Traffic jams in the blazing sun. Serious problem or not?
Discussion
When running normally, my temperature gauge shows about 75 degrees.
In a jam in hot weather this can creep up to 80-85 degrees. On Friday evening I was crawling around the North Circular and she was showing 100 degress and refusing to idle. I had to press the throttle very (very) slightly to get the revs up to 1100 to prevent her from stalling.
After a while the traffic was moving enough to allow the temperature back down to 90 and she seemed OK again.
So what's the deal here? It is OK to run the car when the gauge is showing 100 degrees? And why does the high temperature cause the idle to go haywire?
In a jam in hot weather this can creep up to 80-85 degrees. On Friday evening I was crawling around the North Circular and she was showing 100 degress and refusing to idle. I had to press the throttle very (very) slightly to get the revs up to 1100 to prevent her from stalling.
After a while the traffic was moving enough to allow the temperature back down to 90 and she seemed OK again.
So what's the deal here? It is OK to run the car when the gauge is showing 100 degrees? And why does the high temperature cause the idle to go haywire?
100 C is unusual but not enough to be an immediate problem if you are only driving gently. Big £££ signs should start flashing in front of your eyes at around 105C - 110C. This is the point where localised boiling, and the resulting sudden local temperature variations, can damage the engine.
The cooling system should be able to keep the temperature below 100C though if it is working properly. It might be worth checking that the radiator has been bled properly, and if that's OK then think about descaling it.
The cooling system should be able to keep the temperature below 100C though if it is working properly. It might be worth checking that the radiator has been bled properly, and if that's OK then think about descaling it.
I was going to mention that the TVR Temp guages tend to vary quite a bit so it may not be exactly 100 degrees but since it normally only gets up to 85 even traffic i'm with the bleeding the cooling system idea.
Other than the temperature guage reading differently from normal (which you are getting) i dont know of any other symptoms.
From what you've said i think bleeding the cooling system and checking the Otter switch is working ok would be a good starting point.
And definitely dont run the engine with the guage showing 105 +. Just not worth the risk!!
Other than the temperature guage reading differently from normal (which you are getting) i dont know of any other symptoms.
From what you've said i think bleeding the cooling system and checking the Otter switch is working ok would be a good starting point.
And definitely dont run the engine with the guage showing 105 +. Just not worth the risk!!
It might be that one of your fans is not working. Mine was the same and made itself known in its first Summer! It's amazing how much the cooling system struggles with just one fan. Have a fiddle with the switch which lurks somewhere down where the fans live, and more than likely dangles in the radiator 'drip tray' like mine was!
Echo the points above about the temp and watching out...I also get an erratic idle when the engine starts to get hot (over 85) and also have to stop it from stalling. Is this a sign of something out of kilter, a duff sensor (just to pre-empt, the stepper moter is spotless) or is it just one of those things that makes ownership such a joy?
Could be the ECU temperature sensor telling the ECU that the engine temp is lower than it actually is.
This would then cause a rich mixture for the current engine temperature.
The sensor could still be working, but has just gone a little out of spec.
Easy to replace and costs about a tenner.
Hope that helps.
Cheers Paul.
This would then cause a rich mixture for the current engine temperature.
The sensor could still be working, but has just gone a little out of spec.
Easy to replace and costs about a tenner.
Hope that helps.
Cheers Paul.
I'm not entirely technical so apologies if this theory is rubbish but certainly in my Midget and in my fathers Kougar and Railton (1933 straight 8 job) you tend to get an erratic idle if you have been sitting in traffic due to fuel evaporation. Simply the heat in the engine bay is extreme enough that the fuel starts to evaporate when it is only being dribbled in in small quantities. Its why it won't idle but will run with a certain degree of fuel being fed in. I know that the tiv is fuel injected and therefore a bit more advanced but its not that clever. What I do know is that all of the above causes extra bother in traffic and unpleasant betty swallocks syndrom
It is true that the engine bay gets extremely hot. Even the bonnet prop gets too hot to touch, let alone anything actually close to the engine.
I wonder if the unstable idle only happens with with 500 engines, or perhaps only with modified 500 engines? Mine has a high-lift cam and carbon throttle bodies.
I wonder if the unstable idle only happens with with 500 engines, or perhaps only with modified 500 engines? Mine has a high-lift cam and carbon throttle bodies.
Spent about 1.5 hours stuck in the largest car park in the country last Friday night.. Car was not impressed but didn't go above 95.
So, I guess if the cooling system is sorted then it is fine? My old Chimaera had no problems in any heat, but after a major service one year suddenly started having cooling issues.
So, I guess if the cooling system is sorted then it is fine? My old Chimaera had no problems in any heat, but after a major service one year suddenly started having cooling issues.
Went out on Wednesday in about 30 degrees heat. Mostly in traffic at speeds up to 40/50, temp gauge at 70 except when at rest when the fans cut in at just over 90 and bring it down to just over 85.
So I think my gauge is fairly accurate as this is what it's supposed to do.
When in slow/stationary traffic I cool my footwells by putting the fan on a bir, it blows out cool air(I do not have air con).
So pretty cool then
So I think my gauge is fairly accurate as this is what it's supposed to do.
When in slow/stationary traffic I cool my footwells by putting the fan on a bir, it blows out cool air(I do not have air con).
So pretty cool then
Edited by tvr keith on Friday 16th June 18:17
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