AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 breif history. Just replaced an 1.6k with a reconditioned 1.8k VVC(with vvc bits removed) I used all the electrics and anclilliries from my 1.6k. On a club meet on the way home my engine just died like there was lack of power amanged to get it jumped started and drive it home. I thought this was due to me muppett and having the alternator wired wrong. Although I was a muppett I have now rectified this wiring problem. But today the same thing happened I thought as it was a nice day I would drive it to work. 100 yards down the road just lost all power I pulled into a side road fired it back up rev it a little and managed to drive home again. I am a little worried now about doing any distance in the car incase I can't get back. I am due to go to the Le Mans soon. Any ideas what to check? Very difficult to explain it seems there is a little power when it dies as I left it in gear with the throttle a little way down and I was able to limp very slowly to the side road. It fired straight back up which is the wierd thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 It sounds electrical to me. It is possible that the re-wiring of your alternator was too-late and it had already been killed by running with the wrong wiring. :( You can check by measuring the voltage across the battery **without** the engine running, and then again **with** the engine running. **With** should be higher as the alternator is providing charge. If it's not that, then you need to start being analytical about it... Your engine needs 3 things to run: Spark (strong enough and at the right time in the right cylinder!) Fuel (the right amount for the conditions) Air (in the right mixture with the fuel) Which is it not getting when it fails? Do any of the symptoms give away which one is missing? What tests can you do to narrow it down? Can you reproduce the failure if you just rev it on the driveway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 I tested the alternator after and all looked good went from 12 something to 15 something. Your engine needs 3 things to run: Spark (strong enough and at the right time in the right cylinder!) Fuel (the right amount for the conditions) Air (in the right mixture with the fuel) The only thing I can think of here and has been playing on my mind is that the MEMS ECU is from the original 1.6 and not the 1.8. Not that mechanically minded but have learnt a lot from putting the engine in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted June 19, 2012 Member Share Posted June 19, 2012 Power feed to ECU? Mine was very tight and the spade connectors occasionally disconnected within the plastic sheath, until I lengthened the cable. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Quoting AshleyBanks: The only thing I can think of here and has been playing on my mind is that the MEMS ECU is from the original 1.6 and not the 1.8. I can't see how that would cause the symptoms you're seeing, but it might be a long-term issue you need to deal with - did you update the map for a 1.8, change the injectors or just increase the fuel pressure? As you limped home, was it down on power in a way that it wasn't when you departed? - that would suggest a weak spark... I wonder how it would have behaved if you'd swapped out the battery for a known good one at that point... Edited by - charlie_pank on 19 Jun 2012 10:15:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 I Changed the injectors for the cream coloured ones from the 1.8. No map update has been done the plan was to run it for a while and get an emerald fitted. funninly enough I didn't limp home the car seemed to be running fine again on the way home but it was only 100 yards. The first time it happened again the journey home was fine once restarted until the battery died because I had lights on and didn't have a working alternator. The battery is not that old and the starter motor was turning fine and I was able to restart several times after. It is an odd one isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Does sound like a dodgy connector to me... Try firing up, and then wiggling everything in sight - carefully! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Does it stop abruptly or fade away? Can you reproduce it by running at idle with heated screen, main beam lights, wipers and heater fan on in your driveway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Will try wiggling things later and try idling for a while with everything the car has turned on but unfortunlty no heated screen and no heater attached. It is pretty sudden I will be going along and then suddenly lose power it slows right down but as I said there seems to be something there as I kept the car going a while to pull in to a side road but with no firing sounds it sounds like when you have the clutch out and turn the engine off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 what time do you finish this afternoon? you could come over (I'll come and get you if it breaks on the way, no need to get the wife out!!) and we could try a little blat round and swap batteries if it happens again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Whitley Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 It happened to mine a long time ago - go anywhere near the throttle and it would just die. I too was only a short distance from home and limped home on idle. I think the TPS was disconnected and so the MEMS was getting no notice that the throttle was opening. Though I'd have thought the MAP sensor would override it in that case - "No throttle? Well some fecker's caused a change in inlet vacuum. Open the injectors" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Lack of throttle might explain the sympton. John that would be great I can slope of anytime really as bit of slow day today! Moving data from one server to another my job just gets more exciting everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 ok I'm around doing similar interesting things, come down any time, give me a ring if it breaks on the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Do you have an FIA master electrical cutoff switch thingymajiggy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 TPS reset? Ign on 5 presses of accelerator ign off. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Yes I do have FIA thingymajiggy. but think my hazards were working so still had power. Should really take more notice. Reset worth a go will give that a try no harm in trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 A long shot.... Does your engine have a dizzy? If so, it's just possible that the rotor arm is arcing to earth. JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 You can test your TPS, someone here will be able to tell you what range the output should run between, ISTR that it's 0-5V? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyBanks Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 No Dizzy its an EU3 with wasted spark. Went for a long blat after resetting ECU and after adjusting the idle screw back to where it should be No problems on the blat and my backup driver JohnV was not required to rescue me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 seems to go alright to me ... (just testing the new gopro remote ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Auton Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Pleased to see you have it sorted Ashley..... & JV is going into the movie buisness 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Great news Ashley - so we may see you at Combe again?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Quoting Jerry: & JV is going into the movie buisness 😬Not this JV! JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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