16 replies to this topic

[minisilverbullet]

After a catastrophic fail on a previous MOT.

Results -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 9.9
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 9.9
HC 100 limit - actual 700
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.69

So Lambda was replaced and a new thermostat was fitted as before the car never really got to temp.

So the car went for its MOT again today. all results where fine, except fast idle, which where up around 3 %.

The car was then taken for a hard drive. then back to the test centre. The CO at fast idle was 1% then it slowly increased to about 2.2%.

Any ideas?

[xrocketengineer]

After a catastrophic fail on a previous MOT.

Results -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 9.9
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 9.9
HC 100 limit - actual 700
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.69

So Lambda was replaced and a new thermostat was fitted as before the car never really got to temp.

So the car went for its MOT again today. all results where fine, except fast idle, which where up around 3 %.

The car was then taken for a hard drive. then back to the test centre. The CO at fast idle was 1% then it slowly increased to about 2.2%.

Any ideas?

I might be wrong, but before going crazy replacing parts, I would disconnect the battery so that the ECU would reset the fueling parameters then go for a good drive. My thinking is that if the Lambda and the thermostat had been questionable for a while, the car has been running with the fueling off. First, resetting the ECU will make it learn the correct fueling settings quicker with the new components. Second, the "good drive" should help with the ECU learning and hopefully clean up any "soot" in the catalytic converter.

Hope that helps,

Ivan

[minisilverbullet]

After a catastrophic fail on a previous MOT.

Results -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 9.9
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 9.9
HC 100 limit - actual 700
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.69

So Lambda was replaced and a new thermostat was fitted as before the car never really got to temp.

So the car went for its MOT again today. all results where fine, except fast idle, which where up around 3 %.

The car was then taken for a hard drive. then back to the test centre. The CO at fast idle was 1% then it slowly increased to about 2.2%.

Any ideas?

I might be wrong, but before going crazy replacing parts, I would disconnect the battery so that the ECU would reset the fueling parameters then go for a good drive. My thinking is that if the Lambda and the thermostat had been questionable for a while, the car has been running with the fueling off. First, resetting the ECU will make it learn the correct fueling settings quicker with the new components. Second, the "good drive" should help with the ECU learning and hopefully clean up any "soot" in the catalytic converter.

Hope that helps,

Ivan

Hi Ivan!

Is it as easy as disconnecting the battery! Does it need to be disconnected for a longer than a specific time!

cheers

Craig

oh like you say - i also thought about and carbon /soot being left behind in the exhaust and cat. I have a 30 day grace period for the mot, so maybe it cleans itself out?!?

Edited by minisilverbullet, 18 July 2011 - 03:54 PM.

[xrocketengineer]

Hi Ivan!

Is it as easy as disconnecting the battery! Does it need to be disconnected for a longer than a specific time!

cheers

Craig

oh like you say - i also thought about and carbon /soot being left behind in the exhaust and cat. I have a 30 day grace period for the mot, so maybe it cleans itself out?!?

Hi Craig,

I would keep the battery disconnected for about a minute. If that does not fix it, maybe the cat converter is bad. But I would wait for input on that from Sprocket.

Ivan

[minisilverbullet]

Having read the previous posts on SPI minis, i cant find a definitive answer on disconnecting the battery and reseting th ECU or at least the adaptive parameters.

I should add that the car is at an english car specialist over here in Sweden. They are excellent, but by not mini or rover experts!

They do for some reason have a rover test book, but seem a bit apprehensive to use it. Anyone know how to reset the ECU using the test book machine?

I read that sprocket mentioned 'reset adaptions' on the rest book. Anyone know how this is done?

[phil242]

Hi,

For me, so wrong values at MOT are more than a ECU reset. I think the second most important value is not read correct by ECU : the MAP pressure. Double check your black pipe connected to the ECU.

Without an accurate pressure value the ECU ask too much to the injector ...

What is the colour of the spark plug ? I bet for dark black ?

Phil

Edited by phil242, 18 July 2011 - 08:40 PM.

[minisilverbullet]

Hi,

For me, so wrong values at MOT are more than a ECU reset. I think the second most important value is not read correct by ECU : the MAP pressure. Double check your black pipe connected to the ECU.

Without an accurate pressure value the ECU ask too much to the injector ...

What is the colour of the spark plug ? I bet for dark black ?

Phil

Hi Phil,

The values stated are for a previous test before a new lambda etc. the only value i have issues with now are CO at fast idle.

