Disclaimer
If you attempt any of the following procedures, you assume all risk. Moreover, this
manual should make it very evident that working on a car like the Cerbera requires
considerable knowledge and mechanical skill. Play it safe if you have the slightest
doubt in your abilities, and have someone qualified do the work.
Hopefully, this manual will enable you to ask the right questions so you can avoid
dodgy dealers/mechanics. And you will have a better understanding of the work
involved (and perhaps the bill).
Recommendation. www.joospeed.net
The vast majority of the knowledge contained herein is from Julian Lane’s (Joolz)
postings on the internet.If you require servicing or have a problem, you can avoid
immense aggravation by simply going to Joolz. The work will be done expertly,
thoroughly, and cheaply. It really is that simple.
Notes
This manual is best viewed online (PDA or PC) because then you can search the
entire document. After this section and the parts list, it is organized alphabetically by
general topics. Each item in the table of contents at the beginning is also hyperlinked
to the relevant section.
Needed
Fuse box diagram
Details on clutch
18” wheel details, recommended tyre pressures? Are sizes correct?
Power steering fluid
Indicator stalk instructions and tips
Undoing the instrument pod – detailed instructions
Other parts?
Pictures for throttle cable replacement
Formatting and links needed
Background graphic?
Link to website on how to replace/improve aerial
Strip out carriage returns
General spelling and editing needed
Revision notes
(please update this section if you modify this file)
Date Item Details, author, etc.
2002 06 24 Version1 created.
2002 07 01 Throttle position Added part no.
sensor
Faisal
2002 07 02 Added a few sections Faisal
Formatting
2002 07 03 Added detail on Faisal
undoing dash
Added some credits
Added graphics for
throttle return spring
2005 09 16 Brake pads – added Faisal
part numbers
Updates
Please do your bit to keep this document updated, and make sure you document your
revisions. Also, if you make any changes to the document, please adhere to the
heading styles used, and update the table of contents and indexes. If you are not sure
how to do this, mail me the updates and I will be happy to make the changes for you.
My email: faisalkhan@tvrfreak.com
Parts
Airconditioning belt MicroV 58734
Brake fluid Mobil SAE J 1703 (every 12k miles)
Clutch fluid Clutch Mobil SAE J 1703
Coolant Mobil Universal Antifreeze
CV Joint Lubricant Mobil Grease NLGI 2
Differential oil Mobil SHC80w/140ID (every 12k miles)
Engine oil Mobil 1 5/50
Gearbox oil Mobil SHC ATF 220 (every 12k miles)
Oil filter Land rover ERR3340
Power steering fluid
Spark plugs NG BKR5EKU
Throttle spring Obtain the updated one from Joolz
Throttle position sensor Definitely Ford but part # 1K15A? or E1586?
Fuses (Incomplete)
engine fan 1 30A
sidelamps, rear fog lamps 15A
engine fan 2 alarm powered indicators 30A
dip beam and dim dip headlamps 20A
starter motor solenoid 30A
rear window heater, hazard lamps 15A
gauges, mirrors & radio, dim dip 10A
horns, boot lamp, courtesy lamp, cigarette 15A
lighter
driver’s lock, passenger’s window 20A
driver’s window, door lock ecu 20A
passenger’s lock, boot lock 10A
injectors, engine ecu, immonbiliser 15A
not used
engine ecu backup, steering ecu supress 10A
wipers, steering ecu supply 20A
ignition coils 20A
heating & ventilation system 25A
indicators, reverse lamps, brake lamps 15A
fuel pump, lambda heaters, purge valve 20A
master ignition 15A
main beam 20A
Alarm Codes
Ultrasonics 1 Flash every 6 seconds
Doors 2 Flashes
Boot or Bonnet 4 Flashes
Panic Facility 16 Flashes
Tyre Sizes
4.5 to 2001
Front 235x40xZR17
Rear 255x40xZR17
Latest 18's are:-
4.5 from 2001
Front 8x18" alloy wheels fitted with
225/35 ZR low profile tyres.
Rear 8.5x18" alloy wheels fitted with
255/35 ZR low profile tyres.
Air Conditioning
The main reason for the air con not working is loss of refrigerant due to the early
alloy compressor pipes fracturing...almost all cars have now been changed onto the
later steel type which has cured this completely. The air temp we set is around 7 Deg
C which seems to have given no reported problems of icing or condensation dripping
down. You'll notice that cars without air con have just one cooling fan located
centrally on the radiator, whilst air con cars have the bulky Cerbera type fan
supplemented by a Chim (non-500) type fan. The airflow through the air con radiator
IS by fan in traffic. Incidentally, both the fan control for the air con and the normal
engine cooling are both controlled by the engine run ECU.
A/C thermostat is located on the RHS of the drivers footwell, buhind the carpet. You
need to set the temp to 3deg (I think) otherwise any colder and the condenser freezes
up.
Alarm key fobs
When you reconnect the battery, you have a few seconde to re-sync it with one of the
remotes. Hold the button for 6 seconds immediately after you've reconnected the
battery (you'll know when it's re-synced because the indicators will flash a couple of
times).
Alignment
Steering Geometry
Front Rear
Camber degrees 0.5 to 1.25 Neg. 0.5 to 1.25 Neg
Caster degrees 3.5 to 4.5 Pos N/A
Toe minutes 10 to 20 in 10 to 20 in
Tyre pressures22 to 26 24 to 28
Higher pressures for sustained speeds above 100 mph
Alternator
A quick check for the alternator is to get a voltmeter and put it from the positive
battery terminal and a good earth somewhere on the engine .. it should read around 12
volts. Now start the engine .. if the alternator is charging then the reading should go
up to around 13.6-13.9 volts with nothing else switched on. If that is OK then you're
half way home .. next with the engine still running turn on the headlights .. the reading
will go down at tickover, but if you rev the engine to fast idle speeds the voltage
should gradually creep back up to close to 13.5 volts. If those are the sorts of readings
you're getting then all is well . A trickle charger is always a good investment ..
batteries like nothing less than to be standing doing nothing .. they like to be cycling
giving out charge and taking it back in.
We sold chargers at work called "airflow" and they sense the battery voltage and
recharge when the level drops to a predetermined point, say 11.8 volts or something.
You can get the asme type of thing through demon tweeks here, so there will be
something similar in the USA, probably much better and half the price actually!! Let
me know how you get on with that first. Getting to the alternator is a pain so we'll
only go there if this bit has failed so far.
Backfiring
The back-fires take place entirely in the exhaust system, and are caused by the engine
being highly tuned (I could go into anal detail if you want me to). What I can never
understand is how they don't bugger up the cats. Not that that's a problem for me...
Here's my amateur explanation of why cars like the Cerbera (especially the big man's
4.5) pop and crackle on the over-run. Sorry about the length of this, but you did ask
for anal detail!
As mentioned before, its because of valve overlap, but what is this, why is it A Good
Thing, and why does it cause the impression of a Spanish festival when you let off the
gas?
The easiest way to think about this is to imagine what would happen if you didn't
have any overlap. Consider the 'obvious' engine design, where the exhaust valve is
open for precisely the time that the piston is coming up during its exhaust stroke,
closes when the piston is at the top (TDC), at which point the inlet valve opens ready
for the mixture to get sucked in during the induction stroke. The problem with this is
that when the piston is at the top, you've still got a combustion chamber's worth of
spent exhaust in there. Remember that the quoted capacity of an engine is actually the
'swept volume' (the volume swept by the pistons). There is an extra bit at the top of
the cylinder which the mixture is compressed into and where the combustion actually
takes place. The compression ratio is the ratio between the capacity of the cylinder
with the piston at the very bottom compared to the capacity of it with the piston at the
very top. On a Cerbera 4.5, with a compression ratio of 10.75 this gives a combustion
chamber size of about 57cc - per cylinder. So 57cc's worth of burnt crap would be
mixed with the fuel-air mixture each cycle if there was no overlap.
