Mike Molloy

Mmmm. Diagnosing aftermarket security systems is a nightmare. Given that they are designed to be secure they make it as difficult as possible! ECU is in an armoured box and the wiring is all black (and loomed in as well as possible). Of course if it is an amateur install then it is a lot easier to trace! If the immob and wiring loom are all supplied intact by Caterham, then I suggest you get them to explain how it works before switching on again. I'll be very surprised if you haven't cooked it! ☹️

Don't exactly know what you mean by an immobiliser "dongle" but no way should any low current electronic unit be getting too hot to touch! Something is donald ducked with your wiring and the immob is probably toast by now as well. Aah, OK. Quick google reveals it is a Toad Powerkey aftermarket immobiliser. Cuts two circuits apparently, and it won't be doing anything clever like the K-Series MEMS code. Did you wire this in yourself? If so, which circuits have you broken? Fuel pump and crank enable? Edited by - Mike Molloy on 24 Feb 2009 15:23:36

Running an ex-Academy car is a bit of a double edged sword... On one hand it is a very balanced package as standard (even with the Ditchmasters!) On the other, there are times set in identical spec cars for many of the sprint events round the country. IIRC someone did a 67.4s run at Harewood during my Academy year (2002), which became something of a monkey on my back as I couldn't get under 69s! ☹️ When you can equal the best Academy time for a particular venue, maybe *then* think about go-faster mods. Until then there is more to come from driver skill and bravery!

SLT? SLuT, SLiT, SLoT, SiLT, SLaT, SaLT etc., but SuperLighT is a bit of a stretch of the imagination!

Unsprung weight is king! Buy the lightest and smallest diameter wheels possible (that will fit over your brakes).

From my 'Bird Haynes manual: 1997 SC35E 2000001 1998 SC35E 3000001 1999 SC35E 3100001 2000 SC35E 3300001 2001 SC35E 3400001 Doesn't go past 2002 - sorry! Normally Caterhams are fitted with a Mini lock barrel IIRC. The Blackbird key has a transponder moulded into the fob, and this is energised by a coil round the lock barrel on the original bike fitment. I'd guess you can use a "normal" key blank for the lock itself, provided you still have some way of offering up the transponder to the coil. I have gone for the "low security option" of having them tyrapped together.

Found some interesting stuff on another motor club forum. One of the members asked for clarification on the new cat rule from the MSA: Response from the MSA : “The following regulation will be included in the 2009 Competitors’ Yearbook, with effect from 1.1.2009: C(b) 22: Exhaust catalytic converters must be fitted to all petrol engine production based saloon, touring and sports car, including specialist production and kit cars, manufactured after 31/12/1999. They may be specified for certain other formulae. Competitors are reminded of their obligation to maintain such equipment on a vehicle used on the highway where government legislation requires it. It is intended that the first step will be a visual check and, if needed, a temperature check. If there is any doubt raised by these initial and simple checks then further examination can be carried out.” Further clarification requested of whether the intention is that we are seen to have one "fitted" or if indeed it is expected to be "working" Response from the MSA: “Good Afternoon The requirement will be that a catalytic converter be fitted and as always it is the competitors responsibility to ensure the safety and eligibility of his vehicle. Virtually all cats have a boss for a lamba sensor and removal of the sensor or blanking plug would give access to viewing the internals. Generally speaking scrutineers will use a visual commonsense approach. Your comments about the working cycle of cats are understood. Particularly in Germany cats have been mandatory in motorsport since 1994 or earlier. For motorsport to survive it needs to project a “green image” - requiring cats to be fitted is part of that process.” From the Technical Director MSA. Apparently the vehicle "date of manufacture" will be confirmed by the scrutineers checking the VIN. Does the cat requirement apply to Caterhams competing in class 6 (i.e. not necessarily "road legal")?

Problem sorted by replacing battery in remote fob.

Thanks for the manual guys! Does anybody have page 3 of the "Engine Installation" section? The scan seems to have crapped out on this page (losing parts of "Installing engine into chassis" and "Exhaust fitment"). I have a pfd of the Honda workshop manual for the 'bird if anybody needs in-depth engine info. (Still couldn't find the correct firing order though...)

OK, please send to mikemolloy at hotmail dot co dot uk. Ta very much!

'Blackbird build manual supplement'? That sounds about as rare as the Low Flying pdf edition! 😬 Blatmail sent! Ta.

Try a new battery in the fob? Stick it right up close to the 5AS (the unterminated pink wire is the antenna) and see if that works. Give the battery a few seconds to recover between presses. Spare fob in a drawer somewhere? Try that as well.

95% of the 5AS functionality (central locking, perimetric alarm, etc.) is not used in the Caterham application. Basically is just responds to the RF signal from the remote and sends the appropriate code to the MEMS. The MEMS has to decide whether to light the fire or not. The fuel pump is controlled by a relay in the MFRU (and by the inertia switch). For the relay to close it needs a) Ignition on, and b) a signal from the MEMS (Pin 68, "Fuel Relay Control"). I don't know much about the MEMS myself as it was an in-house Rover part, so not sure how the assertion of this signal is related to receiving the correct code from the immob.

