I parked my car on the street last night. It ran fine when i parked it and i moved it in my garage today. I tried starting it tonight when i was going to head out and do a run but to my dismay when i started it it felt like it was only running on 2 rotors...if that and there's nice streaming cloud of unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust. I check voltage to the coils. I try cranking it with the timing light on the motor and i get very pulses every once in a while. So i check under megatune and I'm getting some pretty serious cranking errors. I check continuity between the ECU pin and the pin going to the trigger on each wire and everything is good. I even check for continuity between the two wires themselves and there's noting there (just in case the wires maybe melted from heat internally). So where should i start on this one? I've tried to get any major leads/magnets away from the shielded trigger wire, but the signal still looks pretty nasty.
Alright, so i just remembered something. It happened the day after I installed my new shielded wire for the CAS. I changed the settings back on the primary trigger to unfiltered. I took the car out, it reved freely and the tach looked rock solid. I was sitting by the side of the road changing some settings on my laptop while the car idled. I didn't know it at the time by the car has a bad alternator, so it wasn't charging the battery at idle. So at one point the idle started getting rough and before i could give it some revs to get a charge it died.
I tried jumping the car but it wasn't getting power to the coils I'm assuming it raised charge time so much . So i checked the coils fuse and it was blown,I replaced the fuse and it was firing erratically similar to this situation but it wouldn't start and megatune was showing "trigger errors. So i turned filtering on and it ran like a champ.
So i ask now, do you think the low voltage could have damaged something in the ECU? I cant be too sure but when i let it idle yesterday (this was the last time it ran great) it died, i'm not sure if its due to low voltage or just a shitty cold idle map.
Tomorrow i'll try replacing the sensor wire and the sensor pickup itself.
The ECU is protected against spikes and transient voltages so I doubt that the power side is effected much. The high power stuff is protected by fuses and can take quite a few amps before they die. The VR sensing circuitry is designed to cope with a crank trigger voltage upto 120V AC.
Rob
Hrmmm this is the strangest thing then. No variables changed between the time it was shut off to the time i started it next and it wasnt running worth a crap. The only thing i could think of is that the CAS wire was really close to the back of the speaker in my dash but i have since moved it away and still with the same result. I'll try a scope on it too tomorrow. I mean this whole thing is just baffling to me.
I've had situations where when cold, my car will start and sputter, and it'll be very hard to gain any revs at all. If I coax it above 2,500 rpms or so it acts normal, settles down, and all is well. I think it gets into a perpetual rich situation. Not sure if this helps any.
Well the odd thing about this situation is that when it does start the revs will stay up at about 4k for a second and then it eventually dies no matter how i modulate the throttle.
New VR trigger....new wire....Same outcome. I routed the wire completely away from the stock harness and any high tension leads. So now its down to something wrong with the ecu. I'll put a scope on it later this week to completely verify that the VR is getting a clean signal but i have no doubt that it is at this point. I'm going to try to reupload the firmware and start from scratch.
New firmware still the same old problem. I've checked and rechecked all my settings and still the same old thing. I can barely get it to crank over and fire and when it does it'll only run for about 2 seconds before it kills itself. I'm leaning toward something being messed up in the VEMS. Even when its running at 4000rpm and filtering is enabled the VR signal should be strong enough at that point to eliminate most of the errors and it should be able to run, but instead it just kills itself.
I can still get a scope this weekend and put it on the sensor, but i think we might be tackling a different issue here.
Please don't upload firmware because you have a problem, it will not help resolve a triggering issue.
Eh its the same firmware version, besides, the scope should show that the trigger is working. I replaced the trigger sensor and the wire to the trigger with the exact same result, i even routed the wire away from everything. I'm thinking that we're dealing with something ecu related now.
The reason behind me thinking it's something ECU related is this:
1. The car died from low voltage. Triggering errors showed up (ran perfect with no errors before that). Filtering got the car running once again
2. The car died once more from low voltage and now it doesnt start.
3. I replaced the VR sensor and the wire to the sensor w/ different routing (in case noise was being picked up)...same problem
So the car started up as (or at least what i think) normal last night when i uploaded old megasquirt settings into it. I pulled the ECU out of the car. reassembled the heat sinks and put it back in the car but it started up and ran like crap again...