Overlap means that the exhaust valve stays open for a while, after the inlet valve has
opened. This is in order to lose as much of that burnt mixture as possible. When the
piston reaches the top, the mixture has inertia (or momentum if you like, as the term
inertia means something different outside of physics). If the exhaust valve is left open
for a while, much of it will continue sailing out of the port even though the piston is
now going downwards. Also, the mixture coming in through the inlet valve will
actually force some of the exhaust gases out - not because its pressurised, as the inlet
gas is being sucked in (in a naturally-aspirated engine), but by the inertia of the
incoming gas which then pushes against the exhaust gas.
In fact this gets even more complicated with tuned-port induction and tuned exhaust
systems. Both of these systems set up standing-waves in the pipes. In the case of
induction, a positive pressure node is set up at the inlet port, so that the mixture is
actually being forced into the cylinder, even in a naturally aspirated engine. In a tuned
exhaust system, the pipes coming from each exhaust port must be of perfectly equal
length (hence the spaghetti that you see on highly tuned engines). This length is
calculated according to the speed of sound and the revs at which you want the peak
effect to take place. The idea is that as an exhaust pulse passes through the collector
(the bit where the pipes join), it sends a pressure wave down the other pipes. By
getting the length right (the pressure wave always travels at the speed of sound,
regardless of revs) you can ensure that the pressure wave that is formed in the pipes is
such that there is an anti-node at the exhaust valves of the other cylinders just when
they open, causing the exhaust to get actively sucked out of the cylinder, rather than
relying on the piston's pushing action alone. Cylinders get paired up together in all
sorts of weird and wonderful ways according to the firing order. On a four-cylinder
engine (or half of a single-plane crank engine like the AJP8) the arrangement is either
4-into-1 or 4-into-2-into-1. The former gives the most power, the latter a better torque
spread.
Anyway, this exhaust tuning is particularly effective when combined with valve
overlap, after all, there is no point just leaving the valve open for longer if all that
happens is that the burnt mixture gets a chance to wave at the outside World for a
while. In an ideal World, the exhaust valve would close just as the new mixture
approaches it, with all the burnt stuff having been expelled/sucked out. In a 'normal'
engine, the system is set up such that there is no way any of the new (unburnt)
mixture could ever escape into the exhaust system - but at the expense of not getting
rid of every last bit of the burnt stuff. However in race engines and nasty un-
environmentally phallic devices like TVR Cerberas, the balance is more fine, such
that under certain circumstances some of this pristine and virginal mixture can go
sailing out into the exhaust system to be ignited by the next emission of hot gases
from another cylinder, causing an explosion in the exhaust system which makes an
audible bang - and in really tuned systems, bloody great flames out of the exhaust!
Now comes an explanation of why this happens when you let your foot off. I must
stress that what follows (and some of the above) is stuff that I've worked out for
myself from first principles, so please don't take it as gospel.
The effect occurs when you've been on the power, and you suddenly close the throttle.
When you're on the power, there's going to be a whole pile of fuel-air mixture in the
inlet pipes, all with plenty of kinetic energy. However the inlet valve of any given
cylinder is only actually open for about 25% of the time, so this gas is actually
bouncing back up the inlet pipe for a while, before being sucked back down it once
the inlet valve opens. The periodic nature of this is just perfect to set up standing
waves in the gas, as previously mentioned regarding tuned induction above. When
you close the throttle, all of a sudden this pipe is effectively capped, causing the
pressure wave inside the gases to be strongly reflected back into the cylinder. This
means that just momentarily, there is a lump of gas in the system that has much
increased velocity which goes rushing into the cylinder when that valve opens. In a
'normal' engine this doesn't matter a bit, but in a highly tuned engine where that
exhaust valve is living dangerously on the staying-open-til-the-last-moment stakes,
the unusually over-excited mixture goes cascading out of the exhaust valve and into
the dark and dangerous world of the exhaust system. Just imagine the look of surprise
on its face.
Battery
1. Check alternator belt
2. Check alternator fuse
3. Check fuse link
4. Recharge battery and replace with brand spank one if required
5. Stump up 500+ quid for a new alternator
Battery Charging
If the battery is left connected to the vehicle electrics connect only a trickle charger
giving out no more than 7 Amps.
Amp hours 70ah
Reserve capacity 110mins
Din Equiv. 57072
CCA sae 590 amps
Iec 390 amps
CCA Din 385 amps
Changing the Battery
What a nightmare!
Removing the airbox is easy enough, but hanging on to the nuts and bolts that come
off and making sure they don't fall into some deep crevice in the engine is virtually
impossible. Thankfully, I have one of those long magetic probes. Very handy.
Another useful tip is to keep a shoebox in front of the engine compartment. You can
put your
tools and nuts and bolts and bits that come off in here and they won't disappear into
the engine (unless you overturn the box--don't ask!).
Once the battery is clearly visible, pay attention to how the cables are routed down
the side of the battery. You might want to draw a rough diagram. This is really
important!
Next comes the disconnecting-the-terminals-and-setting-the-alarm-off- repeatedly-
and-trying-to-wrestle-the-battery-out bit. This step is virtually impossible. There's a
huge bolt receptacle in the way. No matter how much you try to lever the battery up
and over this, it doesn't seem to work. I finally managed to get a good hold on the
bottom of the battery and with a back-wrenching heave, it gave.
My only criteria for the replacement battery was that it be the same or higher spec
and a smaller size so I don't go through this again. I have padded it all around with
thick neoprene strips so it doesn't bounce around, and then clamped it in place as best
I could. When I hooked up the terminals, I managed to short the battery a few times.
And I dropped the ratchet on the car and got two chips for my efforts. Anyways, I
eventually managed to get the terminals hooked up and after the alarm had gone off
for the 100th time, the car locked itself up. I got in using the secret method, opened
the car up, decided to keep the keyfob outside the car, and went back to work.
Now then, where was I? Oh yes, time to put the airbox on and tighten up all the hose
clamps. Easy enough. Final step was to put on the cover that goes under the bonnet.
If you look, there's a flap on the battery side that slides in next to the battery. Well, it
wouldn't slide in anymore because the damn battery cables were in the way!
Lots of fidgeting, loosening, tightening, rearranging later, after another 100 times of
setting off the piercing alarm, I finally got this piece to go in properly. Finally it was
time to close everything up, double check everything, and reset the ECU, and I was
DONE. 2 hours flat including the trip to buy the battery ($62 for a nice, small Sears
Die Hard one).
Having the following items helps *greatly*:
A long thin magnetic probe to fish out stuff that falls into engine;
Socket extensions to reach into the deep cavities;
Universal-joint adapters for ratchet;
Set of allen keys
Pair of pliers ;
Towels to cover wings of car with before starting any work;
A rag to cover the new battery terminals to avoid shorts.
Bonnet - Inner
I believe these covers have changed over the years - to remove the one in my 2000LW
I have to remove the airboxes from their brackets to get to the allen screws. I'd
imagine though that your 97 4.2 is more similar to my old 96.4.2. With that, if I
remember correctly, it was rather straight forward:
1) Remove air pipes from airboxes
2). Remove air pipes from air filter box at the front.
3) Remove air filter box by removing split plins then clamps
4) Remove all allen key screws securing panel to body
5) After jiggling panel around for a while, lift and remove. With the 96 car the water
bottle wasn't pocking through the panel - there was just a big hole in it allowing you
to access the cap of the water bottle underneath.
