Crossflow with weber alpha ignition

[Alan.gilford]

Starting to think my car doesn't like the Dartford tunnel.

After cutting out in the tunnel a few weeks ago but restarting ok once turned off and on again (you can tell i work in IT) yesterday in a huge queue to get to the tunnel she died and would not restart.

Eventually made it home on the back of a truck. This time it seems I have no spark when cranking.

Car has a wasted spark coil pack and I have ordered one that looks the same as suspect the heat may have finally killed it.

Tried for a spark on no 1 and number 2 as they use different windings with a spare plug resting on cylinder head but nothing. Leads were new last year.

There is a crank position sensor, a throttle position sensor and air temperature sensor  but I have no idea how to test them or which one if any would cause this.  

Car had cut out on a couple of previous occasions but always restarted and ran fine afterwards so sounds like something breaking down to me that has finally gone.

Anyone with experience of this ignition system have any advice please.

Many thanks

Alan

[Mcalvert]

Not particularly helpful in the short term I suspect, but Northampton Motorsport are experts in the Weber Alpha ECU and are the only people I have found with a rolling road and the ability to re-program them.  Your issue sounds more fundamental though... Good luck diagnosing, hopefully someone will be along with suggestions soon...

[randybugger]

I’ve got a meggajolt system so slightly different, does the alpha box have a port for plugging in a laptop? If so it should show if the tps and crank trigger are working?

[Stridey]

I’ve got Weber Alpha 3D mapping in my Crossflow. Paperwork tells me it was fitted by Chris Wheeler of the Seven Workshop near Ware. (Well known in Caterham circles. He’s on a Eurotrip right now,)

I was i the Dartford queue yesterday eve for an hour around 8pm, keeping an eye on temp.  Very satisfied it sat at below 80, it’s taken a while to get temp balanced, larger fan, new rad after accident, new 74 degree thermostat. (Worth checking these occasionally in a pan on the sink with a thermometer if in any doubt) 

Oddly previous owner left the distributor in after the upgrade, which I removed (seemed to help engine spin up better, and of course removed weight. A blanking bung for a classic mini and a mate made a ‘yoke’ to just nip the bung in (I believe it’s not entirely necessary, but belt and braces)

Chris Wheeler recently did a bit of work on my car and tidied up a lot of the superfluous wiring, so might be worth contacting? (Sorry if not all relevant to your exact issue) 

[Stridey]

I’ve got Weber Alpha 3D mapping in my Crossflow. Paperwork tells me it was fitted by Chris Wheeler of the Seven Workshop near Ware. (Well known in Caterham circles. He’s on a Eurotrip right now, 

I was i the Dartford queue yesterday eve for an hour around 8pm, keeping an eye on temp.  Very satisfied it sat at below 80, it’s taken a while to get temp balanced, larger fan, new rad after accident, new thermostat. 

Oddly previous owner left the distributor in after the upgrade, which I removed (seemed to help engine spin up better, and of course removed weight. A blanking bung for a classic mini and a mate made a ‘yoke’ to just nip the bung in (I believe it’s not entirely necessary, but belt and braces)

Chris Wheeler recently did a bit of work on my car and tidied up a lot of the superfluous wiring, so might be worth contacting? (Sorry if not all relevant to your exact issue) 

[OliverSedlacek]

I'd also suggest it's time plug in a laptop. I'd be happy to have a look if you're nearby.

[Alan.gilford]

Thanks for the advice and offer of help but I thought the Weber Alpha system was locked ? and you needed a special dongle to get into it. Be great if I could see what was going on with a laptop.

I've replaced the coil with no luck and I'm going to try the crank position sensor next as that seems most likely culprit. Wiring all seems fine and I have about 700 ohms across the CPS which is a two wire magnetic one, but not sure if it's putting out the correct voltage. 

I'll report back when it arrives. 

Thanks Alan

[Alan.gilford]

She lives !!

Replaced crank sensor and still no spark :-(

Eventually traced to a red wire that comes through peddle box and has a bullit connector into the loom. Fell apart in my hands when i pulled it. Think it was the live to the ECU.

Oh well at least i have a spare coil and crank sensor now lol.

Thanks again for the advice.

[Gordon C]

If you think a mapped Weber Alpha ECU for a xflow would be of help give me a shout. I have one sat around that is mapped for a 1700 xflow on Alpha TB's (40's)
Nothing wrong with it. Replaced this with an Emerald ECU when i had the flow rebuilt a few years back.

[Alan.gilford]

Many thanks Gordon but she's running fine again for the time being.

I may have to consider a change to Emerald or Omex in the future.