4AGTE not going. PROBLEM FOUND - Awaiting a full retune now

[Crampy]

More a question than advice really but don't ignition problems generally get worse with increasing manifold pressure? That has always been my experience (which is limited), generally cracked leads etc are okay at idle but start missing as boost rises???

Yep, you are definitely right there. I think the problem with ignition is coming from the Link or associated wiring, not the actual ignition components, eg, coils, leads, spark plugs.

[Crampy]

Well, it's after 4 in the morning and I've been here at work for quite some time now.
I've been getting my little runner AE82 FXGT ready for a WOF and trying to see why the Levin is cutting out. I've spent hours trying to find somthuing that'll cause the problem and nothing has come up. The vacuum lines are no good, so I'll be changing them tomorrow maybe, but they still work as required.
I opened up the Link and nothing jumps out as being faulty.

Is it possible the maps in the Link could have been stuffed up somehow?
The car is getting really hard to start now. I took the sprk plugs out and they're all black and $hitty. I gave them a clean and away she went again.
The car still idles fine and after slowly revved it up until it starts boosting, then it takes off no problem. It only seems to be during vacuum.

WTF is going on here???

[escortman]

does it have adjustable fuel press reg? maybe thats playing up

[Crucible]

maybe this, maybe that!!

Not telling you how to do things at all, but until you start checking each system and elimanating things properly you will be just walking around in circles. No one can tell you whats wrong with it, they can tell you what it MAY be, but you need to start elimanating things from the equation otherwise youll be just guessing and getting your self flustered!.

My advise would be to check ignition first and go from there, Its obviously got spark BUT has it got continuous ignition???? Check that out with a timing lamp as Ive suggested above, if intermittant check sec side, then + to coils and ignitor, trigger from ignitor etc etc. If that checks out all sweet, move onto fuel side etc.

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade and thats how I go about diagnosing faults. It doesnt matter what people tell you or what you think it may be, in my experiance it always pays to start out testing the basics FIRST

just my 2c,

[tsoob]

maybe this, maybe that!!

Not telling you how to do things at all, but until you start checking each system and elimanating things properly you will be just walking around in circles. No one can tell you whats wrong with it, they can tell you what it MAY be, but you need to start elimanating things from the equation otherwise youll be just guessing and getting your self flustered!.

My advise would be to check ignition first and go from there, Its obviously got spark BUT has it got continuous ignition???? Check that out with a timing lamp as Ive suggested above, if intermittant check sec side, then + to coils and ignitor, trigger from ignitor etc etc. If that checks out all sweet, move onto fuel side etc.

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade and thats how I go about diagnosing faults. It doesnt matter what people tell you or what you think it may be, in my experiance it always pays to start out testing the basics FIRST

just my 2c,

sage words.

[Crampy]

maybe this, maybe that!!

Not telling you how to do things at all, but until you start checking each system and elimanating things properly you will be just walking around in circles. No one can tell you whats wrong with it, they can tell you what it MAY be, but you need to start elimanating things from the equation otherwise youll be just guessing and getting your self flustered!.

My advise would be to check ignition first and go from there, Its obviously got spark BUT has it got continuous ignition???? Check that out with a timing lamp as Ive suggested above, if intermittant check sec side, then + to coils and ignitor, trigger from ignitor etc etc. If that checks out all sweet, move onto fuel side etc.

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade and thats how I go about diagnosing faults. It doesnt matter what people tell you or what you think it may be, in my experiance it always pays to start out testing the basics FIRST

just my 2c,

Taken on board.
The reason for a forum like this is to gather other peoples view on problems people may come across.

I've been in the Airforce as an Avoinics technician for almost ten years, so I'd say my fault diagnosis is up to spec in that regards.
I haven't really had too many other experiences with Link ECUs or with high performance turbo cars, so I'm sort of learning as I go. I have a reasonable idea, but just tyirng thing here and there.

I'm not really going in circles. I have cancelled out different components as I go. It'll be not too long until I find out what's causing the problem, but it's still good to get other ideas. It's a matter of getting in the mend set of it's GOT to be this or GOT to be that. It happens at my work all too often and can make for some fun times (read: annoying), especially during night shift or when deployed overseas with limited resoureces.

By all means, all comments are taken on board, so I appreciate you post.

Remember the only stupid question is the one not asked.

[Dell'Orto]

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade

Really? Man did you start young or something, I didn't think you were that old

[Crucible]

maybe this, maybe that!!

Not telling you how to do things at all, but until you start checking each system and elimanating things properly you will be just walking around in circles. No one can tell you whats wrong with it, they can tell you what it MAY be, but you need to start elimanating things from the equation otherwise youll be just guessing and getting your self flustered!.

