Meta breakdown caused by rain?
Discussion
Hello everybody
I've got quite an interesting problem with my 96' Griffith 500. After a mecanical breakdown on the Autobahn (now solved, the brake calliper came off!) I had to pull the car back home. Sadly though, this had to happen in heavy rain on an open trailer. When I arrived after two hours, I heard the starter motor running for some seconds, stopping for several minutes, starting again and so on, without me or the ignition key beeing involved. Lucky enough, the car started after applying the ignition key and could be driven into the garage.
When I decided to get the brake issue solved some days later, the chassis earth cable looked like this without a single fuse beeing damaged:
After replacing the cable, I carefully tried to start the engine, but as you can imagine, I haven't been successful. Some of the electrical gadgets, like the windows and parts of the heating are working whereas others like the immobilizer((?)light is always blinking), the starter motor or the fuel pump do not.
I suspect the Meta imobilizer/alarm system to being responsible for the described faults.
Does any of you pistonheaders already had such a problem or at least has an idea of what could be the hitch and how to fix it?
Thank you for your answers,
Dennis
I've got quite an interesting problem with my 96' Griffith 500. After a mecanical breakdown on the Autobahn (now solved, the brake calliper came off!) I had to pull the car back home. Sadly though, this had to happen in heavy rain on an open trailer. When I arrived after two hours, I heard the starter motor running for some seconds, stopping for several minutes, starting again and so on, without me or the ignition key beeing involved. Lucky enough, the car started after applying the ignition key and could be driven into the garage.
When I decided to get the brake issue solved some days later, the chassis earth cable looked like this without a single fuse beeing damaged:
After replacing the cable, I carefully tried to start the engine, but as you can imagine, I haven't been successful. Some of the electrical gadgets, like the windows and parts of the heating are working whereas others like the immobilizer((?)light is always blinking), the starter motor or the fuel pump do not.
I suspect the Meta imobilizer/alarm system to being responsible for the described faults.
Does any of you pistonheaders already had such a problem or at least has an idea of what could be the hitch and how to fix it?
Thank you for your answers,
Dennis
There is a permanent live feed to the starter and a switched feed to the starter solenoid from the ignition switch via the Meta unit. If a “ hot start” modification has been fitted there my be an additional relay between the Meta and the solenoid. Is it perhaps possible that when the car was put on the trailer something (perhaps a steel rope on the trailer bed) shorted between the live feed and the switched feed. Assuming the car was OK until it went on the trailer the unusual thing was the trailer. If you find the starter output from the Meta and connect 12v (via a fuse) does the starter run normally ?
I would have thought the normal supply to the Meta would have a Fuse low enough to blow before the earth wire melted which suggests the power came from a different source like the two terminals on the staerter shorted.
I would have thought the normal supply to the Meta would have a Fuse low enough to blow before the earth wire melted which suggests the power came from a different source like the two terminals on the staerter shorted.
Be careful with the Meta system as there are a few versions and it may not be just a case of swapping boxs! Much better to let Carl sort it for you he is one of the few people in the UK that really understands the system. He sorts out alarm/immobilisers for many TVR dealers, so if you go to one of them chances are they will only send it to Carl in any case and add their markup.
Loubaruch said:
Be careful with the Meta system as there are a few versions and it may not be just a case of swapping boxs! Much better to let Carl sort it for you he is one of the few people in the UK that really understands the system. He sorts out alarm/immobilisers for many TVR dealers, so if you go to one of them chances are they will only send it to Carl in any case and add their markup.
I think the OP is in Frankfurter land 
OK maybe able to help here. Just had the same problem but not with the meta alarm have a sigma fitted. Spoke to carl who gave me excellent advice.
Heres the story. Replaced sticking window switch, crossed wires and blew two blade fuses. Easy repair replace two blade fuses. Moved car out if garage to gain better access to fuse board all ok. Replaced blades and set about replacing battery and footwell trim. Get in car to put back in garage and the fuel pump will not prime. Alarm and everything else ok but will not start. Imediatley thought immobiliser fault on alarm ! Not so ! replaced relays to ignition and fuel pump, like for like bosch items 30a and everything started first time.
Could it not be an alarm issue but a circuit issue. Just passing on my most recent fix one problem and create another.
Cooper Green.
Heres the story. Replaced sticking window switch, crossed wires and blew two blade fuses. Easy repair replace two blade fuses. Moved car out if garage to gain better access to fuse board all ok. Replaced blades and set about replacing battery and footwell trim. Get in car to put back in garage and the fuel pump will not prime. Alarm and everything else ok but will not start. Imediatley thought immobiliser fault on alarm ! Not so ! replaced relays to ignition and fuel pump, like for like bosch items 30a and everything started first time.
Could it not be an alarm issue but a circuit issue. Just passing on my most recent fix one problem and create another.
Cooper Green.
[quote=Del 203
I think the OP is in Frankfurter land
[/quote]
I updated my Meta alarm/immobiliser last year as a new Control box appeared on ebay.