An alternative is what I have recently done. The plastic pipe from the water bottle
had become disconnected ( at the water bottle end), and at the same time the off-side
indicator bulb needed replacing. I set out to change the bulb (jack up car, remove O/S
wheel, unscrew self tapping screws holding small panel to inside of wheel arch, cut
away the black bathroom sealer and remove panel - this give you access behind the
lights in order to change the bulbs). And I'm certain that through there I could see the
water bottle, and this allowed me to poke my hand through and re-attach the pipe.
Maybe you could try the same thing, by disconnecting the old pipe and pulling it
through from near the battery?? It will be a little more difficult to replace, but I'm sure
it wouldn't take too long.
On most 4.5's and 4.2's
1) remove 2 air pipes, 4 jubilee clips - just need loosened slightly.
2) remove 6? allen screws from cover.
3) the tricky bit. Squeeze the radiator hose at the front left under/in front of the cover.
You'll have to bend the cover up slightly and also press the hose flat but it will get
past.
4) lift the cover up at the back [as if hinged at the radiator] and it will come out of the
gap left by the air pipes. Should be no need to remove anything else, and should take
5 minutes...with practice.
Brake pads
You need Mintex M1144 pads and the part number for the rear caliper is MLB20. I
believe this is the same for 4.2 and 4.5 (AP Caliper CP2399 with 306mm disc).
Mintex don't seem to have the most expansive distribution channel in the world but
my local Motor Factors reckon they'll have me some on Tuesday. £30.35 +VAT.
The caliper is an AP Racing 5000 series. Some pad manufacturers find this
information helpful.
Cerbera 4.5 Ferodo
PFC Part # Wilwood # Mintex Part # EBC
Front
132 X 54 X 17 mm
MTX-
7767**17.4 8517 1292 FRP216 DP3002C
Rear
70 X 58 X 14 mm
DP3102C
Cerbera 4.5 Hawk Part # Raybestos Porterfields
Front HB FRP216
132 X 54 X 17 mm HP+
HPS 110.654
Rear
70 X 58 X 14 mm
Center Console
The proceedure is:
go into boot, above fuel tank (and above cd changer if you have one) you'll see a 6mm
thread bolt poking through the centre of the rear fibreglass bulkhead with either a nut
or wingnut on it .. unscrew this and poke the bolt through into the car. go into car and
pull the centre cubby out from between the rear seats (you may have to pull the carpet
away at the very top of the cubby to release the bolt you've just pushed through from
the boot). Feel under the driver side of the centre arm rest for a cross head screw .. it
may be there, it may have pulled out, it may never have been fitted ... but it's located
under that holey bit you got the cover for .. if you find it remove it. raise the rear of
the entire centre console up and support on a screwdriver or block of wood as high as
you can get it. go into the passenger footwell and find the air vent located in the centre
console that blows into the passenger footwell .. remove this (it's in teh panel you're
trying to then remove ..) be warned it may be glued in place so firm but careful is the
way to go. with the vent removed feel round inside the hole for another small nut or
wingnut .. remove this. the entire panel where the LED sits should now pull sideways
towards the passenger side (unless there's something I've forgoten about ....!!) .. be
careful not to pull any wires too hard as there's a spaghetti out the back .. you may
wish to disconnect the battery if you don'tr feel safe pulling wires about like this) hey
presto you now have access to the immobiliser key bit. it's wise to check the earth
connection in there right now if you have one .. tighten this 'cos you can bet your life
TVR didn't!!! refitting is the reverse sequence exactly.
Cleaning Recommendations
Exterior
Wash by hand using a mild detergent or specialist car shampoo. TVR recommend the
Autosmart range of cleaning products. Use a low pressure garden hose to rinse. Power
washing is acceptable if you keep the jet away from the door & window seals but DO
NOT use it under the bonnet.
The use of an automatic car wash is not recommended as the door & window seals
cannot stand the force of the high pressure water jets. Also the detergents and the
action of the brushes could damage the paintwork.
Interior
Leather & Vinyl should be cleaned with a damp cloth although a proprietary
upholstery cleaner could be used for stubborn marks. Leather will benefit from an
occasional feeding of hide food. Carpets may also use a cleaner as above. I personally
use the Autoglym range of cleaning products and Rain-X for the exterior glass.
Detailing
3M Fine Cut Liquid Rubbing Compound, works on newer cars as well . I do it once a
year for all my cars. Takes the scratches out. Another one after that is 3M Cleaner
wax ,Its the the only one that actually removes oxidation and minor scratching
according to Consumer Reports. I love the stuff since Idont ned to polish then wax all
day long. Cheap too.
Bought the 3M Cleaner wax at Wal Mart and the Rubbing Compound at Pep Boys.
They carry both of them. Paint stores would definitley carry the Fine Cut rubbing
cmpd. The wax does not last as long, as others like Amor All but the shine is better
since it cleans and takes the oxide and scratches out.
I tried 3 waxes on my wing for Bob Metx and we compared , the 3M was best overall.
The rubbing compound works best by hand . I tried the buffer but it was not too fast ,
takes a while though but is worth it once a year.
Clutch
Slave Cylinder
Basically it's straightforward…well, if you are Joolz, it is. If you are an ordinary
human being, count on 10 frustrating, dirty hours.
Engine Bay
Disconnect battery and remove starter motor bolts.
Remove the airboxes.
Snip cable ties holding bleed pipe for clutch to engine bay bulkhead. It’s a braided
steel hose with a bleed nipple at the end…usually tied to a mess of wires and hoses by
the bulkhead, at the driver’s side.
Under Car
Remove:
Chassis closing plate,
exhaust pipes,
heat shielding (you have to drill out the rivets, which means you will need rivets to
put it back on later),
propshaft.
Now undo exhaust manifolds to let them drop down or get some willing helpers to
splay them apart with long bars. I always remove the manifolds.
This is just about impossible. The exhaust flanges are bolted on in the most
inaccessible place. This is a tedious, horrible, frustrating job. Extremely difficult. We
learnt no tricks to make it go easier…it was just as hard and frustrating to try and bolt
them back into place.
Undo gearbox rear mount and support gearbox rear on a stand.
Remove grearbox mount, undo 4 big allen bolts holding gearbox to bellhousing.
These are usually on very tight. Be patient, get the right tools. We broke a few tools
Lower rear of gearbox and remove gearlever (2 bolts) and reverse light cable.
Remove gearbox.
This is a great time to adjust the handbrake cable as well. It is normally inaccessible
except through a very hidden knurled adjuster located above and in front of the
differential—trying to adjust the handbrake with it is pretty ineffective.
Undo hydraulic clutch piping from the side, but not the braided steel hose at the top.
Undo allen bolts holding bellhousing.
Remove bellhousing.
Inspect clutch diaphragm spring fingers for signs of fracturing, remove and inspect
clutch if you want to.
Slave cylinder is held by 4 small countersunk allen bolts in bellhousing.. remove (they
can be tight .. light heat onto inside of bellhousing helps .. don't kill these allens
otherwise you'll be drilling them out).
Remove slave cylinder watching how it goes back together, replace seals - refit
everything in reverse order and bleed clutch. Clean, lube everything thoroughly at this
stage. You are now halfway done.
Point to note:
During reassembly, make sure the two holes in the slave cylinder are top and bottom
otherwise it won't bleed all the air out.
Once the bellhousing is back on, fit the hydraulic pipes and bleed the clutch - make
sure the two clutch centre plates are free with the clutch pedal pressed, if they are
binding IN ANY WAY then the clutch will drag .. best to make sure now rather than
when the whole things is back together.
During reassembly, when refitting the gearbox, it is easier to line up the gearshaft if
you engage a gear and then rotate it from the rear, using the propshaft joint, until the
front end lines up and slides in.
Refitting the exhaust headers is a complete bitch. Proceed with patience. It may be
necessary to raise and lower the car umpteen times to get at them from underneath
and from on top.
