[Mk2] [Turbo] Car trouble. Idles but any revs, just cuts out and dies? *UPDATE*

[jimGTS]

Bit random. Was driving the car around town and all of a sudden it started to cut out.
Engine died, and I couldn't restart it and run the car.

It idles just about. But any sort of revs applied and the revs rise but then dies as it falls back down to 0rpm and dies.
Also when I do rev it for that split second, it sounds quite miss firery above idle rpm.
Idle it doesn't sound bad tho.

Had to be brought back by the rac.
Guy thought it wasn't getting enough fuel. Maybe fpr or fuel pump ay fault he thought.
Was getting a spark at the leads as he checked with one of those testing things on no4 only.

Any ideas where to begin. Just glad I got the car back home. But was highly embarrassing as I broke down in middle of the road. I couldn't pull over anywhere when it died.
There was no warning! Car felt totally fine, just randomly died.

I had fitted my sub earlier that day. And ran the car, no
problem. Next trip out in the car and this happened.


Ideas?
Thanks

[JJ]

Got petrol in it ??

Gauge working / stuck ??!!

I'd check your mechanical timing too, also consider checking the distributer hasn't vibrated all the bolts out and is canted right over...

[jimGTS]

i put £30 last weekend and done one trip. (i dont use it during the week)
so defo got fuel.

think is there was NO warning.
car was running great, and just all of a sudden went.


ill check, dizzy, fuses...
im also gona bridge the terminals to run the fuel pump 24/7 and swap in my rev3 ecu just to test.


surely checking base timing isnt going to help if running and power fc?

[sjm1984]

some times there is an injector drive fault with the power FC? (from what some user have suffered in the past)

Sounds like fuel starvation

[JJ]

No no... I metioned, check the mechanical timing ... check for belt jumping a tooth...

Have you had the belt off at all ??! Often people can cahnge the belt out etc... pull the pin / or whatever they're using to retain the tensioner.. but that snaps in place and gives the impression that the belt is under tension... cover goes back on, engine starts and belt can jump.

I'm suggesting checking also the distributer bolts havent loosened and fully retard the ignition. The engine shoudl still run, but crap.

So what are the symptoms again Jim... your statements part contradicting ..

"Engine died, and I couldn't restart it and run the car."

"It idles just about. But any sort of revs applied and the revs rise but then dies as it falls back down to 0rpm and dies"

"Also when I do rev it for that split second, it sounds quite miss firery above idle rpm"

Make your mind up !

[Dale_V]

ive had similar problems on a few occaisions, mine varied from the TPS being out to having no fuel!

[JJ]

The symptons of cutting out initially and not starting.. then starting a little later on can be linked with the coil pack being faulty.

As it overheats, it cuts out... any sort of load.. it wont generate the spark....

Where I've seen them on other cars, its usually working or not working on these MR2's !

[jimGTS]

sorry.
the car did restart after it first happened, i just kept on putting some throttle on and it died.....hense why i said the car wouldnt start (which is prob the wrong wording).

once i discovered the car would start ok with idle only, it was ok.
but any throttle, and would rise and fall to 0.

so completely undriveable....


nope, not had the timing belt off since ive owned the car.

[JJ]

What injectors are you running Jim ?!

High impedance or low ?

[jimGTS]

cant remember, i know there sard 850s for an rx7 with the special buckets to fit the gen3 rail
(ive been told)


i always get mixed between high and low, but my injector resistor pack is unplugged (but not soldered together)

[JJ]

Same as mine then...

They're high impedance injectors, the injectors balasts or resistor packs are not needed.... you'll probably find a set of wires further down that are all wired together... the 12v is fed directly to the injectors for the ecu to switch them... whereas the resistor ballast type is fed by the 12v, through the resistor ballasts then onto the injectors, then ecu for switching.

Its common for these resistor packs to start becoming troublesome with age.... You havent got any in the loop !

