Do I have an immobiliser fault?
Discussion
Not sure if I have a fault with the immobiliser.
Twice now over a two month period the Griff would not start. The ignition comes on ok and the usual familiar noises spring into life like the fuel pump but the engine will not turn over (new battery fitted 3 months ago).
I had this problem on a Renault Clio from new. The immobiliser would kick in for no reason and the car had to be left for up to an hour before the ECU unscrambled itself.
I did jack up the car and cleaned the spade connector to the starter motor solenoid and the car started immediately. I wondered was this a coincidence, as by this time an hour had gone by and maybe the same thing happened with the ECU as with the Clio.
Has anyone else had a similar situation?
Twice now over a two month period the Griff would not start. The ignition comes on ok and the usual familiar noises spring into life like the fuel pump but the engine will not turn over (new battery fitted 3 months ago).
I had this problem on a Renault Clio from new. The immobiliser would kick in for no reason and the car had to be left for up to an hour before the ECU unscrambled itself.
I did jack up the car and cleaned the spade connector to the starter motor solenoid and the car started immediately. I wondered was this a coincidence, as by this time an hour had gone by and maybe the same thing happened with the ECU as with the Clio.
Has anyone else had a similar situation?
From what you've said, if the fuel pump is priming when you turn the key, I don't think it will be the immobiliser that's causing the problem.
When my alarm/immob. packed up 5 years ago, the pump wouldn't prime at all.
I reckon your starter motor is the issue here.
When my alarm/immob. packed up 5 years ago, the pump wouldn't prime at all.
I reckon your starter motor is the issue here.
Edited by lazyitus on Sunday 7th June 22:32
ukstmoo said:
Not sure if I have a fault with the immobiliser.
Has anyone else had a similar situation?
Yes Has anyone else had a similar situation?
The Immobiliser has several channels one of which is used to disable the starter. In my experience the problem starts out as intermittent and then becomes permanent, both the V8s and the Griff gave up in this way. In a proper installation the immobiliser output would be used to switch a relay which switches the starter solenoid. The standard installation doesn’t do this and eventually it seems something inside the immobiliser gives up and is no longer able to pass the required current to pull the solenoid in. The normal fix for this is to fit the relay that TVR didn’t. It seems that that generally the immobiliser is still able to power the relay even if it can no longer pull in the solenoid.
To do the job properly it is also not a bad idea to run a new cable to the starter whilst you are at it, the standard TVR offering is a little on the thin side.
Just another option as food for thought. You said it's intermitent, does it happen after the car has been run and is still hot?
Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
griffith400 said:
Just another option as food for thought. You said it's intermitent, does it happen after the car has been run and is still hot?
Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
My experience was that the hot start kit did not fix the problem - instead resulted in the frequency of failure starting to increase. If the immob circuits are breaking down, the hot start is not going to be a cure IMO.Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
[quote=griffith400]Just another option as food for thought. You said it's intermitent, does it happen after the car has been run and is still hot?
Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
No it is not a hot engine issue. Both times the car had not been started for at least 1 week.
Thanks for all the input
Steve Moore
Could be the infamous Hot Start Problem as this is a similar situation. My Griff has this and although there is a cure via the ModWise kit, I've always found that as long as I leave my fans running till they cut off, the car will be OK.
Its usually a problem at garages when stopping for petrol. Now I just look like a numpty waiting for up to a couple mins for the car to cool itself down before making a move to fill the car. Does leave people thinking "what's he up to?"
Might not be your issue but it's a common one for us Griffters so thought I'd mention it!
Steve.
No it is not a hot engine issue. Both times the car had not been started for at least 1 week.
Thanks for all the input
Steve Moore
Can any one comment on my problem here.. the bit you push into the slot before you tirn the key... sometimes it work and some times it don't... today at the petrol station I had to do it 4 times before the pump kicked in?... is there a nack to these push in bit's?.. do you have to leave them in for a set period of time,... and do you then have a limited time to get the key in and turned?.. .dam thing is annoying at times!!
TVR Beaver said:
Can any one comment on my problem here.. the bit you push into the slot before you tirn the key... sometimes it work and some times it don't... today at the petrol station I had to do it 4 times before the pump kicked in?... is there a nack to these push in bit's?.. do you have to leave them in for a set period of time,... and do you then have a limited time to get the key in and turned?.. .dam thing is annoying at times!!
Do you know the type and model of your alarm/immobiliser?The Meta system uses the square key to operate the immobiliser only. The remote key fob operates the alarm and if set up correctly it also switches the immobiliser. If the fob fails you can always start your car with the square key but the alarm will sound. Just pushing the square key into the socket momentarily should be adequate to operate the immobiliser. I believe you then only have a few seconds to switch on your ignition otherwise it locks out. Not sure what the procedures are for non Meta systems.
Think it's the standard Meta system.. that sounds like the one... I didn't know it should work of the fob also.. but that said, I never lock the car as it lives in my garage or at work most of the time... Will see if it does....
Think the problem is time from insertion to key in ignition and it timing out?.. may be I should split the things up of put it on a longer string so I can have the key already in the ignition?.. There is a red LED on the female of the square on the column... should this stay on when you insert the male part?.. sometimes it does, some times it goes off??
Think the problem is time from insertion to key in ignition and it timing out?.. may be I should split the things up of put it on a longer string so I can have the key already in the ignition?.. There is a red LED on the female of the square on the column... should this stay on when you insert the male part?.. sometimes it does, some times it goes off??
The leather handbook that came with the car states a 20 second time period to turn on the ignition after plugging in the square thingy before the immobiliser locks out. Have to admit it seems a very much shorter time to me.
