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#1 Racing Gold

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Posted 19 September 2011 - 06:23 PM

A friend recently purchased a 94Cooper Spi and had to have the gearbox replaced. At time of purchase, it ran at 1500rpm and if it did idle, it was only briefly before it died. After having the gearbox replaced, (not by a garage), it ran even rougher and then blew the headgasket having massively overheated. They asked me to look at it and I said I thought that the clutch was either wrong or incorrectly fitted throwing the timing out. I took it apart and it had been fitted incorrectly so the timing was way out causing the overheating.
I refitted it. started up, runs sweetly and ticks over at 850 when warm, problem is, rev it up, which is fine, drops back to idle for a few seconds, then falters and dies.

Code reader shows no faults and all the snesors are working and within limits. I have a Cooper Spi I am breaking which is a runner. I have swopped inlet manifold, therefore stepper motor, throttle body and injector, Still does it Changed Lambda sensor, main relay, lambda relay, purge valve, leads, coil crank sensor, petrol tank and pump. Even changed the front wiring loom incase of a dodgy connection. Still does it. Starts straight away, when warm idles at 850 and 15 degrees. Tried an exchange ECU, (just been recond. with alarm removed) does exactly the same

I did take it to an auto electrician, h said stepper motor but i had changed that for the one I knew worked. Changed it anyway, still does it. Sits ticking over happy as you like, hear occasional miss, soon as you rev it, eventually falters and dies. (also changed plugs for some known to work)

Any ideas-have I forgotten something?

#2 Racing Gold

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Posted 20 September 2011 - 05:27 PM

Today, amongst other things, I disconnected the lambda so that it ran on limp home mode with extra fuel, revved up and ticked over without stalling! Connect up again and the same prob. Also noticed, sometimes the immobiliser did not immobilise and sometimes it did- could this be the cause?

#3 Racing Gold

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Posted 04 October 2011 - 07:31 PM

An update:
I contacted another autoelectrician who spent an hour and a half on it last Wednesday. Could not resolve the problem, but thought it was the stepper motor. (i told him i had changed it) He said he would return on Saturday having contacted another autoelectrician who used to work at the rover plant getting nonstarters on the production line to start. he did not show. Biting the bullet, I removed the inlet manifold, (purchased new/old stock) and all the attached sensors from our race mini and bolted that on---Still does the same with either ECU. I managed to get hold of one of the official Rover alarm bypass boxes in case the strange thing with the immobiliser was causing a blip--still the same.

As an aside, at Combe i purchased a new 'Lucas' boxed rotor arm and changed that. The car would hardly run with that in and was difficult starting so I put the old lucas one back and it was fine. (still died but at least it ran)

About the only thing I have not changed, on the basis that all it does is distribute the spark, is the distributor

#4 Sprocket

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Posted 04 October 2011 - 10:00 PM

Still sounds like the clutch is not right for the engine.

Check this by removing the crank shaft sensor from its hole. Set the engine to TDC and with an inspection mirror and torch, look through the crank sensor mounting hole at the reluctor ring set into the flywheel. There you should see a missing tooth. If you don't, the clutch has to come off to find out why.

also, is this a single or twin plug ECU SPi?

Edited by Sprocket, 04 October 2011 - 10:02 PM.


#5 Racing Gold

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 07:49 AM

Thanks for that Sprocket, it is a single plug ECU-I will have a look today

#6 Racing Gold

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 10:01 PM

Checked the reluctor ring and the sensor is in line with the cut out on TDC. Spoke with the owner again and it had this 'idle' problem before the clutch was fitted. (incorrectly)

#7 Racing Gold

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Posted 19 October 2011 - 07:26 PM

An update to the update. Its a 95with the 24fuse box by the clutch master. The owner manged to retrieve the clutch kit that was taken off and replaced when the gearbox was fitted. Believe it or not, the pressure plate was actually bent on three points around the circumference where a crowbar had been used in attempts to get the flywheel off!!!. In view of this, today I removed the clutch, changed the flywheel and fitted a new OE clutch kit. Started first turn, idled beautifully, revved it once up to temp, faltered, then died! Its as if whilst running fast, it is overcoming say a slight earthing problem, then when you rev it it remains good whilst the revs are high but once low because the right foot is off the gas, something is earthing out. Isacrazy

