is quite dim compared to a blue colored spark which is really bright and what i would like to see.
running out of ideas and am starting to get withdrawal symptoms...especially after one of the neighbours commented today that it has been nice not to be woken up every morning by the chim!!!
The imobiliser has been bypassed.
I have ordered a new ignition module hoping this will fix the problem!!!
The battery is fully charged and the engine turns over nicely.
There is petrol in the car and it is flowing through to the injectors.
I have got sparks at every plug...although an orange colored spark which is quite dim compared to a blue colored spark which is really bright and what i would like to see.
running out of ideas and am starting to get withdrawal symptoms...especially after one of the neighbours commented today that it has been nice not to be woken up every morning by the chim!!!
The imobiliser has been bypassed.
andy-w said:
still having issues with the chim.
I have ordered a new ignition module hoping this will fix the problem!!!
The battery is fully charged and the engine turns over nicely.
There is petrol in the car and it is flowing through to the injectors.
I have got sparks at every plug...although an orange colored spark which is quite dim compared to a blue colored spark which is really bright and what i would like to see.
running out of ideas and am starting to get withdrawal symptoms...especially after one of the neighbours commented today that it has been nice not to be woken up every morning by the chim!!!
The imobiliser has been bypassed.
Could be the coil too
have not been able to use the fault code reader as it comes up with the code 03 = corrupt data, start car and run engine for a while to get new data!!!!
The coil was replaced about two weeks ago....must admit it is an intermoto coil which i am probably going to be slated for but it is 'apparently' as good as a bosch or at least an equivalent...i have still got the original coil and have tried swapping them and it made no difference...
The coil was replaced about two weeks ago....must admit it is an intermoto coil which i am probably going to be slated for but it is 'apparently' as good as a bosch or at least an equivalent...i have still got the original coil and have tried swapping them and it made no difference...
I have a spare ign module and new Mallory coil, changed during a "guess the fault" episode, if you want to try. Previously when the coil went, the only way i could get the car to fire was to crank without the fuel pump relay, until it tried to fire and then i inserted it. Probably not your caes as you must of tried everything like that.
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