On my 96 500: With the immobiliser armed and the red led flashing on the square socket, plugging in the square key causes the flashing to stop and the led to give a single short flash it then extinguishes until the immobiliser rearms and starts flashing again.
If your alarm and immobiliser are OK you should be able to sync the alarm and immobiliser together, this saves messing with the square thing as you only need the remote fob. Apparently the immobiliser can only be synchronised a few times to the immobiliser before it fails to lock. There are quite a few threads on here re alarms/immobilisers
On my 96 500: With the immobiliser armed and the red led flashing on the square socket, plugging in the square key causes the flashing to stop and the led to give a single short flash it then extinguishes until the immobiliser rearms and starts flashing again.
If your alarm and immobiliser are OK you should be able to sync the alarm and immobiliser together, this saves messing with the square thing as you only need the remote fob. Apparently the immobiliser can only be synchronised a few times to the immobiliser before it fails to lock. There are quite a few threads on here re alarms/immobilisers
Mmm.. will have to read up on this... I've been sorting 'other' things.. but now they are done... this does need looking at... It works on mine if I plug it in and the red led stop's on.. if I get that and into the ignition quick it will work... If not and it goes off whilst in.. chances are it won't work?.... It flashes as you say whilst sat...
I think it's the plugging in and it not staying on sold that's the problem.. but not sure which bit's at fault there.. I have 2 fob's and one does appear to work a bit better than the other?.. I've also put it on a longer chain now so I can have the key in the ignitioin before plugging it in.. Helps a bit!....
Cheers
I think it's the plugging in and it not staying on sold that's the problem.. but not sure which bit's at fault there.. I have 2 fob's and one does appear to work a bit better than the other?.. I've also put it on a longer chain now so I can have the key in the ignitioin before plugging it in.. Helps a bit!....
Cheers
Had an intermittent problem with the immobiliser on my Griff. A couple of times it wouldn’t start after stopping at the petrol station, then it did it once when starting from cold. Then it was fine for a while. Then one day, the pump would prime but the starter wouldn’t turn, or on trying again, it would start but no fuel. That time was when we were booked on a ferry to France the next day!
A call to Carl Baker at Car & Bike Installations Ltd - on a Sunday morning - sorted us out with a temporary bypass so we could go on holiday (thanks Carl!!). Take it to him if you can - he is the man for TVR alarms. He replaced the immobiliser and no probs since, and no need to fit a ‘hot start kit’.
Also, he pointed out that there's no need to use the stupid plug in thing. Put the key in, turn on to ignition position, and press the keyfob button for a second, as you would to set or unset the alarm. Fuel pump should prime and ignition live. Bingo. So much easier!
Hope that helps.
A call to Carl Baker at Car & Bike Installations Ltd - on a Sunday morning - sorted us out with a temporary bypass so we could go on holiday (thanks Carl!!). Take it to him if you can - he is the man for TVR alarms. He replaced the immobiliser and no probs since, and no need to fit a ‘hot start kit’.
Also, he pointed out that there's no need to use the stupid plug in thing. Put the key in, turn on to ignition position, and press the keyfob button for a second, as you would to set or unset the alarm. Fuel pump should prime and ignition live. Bingo. So much easier!
Hope that helps.
TVR Beaver said:
Mmm.. will have to read up on this... I've been sorting 'other' things.. but now they are done... this does need looking at... It works on mine if I plug it in and the red led stop's on.. if I get that and into the ignition quick it will work... If not and it goes off whilst in.. chances are it won't work?.... It flashes as you say whilst sat...
I think it's the plugging in and it not staying on sold that's the problem.. but not sure which bit's at fault there.. I have 2 fob's and one does appear to work a bit better than the other?.. I've also put it on a longer chain now so I can have the key in the ignitioin before plugging it in.. Helps a bit!....
Cheers
The oblong fob that fits nr the ignition barrel is an emergency fit 'get you home' type thingamyjig. Just insert ignition key, turn to last position before start where you get all the lights on, press the alarm fob plip, hear fuel pump prime and start with ignition key, any other method aint gonna help.I think it's the plugging in and it not staying on sold that's the problem.. but not sure which bit's at fault there.. I have 2 fob's and one does appear to work a bit better than the other?.. I've also put it on a longer chain now so I can have the key in the ignitioin before plugging it in.. Helps a bit!....
Cheers
Tony / 5 lTR... top info.. I did not know this... wish I was home now so I could give it a go!.. obviously the last owner didn't know this either..... Great info.....
I assume it's the bigger of the two buttons you press?....
That's a point... what does the big one do and what does the small one do???
The big one apperas to lock and un-lock the system... not sure about the other...
As I said... had the car since October and have been doing many other things and it lives in my internal garage so never lock it... A bit more info would be appreciated if you know... Cheers
I assume it's the bigger of the two buttons you press?....
That's a point... what does the big one do and what does the small one do???
The big one apperas to lock and un-lock the system... not sure about the other...
As I said... had the car since October and have been doing many other things and it lives in my internal garage so never lock it... A bit more info would be appreciated if you know... Cheers
Tony / 5Ltr.. that didn't work... put in the key and turned ignition on... pressed the fob... nothing happened?. just the red light on the ctr panel lit whilst I pressed it.. then went off when I stoped pressing it.. so do I have a problem?...
Where is the alarm situated?? I know there is somthing in the passenger side behind the door and also a box under the ctr consul... is there more to it??
If it's not working right is it a registration issue or does it need fixing.. and if so... who can do it?.. ant assistance would be good... Cheers...
.
Where is the alarm situated?? I know there is somthing in the passenger side behind the door and also a box under the ctr consul... is there more to it??
If it's not working right is it a registration issue or does it need fixing.. and if so... who can do it?.. ant assistance would be good... Cheers...
.
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