PLEASE HELP a new owner!!!!
Discussion
I am the new owner of a 1999 Chimaera 500 and have some problems.
1. Car overheats on regular occaisions; thermostat??
2. Car regularly cuts out on tickover.
3. Tickover regularly too high, (1500), for a minute then drops.
4. I live between Southampton and Bournemouth and will need a good servicing garage. Any recommendations and how much is it likely to be.
Thank for your help.
Clive Grace
1. Car overheats on regular occaisions; thermostat??
2. Car regularly cuts out on tickover.
3. Tickover regularly too high, (1500), for a minute then drops.
4. I live between Southampton and Bournemouth and will need a good servicing garage. Any recommendations and how much is it likely to be.
Thank for your help.
Clive Grace
Welcome to the madhouse!
First off the first check for overheating should be the fans, are they cutting in properly if not it is likely to be the otter switch (fan switch in the swirl pot) the way to test is to run the car up to around 92 degrees if the fans don't cut in switch the engine off but leave the ignition on take the plug to the switch off you should see two terminals in this plug take a piece of wire or a paperclip and complete the circuit between the two in the plug, your fans should cut in if not you need a new switch, it is a common fault and it's best to get an upgraded switch, one that cuts in earlier and stays on for longer.
As for the running problems sounds like the stepper motor on the plenum needs a clean, definately the first place to look.
Get yourself a copy off the bible (Steve Heaths guide) this will tell you everything you need to know.
Have fun!
First off the first check for overheating should be the fans, are they cutting in properly if not it is likely to be the otter switch (fan switch in the swirl pot) the way to test is to run the car up to around 92 degrees if the fans don't cut in switch the engine off but leave the ignition on take the plug to the switch off you should see two terminals in this plug take a piece of wire or a paperclip and complete the circuit between the two in the plug, your fans should cut in if not you need a new switch, it is a common fault and it's best to get an upgraded switch, one that cuts in earlier and stays on for longer.
As for the running problems sounds like the stepper motor on the plenum needs a clean, definately the first place to look.
Get yourself a copy off the bible (Steve Heaths guide) this will tell you everything you need to know.
Have fun!
clivegrace, and welcome to the asylum. Tick over? have you cleaned the stepper motor? If not do so it may cure your tick over and stalling problems.
Servicing? not too sure about your neck of the woods, but two locals with a Chim and a Cerbie and myself, who reside in Worthing use Fernhursts (north of Midhurst)TRV independent. Great bunch of guy's and very useful on the end of the phone, when help is needed unexpectedly.
Hope this helps.
>> Edited by Big Al. (moderator) on Monday 25th August 18:19
Overheating: firstly check the Otter Switch is working - small screw in thingy on the tall ally swirl pot (top rad hose connects to this pot) with a '2 spade connector' plug in it. If the fans come on then it is working - if not then this is probably the problem - any TVR dealer will stock these and you can unscrew/replace it yourself (not when engine is hot/water under pressure OK!). If the fans do come on then you could have a failing thermostat or a blocked radiator - get a specialist to check. There are worse reasons for overheating of course ...
I believe there is a good independent dealer called APM Automotive somewhere near you - do a search on PH and you'll find a link. I've not used them myself, but have read good reports - much cheaper and more responsive than a main stealer IMO.
Stalling - check the stepper motor (do a search for info again). Could be other tuning related things needing adjustment though.
Buy Steve Heath's bible (nickname shpub on this site) - it will tell you all you need to know.
I believe there is a good independent dealer called APM Automotive somewhere near you - do a search on PH and you'll find a link. I've not used them myself, but have read good reports - much cheaper and more responsive than a main stealer IMO.
Stalling - check the stepper motor (do a search for info again). Could be other tuning related things needing adjustment though.
Buy Steve Heath's bible (nickname shpub on this site) - it will tell you all you need to know.
braemarblue said:
Mine was like that - it was the inlet manifold gasket leaking. Caused by the inlet manifold being loose... This let water drip onto the exhaust manifold - which also cracked.
Call me dense but how does a leaking inlet manifold gasket let water drip onto the exhaust manifold?
Welcome to the world of Chimeara ownership
1) What overheating symptoms do you get ? I would trust the temp gauge as far as I could throw the car - mines about 8 deg out.