Can you post the current mcd/mct from the ECU and when you have the opportunity take a pic of the scope of the trigger.
Thanks.
primep=00
primep_temp_scaling=A8
cwl=50
cwh=23
cranking_thres=04
awev=08
awev_temp_scaling=A0
awec=D2
warmup_clt_range[0]=00
warmup_clt_range[1]=10
warmup_clt_range[2]=24
warmup_clt_range[3]=38
warmup_clt_range[4]=50
warmup_clt_range[5]=64
warmup_clt_range[6]=78
warmup_clt_range[7]=8C
warmup_clt_range[8]=AA
warmup_clt_range[9]=C8
warmup_clt[0]=64
warmup_clt[1]=64
warmup_clt[2]=64
warmup_clt[3]=64
warmup_clt[4]=82
warmup_clt[5]=7D
warmup_clt[6]=78
warmup_clt[7]=73
warmup_clt[8]=6E
warmup_clt[9]=64
warmup_rpm_scale=63
req_fuel=2D
divider=01
alternate=12
injopen=00
battfac=00
kpafac=7D
kpaoffs=D1
injocfuel=21
injrampup_battfac=FF
injpwm=FF
injpwmt=08
als_launch_input=0C
rpmk[0]=0B
rpmk[1]=B8
tpsdot_kpadot_conf=00
tpsdotrate[0]=05
tpsdotrate[1]=14
tpsdotrate[2]=28
tpsdotrate[3]=4D
tpsaq[0]=00
tpsaq[1]=00
tpsaq[2]=00
tpsaq[3]=00
als_cut_mintps=CC
tpsasync=0A
acmult=64
tpsacold=14
launch_enrich=FF
launch_retard=FF
overrun_fuelcut=FF
overrun_fuelresume=FF
rev_limit=55
airden_ignore=62
config11=51
config12=30
config13=06
batt_cal=BC
fastidle=80
als_max_cut=20
dbaro=0C
tps_low=1D
tps_high=91
fan_temp=CA
fan_hyst=45
fan_channel=07
iac_step_seq=D8
iac_conf=00
iac_max_steps=00
iac_tps_thres=00
iac_cold_idle_temp=48
iac_warm_idle_temp=48
iac_cold_rpm=00
iac_warm_rpm=00
iac_cold_start_pos=00
iac_warm_start_pos=00
iac_afterstart_rpm=00
iac_afterstart_duration=00
iac_speed=07
iac_kp=25
iac_ki=10
iac_kd=30
launch_rpm=40
iac_integral_limit_dec=33
iac_integral_limit_inc=E4
iac_integral_deadband=0A
iac_deadband=FE
als_cut_maxtps=00
iac_overclose_interval=FF
iac_ref_pos[0]=00
iac_ref_pos[1]=00
iac_ref_pos[2]=00
iac_ref_pos[3]=00
iac_ref_pos[4]=00
iac_ref_pos[5]=00
iac_ref_pos[6]=00
iac_ref_pos[7]=00
iac_ref_pos[8]=00
iac_ref_pos[9]=00
iac_sol_channel=7F
iac_ign_slope=FF
softrpm_range=4B
iac_ign_advance_limit=00
iac_ign_retard_limit=00
iac_ign_threshold=08
ego_conf=06
ego_lag=02
ego_coolant=00
ego_maxtps=FF
ego_maxmap=FF
ego_minrpm=05
ego_maxrpm=46
ego_warmup=DC
ego_lean_limit=0D
ego_rich_limit=1A
ego_pid_kp=25
als_enrich=FF
ego_delta=03
ego_target=19
ego_pid_window=FF
wbo2_warmup_ramp=9C
als_react_tps=00
wbo2_abs_limit=E4
wbo2_limit_maxt=A0
wbo2_fallback=60
wbo2_retry_t=06
wbo2_edgetime_corr=BA
wbo2_edgetime_min=50
wbo2_ri_target=96
wbo2_nernstdc_target=8F
wbo2_pump_pw_zero=66
wbo2_calibration=AB
wbo2_heater_pid_kp=46
wbo2_heater_pid_ki=10
wbo2_heater_pid_kd=1A
wbo2_heater_pid_ilimit=80
wbo2_pump_pid_kp=2E
wbo2_pump_pid_ki=2A
wbo2_pump_pid_kd=08
wbo2_pump_pid_ilimit=84
wbo2_ri_confidence_scale=80
knock_conf=00
knock_sampling_window=FF
knock1_frequency=E9
knock1_gain=C0
knock1_integrator=F4
knock2_frequency=E9
knock2_gain=C0
knock2_integrator=F4
knock_threshold=00
