Help! Grown man close to tears!
Discussion
Okay, it's happened again!
Just got home on the back of an AA truck and I've used my second extinguisher in as many weeks!
Same thing as before, exhaust note changed and when I got out of the car the cat was glowing red and there were flames again!
I examined the cats when they were off and saw nothing wrong with them, no excess soot etc.
Can someone pleaes help me out, I'm at a loss, am I looking at £600 for a new pair of cats or is something else causing this?
Car was running like a dream before this happened.
I think I've decided decats aren't for me as they are simply too loud, but had anyone had any small silencers made up to fit where the cats go?
Pleaes help guys, I'm getting to the end of my teather with TVR ownership.
Tim
Just got home on the back of an AA truck and I've used my second extinguisher in as many weeks!
Same thing as before, exhaust note changed and when I got out of the car the cat was glowing red and there were flames again!
I examined the cats when they were off and saw nothing wrong with them, no excess soot etc.
Can someone pleaes help me out, I'm at a loss, am I looking at £600 for a new pair of cats or is something else causing this?
Car was running like a dream before this happened.
I think I've decided decats aren't for me as they are simply too loud, but had anyone had any small silencers made up to fit where the cats go?
Pleaes help guys, I'm getting to the end of my teather with TVR ownership.
Tim
The only time I've had this (prior to de-cat) was with a faulty lambda sensor causing overfueling (and therefore cooking the cat).
Could be worth hooking up a laptop to see if there are any faults logged with the lambda sensors.
Failing that, I know that people have put small silencers in place of the de-cat pipes, but its something that needs to be custom made.
Could be worth hooking up a laptop to see if there are any faults logged with the lambda sensors.
Failing that, I know that people have put small silencers in place of the de-cat pipes, but its something that needs to be custom made.
Oh mate ! 
Have you got a sports exhaust or are you running the standard back box ? If you've got a standard back box, I'd suggest a decat with a standard back box - it's not THAT loud..... (you should hear mine - no cats (hollowed out) and a sports exhaust !)
It sounds like either a Cat is partly blocked or you lambda sensors are b0110x'd - but you'd have the MIL light flashing (I think) if the lambdas weren't right.
Have you got a sports exhaust or are you running the standard back box ? If you've got a standard back box, I'd suggest a decat with a standard back box - it's not THAT loud..... (you should hear mine - no cats (hollowed out) and a sports exhaust !)
It sounds like either a Cat is partly blocked or you lambda sensors are b0110x'd - but you'd have the MIL light flashing (I think) if the lambdas weren't right.
It sounds to me like just de catting would be curing the symptom and not the problem.
If the cats are getting hot then it is over fuelling. Does the engine run lumpy before the fire? I would check the connection from the lambda sensors; check the ECU fault code and all the other stuff. The trouble is that this is an intermittent fault, and I know on aircraft we chase this kind of fault for ages and ages!
If the cats are getting hot then it is over fuelling. Does the engine run lumpy before the fire? I would check the connection from the lambda sensors; check the ECU fault code and all the other stuff. The trouble is that this is an intermittent fault, and I know on aircraft we chase this kind of fault for ages and ages!
Thanks guys, I'll go and hook up the laptop.
It does seem to get 'booged down' a bit upto 3K, I've been using a lighter throttle until past that point.
The engine's been out recently so wonder if somethings got knocked/damaged?
I haven't really driven the car much since I got it back, what with one thing and another.
Tim
It does seem to get 'booged down' a bit upto 3K, I've been using a lighter throttle until past that point.
The engine's been out recently so wonder if somethings got knocked/damaged?
I haven't really driven the car much since I got it back, what with one thing and another.
Tim
TT Tim said:
Thanks guys, I'll go and hook up the laptop.
It does seem to get 'booged down' a bit upto 3K, I've been using a lighter throttle until past that point.
The engine's been out recently so wonder if somethings got knocked/damaged?
I haven't really driven the car much since I got it back, what with one thing and another.
Tim
I am sure it will work out ok, chin up chap.
olly said:
Have you got a sports exhaust or are you running the standard back box ? If you've got a standard back box, I'd suggest a decat with a standard back box - it's not THAT loud.....
I'd agree with that, there is more change to the quality of the sound than the quantity with a decat. I run decatted with a standard back box and it's really quite civilised compared with a sports exhaust, with or without cats.
I'd also agree with sorting out the cause rather than the symptom though...
Tim, not being funny get rid of the cats, they're useless anyways, and at the risk of setting your car in flames i would have thrown them in the first instance. However this doesn't solve the problem. Like a few have mention check the sensors. what happened to the car after the last time - did anyone/professional take a look at it - give a diagnosis?
I had exactly the same problem with mine, although it didn't catch fire.
It turned out that one of the injector wires had come loose and that one wasn't firing. So it was pouring fuel down the other cylinders to compensate. This cooked one of the lambda sensors which didn't help matters.
Hooked it up to the laptop which showed the extra fuel but it didn't show the duff injector.
