GPX crossed with a GR nightmare

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 5:25 am

Right, i've been readin some posts on here about air intakes as once my new stepper comes and is sorted then the next thing i will be looking to do is get an enclosed K&N pod, and i was thinking...what do i do with the air flow sensor...after further poking about i noticed my car shouldn't HAVE the intake sensor int he first place.

My car is a GR in body but has a mivec engine. Obviously whoever put the new engine in didnt change the intake to the one without the sensor.

Now my questions are...

Does this cause an issue having it there?
When i accidentally left it disconnected the ECU turned on my engine light, which means the ECU is the GR ecu doesn't it?
Should i buy a GPX ecu? is there any difference? I'm assuming the mivec won;t kick in if i'm still on the GR ECU?

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:13 am

Right since posting that i've been obsessing (as i do) and readin every post on this site with the phrase "ecu" in it. Needless to say there is LOADS and some of you guys are pretty funny too lol.

Ok so it looks like i have to check if the correct alternator has been put in for a start off. Although on checking eorror codes over the past week nothing has come up so i've got my fingers crossed for that one.

So basically i am "assuming" at this point that the only thing i am lacking is the function of the mivec by using a GR ecu ?(if i am using one at all)

But from what i gather swapping and changing the MAP/MAF can't be done without either piggybacking or an ecu replacement, so i am pretty sure since i'm using MAF that i'm still on the GR one.

Any thoughts or comments would be well appreciated, other than that i'll report back tomorrow once i've looked at the ecu...which is...where? lol

Post by **Bennoz** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:21 am

Unplug it & try starting the car..

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:31 am

i did it doesnt like it at all lol. engine light stays on and the car splutters and dies like an age old chain smoker lol

Edit: i'm assuming you meant unplug the MAF

Post by **I8A4RE** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:40 am

Ok if you disconnect the MAF and it starts to run like sh*t, then obviously the engine is using the maf as its air flow signal as apposed to a MAP, which is what a gpx should be using.

Firstly i would double check you have a GPX engine, What side is the oil cap on?

Secondly i would grab the part number off the ECU and we can check whether it is in fact a GPX or a GR ecu. Then we will know what we are dealing with.

Once you provide that info we continue from there

HTH

Post by **Bennoz** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:41 am

Couple of engine pics would help too.

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:52 am

Engine pics i can do tomorrow when it's light...nighttime here! But yeah it's defo a mivec, oil cap is on the left. Where is the ECU located, save me searching the manual?

Post by **Bennoz** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:57 am

Its tucked in behind the plastic panel with the 2 loops in it on the passenger footwell.

You could also tell us what the chassis number is, we can decode it & tell you what the car was originally. Its the DE3A-xxxxxx number on the compliance plate.

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 9:01 am

cool i know where you mean. Yeah ive done the chassis decode thingymabob manually and on a website i found too and it was defo originally a GR my V5 registration cert also confirms this...as does the GR sticker still on the back lol

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Wed May 06, 2009 11:38 pm

ok taken pics of the enigne and had a poke about, and i'm unamused and need advice on how to progress please. I've come to the conclusion cars hate me, and even if i went and bought a brand new showroom car there would be issues with it!

OK so this shouldnt be here, but needs to be here at the moment because i'm seemingly on a GR ECU and if i disconnect it the car doesnt start, just turns over then dies.

In the below pic there is only 2 plus...not ont he bracket everyone else seem to be on, but there should be 3 from what i gather?!

In the above pic you can see there is a little rubber hose coming from the back of the engine, i'm no expert but i would think that a bolt is not the correct thing to be hanging out of it!!
In the below pic it is just above this hose from a different angle...judging by other pics of others engine bays i should have some from of connector here which is electrical and also looks like part of it connects to the hose in the above pic.

And finally this is to the right and below of the battery when standing at the passenger side wing and looking down, ignoring all the dirt, this is a red wire, which i'm assuming is a 12v supply for something...the problem is the other end doesn't go anywhere and looks like its been sliced with a knife!

Someone please tell me what i need to fix this

I am seriously p***ed off. I bought this car and got rid of my MGF because i had spent around 9 months getting it all top notch, and now it seems i've ended up with another car with multiple issues.

Post by **I8A4RE** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:01 am

Ok that last picture looks like a an old power supply for an amp, i wouldnt worry about it.

The hose at the back, i would say is where you MAP sensor would have been connected, when it was in its old shell.

Buddy, you need to stop getting ahead of yourself, just deal with each problem one at a time. You also need to remember one simple thing....."if it aint broke, DONT fix it".

There is always going to be stuff floating round your car (old wires etc) that your not going to know what they do. But unless its causing a problem just leave it or you could wind up making more headaches for yourself

Secondly i would grab the part number off the ECU and we can check whether it is in fact a GPX or a GR ecu. Then we will know what we are dealing with.

Once you provide that info we continue from there

Where are we at with this.

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:03 am

well it is broke at the moment

lmao. But that should be sorted once my new stepper arrives.

ECU didnt get a chance to look today but got plenty of time on my hands to look tomorrow.