Other than that it's time consuming but not technically difficult.
Door seals
joospeed says : I've just done this very job on an early 4.5 Cerbera but I have to warn
you that it isn't straightforward ( is anything on a TVR?). Firstly the door aperture
seal comes off, followed by the lipped seal along the roof top. A new lipped seal with
a bigger lip on it has to be fitted with a plastic strip with rivets on it and this is then
fitted onto the car.
Next the double door aperture seal is fitted. All this is pretty much as you would
expect, however because of the extra width of the seal, the door hinges must be
spaced out from the car body or the door doesn't shut and this bit is a real pain in the
****!! Then you'll need a different chip in the window ECU in the boot to give more
power to the window lift motor or it won't go up to the top. If it gets done inside 8
hours and doesn't leak or have wind noise then consider yourself very lucky.
Door Troubleshooting
There's really three parts to the answer here.
Firstly there could be a mechanical fault in the door latch itself or the emergency
release cable istoo tight.
Second and third parts are electrical.. if the door opens then the door ECU must think
the door release buttons have been pressed .. meaning a chafed wire to earth. However
there is a cut-out which works off the speedo sensor .. when the car is moving you
can't open the doors from the button anyway so even if the button wiring was earthing
the door shouldn't open whilst moving.
Now there could be a problem with the wiring from the speed sensor to the door ECU
and also an earthed wire from the door button, but more likely that the ECU is itself at
fault. Your dealer must find this quickly before someone gets hurt...
Check: the door release cable and latch mechanism , isolate the two return path wires
for the inner and outer door release buttons at the ECU, check for speedo sensor
signal at the ECU and to substitute another ECU also. That would be a good start.
Dry Sump
Dry sump systems generally consist of a new shallower sump, dry sump pump, oil
tank and a lot of plumbing. The main differences between systems is in the pump.
You can use seperate oil pressure and scavenge pumps or you can combine the two
and have a 2+stage pump.
If you are using a combination pump (which is the most common method) you
generally remove the original oil pump, although you can carry on using it for
pressure and just use the dry-sump pump for scavenge. The dry-sump pump is
divided into sections with one or more sections providing oil to the engine from the
tank and the remaining chambers scavenging oil from the engine. I've seen systems
with up to 10 scavenge sections in the pump which suck oil from the sump and the
lifter valley to stop oil sloshing around and running down the rotating parts of the
engine. The main aims of these systems is :
Reduce the chances of oil starvation to big-end bearings due to oil surge.
Stop crankshaft from sloshing through a big puddle of oil and thus reducing HP (i.e.
reduces windage).
Increases crankcase vaccum the lack of which can be a problem to some piston / ring
combinations.
Allow the engine to be mounted lower in the chassis (provided your transmission will
allow it or make it worthwhile).
More consistent oil pressure.
Greater oil capacity (depending on tank capacity).
Oil cooling via tank or more easily plumbed-in oil cooler.
Downsides?
The system is heavier.
System takes up more room under the bonnet.
You are depending on a belt-driven device for oil pressure / scavenge.
Another item to clean after / during an oil change.
Another item to replace at servicing time (dry sump pump belt). Expensive.
With a dry-sump engine you have a separate oil tank, with a wet-sump the sump is
effectively the oil tank. The oil pump is different as well as on the dry sump it needs
to have 2 functions - pumping the oil into the tank, and circulating the oil from the
tank around then engine (at least that is the way that it was on my Formula Ford - it
my be slightly different on a Speed 6 engine).
Oh, and just to confuse things further the AJP V8 used in the Tuscan race cars is a
dry-sump (as most racing engines are).
ECU
If the banks are balanced, then the adaptives should be equal. It really is that easy.
The garage should have an airmass meter ... it comes supplied in the cerbera kit that
every dealer got along with their computer / software / cam timing gear. I very rarely
use the meter and just balance it from the values on the screen which is much quicker,
but if you had a SP6 then I'd be worrying...that engine has individually adjustable
butterflies for each cylinder and you cannot balance this without the meter.
The basis for setting the V8 is to firstly slacken the linkrod between the banks, then
by interpreting the adaptive value relative to the throttle pot value bank to bank you
can deduce which bank is sucking more air (assuming equal t-pot values this is the
bank with the higher adaptive value) there is no other way of interpreting the values ..
it's as simple as that. You just adjust the link / throttle pots and idle screw to get the
adaptives equal, but also AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS POSSIBLE! If one bank of your
engine has adaptives of around 30 % then this is running about on the rich limit ... it
won't enrich any more than that. So this means your engine needs a good tune up.
It's also wrong to say that the ECU throws up spurious fault codes in the garage such
as the AFR error ... there's a logged fault because there IS a fault ... it's the difference
in airflow that's causing it. The imbalance is more noticeable at small throttles /
lightcruise conditions and getting it right can give much better town driving - there's
also a Joospeed mod for the 4.2 version to cut out the slop in the cross link that gives
a lot of poor running at part throttle.
Fuel maps
There is a default to a get you home mode, but it isn't "rich" running.
If a sensor goes down that is also on the other bank - eg a throttle pot or lambda
sensor then it will take values from the working sensor and use that to run the engine.
Now if the engine airflow balance is set correctly you shouldn't get the situation
where the mixture goes AWOL .. however if one bank is running less airflow say, but
the fuelling is set by the high airflow side (and therefore high fuelling side) then you
will get overfuelling on one bank unless both lambdas are working and it can be
trimmed back.
If something like the air pressure sensor or air temp sensor goes AWOL then there's
default values that are substituted, but note that as long as the lambdas are working
the part throttle fuelling will still be trimmed so you shouldn't get poor economy.
If just logging a battery voltage fault is causing the overfuelling you describe then
there's something else going on. The ecu is clever enough to get you home unless
something very important like the crank position sensor goes down.
Also there is no "rich running mode" . If it defaults to the base mapping then that's not
"rich running mode" since the base map is by definition the mapping on which the car
starts running before the adaptive fuelling values are trimmed by the lambda sensor
output voltages - the map isn't "rich" - it's actually the closest to what an average
engine will require, the adaptive trimming is just there to take account of differences
in individual engine builds and minor setup inbalances.
The mapping is held in the chip (the one with the sticker on it denoting which version
you have) .. but you can't reprogram it, you have to burn a new chip with updated
information .. it's all over in a matter of seconds with a little hand-held burner, but that
assumes you've got a load of cerbera maps at your disposal .. mapping a car on the
rollers after you've made mods can take a long time if you want good driveability ..
it's relatively easy to map for max power, it's the transition periods on part throttle /
accel / decel / etc that takes the time .. mapping a series production car can take
months of driving time and dyno time sorting out tiny alterations, you'll be doing well
if you map a modified car from scratch with say 16 throttle positions by 16 rev speeds
load sites in 2 days to get a good all round drive. You can speed things up by using
the existing map as a guide and then alter the settings gradually to suit the new
application but it's still alot of work ..
ECU Fuel maps
Do you need the cats eventually to get through any emisions test? If so then it looks
like you've got an ECU chip that won't store or recall the adaptive map values .. these
are the percentage richening or weakening compared to the base map that the ecu
learns according to the voltages given by the lambda sensors. I've had this before and
usually a change of chip solves this, but I also had one car once where the ECU itself
had to be changed.
If you don't have to pass any emissions tests then this opens up another avenue. You
need to find an MBE mapping centre and have a chip mapped exactly to your engine's
requirements ... this would do two things … firstly because you don't need the lambda
sensors for emissions tests you can get rid of these and just have a (throttle angle
versus revs load sites) fuel and ignition map with no lambda control, and also you can
marginally over fuel compared to what you have at the moment for acceleration
enrichment for better throttle response - the road car mapping is as weak as you can
go for accel enrichment without compromising response too greatly, but there still is a
small compromise since any overfuelling causes cat damage eventually.
