Immobiliser & Heat

[ahpboxster]

Hi, this is my first post as I have just bought my first TVR, a Chimaera 400 (1997). It is in great condition and the everything seems to work well.

I have the hot start issue though and have been looking at fitting a relay in the passenger foot well as suggested in many of the posts. I just wondered though if anybody has just swapped over the connections on the immobiliser from the 10A & 25A relay so that they are the correct way round, i.e starter on the 25A relay ?. Is a cable gauge issue the reason it is not recommended, is the cable too thin a gauge as well as the wrong relay wiring. ?

I also have another quick question if I may. The engine temperature runs about 70 on the motorway and in heavy traffic gets to about 95 before the fans kick in (both work) and can creep a little higher and it just sits there until free running traffic. I know the gauges probably have a few degree tolerance, but what should I be looking for as a max temperature. The car is fitted with a Racetech alloy rad.

It seems the fans kick in after a lot of heat has probably built up and I wonder what it would be like in summer. Should I buy the two stage fan kit from Mod Wise, fit a manual switch or swap the otter switch for one which kicks in earlier and for a longer period. There is also a fan switch hole in the new radiator, so I could add a second switch there and wire in parallel as a back up or to run at a lower temperature.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Andy

[ahpboxster]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realise they weren't all wired wrong so thanks for the heads up.

I might look for a replacement instead as you suggest.

It is nice to work on the TVR as it is not a ECU for every little thing. Having come from a Boxster, it is much easier and to be honest more fun. People generally seem to like the car more as well.

[ahpboxster]

Hi Dave, Thanks for all the info, very useful. I am expecting to have to do a few things on the TVR, but it's also something I enjoy doing to be honest. It also gives my son a chance to learn about cars.

I do like that fan controller, especially the inline coolant hose sensor option. I did see some adjustable stats where you put the sensor in the hose and use PTFE around where the jubilee clip was. It didn't look too robust to me if I am honest, so your solution is very neat. The digital system also gives me a chance to monitor temps accurately.

I put a relay in for the moment this evening on the immobiliser just as a interim solution, but I am conscious I will probably need a long term solution. I opted against swapping the circuits after you mentioned the possibility the 10A relay is already damaged. I would rather it didn't start than the engine cut out while driving due to the 10A relay being previously damaged.

I have several diagnostic cables for mostly modern OBD cars, where is the best place to get Rovergauge software ?

When I bought the car I asked Southways to have a look just to see if the chassis was reasonable. What a great garage, really enthusiastic and happy to share a lot of useful information. I'll be going there again when I need a service.

Thanks again.

Edited by ahpboxster on Thursday 18th January 19:50

[ahpboxster]

Thanks, I'll order one.