Perplexed by TVR electrical problem

[TVR653X]

Firstly, this topic relates to a Chim, BUT I've posted it in here as it doesn't necessarily apply to just a Chim.

My dad, stupidly, left his Chimaera in the garage for 2 weeks. In this time the battery seemed to die, and the alarm went off. The alarm was using some power from the battery, so we disconnected it. This made the alarm drop in volume, but it continued at low volume, presumably on a back up battery. This stopped too after a few hours.

We charged the battery up for 36 hours on a slow charge, to make sure it was throughly sorted. With this done, we put the battery back in, and tried to get the car working. NOTHING. Not a hint of ANY life in the car; no radio, no immobiliser light, nothing. We then used a voltmeter to check the voltage of the battery, and it was fine.

We then figured the alarm had a back up battery, which was presumably flat. We then connected the battery up, and put the trickle charger onto that to see if it would charge the alarm battery. NOTHING. It's as if someone has completely torn out the electrics of the car, they just refuse to work, at all.

Does anyone have ANY idea what's going on? Otherwise the car will have to be trailered to the nearest TVR dealership, either Selby TVR or SSCC.

The alarm, BTW, is a Thatcham. I believe the immoboliser is too.

[DanTVR]

I dont know too much about the chimera, although I do know that the cerbera's have a key in the dashboard next to the ciggarete lighter, which when you turn and remove it, it disables all dash board funtions. Or at least it should do.

Dan

[julian64]

I think the most important bit of info you've left out there is whether the alarm was turning on and off after you'd charged it.

However on the limited information you've given us so far I would go with the most statistically common problem which is blowing a fuse while charging the car.

[TVR653X]

julian64 said:

I think the most important bit of info you've left out there is whether the alarm was turning on and off after you'd charged it.

However on the limited information you've given us so far I would go with the most statistically common problem which is blowing a fuse while charging the car.

We did think a fuse may have blown, but how could this have happened when the battery was charged outside of the car? The problem didn't happen when we put the charger on the battery whilst the battery was connected up (that was a last ditch attempt to charge the alarm battery up).

[so called]

You DID connect the battery up the right way round ? (you DID say your dad was stupid).

I'd check your earth connection as well.

[TVR653X]

so called said:

You DID connect the battery up the right way round ? (you DID say your dad was stupid).

I'd check your earth connection as well.

Yes, it was my engineering friend who reconnected it all.

[TVR keith]

Check the earth between the battery and the chassis.
Have you reconnected the alarm up exactly as it was before?
The other thing to consider is the 100 amp fuse under the o/s chassis rail by the engine.
Someone will be along to correct me but if this is making a bad connection or has blown the last time the car went out I think this means the engine will run off the battery, until it dies.
Next time you go to start it the battery is flat.
I'll wait for some opinions on that one.
BTW I don't think two weeks standing should cause a problem, I often leave mine for three weeks without charging it up although the Accumate is fed into the car and plugged into the cigar lighter socket just in case.
Maybe time for a new battery?

[TVR653X]

TVR keith said:

Check the earth between the battery and the chassis.
Have you reconnected the alarm up exactly as it was before?
The other thing to consider is the 100 amp fuse under the o/s chassis rail by the engine.
Someone will be along to correct me but if this is making a bad connection or has blown the last time the car went out I think this means the engine will run off the battery, until it dies.
Next time you go to start it the battery is flat.
I'll wait for some opinions on that one.
BTW I don't think two weeks standing should cause a problem, I often leave mine for three weeks without charging it up although the Accumate is fed into the car and plugged into the cigar lighter socket just in case.
Maybe time for a new battery?

The 100A fuse has been mentioned. Yet to jack the car up and have a look. It MAY be the answer.

[julian64]

TVR653X said:

TVR keith said:

Check the earth between the battery and the chassis.
Have you reconnected the alarm up exactly as it was before?
The other thing to consider is the 100 amp fuse under the o/s chassis rail by the engine.
Someone will be along to correct me but if this is making a bad connection or has blown the last time the car went out I think this means the engine will run off the battery, until it dies.
Next time you go to start it the battery is flat.
I'll wait for some opinions on that one.
BTW I don't think two weeks standing should cause a problem, I often leave mine for three weeks without charging it up although the Accumate is fed into the car and plugged into the cigar lighter socket just in case.
Maybe time for a new battery?

