Non starter

[dcz3580]

My 1977 Taimar up until Sunday afternoon has been running (including starting) well. Attempting to leave a family bbq on Sunday, turned the key the car started but then stalled. The second attempt to start her up turned the key and there was nothing at all...completly dead, not even dashboard lights (there is no alarm or stereo). A person in the family suggested trying to jump the car (I was up for almost anything to try and get started). Even attempting the jump start there was no spark from my battery (the cars volt meter had been reading fine..about 13.5). After fiddling for what felt like ages (in the rain) and not comming up with any ideas, tried the key again and the car started first time. Any ideas where to start looking to correct this fault?

[Terminator]

There's a black plastic cover on the bulkhead next to the fusebox. This covers the wiring (both postive and earth) that passes through the bulkhead from the battery to the instruments, ignition etc.

If the nut that holds the wiring block has come loose, then it could lose all power (speaking from experience!). Check this first, if it's not this, then sit down, have a drink, then tear you hair out...

[drifting]

Hi Rob

With it going completly dead the most likely place for a fault like that has got to be the ignition switch or its associated wiring. Have a look by the switch at the wiring and the general connections around there as the electrics in our cars is not the best that I'v ever seen.

[adrian@]

As Colin says .....These are the power transfer bolts that move the positive and negative through the bulkhead on that version of the wiring loom, these are brass bolts (2 BA) and internally these have tinned male connections x 4 and should be treated as a sevice items and rebuilt every couple of years, ensuring that the waxed card that seperates + and - is renewed

[drifting]

Bow to those that Know.

However maybe mine is not the same, but the leads on my car go through a rubber grommet to behind the dash. Am surprised seeing that there is only three years between our cars or is that just the normal TVR way of doing thing differently just to catch us out.

[valve]

On my car that is from 1975, FM3500 I have the same arrangement, that is no power transfer bolts, just a rubber grommet trough where the cables goes from the engine room to the inside.

I have had exactly the same problem, (that the car suddenly refuses to start and was completely dead) due to 2 different reasons:

1st problem, There is a multipin connector inside the engine room that carries among other wires the main battery plus lead that goes to the ignition lock, on my car the connection deteriorated so much that there was intermittent disconnection, the cure was to change pin and jack in the multipin connector for new ones.

2nd problem, there is, (at least in my car) a bullet plug connector close to the ignition lock in the same main plus lead, this connector also deteriorated and developed intermittent disconnection, the cure was also here to change pin and jack.

As your car also is completely dead I think the problem must be related to the main plus feed so I think you should start looking there.

Hope any of this helps.

Regards Hans

[B16 RFF]

valve said:

On my car that is from 1975, FM3500 I have the same arrangement, that is no power transfer bolts, just a rubber grommet trough where the cables goes from the engine room to the inside. I have had exactly the same problem, (that the car suddenly refuses to start and was completely dead) due to 2 different reasons: 1st problem, There is a multipin connector inside the engine room that carries among other wires the main battery plus lead that goes to the ignition lock, on my car the connection deteriorated so much that there was intermittent disconnection, the cure was to change pin and jack in the multipin connector for new ones. 2nd problem, there is, (at least in my car) a bullet plug connector close to the ignition lock in the same main plus lead, this connector also deteriorated and developed intermittent disconnection, the cure was also here to change pin and jack. As your car also is completely dead I think the problem must be related to the main plus feed so I think you should start looking there. Hope any of this helps. Regards Hans

Heading off at a tangent, my old M was 3504FM, It was built as a demonstrator for the (then) Bristol TVR dealer, and so had all the options fitted.
Anybody know where it is now? Reg was KOU 300P. Red with black interior.

Paul.

>> Edited by B16 RFF on Tuesday 13th July 02:08