[jimGTS]

i just got a horrible feeling could be powerFC issues again.

paul port fixed the last one, but this one could be more troublesome if it is injector driver issues.

my ap engineering power FC i had planned on my rev2 car bout 3 years ago had a busted injector driver.

tho i could run and drive the car, it was just on 3 cylinders.

this missing i think im hearing could be me running on 3 cylinders.


heres my only injector shot

(just to confirm they are sard 850s for an rx7)??

[jimGTS]

Ok I've been out to car. Popped on the rev3 ecu. And no problems.
Apart from quite crazy hunting due to my mad cam
setup it's obviously trying to idle at 750. Whereas my power fc idle is at 1400 to cope with the lope and hunting. But apart from that I could rev the car fine, it didnt sound like it was missing either. Obviously the timing must of been slightly out due to the nature of my mods on a stock ecu.
But it didn't cut out! Infact sounded fine. I didnt drive the car for obvious reasons tho. Checked for error codes, none.

Popped on the powerfc again, and car idled ok, but gave it some revs and it was missing and died. Tried more than once. And kept dieing.

Rev3 ecu on again, no problems.


So in conclusion, can anyone help agree with me that my power fc must be busted??? Injector driver is a good shout.

I checked dizzy and it was solid. I checked just the engine bay small amp fuses and none were busted.

[JJ]

Popped on the powerfc again, and car idled ok, but gave it some revs and it was missing and died. Tried more than once. And kept dieing.

Speak to Ryan about another ECu for it... that thing of yours has had its fair share of being tempremental ....

He knows a chap that can repair ecu's too if its possible...

Think you popping on different ecus kinda drives it in the direction of the ecu being faulty. It'll run like crap as the injector pulses are opening too long for the 850s....

[jimGTS]

I don't know whehter it's a possitive or negative thing. Possitive cause I think I've found the cause and I don't need to try swapping in tons of sensors, fprs, fuel pumps, timing belt etc etc. Negative cause it's a pretty dam expensive part to go fault. Tho easy to change.

I'll email Ryan, see what he thinks.
Could the loading from my amp and active sub (via 2 separate power cables) have caused it to go??? Or simple bad luck. As I had installed those items in the last 2 weeks.

[Ryan.g]

£5 on it being the Dizzy

The Powerfc uses the Crank signal from NE and the cam signal from G1. All issues i have seen like this with the powerfc have been due to issues with the G1 Reluctor pickup.

It works with the standard ECU as when g1 drops out it reverts to G2 which the powerfc doesn't do

Thought i would post in here Jim to help others in future.

Ryan

[jimGTS]

all that makes no sense to me. lol

there is nothing wrong with the cranking of the car. it start sand idles fine on both ecus.
any throttle on the powerFC and the car dies. like rac man says, sounds like its running out of fuel and is clearly down a cylinder or 2.
rev3 ecu, no such problem.

how exactly do i go about fixing it then? and where should i be looking exactly??

im not exactly a fan of wiring...

[Quigonjay]

£5 on it being the Dizzy

The Powerfc uses the Crank signal from NE and the cam signal from G1. All issues i have seen like this with the powerfc have been due to issues with the G1 Reluctor pickup.

It works with the standard ECU as when g1 drops out it reverts to G2 which the powerfc doesn't do

Thought i would post in here Jim to help others in future.

Ryan

x2

i'd forgotten about my experience with this ryan
sounds exactly like what was happening to mine jim
ran fine on standard ecu running up to dyno centre, got there and fitted powerfc and had the same symptoms, would idle but died whenever you reved it, re fitted standard and ran fine
swapped out the distributor the next day and the power fc ran perfect

[jimGTS]

ok so what your saying is i need to swap the dissy out...
not rewire, test wiring and all that business?

i asume the dizzy is the same from rev3 to rev5???
(would be easier to find if there all the same)

what causes this to happen to the dizzy???

[jimGTS]

ive just thought tho, if im replacing the dizzy, surely im not going to fit it 100% in the same position?? so going to have to get remapped??

OR

pop on stock ecu, run the car, check base timing, and copy where its set?
tho the car does not hold stable with the stock ecu due to the cams, so timing would go everywhere all the time??