PC Pete Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 R400 coming up 3 years old. 2500 miles on the clock (yes - I know I should get out a bit more!)Engine has been fine following issues with start up when first built (a problem in the engine wiring loom).PH Sunday service at Silverstone last October - on track it was fine for a while but then behaved as if the rev limiter cut in at 6400. It is normally around 7200 I think. Change up lights all flashing like mad at 6400, but I have never had much faith in the way they were set up from day 1.Out for the first time this year today - same issue and absolutely consistent - 6400 revs and no more. Plugs out and look good, nothing obvious around the engine area.Anyone had the same experience? Any ideas of how to solve it?And since Caterham Midlands has closed I'm wondering where to go for servicing, bits etc....Many thanksPeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark w Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 If you cannot sort yourself take it to Book a Track at donnington . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Ah - I thought they only arranged trackdays! Donnington is not too far away. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juleslid Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Or Nick Potter in Market Harborough, he's a good guy...Jules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted March 28, 2016 Member Share Posted March 28, 2016 How much of this do you want to sort yourself?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 No idea if rhe Duratec is the same but ... on the K Series VVC, various different sensor failures put it into different "limp modes", each with a different and lower than normal rev limit. It sounds a bit as though your ECU may have detected a problem and gone into limited operation mode to protect the engine. If you can plug in an OBDII scanner it may well tell you what is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_Arundel Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I`m in Rugby if you want some help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative z7 Posted March 28, 2016 Area Representative Share Posted March 28, 2016 The flashing change up lights may point elsewhere but when I had similar symptoms, it was due to the air intake on my carbs being partially blocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hi Julesthanks for this. Nick Potter came to mind from his days at Midlands - may well give him a shout. Thanks againPeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks z7I'm going to have a look at air flow next. Suspect it may be a sensor failure if some sort however.worth doing the easy stuff first though...thanks againpeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Cheers Tom.i'll keep an eye open for you. Mine's red with 2 white stripes - 13 plate. And yours?Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks Revillastrange you should mention an OBD11 scanner - was talking to someone else today who suggested likewise. This may be the time to invest in one. My thoughts revolve around the failure of some sensor or another. CheersPeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hi Jonathangood question! I will probably go as far as using an OBD11 scanner and see where that gets me. If no luck with that then off to see Bookatrack or Nick Potter.thanksPeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted March 28, 2016 Member Share Posted March 28, 2016 Exactly. What signal or map is limiting the engine speed?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 We had a car on the IOM trip a few years ago that was very down on revs. Found throttle butterfly was not opening fully ..... easy adjustment of cable or stop transformed the car. It was previously a hire car I think. Must have worked, as on a subsequent trip across Europe the French Police awarded this car the fastest car of the day !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Bizzielizzie13 Posted March 28, 2016 Area Representative Share Posted March 28, 2016 Could it be that as the shift lights are going mad at the lower RPM it is the 'shift lights' that need to be adjusted.....?Do they have any influence on max RPM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Not sure yet but now have my hands on an OBD2 scanner which I will deploy tomorrow..... Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks Bizzielizziei've always thought the change up lights were arranged to reflect what the engine was doing. I'm certain it is down on revs - on track I sometimes hit the rev limiter which I am sure is set around 7200rpm. Overall I just know that the car used to be faster at the top end. Don't know if a badly set up set of change up lights could affect engine performance. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hi SM25Tha - great story! ...... And good point - it did happen quite suddenly so I'll take a look at the butterfly / throttle cable linkage.thanksPeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_Arundel Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Blue with chips and drips!......and orange half hood.Still available if you need help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colindavies56 Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 when I couldn't hit top revs,it was the air gap on crank position sensor.too tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomiam Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Probably way off Base here... but aren't the shift lights and rev limiter adjustable? Ie. Worth checking the module under the dash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyn Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 The shift lights and the ECU operate independently and are configured separately. It is simply not possible for the engine to go into "limp mode" (or develop a fault) and for the shift light to pick up that change and reflect the lower rev limit on the lights.The tacho and shift lights are both fed from the same signal, so it is not possible for the shift lights to show 7200 (max RPM / flashing) and the tacho to show a lower value (6200). Unless by some coincidence you managed to knock the shift light's buttons and reconfigure it at the same time as developing a fault.I'd suggest that your tacho is faulty and displaying a slightly lower value than it should. So your car is actually at max rpm and the shift lights are correctly indicating that. However the tacho is incorrectly showing that there is 1000 rpm left.Edit to add..Yes the shift lights are adjustable. You can set the shift up point to any value you like. To check what it is set to, press the Stop button then the Up button 3 times. Also keep scrolling Up and check that the number of cylinders is still set to 4.However, setting the shift light point will have no effect on the engine's actual rev limit. It only controls when the lights flash. So that won't explain the misfire / limiting you're getting at 6200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 Thanks for this. I had similar thoughts myself re the Rev counter. Only thing is that the difference became clearly noticeable all of a sudden on track. It is definitely not gong as fast as it did. Agreed re the change up lights. As I said before I have little faith in how they were set up anyway - I never did get around to setting them up properly when the car was finished. So - I reckon the change up lights situation is a red herring - which means something somewhere is limiting the number of revs. There is an occasional misfire further down the rev range. This all seems to point towards a failed fuel or air sensor or a blockage in one or the other.Plugged in an OBD2 scanner but...... in common with one or two others experience - it won't read the Catetham's duratec but is happy to read any other car I plug it into! Arghhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Pete Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 Thanks Tomiam - you are right - at least on the change up lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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