Ok. That's odd then... So cranking immediately arms the immobiliser? It shouldn't do that no matter what the battery voltage dips to! Please try the check on the Passive Immobilisation time. I am really curious to know how this is happening... BTW the immobiliser has no control over the fuel supply. All it does is send the coded signal to the MEMS. Even the Crank Disable function is not implemented on the Caterham.

If the immobiliser is disarmed before the engine is started it shouldn't then change state even if it is powered down by the low battery voltage during cranking. The standard simulated cranking waveform we use during product validation testing has at least 0.5s down at 6V, which is enough to reset most ECUs. All parts of the system should be designed to cope with this event. Starting on a cold morning is probably an even worse circumstance than using a HD starter motor! Do you have a battery master switch fitted with a long cable run from Battery Positive => BMS => Starter motor? Could you bypass the BMS with a short (fat) cable direct to the starter and try again? What is the exact sequence of events? 1) Ignition OFF, vehicle immobilised (CCT LED 1Hz flash) 2) Press "unlock" button on fob. Audible click of relays from immobiliser ECU. LED off. 3) Ignition ON. LED still off (immobiliser disarmed, sending code to MEMS continuously) 4) Cranking. Even if the voltage drops and the ECU resets, it will stay in the disarmed state when it recovers and resume transmitting the code. The MEMS allows the engine to start, but it won't continue to run for more than a couple of seconds if it doesn't get the right code. Even if the engine doesn't start, the LED should stay off indicating a disarmed state. Does the LED come on instantly or after a few seconds? If the CCT LED comes on as soon as you start to crank, then it would appear that the immobiliser is passively arming. Normally the default time for this to happen is 10 minutes after Ign off! It is possible to re-programme this time delay to a lower value though. You can check by arming and disarming the immobiliser (Ign off), turning Ign on (LED off), then turn Ign off and time how long it takes for the LED to start flashing. What does CDX refer to?

What sort of immobiliser is it? "Lucas 5AS"? If so: With the Ignition OFF, what happens to the LED when you arm and disarm the immobiliser with the fob? What flash sequence do you see? What is the history of the vehicle? Is this a new build with a new engine and a properly matched set of EMS/immobiliser ECU/remote RF fobs? Has the immobiliser worked correctly in the past? Oh, and the first tip is to change the battery in the fob! CR2032 lithium "coin" type. Edited by - Mike Molloy on 13 Jan 2009 11:59:51

Can someone post the exact wording of the regulation please? For a kit car how is the "date of manufacture" defined? E.g. is it the date when the chassis was welded to gether? The day it was all bolted together? SVA date? Reg date? Probably academic as I can't afford a grand plus for a complete new exhaust (and maybe engine management to allow closed loop lambda operation) so that's me out. Shame really, as I don't regard a rule that excludes a perfectly kosher, road-legal car to be in the "spirit" of clubman motorsport! 😔

I think a certain Mr Chapman had something to say on the subject: "Rules are for the interpretation of wise men and the obedience of fools."

Who is policing the "date of manufacture" for the L7C championship? Will they be going on VIN number? Having to fit a cat on my car is just bollox, so I am looking for a bit of pragmatic rule bending... No doubt the other BEC boys are in a similar situation...

Has the one that was re-posessed immediately after the TG lap appeared at Blackbushe Auction yet? If I can get an entire F1 team for a quid, then I reckon a Veyron is worth, what, 25p?

Chris - Looks like a very neat solution. Unfortunately I'm just not brave enough to take the tin snips to the side of my car! What was the outcome of your engine diagnostic? Any useful tips you'd care to share? Edited by - Mike Molloy on 23 Nov 2008 11:15:46

I have a nasty feeling the leaking header is causing "popping and banging" whigh may be adding a few dB to my noise test figure! Hence I have to bite the bullet and change the gaskets... Last time round I had the headers polished which looked lovely for about 5 mins but the stainless soon tarnishes again so I gave up. Just too lazy to be a solvol tart! 😬

Mmmmm. I think my headers are leaking too. There is one nut I just can't get to to do up properly even with a vast selection of extension bars and wobble sockets... 🙆🏻 Where do I get replacement exhaust gaskets from? Is it an engine out job to change them?

Diagnosing such problems remotely is a nightmare. You are likely to get loads of different opinions and ideas, some of which might leave you even more confused! When my 'bird developed a misfire I was convinced it had burnt a valve, so set off constructing a special adaptor to enable me to do a compression check. That seemed to show all was well (phew!) and a new set of plugs appeared to cure the problem. About 12 months later it was back! Now I am convinced that the root of the problem was a knackered battery. It seems the EFi lump is sensitive to battery voltage. So my 2p worth - make sure your battery is in good shape and fully charged. Full info about reading the Diagnostic Trouble Codes here Good luck!

I am in the same boat as Neil. ☹️ My 'bird is also a "Y" (2000) chassis, and therefore requires a cat. However, although the engine is EFi it is a pre-cat model, and I don't think one has ever been fitted. Certainly I only get the "visible smoke test" come MOT time. How will the scrutineer determine "date of manufacture"? Is it stated somewhere on the registration doc? My numberplate dates me as 1984!