I'm kind of starting to get a feeling that wiring might become a bit of an issue with this car
Stll having same bad idle/ hypersensitive throttle probs. Did a Nano Instruments run but had to curtail when Nano threw a panic message saying coolant temp was over 100c! Switched off and checked cooling system at all accessible points with IR thermometer- nothing higher than the expected 88 or so. This car is SO fighty!
Had a thought (just the one), when pondering the multiplicity of problems I'm having with the sensors and electronics all of a sudden on this expletive deleted car. (LPG not included- that's another issue)
One thing they all have in common is connector C0636 on the engine ECU. I've put the pics of items that are driven/ drive through that connector at the end of this ramble.
Anyhow, when I bought the car, it was withdrawn from sale cos the guy couldn't start it. When he got round to getting the AA/ RAC whoever to his place to get it going, the tech eventually diagnosed bad engine ECU connections and gave them a squirt of something, and the car started and ran, and got through an MOT.
I'm now wondering if the bad ECU connector is manifesting itself again. Now that would be an easy thing to check except I can't disconnect the battery on the car as I have none of the codes (EKA etc) to get the thing going again if I disable it. Pulling the ECU plugs without disconnecting the battery is a no no according to RAVE and you have to pull them all sequentially.
Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and put the original BECM/ ECU/ Ignition lock/ Door Handle/ new door latch/ RF receiver back in now, with fingers crossed that I can re-sync everything with the Nano, clean the ECU connectors to within an inch of their lives and everything will be magically fixed.
I've only got 6 days left to get this thing running, even if only on petrol, before the blue one is out of tax.
Thoughts?
Pics of connector functions follow:
If you're thinking of swapping the BECM and ECU, you'll end up disconnecting the battery (or removing power from them at least by unplugging them), so why not just disconnect the battery now and give cleaning the plugs a go...?
Vehicle unlocked, disconnect battery. Check plugs, reconnect battery, all should be well, at least with regards to EKA etc.
When mine misbehaved, I didn't have the EKA code. I simply rang my local dealer with the VIN number and they gave me the EKA code.
That'd work Shep- for the original EKA code (which I have) for the original electronics that I'm seriously considering swapping in. Won't work for the mystery set that the PO threw in to solve a problem he had at the time and which I'm running on at the moment. Thanks for the idea though.
OldShep56 wrote:
When mine misbehaved, I didn't have the EKA code. I simply rang my local dealer with the VIN number and they gave me the EKA code.
Gives me an idea Sloth- I could just disconnect battery, pull old "unknown" ECU, clean plugs thoroughly. Put in original (has VIN from car from factory on it) ECU, then pick up immob or rather sync code from non original BECM with Nano (probably first before disconnecting battery) and enter it into the replacement ECU.
I think that's how you sync BECM and engine ECU on a Motronic using Nano isn't it? New to all this Thor stuff and the way it presents on Nano!
Can then do BECM, locksets etc at a more convenient time.
Sloth wrote:
If you're thinking of swapping the BECM and ECU, you'll end up disconnecting the battery (or removing power from them at least by unplugging them), so why not just disconnect the battery now and give cleaning the plugs a go...?>
Vehicle unlocked, disconnect battery. Check plugs, reconnect battery, all should be well, at least with regards to EKA etc.
You could - I suppose if the connections look clean on the loom side, once its back together in the ECU box, that's one less thing to change later.
Syncing the Thor ECU to the BECM requires checking the code on one side, and then coding/writing it into the other. I can't remember which way around it is though - I think you have to read it form the ECU, and then write it to the BECM. The learning function doesn't work like the GEMS (or at least, back when mine lost sync, it didn't, I have since updated my nanocom though so...)
When we did Marty's engine, he had the ECU off without disconnecting any power first - and if the ignition is off, the power to it should be disconnected anyway. But disconnecting the battery with the car unlocked (unlock and open a door, just to be sure it doesn't try to do that auto-relock thing if you walk away without opening magic) shouldn't cause any problems.
I think that's the way to go. Just have to be certain I know the order of the re-sync first!
I'll start another thread on the best way to clean connectors on the Electrickery thread. Normally I'd just hit them with my fave spray- WD40 Specialist Electrical Contact Cleaner, let it dry and that would be it, but I'd like to do something more physical as well to be sure.
I think I have been lucky then. When I installed my LPG I disconnected all connectors of the ECM, cleaned them, soldered a wire to conn. C0638 (rev counter) and conn. C0635 (O2 sensors) without disconnecting the battery ... oops.
I do have a tendency to overthink things sometimes Tony. Most people measure twice, cut once. I measure 4 times, then cut!
I've unplugged the bosch ECU without disconnecting the battery as Sloth says. No I'll effects, just got home from 230 miles in the last 2 days... so I don't think it fucked the ECU up.
Sync.. read from Motronic ecu, program into BECM on last page of Alarm settings, not forgetting to hit 'write settings' on the main page.
If you are worried about/want EKA of current BECM, go into the bottom settings page (can't remember off top of my head exactly what it's called) and scroll across to page where it says VIN... read numbers and they're the last 6 digits of the VIN that becm is from. Call land rover, explain it has replacement becm, and see if they can pull up the EKA for that particular vehicle.
I really doubt you will have any problem as long as it's unlocked/disarmed when the power is taken off.
Thanks guys.
Marty- have you got all of the bugs worked out on the new engine now?
Uh Oh- I sense strange things may be happening. Plugged in Nano for a last check through BECM/ ECU data (ign off first for BECM) and immediately got a beep from message panel- Market Not Set.
On looking through BECM on Nano, sure enough, all options settings had defaulted (not to French though!) and I was able to reset options to obvious ones- GEMS to Motronic, that sort of thing and save.
Read and noted VIN data etc as per Marty's suggestion above.
BTW battery has been on a maintainer so battery hasn't gone flat at any time, nor have I disconnected, but that's just about to change as ECU comes out...
Onwards- old ECU out, connectors cleaned thoroughly. New (original) ECU contacts cleaned. Heading back to W/S to reassemble, fit new TPS, sync BECM/ ECU reset adaptives and see what happens...
Hah! It works! On petrol anyway. Have done a full Nano explore and recordings to play with when I get home. No faults found- at all- except HEVAC distribution short to earth :)
Big smile. Now to put last few bits on and get into LPG system.
Might even drive it once I've done leak checks etc, but have LPG wiring hanging everywhere, so probably not just yet!
After 8 pages, thank f*ck for that......
LOL
Being on my own in the workshop with only a computer for company all day, this is the only thing that comes close to a conversation with anyone who understands what I'm talking about!
Plenty more stuff to write about yet :)
I must admit, I thought things must be going reasonably well today as the posts had got less. That suggested you were getting on with it rather than avoiding it and posting on here instead.
I've just got a day of working from home so I'm switching between this laptop and the works one where I'm halfway through writing a particularly boring H&S paper......