id be V grateful for some ECU technical advice

[andytommo]

 

1) I had some problems with the alternator on my Rover K 1800cc.(the battery died and it turned out there was no resistor wired into the electric cut out circuit)

The alternator + cut off switch were the culprits so i replaced them both succesfully.

 

2)When i tried to start up again it didnt work

 

3)I sought the advice of lots of generous chaps on here (including mike malloy etc)

 

4)Got an auto electrician in who diagnosed that the Japanese spec ECU (no plipper mechanism) had become "coded" when I was replacing the alternator and cut off. He took the ECU away and said he was going to "decode it." He said that he would also cut "circuit 13" which would mean it could never recode.

 

5) We refitted the ECU on friday and the car runs like a bag of nails

 

I was scheptical, but It idles ok and the electrician said that I needed to take it for drive so the ECU could "relearn."

he left

I have since taken it for a few drives and the engine sounds like its running on three cylinders all the way up to 5000 revs, beyond which it revs freely and happily. So it idles ok but wont rev in the normal driving range. As you open the throttle the car feels like its being slowly strangled until the red line where it works fine (and leaves two smoking black marks on the road behind)

 

This must be the ECU mustn't it? 🤔

Before this saga begain the car ran fine (obviously apart from the odd flat battery due to the dodgy alternator circuit.)

 

has the ECU been accidentally damaged by the "decoding" process?

 

 

 

 

 

[ELV15]

What kind of ecu do you have?

[andytommo]

it's a rover mems unit.

[andytommo]

Is it really you Elvis? 😬 I just knew it! Does your 7 sit in your garage next to your gold plated Cadilac and that de Tomaso Pantera that you shot with your pistol?

 

Seriously-Thanks for replying.

[shn7]

All sounds a bit suspect to me. Is there anyone else near you who could loan you an ECU to try out? Might be the easiest way to confirm if the ECU is the problem.

 

Steve.

[John Howe]

Andy, if you stuck I have a standard mems from a 1600 K series and also a spare Emerald.

 

The Emerald most likely will run lumpy and certainly over rich on your engine, as it is mapped for mine but either should give you an indication...

 

Now I appreciate you are not in Sussex but my daughter is at Roehampton Uni and normally comes home at weekends, so we have an in house courier if needed.

 

JH

Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 222bhp Sausage delivery machine

[shn7]

Nice one John

 

Steve.

[inspector71]

Hi Andy,

 

Sounds a bit strange? I was under the impression that if the Rover MEMS ECU was sent an immobiliser code, there was no way of getting the unit to work again without a 5AS "Bliper" unit?

I had to get an exchange unit which had warnings all over it not to send any code if you didn't use 5AS.

As your engine does run, maybe worth checking basics, i.e. Coil pack, HT leads etc etc. also, make sure the wire from the crank sensor is away from, and not touching any HT leads.

Good luck

peter h

 

[andytommo]

Thanks steve

 

Thanks John, thats very generous of you, crikey, I might take you up on that if i may. I could give donation to NTL.

The ECU from my car is from a 1600K anyway and it used to worked beautifully.

 

so-If i did plug in your borrowed ECU and 5AS (with plippper?) and it fires up sweetly-Then my ECU has been lobotmised!

- If i plugged in your borrowed ECU and 5AS there is no improvement then- i could discount the ecu as being the problem.

 

Sorry inspector 71, yes I have the matched Lucas 5AS unit, but has never required a plipper. (something aout it being Japanese spec.) Im above my head here.

[shn7]

Andy,

 

I'm puzzled about this "Japanese Spec" idea. Why do you think this is the case?

 

When I bought my current seven it came with no plippers thought the immobiliser unit was fitted. Because I wanted a working immobiliser I got caterham to supply 2 plippers. This involved sending the ECU and immobiliser to dartford for them to get the plippers/ecu/immobiliser programmed to work together. Maybe this is something to consider for the future.

 

I wonder if you would need to borrow the matching immobiliser unit along with JH's ECU? Not sure about this. John, any ideas?

 

Good Luck.

 

Steve.

[andytommo]

Ony my car security or locking is carried out by by a Shurlock immobiliser.

 

The Japanese spec idea is something that Peter Carmicheal mentioned when he helped me do the engine conversion (Low Flying October 2003 edition)

 

i thought all you needed to fire was a matched ECU and lucas 5AS immobiliser.

[shn7]

Andy,

 

sounds like you may well be right. Peter C probably, sorry, does know more about these things than I do. 😬

 

Steve.

[John Howe]

If you do borrow my spare Emerald, you would be able to unable the immobiliser, which would get you around that security problem.

 

JH

Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 222bhp Sausage delivery machine

[andytommo]

John,

 

Thanks

 

One of my freinds who lives in Dulwich has offered use of his emerald- its set up for his 1800cc MGF. (a very rude looking MGF)

 

This might save your kind daughter from ferrying your one about. I really feel like the small problems i'm having are nothing to worry about when you are lucky enough to have you guys offering help and advice.

 

what a great club this is

 

We will try his emerald on saturday. So the emerald doesn't need to be matched to the 5AS?

[fordy]

google out a company on the south coast somewhere call AVILEC. They fixed a MEMS for me last year. MEMS has lots of known weaknesses that they can sort out. Cost me about £100.

[fordy]

 

there you go, I even googled them for you...

 

 

http://www.carelect.demon.co.uk/index.html

[andytommo]

Thanks fordy,

 

if it turns out to be the MEMS unit i'm going to jump up and down on it repeatedly and them drive over it with my working car.

 

Then i will save up and buy an emerald