The 100A fuse has been mentioned. Yet to jack the car up and have a look. It MAY be the answer.

You won't find it under the car. Look down the back of the engine between the engine and teh windscreen

[TVR keith]

Just looked on your profile and I see that the problem has been around for a few weeks as you have already asked this question on another thread and received quite a few answers.Sorry chaps I don't know how to post a link to that.
Is it a Meta alarm? (Standard fit) If so, did you contact Carl Baker as advised? A very helpfull chap by all acounts

[TVR keith]

The 100A fuse has been mentioned. Yet to jack the car up and have a look. It MAY be the answer.
[/quote]

You won't find it under the car. Look down the back of the engine between the engine and teh windscreen
[/quote]
As standard it IS under the car, on the underside of the o/s chassis rail next to the engine.
BTW some Chimaeras have another 100 amp fuse in the positive lead near the battery, mine has and when it blew all the electrics went off instantly.
Graet fun when you're blatting along.

[bigdods]

my 97 450 has both. One mounted on the chassis rail in a small black plastic box attached to the o/s chassis rail, the other near the fuseboard in the passenger footwell.

My money is on the footwell fuse, the one in the engine bay wouldnt kill the electrics , just stops charging of the battery IIRC.

ETA where are you based ? might be someone close by willing to have a quick look/poke around

Edited by bigdods on Friday 4th December 21:00

[TVR653X]

bigdods said:

TVR keith said:

The 100A fuse has been mentioned. Yet to jack the car up and have a look. It MAY be the answer.

You won't find it under the car. Look down the back of the engine between the engine and teh windscreen

As standard it IS under the car, on the underside of the o/s chassis rail next to the engine.
BTW some Chimaeras have another 100 amp fuse in the positive lead near the battery, mine has and when it blew all the electrics went off instantly.
Graet fun when you're blatting along.

my 97 450 has both. One mounted on the chassis rail in a small black plastic box attached to the o/s chassis rail, the other near the fuseboard in the passenger footwell.

My money is on the footwell fuse, the one in the engine bay wouldnt kill the electrics , just stops charging of the battery IIRC.

ETA where are you based ? might be someone close by willing to have a quick look/poke around

Edited by bigdods on Friday 4th December 19:09

Interesting. My Dad's is a 98 Chim so I bet they both have this fuse. The guy looking at it owns a Chim, but it's one of (if not the) first 500, something like M reg, so it's a much simpler design.

[tubbystu]

The (late) S series cars have a nasty yellow connector under the dash that has a habit of burning out.

Like this ( this is Norman's over on the S forum).



Might be worth a look.

[grahamw48]

If you don't come up trumps on the fuses, try testing/substituting the battery earth strap (and check other engine bay earths).

The only time I've encountered total loss of electrics...with fully charged battery, was on my old 390SE. Had to get the AA man, and he changed the strap. Instant start.

Whenever you've been touching stuff around the engine, things can get moved, disturbed, etc, leading to these puzzling events, especially on older vehicles.

[Hoover.]

I presume the battery is holding a charge.

If my car is left for any period of time it catually kills the battery dead, and no matter how long it is charged it will not hold the charge.

I would try a new battery before doing any too radical....

[HRG]

Disconnect and reconnect the ECU.

[TVR653X]

Hoover. said:

I presume the battery is holding a charge.

If my car is left for any period of time it catually kills the battery dead, and no matter how long it is charged it will not hold the charge.

I would try a new battery before doing any too radical....

I'm gonna take the battery to be checked out at York Motor factors.

[Hoover.]

TVR653X said:

Hoover. said:

I presume the battery is holding a charge.

If my car is left for any period of time it catually kills the battery dead, and no matter how long it is charged it will not hold the charge.

I would try a new battery before doing any too radical....

I'm gonna take the battery to be checked out at York Motor factors.

if getting a new one.... i would suggest halfords with their year gaurantee and spotty youf on saturday jobs who don't know much you've got a new battery for life

[grahamw48]

If you've got AA homestart they'll come to your house, check everything on the car, and even fit a new battery for you if that's what's needed.