timb2117 Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Hi all, just after ideas....'07 1800 K series roadsport, extensive rolling reno' has included, plugs, idle air valve, coil packs, fuel pump,injectors cleaned, starter motor refurb, battery and lastly a lovely "swapped in" ECU from K maps.Since the Kmaps she has been tricky to start cold (previously awesome) at fist two cranks and now 3 or 4 to kick over bit of a throttle blip and great. Hot - first time every time.Really don't want to blame the Kmaps which is instant awesome, (as is his customer service) any alternate ideas? Only thing I have noted is the flashing red led for immoblilser now stays on when I'm driving, not a biggie but linked?Thanks Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 When you got the Kmaps map, did you get the original ECU reprogrammed or did you get a replacement? If you still have the original ECU, it should still be a straight swap back in to see what happens. I doubt it's the Kmaps map, but that's one way to eliminate it from enquiries. If it does turn out to be the mapping, I'm sure if you went back to Mark he would be able and willing to tweak it as required.Did you recalibrate the TPS after fitting the new ECU? The new ECU does need to be calibrated to recognise the voltage at closed throttle position according to your TPS. To do this, turn the ignition on but don't start the engine. Then smoothly open the throttle to full and back to completely closed, five times in a row, within 10 seconds. Then turn the ignition off again. After that the ECU will save the new setting and you can turn back on and start. If that's not calibrated correctly then starting and idling issues can be the result.What exactly does the immobiliser LED do when driving? It normally flashes slowly when the ignition is off and the immobiliser is armed, more rapidly during the arming process and sometimes rapidly for a short while after disarming if it's trying to tell you that your key fob battery is getting low.If it's continuing to flash slowly, that suggests that the immobiliser isn't getting the ignition-switched supply.With the Kmaps map, did you take the option to have the immobiliser disabled? If so, the immobiliser won't know that. If you're not disabling the immobiliser before driving any more, the immobiliser will think the car is being stolen and will be trying to sound the horn and flash the indicators for attention (in a Rover, it's not connected to these thinks in a Caterham but it WILL flash the LED in sync with the indicators, which will usually be about once a second, 50% on 50% off). The ECU will just ignore this if the immobiliser function has been disabled and let you keep driving In something like a Freelander, the immobiliser is also wired to cut the fuel pump, but in a Caterham it isn't, in fact it's not wired to any other systems, so if your ECU has had the immobiliser function disabled, you can just unplug and remove it. That will shut the LED up for sure and save a few grams! But it won't affect your original starting issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted March 29, 2022 Author Share Posted March 29, 2022 You are brilliant thankyou very much, no I didn't recalibrate so will try that before swapping back out.Will post again the result of that but I think you are on the money if its cured I'll donate to the charity as a thankyou.Immobiliser yes it was a delete by Mark so now when parked it flashes (which I quite like as deterrent (a casual onlooker would think the immobiliser is on and working.) But only when ignition on and driving it then stays solid red, not a biggie doesnt bother me at all.Thanks again fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john milner Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 A sticky IACV can cause starting problems from cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Yes I have tried Revillas TPS reset and it hasnt made any difference, this weekend I'll pop old ECU on and see if that helps - if not IACV may be next fairly cheap option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 On my k-series, needing a bit of throttle to start the engine is a sign the battery is failing. Replace battery ... Instant start returns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted March 31, 2022 Member Share Posted March 31, 2022 I agree with Ian that a deteriorating battery should be on the list.And there are so many battery problems on Sevens that checking the condition should be routine in the same way as engine oil, coolant and tyre pressure.In the absence of heavy duty test kit here's the DIY load test:Measure the battery voltage: • At rest • Minimum during cranking • At 3,000 rpm.The earliest sign that it is on its way out is a drop in that minimum voltage during cranking.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted March 31, 2022 Area Representative Share Posted March 31, 2022 I used to have a problem with cold idling on my SLR - I took off the IACV, cleaned and lubed it. Since refitting the car has always started and idled from cold without any issues.Worth a try if you have a IACV... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 Thanks all - she did have a new battery about a 18 months ago, but I will follow Jonathans advice, was sort of hoping it'd hurry up and die so I could go Lithium :) it will be;-1. Try old ECU.2. Test battery.3. IACV clean up as you suggest, all nice easy things to try, if that doesn't work......More to follow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Kent AR Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 I had a starting problem that ended up being a bad earth on the ECU. It took a long time to find, but in the end, the ECU earth was moved to the chassis. Where Caterham had connected it was not really very suitable.Piers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john milner Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 For an easy battery check I have a cheap cigar lighter plug in meter. It is very useful for spotting early signs of electrical problems including cranking voltage, slipping alternator belts etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 Cleaned the IACV,Checked the battery voltage after a run - 12.25v -DOH! Never assume! - I put a new one in but that was 2 years ago and "there's no warranty on that because its fitted in a car" followed by "yeah unofficially 2 years is about right for that" - didnt tell me that when I paid a lot for it to be reliable....Soo hi ho its lithium I go, - oops don't want ot start an internet frenzy as I know there's huge pros and cons, but just 1 Q? - 300 CCA is that about good enough? Thats what was in it and it HAS done ok for 1 3/4 years of sporadic use.And thanks again all for your great help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 What happens to that voltage when you press the starter. If it drops to say 8-9V, then the ECU might not wake up. This is when the problems start. If it is a wet battery, have you checked the liquid level in every cell ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted April 2, 2022 Member Share Posted April 2, 2022 "Soo hi ho its lithium I go, - oops don't want ot start an internet frenzy as I know there's huge pros and cons, but just 1 Q? - 300 CCA is that about good enough?"I've cross-posted that in the Great Lithium Question thread. There are several relevant specs in that already which I think will help.JonathanPS: interesting outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 AGM so I charged it up fully - reliable charger and it showed just 12.45 and it went back down to 12.25 in no time, will try starting it tomorrow with the meter on and see but I think its a done deal...Thanks Jonathan appreciate your time.If I could just also publicly ensure that Kmaps are not maligned by any of my "assumptions" in this thread -I had nothing but great service from Kmaps and am super happy with the results of the remap. - This would seem to be a very straightforward battery fault after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted April 3, 2022 Author Share Posted April 3, 2022 And the Doctor diagnosis award goes to SM25T!!!!!!! 8v under cranking, and thanks Revilla and all for your patience - note to self engage pragmatic brain before bothering the forum heavyweights !Lithium in tomorrow thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 It's worth getting a dedicated conditioner for LI batteries and leave it on a timer for a couple of hours every other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now