#8 Racing Gold

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Posted 03 November 2011 - 12:21 PM

In case you were wondering!!!! It remains the same. Just had another firm of Auto electricians in, at least he had the equiment to check the steps of the stepper motor and watch it and the throttle pot whilst it was warming up then revving it on idle and watching it die. Both work fine, he couldnot fathom out why it would suddenly falter and die. The faltering was because the ECU was trying to keep the revs up and not succeeding as opposed to just dying. (On either ECU) Charge of £52 and not resolved. I am bracing myself to change the loom from behind the dash which includes the alarm wiring,to the connection with the engine bay loom. Just need to locate a 24fuse loom and work up the enthusiasm

#9 Racing Gold

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 08:38 PM

In a spare 5 mins tonight, I disconnected the rev counter wire from behind the, as yet, the still in place wooden dash, and the car would not start!!!. Connected it back up and the car started instantly, carefully reached up and disconnected it whilst running---car kept running. Switched off and straight back on with it disconnected, started!. Points me even more to a wire behind the dash---I will update eventually once I have located a 24 fuse loom

#10 LukeMoss

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 01:58 AM

Sounds baffling I'm just intrigued as to know the outcome of the problem keep us updated

#11 MIGLIACARS

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 01:42 PM

mines doing exact same i think now its the fuel pump?????????????

#12 mpihornet

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Posted 07 November 2011 - 08:39 PM

have you checked or monitored fuel pressure? its the only thing you have not checked. its unlikely, it does not follow the symtoms.

#13 Racing Gold

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 07:45 PM

Hi, I swapped the whole injection manifold with pressure regulator from our Race spi and tank with pump and it still does it. (Its fine on the race car). When I can trck a 24fuse loom, I'll update with the result-fingers crossed. Problem finding one because they were not in production long. I am also considering changing the looms for the earlier models as there are more of them, problem is i will have to get the ECU ect

#14 Racing Gold

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Posted 05 February 2012 - 03:10 PM

Me again with the promised update. I have changed the wiring loom from inside the car to the engine bay.(having changed the engine loom already), does exactly the same! I decide to take it to a rolling where they race Cooper Spi's. Car broke down in the middle lane of traffic lights m3/A34 at Winchester and I managed to get it started and fight it back home with several stops. When it was under load, no prob, when cruising, no prob, take foot off, (engine being warm), feel it missing. On getting it back and whilst checking things, found the horn did not work. Checked the other things on that circuit, (42blade box) and found the fuse, a 20amp, also controlled the headlight flash and alarm where fitted. (as in this case) Checked fuse and found it blown. Replaced it and it blew straight away even with the horn and flasher disconnected. Had yet another auto electrician look at it and he eventually found that there was a fault in the alarm box which was earthing out. He fixed that and I got the horn and flasher back. Hope of hope I thought that would resolve the cutting out as earthing seems the problem to me but ONLY when the ignition is on as it sits for weeks without running the battery down. Started it, first turn as always, drove it fine then back to when warm, idles nicely until you rev it. I bit the bullet and booked it in for a rolling road again on Friday. I avoided the junction where i broke down last time and managed to get it to the rolling road using the handbrake for final braking at junctions and keeping the revs up. Engine pulls great. After 2 hours trying all things on the rolling road, still died on idle. They even bypassed the ecu control of the dizzy fitting an electronic one instead, still did it. Emmissions fine, lambda fine, fuel pressure spot on including at point of dying. Stepper and throttle pot fine. I drove/struggled with it back through the Friday afternoon rush hour, again OK under load. Goes back to me thinking it is still an earth problem but I cannot find, after 4 autoelectricians, one who will listen and leave the stepper and throttle pot alone and spend their expertise on looking beyond the obvious

#15 icklemini

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Posted 05 February 2012 - 03:18 PM

with the changes of stepper motor you have done...

has the idle been setup on the code reader correctly? - and the accelerator cable?




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