If you have removed the cats and increased the exhaust gas flow, and also the
scavenging effect by reducing back pressure your car will in all probability benefit
from increased fuelling at the top end of the rev range which will boost power.
Having this done will do wonders for your cars performance.
Emergency Spares List
(culled from the egroups Cerbera list – many thanks to Ben Pike, James Hall, and the
rest)
5ltr container of Mobil 1
5ltr container of water
Cable ties
Fire extinguisher
First aid kit
Foot pump
Fuse kit
Gaffer tape
High visibility vest
Jump leads
Number 24 spanner
Number 9 spanner
Ratchets
Set of sockets and extensions
Set of allen keys
Set of pliers
Set of screwdriver
Spare bulb
Torch
Tow rope
Tyre weld
Valve relief spring
Warning triangle
Fuel Pressure
You need a fuel pressure tester to test the pressue (!) .. sounds a bit obvious , but it's
kinda like a compression tester in appearance, except it's obviously petrol proof, and
you get a whole load of adaptors to connect into the fuel line .. you need to be testing
the main fuel rail pressure .. so the tester has to go on the feed pipe onto the fuel rail
in the centre on the "V".
The rail with all the injectors coming off it between the two inlet manifolds .. the
union to undo is the 18mm spanner sized nut union which is on the front of the fuel
rail on the 4.5 cars.
On the lambda front .. the sensors don't have any effect at full throttle / high revs ..
they only tri the fuelling at part throttle so these will have no effect on your full power
fuelling. The fact that you have no cats is dissapointing . that was forefront in my
mind for your problem really, but the lack of cats won't be causing a weak mixture ..
the airflow isn't altered enough for that to be the limiting factor.
But if the fuel pressure is down you won't necessarily notice a part throttle complaint
'cos the lambdas will richen the fuelling to compensate .. if the pressure is down then
the injectors open longer to get the fuelling correct .. but at high revs / wide open
throttle the lambda control is suspended so that is when you would get a pressure
related problem occurring.
Gear Lever Rattle
Getting to the gearlever is a real pain, for very little reward. You have to remove the
"egg" from between the rear seats and lift up the centre console (the gear lever and
locking bezel just unscrew .. sometimes they are very tight though ...) you can lift the
console about three inches in the area you need to be working and removing the
gearlever gaiter allows you to see straight down into the area, (it's possible for you
can remove the whole of the dash section but I wouldn't recommend it) .. once in
there you can remove the black rubber gaiter from the centre tunnel and then you'll
see two bolts holding the lever to the selector into the gearbox remote housing. .. now
on some early cars TVR threaded the gearlever, but there's threads in the gearbox
selector also .. so unless you are lucky and the two sets line up perfectly yuo can end
up with the situation whereby the bolts tighten up but it doesn't pull the lever hard
against the selector = rattle. You can do a quick fix by forcing sickaflex or silicone
sealer between the two bits, or better to remove the gearlever and drill out the threads
in that so it will bolt up tightly to the selector.
If the rattle isn't in that bit then you'll have to remove the selector from the remote
housing .. four bolts or allen bolts depending on what was around at the time .. inside
you'll find the selector rod into the gearbox and a nylon bush in the top of it .. most
probably this is worn .. you can effect a temporary fix by putting lots of thick grease
into the nylon cup before reassembling, or replace the cup and grease it for best
results. There was a problem with some of the early SP6 gearboxes with jumping out
of gear .. there's a stiffer spring to fit under that nylon cup "holder" .. ( you'll see what
I mean if you get in there...) which gave a more positive action, but you also may just
find on your V8 model that the gaiters for the gearlever are just fouling on the
fibreglass around it on the transmission tunnel and some work with a grinder will see
it fixed.
Handbrake
whilst the adjuster has backed itself off fully take the oppurtunity to remove the rear
wheels and adjust the toothed adjuster inside the rear drum.. there's an inspection /
sdjuster hole in the drum that you should move to the "twenty-five to six" position
..(!) then peer through the hole and wind the adjuster until it stops turnning .. then
wind it back two clicks or three until the drum spins freely. Then go under the car and
put your hand up over the right hand side of the diff somewhere in the area of the diff
pinion / propshaft flange area .. there you'll find the handbrake cable and the knurled
adjuster for the cable .. tighten until you get the handbrake lever ending up where you
want (personal preference, but generally the more you get the lever towards vertical
the better you can pull on it) .. then make sure the knurled adjuster has it's two parts
locked together to prevent it undoing itself again.
Headlamps (dim)
Sounds like the dim dip bit only is working .. so the chances are that either a fuse has
gone or the connectors to the black box above the fuel tank have burnt out .. very
common problem .. just do a repair with spade connectors, or take the box apart and
solder some proper wire to the circuit board inside instead of those stupid low-curent
pins they fit as standard.
Heating and Cooling
Can you hear a dull thud when you press the fan button? …if so you still have
the early solenoid system fitted and the chances are that the solenoid operated flap has
stuck …look up into the upper area of the drivers footwell and you'll see a 4 inch
diameter black trunking with an alloy chamber attached ... remove that chamber and
free off the flap inside .. a spray of grease will help it along.
If you hear a "tinkle" when you operate the fans then you have an interim
version of the system with alloy flaps in the centre console, one of which may be
stuck closed or open …look again up into the upper footwell and trace the 4 inch
trunking all the way to the centre console .. this is the mixing chamber for the two
systems .. remove the trunking and you'll see an aloy housing and swinging plate
inside .. remove the self-
tappers and remove the housing to free the swinging plate - note there's one on the
drivers
side and another on the passengers side so check both.
If you don't have either of those systems then you have the latest "cows udder" system
.. look up into the footwell (again !!) and you'll see a black fibreglass "udder" with 3
pipes coming off it .. if you have this system and you're not getting air out then there's
a blockage of some description 'cos there's nothing inside the system to prevent
airflow .. remove each pipe in turn to check for blockage eg with dry dead leaves or
small furry creatures
Also, if you're just yourself in the car, make sure all the vents on the passenger side
are closed as the heating [?!?!] system is biased with hot air to the passenger side -
with the coldest air finding its way to the drivers feet. This can be addressed with bits
of bent metal/bits of bean-cans. Mine now allows cold air to drivers face and hot air to
footwell. Woopdeedoo!
Horn
The two hooters and relay are located under the front fibreglass cover in the front of
the engine bay .. you'll be able to see them though if you jack up and remove the
driver side front wheel, there will be a fuse also to the battery and wires from the
switch under the dash. It's a basic circuit and shouldn't pose too much trouble tracing
the fault. i can draw the circuit for you and send it if yuo want? (at least as far as I can
remember it
Hot stalling
This can be due to the fuel vapourising in the lines, the wrapping of the fuel lines in
heat-reflective material was a factory mod for the earliest cars only.. all cars now have
fuel lines which run inside the cabin under the centre console (they're metal, so no
chance of bursting unless someone drills through for a mobile phone or similar). Also
air con cars have the added advantage of a fuel-cooler which is the metal canister in
front of the engine just visible under the lower fibreglass cover. Excessive heat
transfer through the boot floor from the exhaust back box to the fuel tank was cured
by fitting a plate barrier between the rear box and the boot floor on early cars.
As a result, hot stalling because of vapourisation was all-but eliminated, and any
stalling problems occurring are either as a result of a fault, or more commonly
because the butterflies on the O/S bank are becoming blocked with oil from the
breather trap in that side airbox. On cold start, the ignition timing is advanced which
takes care of the cold-start fast idle, and the timing is gradually trimmed as the coolant
temperature increases. It's important that the butterfly area is cleaned every service to
maintain the idle speed...it shouldn't be raised just by opening the idle speed stop
screw since this ruins the relationship between the rate of opening of the butterfly and
the expected change in airflow possibly resulting in uneven slow speed running (for
each incremental increase in butterfly angle, the rate of change of airflow decreases).