knock_noise_scale=00
knock_max_retard=00
knock_default_retard=00
knock_retard_step=00
knock_retard_delay=00
knock_advance_step=00
knock_advance_delay=00
knock_minrpm=FF
knock_maxrpm=FF
ve_learn_coolant=BD
ve_learn_max_power=FF
ve_learn_rpm_scale=1E
ve_learn_kpa_scale=1E
ve_learn_ego_scale=43
ve_learn_min_weight=AC
ve_learn_speed=FF
ve_learn_limit=FF
ve_learn_conf=00
lcd_c0=C4
lcd_delay=FF
lcd_backlight=FF
kpa_conf=21
ign_balance=00
als_retard_mintps=FF
als_retard_maxtps=00
lcd_default_view=00
primary_trigger=05
secondary_trigger=02
tooth_wheel=0B
trigger_tooth=01
another_trigger_tooth=04
crank_minper=50
tooth_wheel_twidth1=00
tooth_wheel_twidth2=00
cam_sync_r_edge_phase=FF
cam_sync_f_edge_phase=FF
reset_engphase_after=FF
ign_tdcdelay=7D
ign_dwell14=37
ign_dwell6=1E
ign_crank_advance=00
ign_out=70
ignchmax=02
engine_off_delay=4C
pump_on_mintime=04
fuelpump_channel=57
inj_stage2_rate=C8
inj_stage2_start_tps=00
inj_stage2_start_map=64
als_deact_rpm=FF
als_deact_time=00
als_deact_egt=00
als_retard=FF
als_rev_limit=FF
misc1out_minrpm=FF
misc1out_maxrpm=FF
misc1out_mintps=FF
misc1out_maxtps=FF
misc1out_minmap=FF
misc1out_maxmap=FF
misc1out_channel=FF
misc2out_minrpm=FF
misc2out_maxrpm=FF
misc2out_mintps=FF
misc2out_maxtps=FF
misc2out_minmap=FF
misc2out_maxmap=FF
misc2out_channel=FF
act_wot_rpm=FF
act_wot_channel=0F
act_rpm_rpm=FF
act_rpm_channel=FF
egt1_cal=49
als_tks_channel=1F
boost_conf=00
boost_targetoffs=00
boost_minpressure=7F
boost_pid_kp=0B
boost_pid_ki=7F
boost_pid_kd=0D
boost_pid_ilimit=7F
boost_channel=2F
water_pump_temp=00
hybrid_rpm_a=00
hybrid_rpm_m=00
water_pump_hyst=00
water_pump_channel=0F
toothrel_normal=0A
toothrel_missing=7F
fuelcut_min_kpa=14
fuelcut_max_kpa=C8
tach_channel=0F
tach_div=0E
shiftcut_conf=81
shiftcut_channel=13
shiftcut_time=80
softrpm_rpm=5A
and here's my mct:
http://myweb.cableone.net/mjbless/mct.txt
Well on the scope i'm getting nice consistant pulses while cranking. So we're down to something ecu related now....but where do i start?
Can you get a screencap of the scope (if it's a new spiffy scope) or a digi pic if it's an older scope?
If the scope pic looks good to us I might suggest you send the ECU to me so I can find the problem with the trigger. I could even temporarily put the fuel lines back in my car and test it on a live engine before returning it.
Well i feel like an idiot. It turns out i had fouled plugs. The triggering issue still seems odd though, but maybe that's just as good as it'll ever get. Thanks for all your input guys, now its back to the little stuff.
Trigger errors are not acceptable though. If they happen at the wrong time you can false trigger and pre-ignite the fuel.
If you have to use filtering to get the car to run then you have more work to do in order to get the trigger sorted. You should not be using filtering.