Red SLR Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 I have been having problems with my new R300 for the last 5 or 6 days. The car is almost complete bar the back wings. When I started the car up on Thursday it was running quite rough and was not idling very well at all. I thought it was becuase it was new etc. Then on Friday I played around with the engine a bit more and found that it was not running well for a reason. (that I cant find) There is no power in the engine, its poping and misfiring like you would not belive and the idle is anywhere from 500 revs to 1500 revs, and changes by the second. It does not like to rev over 4000 rpm at all. I was not going to post up here as I thought I would give Caterham chance to sort it out. As yet they have come up with a few suggestions but nothing has helped. We have tried: Checking all the plugs etc Checking the ECU version Checking the correct HT lead goes to the correct plug Check the injectors Check the throttle pot Balancing the TBs. Yesterday the car would not start. I checked all the normal things and it still would not start. So in the end I pulled the ecu connection and pluged it back in and then it started ok. Has anyone seen this problem before? Any ideas what to check next? Caterhams only solution at the moment is either take the car back to caterham or get an engine tech to come up here. Any ideas? Thanks Simon. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 10, 2002 Author Share Posted September 10, 2002 I have just noticed something else very weird. The mileage on the car when I started it was 1.1. I remember that. Tonight it reads 4.6. Errr. But its not been driven anywhere. So I sat in the car with the engine on and watched the guage..... 4.6....4.6....4.6 ..... 4.7....4.7.....4.7.......4.8........ Also the Aces shift light comes on at start up, then if you rev the engine (just a blip) it goes out. I got the engine to rev to about 5000rpm but nothing lit up.... very strange. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Martyr Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 I suggest you check that the transducers that the ecu uses are all plugged in and secure. The problem sounds as if it is losing speed or flywheel position signal. The later has to be at the correct distance from the flywheel to give a reliable signal. With a new car and new bits you may well have a faulty component that can only be found either by elimination or a diagnostic box. The surious odometer reading would indicate that there is crap signals or lots of noise somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 10, 2002 Author Share Posted September 10, 2002 Thanks - I will point this out to Caterham tomorrow. Simon. ☹️ X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren S Smith Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 Simon, Ask Caterham to send you a replacement ECU as I think that you will find that the problem lays in that black box of tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILL FLY Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Thank God I've got a clockwork speedo and an Emerald ECU, Caterham should really ditch these crappy instruments and go (back ?) to good quality mechanical speedos. abd while they're at it dith the crappy MEMS and get a decent programmable ECU. I'm not saying it should be an Emerald, just ANY good quality remapable one. Good luck Simon. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philwaters Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Sounds a bit similar to when I started my Zetec up for the first time with the exhaust cam timing out by one tooth. It would not idle, hunted around and spat loads of fuel back out of the carbs. Can you check this easily? Phil Waters Zetec is in and running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 There is no doubt that the cam timing will be "out" (standard pegged pulleys?) but hopefully not by as much as one tooth ! Great idea to check though ! I presume you are now on MBE, not MEMS and that you have an EU3 loom so an EU2 MEMS/Emerald won't plug in? Because you could borrow one if it would. I am surprised that the wheel speed comes from the ECU? Doesn't it just come up from the gearbox transducer and go straight into the back of the speedo? I didn't know that any of our ECU's had a wheelspeed input (common practice on "ordinary" cars but for sure my SLR doesn't have one as speed is taken from the front wheel!) If the speedo is separate then even noise shouldn't generate a signal to create mileage - and as the odo read 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 etc you should have seen the needle displaying a speed (it is obviously linked inside the speedo) I reckon you might also have a duff instrument? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 EU3 running MBE ECU. I will be talking to caterham today about it. Simon. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Somebody elsw posted about a month ago that their new build car had done 11 miles yet started on 4 I believe, IIRC all he had done was move it around the garage during the build Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 I would check the ground connctions between the loom and the chassis. SOunds to me that you have a floating earth. There is a big one under the scuttle which can be troublesome if the powder coating is not cleaned off properly around the connection. Fat Arn Visit the K2 RUM website See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website here Edited by - fat arnie on 11 Sep 2002 11:18:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Jones Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Do Caterham leave the cam timing as standard or remove the pins and throw the cam timming over a bit to help preformance, if so the cam timming could be out a little or a full tooth a service manager at a Ford garage told me they use a ten mm spanner to hold the cams in place to do the timming [ oh dear] so no wonder my mates RS1800 ran like **** after a cam belt change also check for water in any of the plugs on the loom and damaged pins trapped wires in the loom [crank sensor] cable etc. Speedo is it the stack if yes check there is no greese on the sensors face and its set correctaly for the pick up point DO NOT over tighten these sensors as they go haywire locktight the two nuts and just a litle tighter than finger tight. Paul. See My Car Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 Its the standard dash. see here X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miraz Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Is it possible that the ecu tacho output is connected to the speedo? Can you check that the ecu is getting sensible readings from it's various sensors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Caterham keep the roll pins for cam timing. If you want to swing the timing a bit you can widen the slot strategically and then bolt it all up, still keeping the rollpins. On a couple of skimmed heads I have adjusted the timing intentionally by moving it a tooth where the skimming has had the effect of reducing the overall timing swing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 I cant check this, only Nathan at Caterham has the kit / passwords to do it. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 F335GTS - I have to confess - it was me ❗ I posted the query about the mileage reading gradually increasing even though all I had done was push the car in and out of the garage a few times. I never got a satisfactory explanation for this but I decided not to worry and in the overall scheme of things it doesn't seem to matter very much. *idea*Reminds me I ought to check if it is still happening - I guess it probably is. SV 52 CAT - the Mole is flying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 I have phoned caterham a few times today and not got anywhere. I am very slowly loosing my temper with all this now, its been almost 1 week since the initial fault was reported. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Sture Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 It seems particularly poor that Caterham gave our esteemed chairman an R300 with a properly working ECU (see current Low Flying) but seems unable to deliver the same to paying customers Introducing: N111AOW Cioming soon to a numberplate on a Caterham near me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 I got the sensation that the Jex article was an "Advertisement feature". Can we at least have a bit of a sense of perspective on the price rather than the fawning: "Good value too, eh what?" closing statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 Well its looking like Nathan from Caterham will be coming to see me on Monday, I will report what the outcome is. Thanks Simon. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Peter C. So I'm not alone with these thoughts eh 🤔 Clamshell Club Founder Member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bafty Crastard Posted September 17, 2002 Share Posted September 17, 2002 Simon Whats the latest on your problems, did Mr Caterham come up on Monday 16th and sort things out ? R300 NUT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted September 17, 2002 Author Share Posted September 17, 2002 Err, the latest is the car is currently at the factory.. ☹️ Should be getting it back sometime before 1st Oct. (SVA) Simon. See X777CAT here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 Any news yet 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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