I need my ecu map looking at. Car runs fine, but when warm struggles to idle. It's not fitted with an IACV, although i'm told this shouldn't be a problem.
Coming to a junction and returning to idle it splutters to about 500 rpm, if i give it some throttle i can sometimes clear it, most of the time it dies. When restarted it splutters at 500rpm, giving it some throttle eventually clears it.

I need someone london area who can look at it, as i'm not sure what to start changing to be honest. It's an autronic ecu and i have the software to map it, the only autronic importer can't look at it until after my work leave is over...blah blah blah and it's beginning to get me down! Anyone know what they are doing with this stuff or recommend somewhere i could take it? I'm prepared to travel to get it fixed quickly.

What does it idle at normally and is the idle stable?

You can probably fix it by fiddling with the advance at the lowest load site....

Idles stable at around 1100rpm when started from cold. Will idle in traffic if i keep the revs up when coming to a halt and bring it down slowly. Will idle for minutes, then out of the blue it can splutter and die.

Steve,
I was thinking ignition advance was probably the one to look at, at least in the short term until i can get someone who knows what they are doing to look at it. Don't know much about this, current set to 27 degrees at lowest load site...?

Seems quite high?

Ok, i've got the following under idle ign advance timing:


rpm idle ign timing
600 27.2
800 23.5
1000 20
1250 15.2
1500 10


Any views?


I've also got something called base ignition timing which has 0-8000 rpm along the top and load from 0-100 % load down the side, which creates a table of degress at each load site for each rpm. all of which seem to follow a similar relationship.

Track and Road in Rainham - not cheap but very good!

http://www.rollingroadregister.com/two-wheel-drive-rolling-roads.php

here's a sample zetec ignition map from Emerald...
Rescued attachment zetec map.JPG

Just had nosy and realised you've a V6 in that lovely motor (jealous)

Here's a cosworth v6 map..
Rescued attachment CosworthV6Map.JPG

TBH I'd start with lowering the 600 loadsite to be the same as the 800 and see if that improves things...27 degrees is an awful lot for low down in the rev range....may be too much advance...

BTW 1100 idle is awfully high for a v6...a standard v6 is normally closer to 600rpm...

Have you got special cams in there?

Cheers Steve, much appreciated, very helpful.
Off in the garage to see what i can do.

Will report back.

I agree that the advance numbers sound way too high.......

If you have the ability to change your ignition and fuel maps, then have a play around....

Look at advance numbers first - 10degrees at idle should be fine for most engines as a starting point..........If advance makes no difference, then look to the fuel map....A wide band lambda sensor would help here, but you can try more or less fuel also.

And we appear to have a steady 900rpm idle. It will take a boot of throttle and pick up without coughing and will return to idle without stalling either. Just waiting for laptop to recharge then i'm off for a run to get it warm and off the startup map to check it's okay when hot.

Fingers crossed.

Cheers chaps, it's enough to let me drive to someone who knows what they are doing at least.

Things have taken a turn for the worse... although not with the car...!

Banged my wrist on the garage door as i opened it, didn't hurt too much. Getting into car started feeling a bit dizzy and sick. Looked down to see a huge green lump on my wrist, seems i burst a vein in my wrist but not punctured the skin, so it was bleeding internally. Very weird. Very painfull. Now sat watching tv feeing sorry for myself wondering if i should have gone to hospital. Seems to be ok though, if bloody painfull. Turned a blue colour now purpley black.

Maybe i'm not meant to know whether things have worked or not just yet. Some F@cking holiday this is turning out to be...




[Edited on 15/7/08 by grazzledazzle]

[Edited on 15/7/08 by grazzledazzle]

Ouch!! Unlucky...you weren't punching the air for joy (and missed) were you?

Post your location and I'm sure you'll have 20 volunteers to take you out while you sit in the passenger seat mapping...


[Edited on 15/7/08 by stevebubs]