I agree that there will always be stuff floating around, which in the case of the red wire i won't worry about now, but as for the other stuff, it's not that they are floating around its that they're missing lol.

But identify ECU and replace stepper are my primary goals as i know it runs when the stepper works.

Post by **I8A4RE** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:28 am

Sorry man if that sounded harsh, i didnt mean it too be

Post by **dstocks** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:03 am

Where are you located. I have a number of FTO wrecks lying about and can probably help with any missing bits if it comes to that. I certainly have a number of GPX ECUs. Im thinking the loom may possibly be different, though. I know people with GR's have successfully transplanted mivec before, so should not be a huge problem.

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:15 am

I8A4RE wrote:Sorry man if that sounded harsh, i didnt mean it too be

lol not at all mate. I actually find you guys really helpful, better than our UK website who only want me for one thing

my money!

thanks dstock but i'm a little out of range being in the UK lol Much appreciated though. See this is what i mean about this website in comparison to the UK one...No offence to any members of the UK one, but this place is friendlier and more helpful without demanding money for advice.

Post by **I8A4RE** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:19 am

lol

Didnt you read the small print.... you owe me a hundred bucks

Just kidding.

Well we are glad we can help, i actually really enjoy it. It gets my brain thinking

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:56 am

I8A4RE wrote:brain thinking

Now thats one to think about. does your brain think or does your mind...and whats the difference

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Sat May 09, 2009 4:29 am

Right i'm tackling one thing at a time. Today i received my new stepper motor from camskill. This has solved my irratic idle problems.

HOWEVER

It's still got the main problem that frustrated me and a new one or two.

All the below was tested warm, after an ecu reset or 12...been at this all day.

1. as it stands at the moment with the idle speed screw full screwed IN the car when warm idles at about 500...which from what i've read is too low. When it's idling this low the car will NOT go into gear until i rev crap out of it, then it jumps forward then seems to fall out of gear again...very odd.

2. i tried adjusting the idle speed screw to get the revs up, but it has to be at just under 1000 for it to go into gear, when it does go into gear it jumps into gear as if someones diving on the accelerator, if i put my foot on the brake...sometimes it will sit nicely and then i can pull off, but 90% of the time its bucking like crazy.

3. i took it for a short drive to see how it went, and...it wasn't pleasant. The car goes fine in first (once it jumped into it) but as soon as it hits second the revs go crazy, up and down and it's like watching someone learning to drive kangarooing it, the car has to be over 3000 for it to run normal. Once in third and fourth its smoother but still only as long as you dont go below 3000 revs. Along with this the instant i take my foot off the accelerator the revs drop to idle speeds, then on putting my foot back down it has a fit because it can't decide which gear it wants to be in.

The only error codes i have had today was due to the TPS being adjusted wrong...which i cleared, sorted and it hasnt reappeared.
I also had 43 on the transmission, which is 3rd gear ratio issues, but no doubt that was due to the crazy revs confusing hell out of the ecu no doubt.

Short of taking a sledghammer to the car does anyone have any "professional" opinion on what to do, i've had a bad year so far, the FTO was supposed to be a new reliable car that was still as cool as my MGF, turns out i should have just kept the MGF. I have very little money at the moement so a garage is out of the question and after a giant bill today im broke! someone gimme some idea of what to do please before i kill the car then myself.

Thanks

Post by **vipfto** » Sat May 09, 2009 8:17 am

ok not good, sounds like torque converter had enough but at a long shot could also be beacuse your ECU is incorrect as previously stated or possibly your tip ecu is rooted....

the other pics one with two wires into firewall are just earth wires and the bolt in the hose is actualy a breather hose should go into your intake pipe but its ok as it is no prob

gestalto · Post by **gestalto** » Sat May 09, 2009 9:13 am

Breather hose? i don't mean to question but are you sure? as i can't see anywhere it could possibly be connected to the intake, i assumed that it was something to do with the MAP that "should" be there. Anyone got a pic of the MAP and it's related hoses/connectors please?

Earth wires yeah i know what they are, but i should ahve a connector for something or other there 2. every other fto engine bay seems to have it but mine lol.

Yeah i fear it may be torque convertor. The revs drop to idle as soon as i take my foot of the accelerator and it clearly takes itself out of gear. And coupled with the jumping into 1st gear/bucking when stopping.

But could it also be the input sensor? my thiinking is that, because the gears work fine if my foot it on the accelerator, and i know the TPS is working, and now the stepper, it's only when my foot is off the accelerator that the problem exists and i'm thiking when the ecu is recognising the TPS sensor readings it's fine but when i havent got my foot on the accelerator the input speed sensor doesn't know what going on.

That probably isnt the best way of getting across my hypothesis, but basically is it possibly the issues i am having could be replicated by a faulty input sensor? could i test it by totally disconnecting the sensor and seeing if it runs the same way, or would this cause damage? I imagine if i remove the elctrical connector on the sensor and it runs exactly the same way then it would suggest that the sensor is the issue?! I know i'm probably grasping at straws but thats all i have at the moment with the economy and ym life in general at the moment