jeffi

You can get a 7812 12volt regulator from Maplin for a few quid so worth a punt. needs to be tight on heat sink to avoid overheating but ensure any electrical insulating washer is refitted if there is one? The most common fault is the battery on the FM4 which fails due to age and you can't store memory settings. Be aware that another fault could be causing the regulator to blow....

My Sigma 150 was very lumpy when trying to cruise in traffic at low speds with a light throttle. The keys areas resulting in improvement were: Trottle body balancing and correct air flow when idling and on low revs. Worth getting an air flow meter and checking every service. TPS idle setting. Idle setting. Correct MAP sensor configuration for the ECU map I.e. no air pipe attached with mine. Correct ECU map program for the 150 - some get sent out with default maps! There are a few revisions as well which govern whether the MAP sensor is piped or not. The first three take some setting as they are inter-dependant on each other and it helps to have a laptop and the ECU program (even if read only mode). Parametrs also change from cold to hot, so some experimentation may be required to find the best compromise although it's best setup hot. My setup is great on the open road but still takes a little effort in traffic and a steady right foot rest technique. The next step would be a re-map but I can can live with this trade off given how much improved it is. I changed the plugs on the first service as the original ones went through a bashing when setting everything up. It is worth noting that a ropey TPS or dodgy sub loom connectivity can cause irratic performance. I used an injection cleaner additive in the fuel but I can't really say this made an improvement apart from peace of mind.

It reminds me of Aldi's logo....!

Have you got an air leak in the throttle body area which is disturbing the flow rate or is one of flaps sticking or out of trim, so not providing the correct air flow rate for the idle speed/TPS and Map at no throttle pedal depression?

oh and it would be good PR if CC managed people's expectations and warned them that the Sigma 150 is unlikely to run well or pass the IVA emissions (exhaust gases and noise) tests in it's default state... then you'd know and wouldn't worry too much.

The trick is to not be disheartened on first fire-up of the 150 as it's more than likely to be out of balance or has the wrong ECU map which will be resolved in the PBC. Its a shame CC can't get the ECU map version correct for each model then half the issues are resolved, but I guess they just ship out ECUs with generic maps, old versions or none at all, and slap on an unbalanced throttle body onto the engine. Not an issue if you were planning on using the PBC but a hassle if you live the other side of the country and no trailer. I can say that once setup the Sigma 150 is an awesome engine on the open road. I may still re-map mine as the CC map will be biased towards track use. Then I'd have an accessible ECU with no password for me to tweak at a later date...(hmmm that could be asking for trouble!).

I had similar issues! Getting the throttle bodies aligned and set to the correct air flow, and then OK at idle and with the TPS voltage correct is tricky, and takes a lot of effort. I also had a dodgy ECU with he wrong map altogether, and then a duff ECU. I then had to disconnect the MAP sensor tube to match the newer ECU and open MAP sensor. When is was running bad, it was bad and undriveable, and horrendously loud with spitting and backfiring - causing stir with the neighbours. Now it's great but the map favours hasty driving and not light throttle in traffic, as you'd expect of course from a car of this type, but that could be changed with a 3rd party re-map. The best advice is said above - let CC sort in the PBC. They may need to install a new map on the ECU and balance the throttle bodies again etc. I think their quality control on the ECU form may be a little lax at times - they just ship 'em out and resolve any quirks in the PBC.

Thanks chaps - I thought I may have been over-charged or my kit was registered incorrectly.

Hi all - has anyone else recently purchased a new tax disc for their Roadsport SV150 and paying £215? Wondered if this was the going rate? Jeff

In my opinion the SV150 is a wonderful performance engine when tickerty-boo but is a very sensitive soul and susceptible to any degradation of the battery (or non-charging alternator), Earth connections (loom and under dash), TPS track, idle setting or sub-loom, spark plugs, Lambda sensor, air-flow/throttle body balance, MAP sensor (even if ECU version doesn't require it to be piped to the manifold), HT stuff, filthy or faulty injectors (pretty much anything!). The earlier ECU map versions used the pipe connected to the MAP sensor and the later versions have it disconnected. My build required three ECUs before I found one that fired normally and didn't sound like a can of ball bearings being shaken due to totally wrong map for the Sigma causing mis-firing of injectors with loads bangs, pops and rattles! And then when it had the right ECU, it was very jerky on light throttle (in traffic) until the air-flow and TPS were balanced again. I then had a later jerky fault when the TPS went faulty. Now it's bedded in its great and quiet, but I'm expecting issues in a year or so when any of the sensors age and go out of trim.

Alan - this type of leak is very common and is usually (hopefully!) nothing to worry about. I've had one since last June when my SV150 went on the road. I get one or two drips on the garage floor after a blat. I initially lost a few night's sleep worrying about having to hoist the whole lot out again. There are quite a few other posts about this. In the end I thought I'd leave it and resolve in a few years when I do the clutch. I've checked the oil level since and it hasn't gone down noticeably, so it's not a significant loss of oil. I thought my leak was from one of the pre-fitted banking plates on the side of the box towards the top, but the gear shift interference coupling sounds a likely source now - I didn't seal that as it was a somewhat tight fit, but with hindsight I should have. This is an easier area to check without getting the engine/box out, just have to remove the tunnel cover. It's funny how its nice getting the engine in the first time but the idea of taking it all out again for a minor leak is not a nice thought!

For anyone who needs to know, the Sigma 150 uses this one. It's a rubber seal rather than a fibre gasket:- here

I've just drained about an inch of stinky coal smelling oily water from mine - that's 1200 miles worth and two oil changes since the new build. Don't forget that the catch tank needs to vent - and CC now drill three 4-5mm holes in the black cap otherwise the pressure builds up too much under the cam cover or crud gets blocked in the breather pipes. J

Hi all, Anyone know the Ford part number for a Sigma 150 cam cover gasket/seal and if there are any online sellers? CC don't seem to hold it in theirs stores. Thx

I used Bigheads and bonded them on with the vendor's "Big Bond FS Acrylic" which is suitable for bonding onto steel or GRP etc. I went for this adhesive as Bighead Bonding Fasteners Ltd recommended it. It's rock solid, used in specialist construction and boat building. One point to note is that it comes in a proprietary mini dual-tube and therefore requires a special applicator/gun at additional expense to evenly squeeze and mix, so the other adhesive options mentioned are probably more readily available and cost-effective.