2) The tickover thing may be stepper motor, however mine does this sort of thing for a week or so after the battery has been disconnected. This resets the ECU and mine does not seem to like this for some unknown reason. After about 10 or so trips out it sorts itself out.
3) See 2) - maybe.
4) the last thing that needed doing on the Chim, I went to the local range rover expert (gbox & clutch - but he has worked on TVRs previously). I had a very good service on the tuscan at Racing Green and have heard good things about Mr Batty.
The bible will be a good aid to diagnosis - I never travel without mine.
Bob
1) What overheating symptoms do you get ? I would trust the temp gauge as far as I could throw the car - mines about 8 deg out.
2) The tickover thing may be stepper motor, however mine does this sort of thing for a week or so after the battery has been disconnected. This resets the ECU and mine does not seem to like this for some unknown reason. After about 10 or so trips out it sorts itself out.
3) See 2) - maybe.
4) the last thing that needed doing on the Chim, I went to the local range rover expert (gbox & clutch - but he has worked on TVRs previously). I had a very good service on the tuscan at Racing Green and have heard good things about Mr Batty.
The bible will be a good aid to diagnosis - I never travel without mine.
Bob
clivegrace said:
I am the new owner of a 1999 Chimaera 500 and have some problems.
1. Car overheats on regular occaisions; thermostat??
2. Car regularly cuts out on tickover.
3. Tickover regularly too high, (1500), for a minute then drops.
4. I live between Southampton and Bournemouth and will need a good servicing garage. Any recommendations and how much is it likely to be.
Thank for your help.
Clive Grace
1) The car can overheat for a number of reasons, some easy to fix and some less so. Occasionally the wrong tamperature thermostat is fitted (Range Rover part used in place of TVR specific) but this would not be my first guess. Definitely worth checking the connectors to the fans have not corroded as Corin describes as this is a common occurence and simple to check. Another common problem is air in the system. If you've eliminated the simple causes of overheating, best to consult an expert such as David to sort the problem quickly before it gets expensive.
2) Again quite a few causes for this. I had an occurence of the car cutting out on the way to Le Mans this year, which DB correctly diagnosed as fuel vaporisation. As soon as decent airflow had cooled the engine sufficiently, normal service resumed with a nice steady idle.
Since your car is running hot if it overheats a lot, this may be the cause of your problems. It may be something else totally unrelated, but I have been told the stepper motor may not benefit from cleaning as much as others may think, as it is quite delicate. Once your overheating problem is solved, move onto this one - an expert will probably be able to tackle 1 & 2 in short order.
3. More of the same, could be this, could be that, yadda, yadda, yadda. One thing of note though, is that the ECU has adaptive fueling, which it varies depending on a number of factors. It apparently takes between 5 and 20 miles to adapt to a change in driving style between, say between an open road blast and trundling about town. While it is adapting it can make some bad decisions, hence stuff like idling at 1500 rpm while it makes its mind up. This behaviour may not indicate anything wrong with your car.
4. Will leave this to folks more local to you. I can recommend David Batty - totally honest, keen pricing and a waiting list for his services that reflects this. In my opinion, worth the wait.
Steve.
clivegrace said:That'd be the New Forest then! Your nearest TVR dealer would be Westovers outside Blandford. The Dorset TVRCC lot (inc Bob the Planner) meet at the Avon Causeway, near Hurn on the first Sunday, on the 7th they're planning to go to the Sammy Millier M/C Museum. There you will get all sort of recommendations of garages! Of course you're also welcome at a Hants do
I am the new owner of a 1999 Chimaera 500 and have some problems.
4. I live between Southampton and Bournemouth and will need a good servicing garage. Any recommendations and how much is it likely to be.
Clive Grace
clivegrace said:
4. I live between Southampton and Bournemouth and will need a good servicing garage. Any recommendations and how much is it likely to be.
As already recommended on here there are 2 recommended TVR gurus to the East of you (though there may be another one closer):
APM Automotive (Andy Mcloughlin) at Liphook
Dave Batty at Guilford
Contact info is availbel on the Adrian Blyth website at:
www.adrianblyth.co.uk/links.asp
I believe both come with high recommendation from this forum (and that includes from me for Andy).
BTW Andy may be busy at the moment since he's either just come back, or hasn't arrived back yet, from holiday!