Engine Oil Leak
If you've got an oil loss prob that's due to pressure build up behind the seal then you
have the early type with a seal inside the bearing on the nose of the crank .. this needs
to be upgraded to the later non-integral seal type and a new alloy housing and lip type
seal fitted to the front timing cover .. was this not explained when you had the seal
changed? .. of course this could have been changed but just not fitted quite right ..
oil pressure starts to drop off way before the gauge registers it - once oil level is
getting low the system ocasionally sucks up small ammounts of air which pass
through to the
bearings .. if it's a small ammount then the gauge will still register a proper pressure
reading since most of the system is still properly pumping oil around, however that
pocket of air will temporarily starve maybe just one bearing of oil for a fraction of a
second ..result is that if you keep up with that oil level filling programme you'll
eventually be causing significant damage, just that it will biuld up over time rather
than all happen at once. regular oil level cjecks are a must .. 1 litre per 1K miles is
regarded as typical, if you're regularly giving it large then check the level every 500
miles to be safe, and expect to have to add some.
Hydratrak Differential
Inside the diff casing is the Hydratrak unit, it is self-contained and as such does not
run in the diff oil, it contains it's own lubricant which forms part of the working
mechanism. Consider the scenario of setting off under hard acceleration causing
wheelspin or accelerating out of a tight bend. Under this condition a large speed
difference occurs across the rear wheels and consequently a corresponding difference
at the diff output shafts ( from the Hydratrak coupling). Inside the coupling itself,
fluid is forced through small orifices thus effecting a resistance to the differential
output shaft speed causing it. Because this action varies as the speed difference across
the output shafts, the diff is "user friendly", the wheels cannot become "locked" as in
a power-locking type diff for example and so limits effects such as both rear wheels
slipping under clumsy downshifts, and the back end of the car is less likely to step
out when exiting slow corners for example. The downside of course is that they make
the cars very boring to drive (!) - I mean, what's the point of a fast rear wheel drive
car that's difficult to get the back end out on? My driving impressions of Hydratrak-
equipped cars is similar to cars having no type of LSD at all- i.e. they seem to sit there
going nowhere spinning the inside wheel uselessly if exiting that slow corner for
example. My advice to anyone who enjoys what rear drive cars are all about is to stick
with the ordinary diff... much more fun, much more 'TVR'.
The Hydratrak works differently to conventional friction LSD's. It forces fluid
through small orifices like vane pumps when one wheel tries to spin faster than the
other. Great care should be taken when running a car in with this type of differential
fitted. Any other oil than the correct grade specified above will wreck the unit.
1) my hydratrak seems to have a bit of a drip. about 3 drops per day. is this normal?
could this explain my high speed vibrations/judders which come and go? if so, at what
point do i need to refill and how do i do that and what type of oil should i use? Well
some oil can blow out of the breather, and if it's only slight then I wouldn't worry.. the
diff holds just about 2 litres of oil so it'll take a while to drop to a dangerous level.
The recommended oil is Mobil 80W/140 ID . I have heard a resonance coming from
diffs before, but it's not very common at all .. does it sounds like a hollow resonance
rather than a proper vibration? If so it could be the diff .. but rest assured I've never
had to replace a cerbie diff except for one with a manufacturing fault which went
"pop”. It's a similar scenario to the thumping noise on tight turns as the preloaded
plates free off, it's more a characteristic than an intrinsic fault
You can't top up the hydratrak level .. as you say it's sealed inside .. you can top up
the diff oil level though for the crownwheel and pinion lube ..the level plug is 1 +
1/8th inch spanner size and located on the drivers side of the diff - you can't miss it
'cos it's the only big bung on the diff anyway. Recommended oil is mobil 80W/140ID.
Total capacity is 1.75 litres on hydratrak cars.
Hydratrak Differential Oil
Although some diffs seem to be set very "tight" in their limited slip action, there are a
few points to consider before condemning the diff itself. Most likely is a faulty
damper. This is very common and some cars are on their second or third set of
dampers.
They leak oil from the top seal and eventually give up their damping action
altogether.
Remember that TVR use stiff springs and so need stiffly set dampers to control the
extending spring during the rebound phase. Any deterioration in a damper action will
cause that wheel to skip as the extending spring action isn't sufficiently under control.
As your car is fairly recently made it will have the high mounted rear anti roll bar
yes? Well check the bushes on this ... they have a habit of running dry and the bar
itself sticks in the bushes causing erratic roll control. If you remove the rear wheels
you'll see the pivot mounts for the bar … remove them and force grease between the
bar and the bush, then when you refit the bush put a spacer washer between the "U"
clamp and the flat plate it bolts to in order to space out and relieve some of the
clamping force on the bush itself ... it'll become apparent when you look at it.
You can check if the hydratrak action is correct by doing this test .. pull out of a sharp
turning at moderate speed and floor the throttle. Don't load the car up too much
sideways…you're trying to just unload the inside wheel .. if the diff action is correct
the inside wheel should spin away the excess torque and the car should not slew
sideways as you would expect. If the car does slew sideways then maybe the diff
action is tightening up. HOWEVER if there is a fault like this with the diff then I
would have to say it's very rare .. so rare in fact that I've never seen it in 4 years of
Cerbie experience!
More often the diff loses it's torque transfer effect and the inside wheel spinning effect
gets worse to the point where you end up not going anywhere! The hydratrak unit
itself sits in a fully enclosed housing within the traditional diff casing and as such
doesn't lose oil since the special oil it runs in within that enclosed unit forms the fluid
for the hydratrak effect … see previous threads for my description of it's working
action.
The oil that is changed in the diff at service time is for the output shaft bearings/
pinion bearing and diff carrier support bearings and as such has no effect on the
hydratrak action at all. There is no sight line for level check. The level is to the height
of the filler plug on the right hand side of the diff casing. The drain plug is at the
middle at the bottom of the rear ring of bolts. Should be changed every 12000 miles
and also changed at the first service ... only use Mobil SHC80w/140ID oil ... anything
else at your peril!
Lighter
If it has come away from fixings inc. power lead (I use it as a phone charger) The
whole lighter inside bit screws into a threaded thingy. OK, not much help, but if you
grovel about behind the dash you'll see the butt it screws into. This kind of 'clamps'
the unit into the dash. It's probably still held on by the wires to the back of the lighter.
Screwing the lighter back in is the easy bit, but this usually means knocking the wires
off, and I recall they were a sod to put back on as there's not much space to work in.
You might want to turn it the other way before screwing it in, so that the twisted wire
behind untwists as you screw it in.
MBE ECU
Early cars have version 941
Later cars have version 945 (better fuel maps on chip)
The system is throttle based with closed loop lambda control which means that the
main inputs from the engine which determine the quantity of fuel injected & the
ignition timing are the throttle position & engine speed. Other less important factors
such as coolant temperature & barometric pressure are used as trimmers.
From the MBE newsletter:
---------------------------
http://www1a.btwebworld.com/mbesystems/newsletter.html.
Do TVR plan to start exporting again?
Quote: The 955 Engine Management System (EMS) which is now manufactured for
the Cerbera and Tuscan is an efficient and dynamic system which fits the demands of
a six-cylinder engine which typically produces over 350bhp. With the majority of our
vehicles destined for export to the American and Japanese markets, it was vital that
high performance did not automatically mean high emissions. The Cerbera and
Tuscan both comfortably conform to the California State legislature's emissions
standards. The highly accessible diagnostic software packages MBE have developed
in partnership with our own engineers means that TVR is well equipped to cope with
the pace of any future environmental legislation.
