MR2 Owners Club

Hello All,

Newbie/First Post alert.

I have bought a 2001 SMT that I will be converting into a track car to have some fun in this year. Possibly I will look to enter it into the MR2 Championship at the end of the year.

I have one leg, which is why I went for the SMT.

I got the car cheap off eBay and I know there are a few things to sort. O2 sensors and possibly the clutch.

But there is also a strange noise coming from the car, which happens straigtaway from unlocking the car. I goes on for about 20s and then it happens regularly whilst driving. Could it be the transmission pump? If so, will topping it up with fluid help this problem?? Or a full fluid change? Or is the pump gone? If it is the pump?

Thanks in advance,
James

Can I ask why you think it is something to do with the SMT Transmission? I take it you mean this noise happens before you start the car and without the key in the ignition? Is it not something to do with the alarm?

I'm not sure whether there are many people on here who have SMTs as they are getting pretty rare now and only a few people in this country know how to deal with them. There is one chap on the facebook page (UK MR2 Roadster Owners) who buys broken SMTs and then fixes and sells them. Spyderchat (for folks in the States) apparently has info on there too as well as the UK forum, MR2 Roadster Owners Club. Also, Dick Sloan who is on here, I think, and the facebook page, breaks Mk3s so will likely have parts, if needed

Hope I haven't broken any rules on here regarding the other pages/forums

Thanks for the reply. The reason I think it's some kind of Transmission pump/compressor is that the noise seems to happen when selecting gears as well. The gears actually change ok. But from my limited googling and knowledge, I wonder whether the fluid is low of possibly needs changing?

Whatever it is, it's definitely not the alarm.

Also the car is loose as "censored" at high speed, 80-90mph. Feels almost dangerous. But I plan to change all bushes to polly bushes anyway, so I hope that solves that little problem.

carolineasb wrote: ↑14/03/19 11:05 Hope I haven't broken any rules on here regarding the other pages/forums

No problem Caroline, nothing wrong with sharing info

Thanks Jimi !

James, I would think that you might be best to speak/get in touch with the chap on the fb page as he seems to know most about them on there. Most garages don't want to touch them :( . Dick Sloan, I think, is Dick2ski or similar on here and he would hopefully have any parts if you needed them (although there are other Mk3 breakers). SMTs are really pretty rare as I think when the box goes most people just scrap them or break them :(

The floaty thing is a common thing :( make sure you have right sizes of tyres (I think they are different prefacelift to facelift so check your manual) and right pressures and alignment, these cars can be a bit temperamental when any of these things are not quite right! I think they can even be affected by different makes of tyres on the same axle :( Also, I think the prefacelift (only) had wee plastic strips on the bumper at the front to direct the air underneath and around the car.

carolineasb wrote: ↑14/03/19 22:06 Dick Sloan, I think, is Dick2ski or similar on here and he would hopefully have any parts if you needed them (although there are other Mk3 breakers).