Steve.[/quote]
(snippity)
3. More of the same, could be this, could be that, yadda, yadda, yadda. One thing of note though, is that the ECU has adaptive fueling, which it varies depending on a number of factors. It apparently takes between 5 and 20 miles to adapt to a change in driving style between, say between an open road blast and trundling about town. While it is adapting it can make some bad decisions, hence stuff like idling at 1500 rpm while it makes its mind up. This behaviour may not indicate anything wrong with your car.
(snip)
Steve.[/quote]
The ECU has Adaptive Fuelling..........Sorry, urban myth, you are being extremely economical with the truth!!
Adaptive fuelling is not fitted on any ECU gracing a Chimaera/Griffith that came out of the Factory with a V8 engine - at least IMVHO!!!
Unless you've changed the Lucas ECU you get a linear system, that's why so many get theirs "tuned" to what the engine specific tuning - most of us get just what you've said - not the smoothest of drive about 1500 rpm - Its all a compromise.
Sounds like the '99 500 Chim needs a "GOOD" tune-up and perhaps a good "blast" !!
Welcome to the "club" but don't expect the whole truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth in the answers ;-))
Trev McM
The ECU does adapt its fuelling but only when idling and at around 90 degrees. It is not a completely adaptive system but it will adjust its mapping. This is why resetting the ECU to go back to the defaults will often clear a fault when this adaption has been screwed up by a duff sensor giving incorrect but still valid data.
Sorry Steve, Don't agree. The word "Adaptive" was being used to describe that the TVR ECU was able to differentiate between driving styles. Which it can't!!
Adjusting to inputs from "duff" sensors is not truely "Adaptive" in the current "modern" electronic ECU sense. However, I agree you "could" descibe the "effect" as adaptive.
I also doubt the TVR ECU re-adjusts mapping - that's set in an EPROM !!
Trev McM
Adjusting to inputs from "duff" sensors is not truely "Adaptive" in the current "modern" electronic ECU sense. However, I agree you "could" descibe the "effect" as adaptive.
I also doubt the TVR ECU re-adjusts mapping - that's set in an EPROM !!
Trev McM
I think the problem is the meaning of adaptive...
Having re read everything then I definitely agree with you but there is some "adaption" although not in the way that the other Steve talks about...
ECU will change the fuelling (adapt if you like) depending on how the throttle is pressed which means those drivers with a heavier right foot will get an adapted/changed mapping from those with a less heavy foot. This is instant and doesn't take 20 miles to get used to the driving style.
The word "adaptive" refers to adapting to the engine characteristics not the driver. It will also adapt/change its mapping if sensors start to misbehave but this can be a bit strange. If the sensor is dead, it will log it as a fault and go a default limp home mode. If the sensor is alive but supplying the wrong information, the ECU will use a different mapping based on that signal. It actually uses a different part of the look up table. It may even adapt/change its fine tuning as well which is why as I said that resetting the ECU will sometimes cure running faults because the ECU goes back to the defaults.
As for the stuff being in EPROM... yes but there is also an area of RAM which is battery backed up which can be used to patch settings and variables, fault codes and so on. Supplied at all times from the battery. This is why disconnecting the power destroys the info as the RAM is scrambled and the adaptions/changes that the ECU has made as well as any fault codes are lost.
>> Edited by shpub on Tuesday 26th August 11:57
Having re read everything then I definitely agree with you but there is some "adaption" although not in the way that the other Steve talks about...
ECU will change the fuelling (adapt if you like) depending on how the throttle is pressed which means those drivers with a heavier right foot will get an adapted/changed mapping from those with a less heavy foot. This is instant and doesn't take 20 miles to get used to the driving style.
The word "adaptive" refers to adapting to the engine characteristics not the driver. It will also adapt/change its mapping if sensors start to misbehave but this can be a bit strange. If the sensor is dead, it will log it as a fault and go a default limp home mode. If the sensor is alive but supplying the wrong information, the ECU will use a different mapping based on that signal. It actually uses a different part of the look up table. It may even adapt/change its fine tuning as well which is why as I said that resetting the ECU will sometimes cure running faults because the ECU goes back to the defaults.
As for the stuff being in EPROM... yes but there is also an area of RAM which is battery backed up which can be used to patch settings and variables, fault codes and so on. Supplied at all times from the battery. This is why disconnecting the power destroys the info as the RAM is scrambled and the adaptions/changes that the ECU has made as well as any fault codes are lost.
>> Edited by shpub on Tuesday 26th August 11:57
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