Oily Smoke
(Many thanks to James Hall and his cornflakes for this)
1. when I stop after a trip a wisp or two of possibly oil smoke curls up out of the
bonnet near the drivers side windscreen - I open the bonnet to look (as it isn’t a big
fire) but by then it's gone - no signs of anything obviously amiss -
2. When cleaning the car I noticed a greasy/oily deposit on the driver’s side just
behind the number plate - about the area of a 50p piece. Could these 2 things be
related?
That's coming from your colostomy pot. It sits under the driver’s side air box. When
you're driving around slowly, the engine breathes a bit, and oil collects in the pot
(that's what it's there for).
When you go out and give it a large portion, the engine emits all of its pent up crank
case pressure into the pot, and blows some of the oil out. This then goes into the
airbox (to be burned by the engine).
Some of it inevitably leaks down the air inlet pipe, and drips onto the front of the car
by the number plate (as you described). I would suspect that there is a leak from the
pipe that feeds the pot, and some oil is dripping onto the manifold. I'd be inclined to
get it fixed, as oil and hot exhausts aren't a good mixture.
Radio Reception
Tools Needed:
Electric Drill, and 10mm wood bit (works fine on fibreglass)
Small slotted screwdriver
Small Phillips screwdriver
Hemostats / Pliers
Electrical Tape
Supplies Needed:
Halfords™ Extensible Aerial with 1500mm aerial lead
Halfords™ 2m Aerial Extension Lead
Odd bits needed:
TVR Aerial Replacement updated procedures
1) Get a replacement telescopic aerial from Halfords. Unless you can find one with a
suitable length of lead you'll need an extension co-ax cable (2m) which they also sell.
This will cost you about £ 25-30 with VAT.
2) Open boot, remove Velcro cover obstructing all black boxes and CD player and lay
it in the bottom of the boot.
3) Remove the CD player, there are two screws on either side of it. Also un-Velcro all
electronics carefully and leave them dangling in the boot.
4) Remove the rear 'cubby hole'. This is retained by a single wing nut which is
accessible from the boot above the fuel tank, behind the CD player, black boxes etc.
5) After removing wing nut, crawl into passenger compartment, and carefully pull
forward the cubbyhole which will leave the opening you’ll need to drill a hole through
later.
6) Then remove passengers’ footwell under dash cover and feel lead on drivers side of
radio.
7) With small slotted screwdrivers, pry into the vertical holes around the radio. Also
there are tabs under the radio that need to be flattened for the Head Unit to come out.
8) Pull out the head unit and replace the existing aerial plug with the new lead.
9) Run the new aerial cable down the curved passenger 'grab handle' (there is a
wiring harness under there already) and feed the cable under the PASSENGERS
SIDE OF THE transmission tunnel padding until you reach the cubby hole area
between the rear seats. This will keep the aerial cable as far as possible from the
wiring harness under the transmission cover.
10) Drill a hole, approx 8-10mm, suitable for passing the co-ax lead through from the
car to the boot, JUST BELOW THE WINGNUT HOLE. You'd have to be trying
pretty hard to drill through anything important by mistake!
11) Cover the base of the new aerial, the tip, and the ferrite bead on it with Electrical
Tape to keep it from rattling when inserted in the car.
12) Then feed the new aerial lead through the hole from the boot to the passengers
compartment and connect to the aerial lead from the radio.
13) Place the aerial lead under the metal rod across the cubbyhole opening, and then
Cover with Electrical Tape to insure clean connection.
14) Take the aerial lead and route it across the upper lip of the boot/window junction.
Then extend the new aerial and feed it up the drivers side B pillar which is fairly
easy. It's quite a big void with only the roll cage tube in there.
My aerial seems to have wedged itself in place and doesn't rattle. I reckon the end of
the antenna is up near the drivers head.
That's all there is to it! One dealer said they fitted an aerial as I've just described but
laid it on top of the black boxes above the fuel tank. I tried that first of all but didn't
notice any difference.
Steering Wheel Removal
the Steering mounted controls are relatively easy to cure, basically remove the plastic
TVR badge from the centre of the steering wheel (it's just got a sticky back to it, you
may need a couple of spots of super glue to hold it when you put it back!) behind it
there is a single large nut, undo that and CAREFULLY just remove the steering
wheel, you will find that there is a long ribbon connector wound around the central
hub, fairly loosley, several times (the reason I say carefully is because it will fall out
every where!) basically you need to check the plug on both ends is attached correctly,
and that should solve it, if it doesn't you need a new ribbon so it's back to the dealer
I'm afraid! if your lambda sensor is constantly reading 1.2 volts then that is bad news.
It's not a sensor fault .. it would read 0volts if that was the case - 1.2 volts means rich
mixture .. unfortunately you can't tell how rich because 1.2 to 1.3 volts is as high as
the voltage generated by the lambda sensors goes, but it's obvious that the ecu isn't
weakening that bank off at all which in turn means it'll be running right at the rich
limit which works out at about 40 percent overfuelling over the base map fuelling that
John Ravenscroft first worked out.
Sensors
Air Temp Sensor
check air temp reading in computer is same as actual air temp. If not ok, substitutes 10
deg. remove resistor
Water Temp Sensor
same as above within 2 or 3 degrees. otherwise defaults to 95 and both fans come on.
bit wrapped in wire feeds gauge in car.
Barometric Pressure Sensor -
in pass. footwell, remove panel above ECU panel. self tapper and wing nut. find out
air pressure/ and compare to computer screen. black pipe off nearside airbox; clamp
off this pipe and squeeze...computer should register change in pressure.
Starter
A starter motor specialist has identified the starter as one used on a 3.0ltr V6 Nissan
engine. My motor factor chap didn't know the details but is that probably off a 300ZX
(US mechanics are certain it’s from a Sentra or Stanza—dunno if you have the same
models in England).
There are two options for repairing it; either renew the clutch mechanism for £108.60
or fit a new motor and mechanical bits to the existing housing for £192.80. Seeing as
it appears to be the clutch that always breaks and I've never heard of the motors
burning out, I went for the cheaper repair, which is still guarantied for 12 months.
If this helps anybody save a few quid, the contact details are Autobits in Farnham
(01252 714993) or www.autobits.com
Starter Replacement (and Injector Rail Inspection):
Remove panel in front of windscreen.
Remove battery live lead.
Remove purple pipes.
Remove fuel rail.
The fuel rail is held on by two straps across the top of it, each held by a 6mm allen
bolt (5mm allen socket required) one on each end of each strap. then lever the rail out
complete with the injectors … these are VERY tight but it will come!
Remove coil packs
Coil packs...these are two oblong boxes in the centre of the engine V at the back of
the engine...each has 4 HT leads going to it and a multiplug connector. Each coil pack
is held in place by 4 6mm Allen bolts. Note the location and orientation of each coil
pack.
Plate underneath.
The plate is under the coils packs, and is held by 6 6mm Allen bolts.
Remove the two large Allen bolts holding starter to bellhousing.
Pull starter forwards and remove wires to solenoid.
Lift starter up through gap at rear of engine.
Refit is reverse sequence, with the following caveats:
Getting the starter in is a nightmare. The trick is to put it in backwards and tilted over,
away from you. Once it’s inside, sitting on top of the transmission tunnel, rotate it
around, then pull it up to the back of the engine as far as you can. Now attach the
wires. Then slide is back and screw it in place.
Don’t forget to put on the bracket used for the bottom end of the throttle spring before
bolting down the passenger side.
Put both coil packs in the cavity, then screw each one in place. If you screw one and
then try to stuff the other one down, you will have problems.
