Chimaera Inertia Switch
Discussion
BillWilliamson said:
My inertia switch warning light is now on after a small "bump" and I was wondering if anyone could tell me please how where to find the switch on a Chimaera 5.0L, what it looks like, and how to reset it.
Bill,It's on the passenger side up under the dash. Access by removing the 2 screws to lower the elasticated pocket and you can feel for the switch near the transmission tunnel.
Nick
its under the passenger side of the dash. If you unscrew and remove the pocket you'll find a cover, behind that is the intertia switch . There should be a unit in there with a red switch on top.
This is from teh bible and from what I have heard on PH, never had the need to look myself
This is from teh bible and from what I have heard on PH, never had the need to look myself
It's a small black plastic box about the size of a cigarette packet, with a button on top. Tyhe button pops up when the switch activates, and is pushed down to reset it. On the V8S the switch is under the bonnet on the front of the passenger's footwell. I believe on the Griffith and Chimaera it's positioned under the dash above the glovebox.
The spring in the inertia unit can go soft over time. Mine did and it would cut out after cornering hard. It may be that yours went to the point of tripping and has settled back to the run position.
In my case I took a couple of hard turns and stopped. We got out the car and were stood next to it with nobody in the car but the engine still running. Suddenly the engine cut. Since the car was stationary the inertia switch didn’t occur to us for ages. TVR hadn’t wired up the light on my car.
Replacing it cured the problem. You could feel a noticeable difference between the two springs. By gently shaking, I could get the old switch into a half tripped position; the new one wouldn’t do that.
Since fitting a replacement it has never given problems again. The potential of a suspect switch cutting the engine half way around a fast corner, locking up the rear wheels and sending you off road means that you should replace it as a safety precaution. It’s a Range Rover part IIRC.
In my case I took a couple of hard turns and stopped. We got out the car and were stood next to it with nobody in the car but the engine still running. Suddenly the engine cut. Since the car was stationary the inertia switch didn’t occur to us for ages. TVR hadn’t wired up the light on my car.
Replacing it cured the problem. You could feel a noticeable difference between the two springs. By gently shaking, I could get the old switch into a half tripped position; the new one wouldn’t do that.
Since fitting a replacement it has never given problems again. The potential of a suspect switch cutting the engine half way around a fast corner, locking up the rear wheels and sending you off road means that you should replace it as a safety precaution. It’s a Range Rover part IIRC.
BillWilliamson said:
My inertia switch warning light is now on after a small "bump" and I was wondering if anyone could tell me please how where to find the switch on a Chimaera 5.0L, what it looks like, and how to reset it.
As per 7's note, if the warning light is on and the car is still running, it is likely to be another ECU related issue rather than solely the inertia switch. If the inertia switch is triggered fully the car will not run. These switches do go faulty occassionally, but normally results in the car cutting out.I'd guess however that you may have another fault somewhere, especially if the inertia switch is tested/replaced and you've still got the light. I used to have an intermittent fault with the AFM that triggered the light, but disconnecting the battery and ECU always cancelled it. It ended up being water gathering in the hot wire channel in the AFM . . . so I junked it after getting fed up with crap running anyway for an alternative set up.
Thanks to all you guys for the detailed an accurate info. I found the switch within a minute of looking and have solved the problem... which was really only down to inertia and not a failing switch or ECU unit.
Obviously, the old adage "knowledge is power" needs to be extended with "and can save a pile of wedge". ;-)
Obviously, the old adage "knowledge is power" needs to be extended with "and can save a pile of wedge". ;-)
GFro93 said:
Does anyone know if there is a significant difference between the old style and new inertia switches?
Replacing my old style black box and have been sent the new 'button' style in error - are they interchangeable?
Thanks!
>>>> Wouldn't have thought so.Replacing my old style black box and have been sent the new 'button' style in error - are they interchangeable?
Thanks!
Ultimately, the old and new will still work on the same principle - in an impact, a suitably sized ball bearing "rolls" off the contacts (and spring holds the ball off) supplying power to the fuel pump. Pump stops - no fuel - engine cuts . Button provides manual reset by overcoming spring tension to replace ball bearing onto contacts.
Nick
They will be electrically identical - it's just a switch at the end of the day.
When the original one on my V8S turned into a pile of rust I just deleted it from the circuit. In cars with high cornering loads and hard suspension they can be a source of trouble even when they're in good working order, and on these cars I doubt there are many still in good working order.
When the original one on my V8S turned into a pile of rust I just deleted it from the circuit. In cars with high cornering loads and hard suspension they can be a source of trouble even when they're in good working order, and on these cars I doubt there are many still in good working order.
I have only tripped mine once in 45,000 miles of motoring.
1999 car. No light came on.
I sat in the car in the gravel trap at Mallory Park, which I had entered sideways at speed, and couldn't restart the car.
Engine turned over fine.
Called Mat Smith while the track day recovery crew red flagged the session and wandered over.
Mat's first words were - "you have tripped the cut off switch".
I found it up under the dash, up and to the right of the glove flap.
Reset it and the car started immediately.
1999 car. No light came on.
I sat in the car in the gravel trap at Mallory Park, which I had entered sideways at speed, and couldn't restart the car.
Engine turned over fine.
Called Mat Smith while the track day recovery crew red flagged the session and wandered over.
Mat's first words were - "you have tripped the cut off switch".
I found it up under the dash, up and to the right of the glove flap.
Reset it and the car started immediately.
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