I started the engine from cold and (by mistake) noticed that one of the exhaust pipes from the no.7 cylinder was cold to touch when all the others were hot to touch. This was within about 30 secs of the engine starting. Of course I suspected a plug or plug-lead but the wires were not connected to the injector plug!
Connector purchased for 30p and retuned on the laptop.
Best of luck.
Cheers
Ed
It turned out that one of the injector wires had come loose and that one wasn't firing. So it was pouring fuel down the other cylinders to compensate. This cooked one of the lambda sensors which didn't help matters.
Hooked it up to the laptop which showed the extra fuel but it didn't show the duff injector.
I started the engine from cold and (by mistake) noticed that one of the exhaust pipes from the no.7 cylinder was cold to touch when all the others were hot to touch. This was within about 30 secs of the engine starting. Of course I suspected a plug or plug-lead but the wires were not connected to the injector plug!
Connector purchased for 30p and retuned on the laptop.
Best of luck.
Cheers
Ed
Tim, I have two spare decat pipes for the older pre 97 Cerb exhausts which have the shorter cats, they don't fit my one. It'll get you out at Brands on Monday.
Both Jez Firth and I had the same thing as you from the cats being loose inside the casing, mine started to melt the underside of the car to the degree that it made our eyes stream. I can't remember what length they are but someone will be helpfull on here I'm sure. John
Both Jez Firth and I had the same thing as you from the cats being loose inside the casing, mine started to melt the underside of the car to the degree that it made our eyes stream. I can't remember what length they are but someone will be helpfull on here I'm sure. John
Thanks for the replies guys.
I now have, in my possession a new Lambda sensor, and I'll pull the old one tomorrow.
It seems to be running on all 8 so I don't think an injector is to blame. Fingers crossed.
Going back to earlier post, is No.1 lambda on the passenger side.
Mark, its okay for you, you've got an inspection pit, us mere mortals have to scrabble around under axle stands. Only kidding, thanks for your words of support.
John, thanks for the decat offer, but I've already contacted Alex at Brands, I'm gutted but they've let me move my track day to later in the year. Was looking forward to seeing how well your car was handling.
Dean, thanks for the email
Tim
I now have, in my possession a new Lambda sensor, and I'll pull the old one tomorrow.
It seems to be running on all 8 so I don't think an injector is to blame. Fingers crossed.
Going back to earlier post, is No.1 lambda on the passenger side.
Mark, its okay for you, you've got an inspection pit, us mere mortals have to scrabble around under axle stands. Only kidding, thanks for your words of support.
John, thanks for the decat offer, but I've already contacted Alex at Brands, I'm gutted but they've let me move my track day to later in the year. Was looking forward to seeing how well your car was handling.
Dean, thanks for the email
Tim
TT Tim said:
Thanks for the replies guys.
I now have, in my possession a new Lambda sensor, and I'll pull the old one tomorrow.
It seems to be running on all 8 so I don't think an injector is to blame. Fingers crossed.
Going back to earlier post, is No.1 lambda on the passenger side.
Mark, its okay for you, you've got an inspection pit, us mere mortals have to scrabble around under axle stands. Only kidding, thanks for your words of support.
John, thanks for the decat offer, but I've already contacted Alex at Brands, I'm gutted but they've let me move my track day to later in the year. Was looking forward to seeing how well your car was handling.
Dean, thanks for the email
Tim
TT you live in kent and you own a Cerbera. That qualifies you for free use of a two post ramp in a heated garage when you need it at my house
I live within one mile of Brands Hatch. If you feel it can be of use to you let me know.
Julian64 said:
Thanks for the replies guys.
I now have, in my possession a new Lambda sensor, and I'll pull the old one tomorrow.
It seems to be running on all 8 so I don't think an injector is to blame. Fingers crossed.
Going back to earlier post, is No.1 lambda on the passenger side.
Mark, its okay for you, you've got an inspection pit, us mere mortals have to scrabble around under axle stands. Only kidding, thanks for your words of support.
John, thanks for the decat offer, but I've already contacted Alex at Brands, I'm gutted but they've let me move my track day to later in the year. Was looking forward to seeing how well your car was handling.
Dean, thanks for the email
Tim
TT you live in kent and you own a Cerbera. That qualifies you for free use of a two post ramp in a heated garage when you need it at my house
I live within one mile of Brands Hatch. If you feel it can be of use to you let me know.
Wow! the generosity of this site is sometimes overwelming. That is a very kind offer, thank you Julian. I think I will be okay, as I know I can only get the car as far as Harrietsham before it bursts into flames!
Heated garage and 2-post lift. That's the stuff of a Petrolheaders wet dream.
Tim
3'TTTs I think you have been blooooody lucky the car aint caught fire!!! dont effin risk it! once any part of that resin in the bodywork gets heated to melting point, there wont be anything you can do to stop the fire! Seriously, the whole car will go up in flames in a flash!
So PLEASE get someone to sort it out ASAP!
So PLEASE get someone to sort it out ASAP!
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