Nearly lost it to fire!!

[The Red Baron]

Was taking a mate for a 'show-off' spin at the weekend. Noticed the key fob immobiliser button wasn't de-activating the immobiliser, so used the plug-in dongle. Car started fine, but green indicator light on dash was on, as was the red immobiliser light near the ice light - for a few seconds after start. Thought it odd, but put it down to needing a new battery in key fob, and a TVR electrical gremlin in the dash.

Wrong!!

Ten yards down the drive and my friend asked if the 'smell' was normal. I caught a whiff of burnt electrical smell, then suddenly smoke starts coming out from behind the dash.

Turned it off and opened the glove box to investigate - extinguisher to hand. Smoke pours out of the glove box. Nothing in the footwell around the battery and ECU - and all cold there. Nothing under the bonnet.

Gave it ten minutes and the smoke clears - but not the smell and went for a restart - all electrics worked fine - except the key fob immobiliser.

I have to assume it was some relay for the key fob immobiliser system. But why would it burst into flames? Where are the components and how ease are they to change?

Any help and advice is most welcome.

[dbv8]

Scary. Sorry i cant help.
I am so nervous when i come to start mine on Friday after a 19 month rebuild.
I will have a couple people on firewatch duties

[Pupp]

The immobiliser module lives just above there (on deck immediately below dash roll-top)... suspect yours has fried itself - ultimate manifestation of the hot-start issue!

[Green Meanie]

Of course as we all know electrical items are driven by smoke,once the smoke has escaped the electrical item is useless!
Seriously though it must have been an underpant moment

[Loubaruch]

The immobiliser/alarm flashes the indicators when changing state so quite feasible for an indicator lamp to be permanently on if the immobiliser/alarm has failed. As you could start the car using the dongle the immobiliser part must be OK, sounds like the alarm module has cooked. Karl Baker is your man, lots of info on here re Meta alarm/immobilisers.

[EGB]

Important to keep this topic going. I have bridged my META Imobilizer. No more stalling on round abouts!. Interested to see what Carl Baker has to say.

[Barkychoc]

I suspect your immobiliser has been fitted without a fuse - any problem just sets the wiring on fire instead

[The Red Baron]

Thanks for the quick feedback. As you all say it must be something fried around the alarm/immobiliser system.

Pupp - you mentioned the hot-start issue - was that a quip (very funny!!) or could the two be related? I ask only because I've had hot start issues lately. The car never used to suffer even in 40 degrees of heat in the Hungarian summer, yet recently I once had to wait over 2 hours for things to cool down enough to start and it was only 23 degrees (sure the engine was hot, but no hotter than normal).

I'll post more when I get to the bottom of it.