[Mk2] [Turbo] Resetting ECU??

[daveslater3110]

Hiya, really daft question, but you know when you reset ECU do you turn it off to take the fuses out after its been run and warmed up?

Dave

[Slarty]

Well, some people say that the ECU "self learns" after it's been reset so yes, it'd be best to have the engine nice and warm so you can give it some beans after you've reset it.

Personally I don't think the ECU is capable of that so in my opinion it wouldn't matter one way or the other

[luthor1]

Slarty - it definitely *IS* capable.

It remembers instances of engine knock and retards the ignition timing. Only after a LOT of time does it gradually put the timing back in.

So if you get crap fuel for a tank, it's worth filling up on V-Power, taking off the ECU overnight, and putting it back on in themorning with a clean memory, and full V-Power.

Andy

[Marf]

Slarty is right in that it doesnt "learn" anything, it just operates within predetermined maps based on the knock sensor reading.

As Luthor says if you get a crap batch of fuel, and the engine dets, the ECU will revert to a safe map and only very very slowly re-advance the timing back to the original map.

Get it warmed up, switch off the engine, take the keys out, then remove the EFI fuses from the engine compartment and frunk. Leave for 10 minutes, put em back in, go for a drive and give it death.

[daveslater3110]

Cheers guys for your help. So in theory when i reset the ECU, it might stop me getting flat spots?

Tell me what think on this theory..i got a code 25 from the ECU which means lean mixture malfuction. So at a guess its running lean because its getting more air than it is fuel? So could it be because that ive fitted an HKS induction kit and the ECU hasn't picked up on it? Therefore running lean?

Hope that doesn't sound like complete codswallop! Makes sense in me head!

Cheers, Dave.

[Marf]

Flatspots could be a number of things, when were all your ignition components last changed?

The lean mixture code could be flagged due to a duff O2 sensor, if thats the case its unlikely to be related to the flat spot issue, as the O2 sensor is only used by the engine at idle and when cruising, not under load.

[daveslater3110]

Ah i see! Thanks for quick reply aswel! Ill try clearing the code first then incase thats an old one stored.

So the flat spots then, what could the be dya think? Changed the leads not too long ago, got magnecor 5mm. So wahts next to check?

I know there worlds apart but i had a corsa with same issue, but on a much bigger more dangerous scale, that turned out to be the air mass meter. Could that be it? Hope not! Their expensive! Dave

[Marf]

I had flatspots at full boost/high revs when I first bought my tubby, replaced the dizzy cap, rotor arm, plugs and leads and it went away.

[daveslater3110]

Cool, thats exactly what mine does. Ill replace them then mate, cheers. Did your boost gauge go right to the top above the plus sign? 'cos mine does that aswell.

[Marf]

Yep, but only from third gear onwards.

That is until I fitted my boost controller

[daveslater3110]

is it a bad thing that it goes above the plus? is it owt to worry about?

[Ryan S]

is it a bad thing that it goes above the plus? is it owt to worry about?

don't worry about it, the stock gauge only reads up to about 10 psi or something, it's crap, get an aftermarket one, even a cheap one is better than the stock one!!!

[Marf]

Yep its totally normal

[daveslater3110]

Oh nice one cheers guys, appreciate it.

[daveslater3110]

Hey up lads..car runs like a bloody dream now!! Took the dizzy cap apart, and the rotor arm was burnt, so replaced that with a rotor arm from another dizzy my mate had..filed all the contacts clean, cleaned all the holes where the leads go with abit of WD-40 and elbow grease!! Pulled the fuses like you said..took it for a spin..it drove like abit of a pig for a couple of minutes, but once i'd put some shell optimax in and give it the beans down dual carriage way..its never felt so good!! It's like a different car! So thanks for your advice chaps, much appreciated.

Dave

[Marf]

Glad you've sorted it Dave

[daveslater3110]

Cheers mate. More confident on workin on it now, always scared a workin on it 'cos don't want to break something and it cost me the earth to get it fixed properly, but managed to do it with abit of help from me mate, sorted!! Oh and them error codes went aswel

Oh while your here, i had some issue's with me coolant, all the pipes kept bursting, the pipes that come off the swirl pot, and the swirl pot itself leaked at one point, but after alot of faffin around changing all the pipes, and seal on swirl pot, turns out the spring had gone in the radiator cap, so there was no pressure getting released. So after doing all that, there wasn't any leaks really, but there is a niggly like buzzing sound coming from down there somewhere, as if there is abit of coolant just creeping out of somewhere, and there's a tiny puddle of coolant dripped onto gearbox. Any idea's what it could be? Have you ever come across this?

[Marf]

The charcoal canister buzzes away after switching the engine off and its located right next to the expansion tank. Could be that

That said if theres coolant dripping onto your gearbox then you may well have a tiny leak somewhere, just try nipping up all the jubilee clips around there. Or if it still has those godawful OE toyota clips on the hoses ditch them and replace em with jubi's.

[daveslater3110]

I was quite hoping but also not hoping that you'd say that lol! Thats what i thought it might be! Replaced all the other clips with jubilee's, i'd be glad it was just that and nowt sinister, just a pain in the ar$e having to bleed it again once ive changed the clip lol! Mind you saying that, was gunna change the thermostat anyway and give it a good flush with a hose pipe, so might aswell do both in the same breath eh! Cheers dude

[Marf]