I've tried everything.....and now it's dead (CONCLUSION)

[skytek]

It's been about 3 months or something now since my new tubby started underpowering. At first I was only able to reach 0.9bar of boost (normally running 1.2) and then i tightened up the clamps and was then hitting 1.2 but got no extra power. The car was massivle underpowered.

So far I've tried replacing all the hose clamps with Mikalor ones, testing the intercooler for leaks, checking the plugs and all electrics, replacing the fuel pressure regulator with an adjustable aftermarket one and trying various adjustments. I also checked the turbo itself and the spindle has no significant movement. I'm getting no smoke from the exhaust except a little puff occasionally under heavy accelleration but not often.

I'm going to change the fuel filter soon as a last resort although I believe it was changed during the engine rebuild about 6 months ago before I bought the car.

If anyone can think of anything else it could be please please let me know and I'll stop bothering you all with my crappy never ending problem.

There is no point driving a tubby that feels like a well set up NA as I might as well have an NA and get the cheaper insurance and running costs. I've almost lost my faith in MR2s :(:( I've had nothing but trouble since joining the mr2 scene and it's taken away thousands of pounds and countless hours.

It's just no fun anymore.

Thanks.

[Bry]

Timing and Knock senor checked?

[_Al_]

Lambda probe
Coolant temp sensor
Dizzy cap
Rotor arm
Air filter
Inlet/exhaust manifolds

[jonno]

dont "check" the plugs change them!

BKR7EVX seem favourite for me, 0.75mm gap

then reset ecu - rev3's dont usually need it but wont do any harm

make sure your on a clean tank of optimax first though!

if performance is still poor, but the engine runs smoothly its probably base timing - so get it checked and set to 10 degrees.

to keep a tubby running sweet change plugs, dizzy and rotor every 12 months. especially if you increased boost.

Neil

[scoops]

exahaust baffles collapsed?

[skytek]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The timing and air filter have been checked. The plugs were changed within the last 6-7 months as far as i know, but I'll change them anyway.

I took the car for a long blast late last night after the new fuel pressure regulator went on and for the first 30 mins performance was still poor but after a while it started improving intermittently. as boost would reach 0.5 or so it would start to puul strong and then it would go flat for a bit and then surge strong again. Sometimes it would pull strong all the way up to 1.0bar and other times it would have flat spots in the middle. For some reason I'm now only getting 1.0bar again, not the full 1.2. Hmmm, any ideas what that's about?

I had a look at the exhaust and the only thing I can see that's wrong is the flexi pipe is a bit ripped due to rubbing along the ground when going over crests at speed. If exhaust gasses are escaping through here couild it affect performance? I didn't think it would make a noticiable difference.

Anyway, I'm now gettin normal power up to 1.0bar about 70% of the time. So I need to find out why the power is intermittent and why the turbo won't boost beyond 1.0bar again. I've set the duty on my apexi boost controller up the the maximum of 90% and all I can get out of it is 1.04bar.

Thanks again for the help guys! Getting closer!!

[steve b]

sounds exactly like worn ignition components to me, how old are the ht leads and dizzy & rotor arm?

[skytek]

I'll have to ask the previous owner. I think I'll replace these anyway. Should I stick with stock toyota ones?

[Bry]

How about trying a manual boost control instead of your EBC,as the EBC may be what's causing the problem?

[screech205]

Could well be the o2 sensor, just replaced mine and runs 100% better!

You've nearly replaced everything else so i'd find a mate with a rev 3 tubby and borrow theirs, reset the ECu and take it for a blast.

Could possibly be the MAP sensor or summat like that, might be worth your while taking it to a RR and getting them to do a diagnostic and set it up properly instead of spending money on stuff that probably dunt need replacing

[skytek]

Thanks.

Ok there's alot of different opinions on this one so I'm a bit lost as to what direction to take from here.

So far it's been suggested that it couls be one of the following:

o2 sensor
MAP sensor
HT leads, Distributor, rotor Arm
Lambda probe
Knock sensor
Timing - CHECKED, NOT THAT
boost controller -
fuel pressure regulator - REPLACED, NOT THAT
boost leak - CHECKED, NOT THAT

I've already spent hundreds looking for the cause and don't want to go replacing too much more as funds are getting low.

My last rolling road experience was a poor one and I vowed I'll never go back to the place due to appauling service so I'm going to have to find another one that's not too far away and then spend even more money .

[matt_mr2t]

Chris is in the states for another 2 weeks.

As some one said above - it could be your AVCR.

Check that all the clips are attached properly. You have a sensor by the cars boost pressure sensor. The solenoid by the turbo and then there should be 6 wires hooked up to the ECU.

Have you been through the settings and checked them all out?

