25 replies to this topic

[watia1]

The law as I read it was you are only allowed to drive your vehicle to a garage without an mot if it is on its way for a pre booked mot!!!

Fair enough re the mappable ECU. As I said it was something I was planning on getting in the future but thought if it would aid in identifying whats wrong then it might be worth pushing it forward on the to do list. But if you say it wouldnt flag anything then I see no point just yet.

In terms of money I want to spend as little as possible and get it done as quickly as possible as I want to get back to MOT centre as they will do the emmission test/mot issue for free.

With regards to ECU how can I test if that is duff or is it a case of seeing if everything else is working properly and then finally assuming it can only be the ECU?

Cheers

[The Matt]

Do you have a multi-meter? Temp sensors are an easy thing to check. Dave's covered it all really, but even 3.5% is high for the injection setup.
The things I'd check:
Vacuum pipes,
Temp sender,
Lambda sensor,

Not familiar with the mini setup, but does the ECU have a different temp sensor to the gauge? Just because the gauge is reading correct temp, doesn't mean the ECU is reading the right temp.

Either way, I reckon it's unlikely to need a new ECU.

And yes, you are allowed to drive your vehicle to and from a place of repair if it has no MOT. Remember, some MOT stations only do tests, not repair work. So it has to be possible to drive it somewhere to get work done if it fails.

[icklemini]

The law as I read it was you are only allowed to drive your vehicle to a garage without an mot if it is on its way for a pre booked mot!!!

Read the back of the fail sheet...

With regards to ECU how can I test if that is duff or is it a case of seeing if everything else is working properly and then finally assuming it can only be the ECU?

You can send your ECU away to be checked, though ff you are local to Northampton i can go through it and diagnose.
A lot of the time its a mechanical problem with the car and not the engine management.

Not familiar with the mini setup, but does the ECU have a different temp sensor to the gauge? Just because the gauge is reading correct temp, doesn't mean the ECU is reading the right temp.

Same sender
Hence why i asked what the temperature was reading: if its low then theres a problem either with the sender or as I have seen a lot of: blocked coolant pipes in the manifold..

TTFN,
Dave

[watia1]

Do you have a multi-meter? Temp sensors are an easy thing to check. Dave's covered it all really, but even 3.5% is high for the injection setup.
The things I'd check:
Vacuum pipes,
Temp sender,
Lambda sensor,

Not familiar with the mini setup, but does the ECU have a different temp sensor to the gauge? Just because the gauge is reading correct temp, doesn't mean the ECU is reading the right temp.

Either way, I reckon it's unlikely to need a new ECU.

And yes, you are allowed to drive your vehicle to and from a place of repair if it has no MOT. Remember, some MOT stations only do tests, not repair work. So it has to be possible to drive it somewhere to get work done if it fails.

Hi there cheers for the reply yes I have a multimeter but I dont for the life of me know what sort of readings Im looking for. As Far as I am aware Its resistance I need to concentrate on but as I say I wouldnt know what was a good or bad reading. If anyone could tell me what sort of reading I want that would be great. Also should I be checking the reading at idle? does the engine need to be cold or hot?

Have been having a look at the sensors and map pipes etc. and all seems in not so bad shape with no obvious exterior damage. the only real wear I can see is on the connector from map pipe to ecu which I dont think has broken through at all but for the money I may as well replace it. I cant imagine that would account for the massive emmissions reading though. How would anyone advise the best way to clean/clear the map pipes is?

Also I really dont know if the ECU has its own temp sensor. I wouldnt of thought so, but Im getting alot of mixed messages from the different people I have spoken to so really dont know whats going on

Cbheers again

Edited by watia1, 29 August 2010 - 11:53 AM.

[watia1]

Not familiar with the mini setup, but does the ECU have a different temp sensor to the gauge? Just because the gauge is reading correct temp, doesn't mean the ECU is reading the right temp.

Same sender
Hence why i asked what the temperature was reading: if its low then theres a problem either with the sender or as I have seen a lot of: blocked coolant pipes in the manifold..

TTFN,
Dave

The guy at the garage said the ECU was reading a temp flickering between -40 and + 40. This was why he thought it was the ECU!!

I am just down the road from you near Towcester. How much would you charge for a diagnostics test?

[watia1]

Have just tested temp sensor is about 2.1 ohms at room temp and drops to under 1ohm after holding next to a hair dryer before gradually returning to 2.1 ohms after about 2 mins. As far as I am aware this is normal so this appears to rule out the IAT sensor itself. Whats the best way to check voltage from sensor to the ECU would you merely check at the relavant pin at the ECU?.

As for the MAP sensor pipes have given them a clean and little to nothing has come out so I think they can be ruled out?

Which I guess means its either lamdha sensor coolant temp sensor or the ECU.

Someone please correct me if Im wrong.......

[minidaves]

99% of the time really high co is due to split vaccum pipe on the rear of the manifold, either to the air filter or the flame catcher then through to the ecu. the vaccum loss can cause other things to have a misfit, so pop air filter off and check vaccum pipes first rather than looking for comlicated issues

[AndrewJ530]

Not really an answer to the OP but weren't the injection minis up to early L reg all tested to the same levels as the carbed models so this is how people get away with putting carbs on SPi's? Seens though the OP's is a J reg mini that is why he has the high CO level regulation?

[watia1]

99% of the time really high co is due to split vaccum pipe on the rear of the manifold, either to the air filter or the flame catcher then through to the ecu. the vaccum loss can cause other things to have a misfit, so pop air filter off and check vaccum pipes first rather than looking for comlicated issues

So thought i May as well take the injector housing off and check all vacuum pipes thoroughly the first yellow pipe seems fine the next pipe seems ok too. but the pipe going to ecu via a fuel trap seems to have a rather nasty gash on the t joint going into the fuel trap. I am very much hoping this is problem solved.

Unfortunately its a bloody bank holiday so cant get a new bit of pipe. Although I will order a complete new set of vacuum pipes. Should I get a new fuel trap or will that be ok? Then off for co2 test and hopefully a nice shiny new mot!!!! Or is this likely to be just a contributory factor to my emission problem. Can this cut in the pipe possibly account for such high emissions?

Cheers for the help minidaves and everyone else

[minidaves]

yes that split in the elbow into the flame trap can cause sky hi emmissions, check the elbows on the rear of the inlet manifold too, all you need is some advance/retard elbows from the motor factors, 5 elbows and 1 straight connector replaces all the joints in the system

[icklemini]

bring it over and will put the diags though it - can check the CO too..

Drop me a PM to discuss..

Cheer,s
Dave