The Meta M99T2 control box is basically an alarm that is triggered from:
1. Door switches, and possibly boot/bonnet switches (mine wasn't)
2. From the microwave module (under the whale tail in my 96 500)
3. Anti Hijack button on the dash.
It operates the central locking. And signals the indicators and siren when alarmed and when setting. An LED on the dash also indicates the status.
The immobiliser Type: M36T2 plugs into the control box as does the Siren type:SC1T2 and
the microwave module type:M23T2 (also called a Hyper frequency module)
The siren is definitely not compatible with the earlier Meta M99TRC control box and I recall that the Microwave module is model specific also.
In addition to the key fob setting the immobiliser via the control box the immobiliser can also be set independently with the oblong dongle thing that plugs into the socket on the steering column. You are most likely aware.
One problem with buying a second hand control unit apparently is programming your current immobiliser with the new control box. There are only a set number of times this can occur as I believe each new programming operation burns a part of a ROM to set the hardware in the immobiliser.
This is why I advised getting in contact with Carl. As you are in Germany it may be worth contacting Meta for their local service agents, but I tried this in the UK and was given 4 contacts 3 of which who turned out to be a waste of time, only Carl seemed to appreciate the problems.
I think the OP is in Frankfurter land
[/quote]
I updated my Meta alarm/immobiliser last year as a new Control box appeared on ebay.
The Meta M99T2 control box is basically an alarm that is triggered from:
1. Door switches, and possibly boot/bonnet switches (mine wasn't)
2. From the microwave module (under the whale tail in my 96 500)
3. Anti Hijack button on the dash.
It operates the central locking. And signals the indicators and siren when alarmed and when setting. An LED on the dash also indicates the status.
The immobiliser Type: M36T2 plugs into the control box as does the Siren type:SC1T2 and
the microwave module type:M23T2 (also called a Hyper frequency module)
The siren is definitely not compatible with the earlier Meta M99TRC control box and I recall that the Microwave module is model specific also.
In addition to the key fob setting the immobiliser via the control box the immobiliser can also be set independently with the oblong dongle thing that plugs into the socket on the steering column. You are most likely aware.
One problem with buying a second hand control unit apparently is programming your current immobiliser with the new control box. There are only a set number of times this can occur as I believe each new programming operation burns a part of a ROM to set the hardware in the immobiliser.
This is why I advised getting in contact with Carl. As you are in Germany it may be worth contacting Meta for their local service agents, but I tried this in the UK and was given 4 contacts 3 of which who turned out to be a waste of time, only Carl seemed to appreciate the problems.
Edited by Loubaruch on Thursday 25th February 10:46
Edited by Loubaruch on Friday 26th February 08:29
Loubaruch said:
He sorts out alarm/immobilisers for many TVR dealers, so if you go to one of them chances are they will only send it to Carl in any case and add their markup.
Loubaruch said:
Del 203 said:
I think the OP is in Frankfurter land
This is why I advised getting in contact with Carl. As you are in Germany it may be worth contacting Meta for their local service agents, but I tried this in the UK and was given 4 contacts 3 of which who turned out to be a waste of time, only Carl seemed to appreciate the problems.I just was pointing that the OP is abroad
Of course, as was pointed out early in the thread a call to Carl is the best/only real option for advice/parts...
.......After a bit more thought on your problem.
As the Control box only directly controls the indicators, central locking, siren and LED and your major burn up was an earth lead there has to be another fault that caused the printed circuit to scorch.
The Immobilser controls the starter motor, ignition and fuel pump directly when signalled from the control box.
As the main earth lead has burnt, something has probably short circuited, as suggested the towing gear could have caused that.
Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news but your immobiliser is probably ruined also. But you can easily check by unplugging from the control box and trying to operate it via the dongle.
I think your best course of action would be to install a completely new alarm/immobiliser system, not cheap but probably the best solution.
Best of luck!
As the Control box only directly controls the indicators, central locking, siren and LED and your major burn up was an earth lead there has to be another fault that caused the printed circuit to scorch.
The Immobilser controls the starter motor, ignition and fuel pump directly when signalled from the control box.
As the main earth lead has burnt, something has probably short circuited, as suggested the towing gear could have caused that.
Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news but your immobiliser is probably ruined also. But you can easily check by unplugging from the control box and trying to operate it via the dongle.
I think your best course of action would be to install a completely new alarm/immobiliser system, not cheap but probably the best solution.
Best of luck!
Edited by Loubaruch on Friday 26th February 14:10
Thanks for your help guys. I think I made a first step forward by finding the reason for the earth cable. The two hours of heavy spray on the trailer must have wetted the shown area of the battery plus cable and caused the short circuit that melted the earth cable. That's the easy job so far.
Question is now: Why could the bloody piece of steel and plastic be driven from the trailer to the garage without any problem and die an electronic death AFTER I removed the battery?
Question is now: Why could the bloody piece of steel and plastic be driven from the trailer to the garage without any problem and die an electronic death AFTER I removed the battery?
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