My advise would be to check ignition first and go from there, Its obviously got spark BUT has it got continuous ignition???? Check that out with a timing lamp as Ive suggested above, if intermittant check sec side, then + to coils and ignitor, trigger from ignitor etc etc. If that checks out all sweet, move onto fuel side etc.

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade and thats how I go about diagnosing faults. It doesnt matter what people tell you or what you think it may be, in my experiance it always pays to start out testing the basics FIRST

just my 2c,

Taken on board.
The reason for a forum like this is to gather other peoples view on problems people may come across.

I've been in the Airforce as an Avoinics technician for almost ten years, so I'd say my fault diagnosis is up to spec in that regards.
I haven't really had too many other experiences with Link ECUs or with high performance turbo cars, so I'm sort of learning as I go. I have a reasonable idea, but just tyirng thing here and there.

I'm not really going in circles. I have cancelled out different components as I go. It'll be not too long until I find out what's causing the problem, but it's still good to get other ideas. It's a matter of getting in the mend set of it's GOT to be this or GOT to be that. It happens at my work all too often and can make for some fun times (read: annoying), especially during night shift or when deployed overseas with limited resoureces.

By all means, all comments are taken on board, so I appreciate you post.

Remember the only stupid question is the one not asked.

hey man wasnt a flame at you, Im sure you are Very Mech Inclined being an Aviation Tech. Threads just frustrate me sometimes, they get too technical when they dont need to be. People get too side tracked listening to random comments and start taking stabs in the dark, I see it lots. I realise its a forum and thats how they get sometimes.

Im sure youll sort it, I have a habbit of blurbing stuff out sometimes without thinking how it comes across LOL , I was more talking from previous experiances, wasnt pointing the finger at you in person mate!

[Crucible]

Im a qualified mechanic with 15 years in the trade

Really? Man did you start young or something, I didn't think you were that old

worked in a small garage after school when I was 15, I started an apprenticeship as a mechanic when i was 17, done full time pretrade at tech for a year, MTA apprentice, national cert, trade cert, AVI and that, Im 33 now.

anyways back on topic! LOL....

[Crampy]

Well after not really being able to look at the car due to work and weather, we've found some problems.

I first got rid of the problems I've found. I've replaced all the poo vacuum lines with nice new rubber stuff and put a dedicated line on the Link. I chucked a cup of IPA into the fuel tank just to make sure there wasn't any water in there causing problems (IPA is hydroscopic). I've wired in my Mitsi coils and the MSD leads (mainly cause I wanted to)

I got round to ordering a Serial Link box, so now that I've been able to hook my Laptop up to the Link, we have found the problem. The Maps are all up the f*ck!
I was reading up on the V5 LEM manual and it said that if the voltage drops below 7.5 volts on cranking the Link will reset itself. BOO!!

So, with the car running and looking at the Link, we figured it was starving it of fuel at lower loads, so have bumped the fuel up considerably. We've done it across the load map to suit, but I don't want to run it on boost for the mean time. It starts now and runs much better, still a little jerky when driving around slowly though (so may need even more fuel).
I also found the TPS wasn't calibrated. It went from 20 closed to 35 open, so now it goes from 20 to 100 as required.

Here's a quick piccy of the Maps I found on the Link when we first got the laptop loaded up.





As you can see, the fuel at idle is the same as under a bit of load. Very odd. The problem is when I put the throttle down a bit more, it jumps down into the rather odd looking dip right through the fuel map, which then caused the engine to cut out and die. When we pulled the fuel up to a more ramp like look it has helped to run the car, but I'm not willing to test it under any large amount of load (eg, boost or driving it really)

Has anyone got a 4AGTE Map they could post up or PM to me, so I can see what the differences are compared to this bag of $hit? It's a AE101 GT-Z, so 8.9:1 pistons, but has a BLuetop head installed. The turbo is a HT18/T3 hybrid jobbie (pretty much the same as a T3/T4). It's got 440cc (GTiR) injectors, running stock fuel pump and pressure reg, with the fuel master on the Link set to 87 at present.

[IH8TEC]

whats ya email chap.

[Crampy]

robz_mr2@hotmail.com

Howz the cold down south? Good thing you guys don't have long courses aye!

cheers ears.

[mister2]

Those maps aren't the problem, they haven't been changed. When they say 'Link will reset itself below 7.5V', that only means that it will restart, not corrupt the maps.

If it needs more fuel, I'd check fuel pressure.

Nick

[Crampy]

Cheers Nick.
I've got a Walbro pump and Sard fuel reg for it, so will chuck them in and have a look how it goes then.

I emailed Damian from A1 Turbos, who did the initial tune, and he said the same thing. He said the maps looked alright.

Anyways. I'll be getting the engine bay tidied up and install the new bits I've got, including intercooler and see how it goes on the maps then. I'll be taking it to Kent for a full retune at some stage anyway.