I should add all vacuum pipes including fuel trap to map/ECU and fuel trap to manifold have been replaced!

Edited by minisilverbullet, 18 July 2011 - 08:43 PM.

[phil242]

Hi Phil,

The values stated are for a previous test before a new lambda etc. the only value i have issues with now are CO at fast idle.

When you have replaced of the parts, you have maybe touch a little this damn black pipe, and maybe it's near connected again. I have spend 2 days on an SPI who run weird, because of a little fissure on the ECU angle connector, sometime it does a air-leaking sometime not ...

How bad is the CO ?

About the ECU reset, I have test several ECU on my car, never done a sort of procedure like that, all is always working fine.
I doubt that those old ECU have the need of learning something from all the engine captors ...

Phil

[DeanP]

It's a long shot but, is your MAF sensor clean? They sometimes get sooted up and don't work correctly, creating the wrong mix of fuel. Take out and clean with electrical cleaner, don't be rough with it as it has some fine detail that gets easily damaged.

Edited by DeanP, 18 July 2011 - 09:07 PM.

[minisilverbullet]

@Phil teh vacuum pipe you refer too was fitted new from the packet! The CO at idle was between 2 - 3 %

EDIT: that was fast idle! the emissions values were ok at normal idle!

@Dean P - there isn't a MAF sensor on an SPI mini.

Edited by minisilverbullet, 18 July 2011 - 09:20 PM.

[phil242]

I think Dean was speaking of the same sensor than me : the one who check the pressure in the throttle body. It's MAP sensor, not MAF we don't have on Mini.

If at fast idle (means cold engine) the CO is not good, it doesn't look to much strange to me : the lambda sensor isn't yet hot and the value isn't stable enough for the ECU. Means the ECU works by replacing the correct value by 0.8 volt. When he eater of the lambda sensor start doing his effect and the whole engine start to be hot, all is getting better and better and the ECU is then able to give the good pulse to the injector.

Something you can check is the system for the "closed-loop", who divert recycled gas in the box in the left front wings, it helps on cold start.


When you go to the MOT, you should have run your car as in Fast And Furious just before . No problem with cold start & CO .

Phil

Edited by phil242, 18 July 2011 - 09:45 PM.

[minisilverbullet]

I think Dean was speaking of the same sensor than me : the one who check the pressure in the throttle body. It's MAP sensor, not MAF we don't have on Mini.

If at fast idle (means cold engine) the CO is not good, it doesn't look to much strange to me : the lambda sensor isn't yet hot and the value isn't stable enough for the ECU. Means the ECU works by replacing the correct value by 0.8 volt. When he eater of the lambda sensor start doing his effect and the whole engine start to be hot, all is getting better and better and the ECU is then able to give the good pulse to the injector.

Something you can check is the system for the "closed-loop", who divert recycled gas in the box in the left front wings, it helps on cold start.


When you go to the MOT, you should have run your car as in Fast And Furious just before . No problem with cold start & CO .

Phil

Hi again Phil,

The car was driven quite hard before the test. And this improved the CO at fast idle as above.

Some confusion over MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure). its a MAP sensor on the SPI!

Thanks again Craig

[minisilverbullet]

Values from yesterdays MOT -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 0.0
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 0.9
HC 100 limit - actual 010
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.80

[phil242]

Values from yesterdays MOT -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 0.0
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 0.9
HC 100 limit - actual 010
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.80

Hi,

Always too rich ... Lambda at 0.8 means an AFR around 11.8 ! Race engine ..

What I'll do next, is to connect to a Rover Textbook or a Sykes Pickavant tool to see live data from all your sensors.

If you do not do this, you'll start change randomly parts, witch are injection specific & costly, without knowing really were you go ...

Sorry to not have better idea for your problem.

Phil

[RaLF020]

Values from yesterdays MOT -

CO limit - 0.5 - actual 0.0
CO 25000 limit 0.3 - actual 0.9
HC 100 limit - actual 010
Lambda limit 0.95 - 1.09 - actual 0.80

minisilverbullet, did you get to the bottom of this? Your readings above seem to be almost exactly the same as mine for the fast idle, Lambda and HC ok but CO too high. I have replaced all MAP hoses, coolant sensor, O2 sensor and CAT so I'm running out of ideas? Could it be my new CAT is not working at it's best yet or it was too cold when the test was done? Perhaps I'll get the ECU out and clean out the MAP sensor with cotton as suggested.