Intermittent total electrical failure....
Discussion
Evening all,
Decided to drive the cerb into central london this evening and just as I was thinking how reliable it is and why don't I drive it everyday everything stopped working. (I'm aware this was my fault for tempting fate)
It had been running for about half an hour in stop start traffic and I'd come to a stop at some traffic lights, temperature was at 95oC and was running fine then engine cut out and the car lost all electrical power. Nothing would work, even the hazards (handy when you're in a queue). Doors wouldn't open and have discovered that what I'd assumed were the manual door opening latches don't work either. Had to climb out of the (fortunately open) window at which point the window automatically wound itself up and left me locked out.
After about 3 or 4 minutes of trying to ignore the abuse I was getting from the Streatham massive, the cerb decided actually everthing was OK and started working again..... It drove fine (in traffic) for another 20 minutes.
Any ideas what caused the loss of power and can anyone tell me if I'm right that the red handles on the floor by each door are supposed to manually open the doors and if so why they might not be working (I was slightly perturbed by not being able to get out)
Thanks
Duncan
Decided to drive the cerb into central london this evening and just as I was thinking how reliable it is and why don't I drive it everyday everything stopped working. (I'm aware this was my fault for tempting fate)
It had been running for about half an hour in stop start traffic and I'd come to a stop at some traffic lights, temperature was at 95oC and was running fine then engine cut out and the car lost all electrical power. Nothing would work, even the hazards (handy when you're in a queue). Doors wouldn't open and have discovered that what I'd assumed were the manual door opening latches don't work either. Had to climb out of the (fortunately open) window at which point the window automatically wound itself up and left me locked out.
After about 3 or 4 minutes of trying to ignore the abuse I was getting from the Streatham massive, the cerb decided actually everthing was OK and started working again..... It drove fine (in traffic) for another 20 minutes.
Any ideas what caused the loss of power and can anyone tell me if I'm right that the red handles on the floor by each door are supposed to manually open the doors and if so why they might not be working (I was slightly perturbed by not being able to get out)
Thanks
Duncan
but i would hate this to happen to me so i am passing no comment,the cerb gods are watching.
Hilarious account 
(sorry)
I thought you were going to say the windows went up as you were climbing out. It could have had you by the feet.
From the way it wouldn't let you out and then wouldn't let you in, I'd say you've insulted it, maybe looked the wrong way at a lotus or something.
Anyway, silver key or dodgey connection behind it maybe?
(sorry)I thought you were going to say the windows went up as you were climbing out. It could have had you by the feet.
From the way it wouldn't let you out and then wouldn't let you in, I'd say you've insulted it, maybe looked the wrong way at a lotus or something.
Anyway, silver key or dodgey connection behind it maybe?
Silver key would be my guess too. A battery connection shouldn't stop the car once its running even if the alternator doesn't have enough output to charge at idle.
The silver key will stop it dead.
At the risk of sounding all health and safety, make sure your door emergency releases work and practice using them occasionaly! God forbid that you might need to use them to get out in a hurry (like in an electrical fire
).
The silver key will stop it dead.
At the risk of sounding all health and safety, make sure your door emergency releases work and practice using them occasionaly! God forbid that you might need to use them to get out in a hurry (like in an electrical fire
). The silver key is the round barrel type key-switch in the front panel, down near the cig lighter. It is the main isolator for the electrics and turns of pretty much everything. Unfortunately TVR didn't use either a great quality switch or strain relief on the wiring, which means that it can be temperamental. It is also a bit of a sod to get to because access to the nut behind the panel that holds it in place is very restricted.
I'd be surprised if it was the Silver key. I haven't got my car with me at the moment, but does turning the key cut the power to the windows & doors as well ?
Sounds more like a battery lead, main fuse to me.
The windows going up, was the power coming back on.
As a side note, I recently had the alarm removed from my car, as it was playing up.
Without the alarm fitted, some times you could leave the car, walk back to it and it would be open, as you'd left it. Other times, you could leave it & it would lock itself. No rhyme or reason as to why it would/wouldn't decide to
lock itself. It just did.
I've always thought it was possessed from day 1, and after 8 years, nothing has made me change my mind that it isn't
Sounds more like a battery lead, main fuse to me.
The windows going up, was the power coming back on.
As a side note, I recently had the alarm removed from my car, as it was playing up.
Without the alarm fitted, some times you could leave the car, walk back to it and it would be open, as you'd left it. Other times, you could leave it & it would lock itself. No rhyme or reason as to why it would/wouldn't decide to
lock itself. It just did.
I've always thought it was possessed from day 1, and after 8 years, nothing has made me change my mind that it isn't
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