[skytek]

Yea I've been through all the avcr settings and all is ok. I've tried various configurations but to no avail. I'll take a look at all the connections and wires but my mechanic had a look on saturday and said all seemed ok.

[matt_mr2t]

Does your mechanic know all about AVCR's though?
I left a connector off when I fitted mine and it caused all sorts of odd boosting and lack of power

[MegatronUK]

Does your mechanic know all about AVCR's though?
I left a connector off when I fitted mine and it caused all sorts of odd boosting and lack of power

I agree. Take the AVCR off and see what it's like then with standard boost control.

[skytek]

Thanks, I'll look into that. I'm not sure how hard it is to disconnect these things though. Also, this will revert me back to standard boost and the power drop could make it hard to know what's going on.

[matt_mr2t]

Get yourself a bleed valve then mate.

If you just unlpug the solenoid from between the turbo and the actuator then replace it with a bleed valve that should work. The display unit will still all light up I would think.

[skytek]

Suddenly the car's back to driving like crap again. No power at all now and no enjoyment. So after spending about 500 quid trying to fix this stupid problem I got a joyous 3 days where it was performing at about 75% of how it should and suddenly it's crap again.

I wish I'd never bought this piece of crap!! It cost me £3950 plus a few hundred getting it over to Ireland. What a waste of money.

Not only has the power been gone since shortly after buying it but the suspension is awful, and I mean absolutely awful. It bottoms out all the time and the underside of the car has taken serious knocks and scrapes because of it and it makes clunks and bonks every time you go ove ra slight bump, the speedo reads 15 mph faster than it should, the interior rattles absolutely everywhere, the intercooler moves up and down and creates a lovely metal on metal scraping noise which makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the paintwork still needs alot of work despite me cutting it twice and polishing it regularily.

It's a nightmare. If I ever get everything sorted again I'm going to sell it and be done with mr2s. If I can't get everything sorted, I'll roll it off a damn cliff and take the 4 grand loss as "life experience". Maybe I can recoup a few quid sending the video to "FREEPOST You've Been Framed"

Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions though. It was much appreciated but I've wasted too much of my life on this piece of utter crap and I'm sick to death of it. The mr2 used to be my dream car. Now I can't wait to get away from them. I've had nothing but trouble since my first NA. And so much for buying off respected forum members to ensure you get a good car.



Sorry If I've offended anyone. No harm to any of you guys is intended as you're all a bunch of great chaps.

Rant over.

[matt_mr2t]

Didnt this take a wack up the ass shortly after you bought it?
Could explain any rattling and the intercooler movement.

I know Chris and know he wouldnt sell a lemon on intentionally.

[skytek]

Yea all problems arose before the rear bump mate. The bump didn't change anything. The intercooler was loose before I bought the car. Chris seems like a nice enough chap but it's strange the the problem started so soon after the purchase, considering the engine had just had a full rebuild and should have been well sorted. When I picked the car up and first laid eyes on it I was about to ask if someone was playing a prank on me when I saw the state the pintwork was in. He could have at least washed the car, let alone polish it. However I knew I could sort that out happily enough in the hope that the internals were all 100% as the reason I went to such effort and expense buying the car was because I was told I wouldn't have to worry about anything mechanical going wrong for a long time. So you might imagine my dissappontment to find everything going soggy just 2 weeks into ownership.

This is not a dig at Chris, but just an expression of how pi**ed off at the situation I am. I know he's your mate and maybe he thoght the car was a minter but it clearly was not. 4 grand is alot of money to me and I wish I'd never bought this car but you take your chances and pay your money. That's just the way it goes. I'm just saddened that my belief that buying from trusted forum members would ensure a safe purchase but on both occasions I was ripped off.

The first NA "minter" I bought off a respected forum member needed a new new part shortly after buying the car. The engine. Thanks Dave.

Then I spend 10 months throwing money at it until it is a well sorted car just to sell for a measly £2750 in the hopes of upgrading to a well sorted tubby which then went to crap withint a fortnight.

I estimate it's going to cost me at least another grand (on top of the 500 odd I've spent already) to turn this car into a minter but for what? So I can sell it for about £3800 and yet again lose thousands but remember back to those precious 2 weeks when I actually got enjoyment from driving the car? What's the point? I'm not a charity. I don't buy cars, sort them out and sell them at a huge loss so other people can get good value well running cars.

I'm just so fed up it's unbelievable. I wish I could drive it in somewhere and say "please sort it out and send me the bill" so I can get on with the rest of my busy life but no-one seems to be able to help me on this one. I even spoke to a couple of known expert mr2 specialists in England and none of their suggestions worked.

Sometimes I think about breaking the car and trying to recoup some of the cost through flogging all the bits but I don't have the time or the mechanical expertise to do this myself. If I could find someone who cold sort it I'd be so happy, even if it took another 500 quid to sort the power problem alone.