When replacing the injector rail, it’s a good idea to check all the rubber o-ring seals.
They are easy to rip/tear. To replace them, it is easiest to remove the injector rail from
the car. Undo the hose clamp under the pressure regulator and also the one at the other
end (on the far side of the hose). They are a bit difficult to remove from the injector
rail, and just require patience and (moderate) force.
Tappets
1) Strip down fuel injection/air intake manifold
2) Remove cam covers and measure 16 valve clearances.
3) Any incorrect (most of them)remove camshaft(s) fit shims of correct size, refit
camshaft(s) and check valve timing.
4) Remeasure gaps and repeat 3 if any are still out.
5) Refit covers, fuel rail etc
6) At this point either know you have done a thorough job and start the engine or pray
and start the engine.
7 hours minimum plus parts
Throttle Cable
(Many thanks to Oliver Gausden for this)
Basic steps for removing cable
1) Pull rubber pipes off wiper blades (see pic)
2) Undo the 2 6mm Hex nuts (see pic below) holding on engine bay cover.
3) Slide out engine bay cover & place somewhere on the ground (see pic below)
4) Loosen off throttle cable (in engine bay) with 13mm open ended spanner (see
pic)
5) Pull throttle cable out of throttle body mechanism (see pic), mine was held in
with silicone sealant, so took a lot of persuasion.
You may need to remove some of the silicone sealant where cable goes from engine
bay into cabin (see pic below)
Once cable is free from throttle body, pull cable through into footwell (see pic below
showing driver’s side in engine bay)
9) Remove accelerator pedal from pedal box assembly (see pic—you have to
undo both of the bolts that the red arrows are pointing at). Can't remember spanner
size - 15mm maybe?
9) You can now pull the pedal back (towards you) a bit and get it where you can
see it. Now remove the cable from the top of the accelerator pedal (push/pull the brass
guide out of it), and pull the rest of the cable out the car.
Installing new cable
Putting the new cable back in the car is basically a reverse of removal, with the
following exceptions:
1) TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!! Don't get annoyed with the car, take it easy & you'll
actually get it done faster...
2) Feed the cable into the foot well from the engine bay
3) Remember to resilicone sealant where ever you removed it from.
4)Don't tighten the cable too much when you put attach it back to the throttle body,
start too loose & tighten with the engine running so you know when to stop.
things you'll need
3mm spanner
5mm spanner
Set of allen Keys
pliers
sharp knife (to cut away silicone sealant)
new throttle cable
silicone sealant
a couple of spare knuckles for when you take the skin off the ones
you've already got.... ;o)
The Cerbera throttle cable ISN'T stolen from another car, so the only place to get it, is
from your local TVR Dealer. Cable is 40gbp (+ VAT), but it's well worth it for the
better throttle response and that’s about all I can think of...
Throttle Position Sensors
FE40186
Rover ERR 4278
Throttle return spring
Turn indicator stalk
(Many thanks to William Ball for this)
On 4.2 (and I guess 4.5 is the same, as symptoms seem same) stalk is held on by a
single small bolt. Good news is no real disassembly of steering and covers required.
Bad news is it's a sod to get at, especially if you unscrew it totally and want to put it
back in.
Bolt direction is parallel to steering column with bolt head towards footwell. Position
is, not surprisingly, on pivot point of indicator stalk. As I recall, you end up working
on it lying upside down with head in footwell - torch is required. I can't remember if
you have to remove the panel above the footwell, but if you do, its only two bolts.
Bolt that holds on indicator stalk has spring washer type assembly, so tighter its
screwed in, the more 'solid' the stalk - to the point where its too solid to move.
Unscrew too far and a) its too loose, and b) the bolt might unscrew more and come
out (as mine did) as loctite or similar doesn't appear to have been applied. You might
actually find then the bolt was actually undoing itself over time to the point where it's
so loose it doesn't hold the stalk in place properly.
Warning Buzzer Volume Adjustment
It isn't too difficult but it is quite time consuming! basically there is a small but
obvious potentiometer underneath the pod that covers the instruments (rev counter
speed etc.) problem is you need to remove the pod to do this! there is a bolt under
each of the two corners on the pod with a wing nut securing them, to access these you
need to remove the piece of trim the is above the drivers knees (beneath steering
column) again secure by two wing nuts and some bits of Velcro (2 wing nuts-one on
gearbox tunnel, other on opposite wall in front of the door. so although there are only
4 wing nuts to remove it is a bit fiddly because you have to stand on your head in the
drivers foot well! I did it to both my Cerbie with a bit of practice it's probably 10 to 15
minute job! Charlie At 02:50 PM 15/06/2000 +0100, you wrote: >It's under the top of
the dashboard.
If you cannot hear the indicator / warning buzzer because it's too quiet or it's so loud
it's driving you to distraction, the volume potentiometer can be adjusted with a small
screwdriver. It is located on the PCB behind the clocks which can easily be removed
by undoing two butterfly nuts either side of the steering column and removing the
binnacle. Now would be a good time to check the condition of the instrument lighting
bulbs.
Some more detail:
There's four butterfly nuts under the steering column area. . Two of these butterfly
screws are down by where your knees would be if you were driving. The other two
are quite hidden up in the inside. They go up into the bolts vertically, if that helps, and
are kind of in the front corners. You have to undo these to remove the lower shroud.
Then the top dash pod cover will lift off--it might be a bit tight or glued down...just be
firm. If it takes too much force, then you've forgotten or undone the wrong screw
underneath.
Once the nuts are removed, you have to flex and tug at the fibreglass pieces until they
come off. I have mine set to the lowest setting, so it's not a problem, but about the
third time I took it apart, I seriously considered drilling a hole in the top of the
instrument panel and putting a grommet or something in there so I would always
have easy access.
Once the top is removed, you can't miss the rotary "volume control" sitting on the
circuit board right on top. This is also a good time to tidy up wiring or run wiring for
a radar detector from the cigarette lighter up to the top and make it invisible
Your dealer could probably do it in 10 minutes, and show you what to do in the
future. Otehrwise, allow at least an hour or so the first time around.
Windows
Sluggish window operation (or is it a new motor needed? or one side one has to have
a helping hand up & it never seals itself?)
In terms of sluggish - it could be the motor, but the power going to the motor is
controlled by a chip in the window control box in the boot. If someone's updated the
door seals to the newer ones and not re-chipped the control box, you will definitely
need the newer chips.
In terms of not winding all the way to the top, there's a little bolt and locknut at the
top of the inside of the door that limits travel. I had to adjust mine to get the windows
closing tight enough. Just needs inner door panel removed (1/2 dozen Allen bolts).
Wipers
Typical problem is intermittent wipe not doing much at all, slow speed kind of
working - sometimes - and fast just about hacking it, but parking immediately when
switched off.
I had heard of 'troublesome' park switch somewhere in the 'under the windscreen'
vicinity. On mine (a 4.2), it's actually clipped on to the back of the windscreen motor
itself (a Lucas item). If you're extremely dexterous, then it should be just about
possible to unclip it (pull out at bottom and them slide up), then disconnect connector
block from near side and 3 wire from rear. However, problem with mine was that the
wires were pretty fried and the connector block had melted itself into the switch - so
this meant moving the motor forward to gain access, which meant taking the header
tank/brackets off.
It's a relatively simple fix if you don't mind removing the header tank. However, as
the problem was down to the connector block being rusted/melted on it came on
relatively slowly and then got worse. I guess the moral is to remove/clean the
connector block at the first sign of wiper slowness - otherwise it'll get a bad
connection, heat up and melt itself in. I also put it back together with plenty of
waterproof sealant. I managed to get some MOD style stuff from a chap who works
on navy boats. Although the park switch looks like it's in a dry area, it has certainly
had some water ingress.