I give up

[redmaestro]

Tonight was the final straw!

For those who haven't read my previous threads - my 2L Efi has been playing up for some time. When the engine is revving or trying to pull away, the engine will randomly loss power then regain it. This can happen several times before the engine suddenly picks up the power again.

At 00:30 this morning, my girlfriend and I finished work. We got to the car, and it was frozen up. After de-icing the car, I started her up to start the journey home. She started right away!! Then my troubles started: For the whole journey (about 10 miles), the car would not rev over 2000rpm. To drive to my girlfriends house, I had to carefully go through the gears, dipping the clutch to try and control the juddering caused by the engine. Doing 35/40mph on a 60mph road is frustrating!!!. Anyways, got to hers ok and dropped her off. For the journey to my house, after a few hiccups it never missed a beat!

Please please help me - I am so close to getting rid of it. I have tried so many things and I'm starting to lose my patience with it.

Thanks
Redm
PS - what a way to write my 100th post :banghead:

[MG MAL]

My Black 91 efi did the same thing just before the ecu went down.

see if there is any one near you who has a spare ecu (under bonnet one) that they can lend you to try.

if improvement is obvious with another ecu, then thats you cause.

mal.

[fatboy.01]

have you tried changing the fuel your getting the same sort of faults as im getting at work with the silicone fuel try running it out of a fuel can see if that makes any difference there must be some one up yourway with a ecu you could try even a ecu from breakers would be worth a go

[redmaestro]

Thanks for the replies - I dont know anyone who will have a spare ECU. I guess I can give my local breakers a ring tho..... . I use Shell V-Power and live up in North Wales, so I know we haven't had a problem with bad petrol.

[SimonR]

What's the part number of your current ECU?

I'm clearing out my shed because I'm moving house this weekend and know that I have a 2.0L one somewhere. If it's the same you can have it.

SR.

[redmaestro]

What's the part number of your current ECU?

I'm clearing out my shed because I'm moving house this weekend and know that I have a 2.0L one somewhere. If it's the same you can have it.

SR.

Thanks for the offer - I might take you up on that. Just let me know how much you want for it & p+p :-).

I had to re-edit this post because I had quoted the ignition unit, not the actual ECU. Part number is 84399 (Lucas 11CU Control Unit). It was found under the glovebox, under the floor carpet

Cheers

PS If you wanna email me - redmaestro@hotmail.com

[e692wtt]

The Ignition ECU is under the bonnet, the Fuel ECU is under the carpet behind the glovebox.

Mal's suggesting the car's Ignition ECU may be 'on its way out' - I guess this is what you are calling an Ignition Unit? It's between the battery and suspension turret on the nearside of the engine bay. Try disconnecting its connector and reconnecting it...

[redmaestro]

Now I have have found the two - I have confused myself!! The fuel ecu is under the glovebox and ignition is under the bonnet?

So am I right in saying it's the ignition I should look at first? Would this account for the juddering?

I have spent the day ringing around breakers but no-one has one.

[SimonR]

Now I have have found the two - I have confused myself!! The fuel ecu is under the glovebox and ignition is under the bonnet?

So am I right in saying it's the ignition I should look at first? Would this account for the juddering?

I have spent the day ringing around breakers but no-one has one.

Correct it's the ignition one that could be causing you the problem - the one you gave me the par number for earlier, black box behind the battery.

I had assumed that you'd looked at the http://www.maestro.org.uk/spares/club's online database - apparently not! There's a new, boxed one available to club members.

That may well be the answer.

Cheers!

Simon R.

[redmaestro]

...I had assumed that you'd looked at the http://www.maestro.org.uk/spares/club's online database - apparently not! There's a new, boxed one available to club members....

Ahemm, erm...... no, i didnt think about that ;)
I've just looked, and posted a request.....

[G Force]

Hi sorry to hear you still have not got to the bottom of this yet. I have seen some problems with ecu's playing up in extreme temperature situations also same goes for crank sensors, so if you can get hold of an ignition ecu it is well worth a try ADU 9336. If you find it doesn't cure it, don't dispair just give us a recap of the things you have tried so far, and lets try again to sort it.

Gary:)

[G51 NAV]

It certainly does sound like the ignition ECU. The one on my EFi went the same way and at about the same time of year

[dazwolny]

hi to all to help with your problems i have both the ecu and the black box under the bonett from a d reg efi 20l let me no if you need them as iam only interested in maestro turbos so they no good to me

[redmaestro]

hi to all to help with your problems i have both the ecu and the black box under the bonett from a d reg efi 20l let me no if you need them as iam only interested in maestro turbos so they no good to me
That would be great!!! I have just PM'ed you.

[BikerGran]

It certainly does sound like the ignition ECU. The one on my EFi went the same way and at about the same time of year

Just searching through old threads cos I have a loss of power problem - it's intermittent, in fact I'd say it's occasional but the occasions are becoming more frequent - and it's that time of year (what on earth can that have to do with it?)

The loss of power seems to happen when pulling away after lifting my foot - but I can't replicate it to order. Getting bit scary cos it happened the other morning as I pulled out onto a roundabout!

Reckon this is an ECU problem?

She's not starting very well either - could this be connected?

I'll try disconnecting the plug and having a cleanup but I rather doubt that's the problem as it's held in place with a cable tie.

[G Force]

The loss of power seems to happen when pulling away after lifting my foot - but I can't replicate it to order. Getting bit scary cos it happened the other morning as I pulled out onto a roundabout!
.

Just a quick question for you, are the wires still connected to the orfco valve on the carburettor? When the orfco valve sticks open intermittantly the loss of power is nearly always noticable after the engine has been on overrun such as after pulling up at a junction or after slowing for a roundabout. If you try to start the engine from cold when the valve is stuck open often the engine takes a lot more cranking and cuts out a few times before it warms up.

Check also the crank sensor wires are not broken at the sensor harness plug or the pins pulled out of the plug, because the harness is pulled tighter on the auto versions.

[redmaestro]

........, are the wires still connected to the orfco valve on the carburettor? .......

I rarely get loss of power now, but the auto-choke revs and falls on its own as the engine warms up. This makes no difference to performance tho. Not sure what this 'orfco' valve is. Is this easy to get to? Can you service it or replace it?

[BikerGran]

If you try to start the engine from cold when the valve is stuck open often the engine takes a lot more cranking and cuts out a few times before it warms up. That sounds very much like the problem!

Check also the crank sensor wires are not broken at the sensor harness plug or the pins pulled out of the plug, because the harness is pulled tighter on the auto versions.

Erm, where be they then? :confused:

[G Force]

I rarely get loss of power now, but the auto-choke revs and falls on its own as the engine warms up. This makes no difference to performance tho. Not sure what this 'orfco' valve is. Is this easy to get to? Can you service it or replace it?

Sorry redmaestro I was refering to biker grans prob. Your car is fuel injection so the orfco valve is not fitted

[G Force]

Erm, where be they then? :confused:

Front of auto gearbox they are close to the engine mounting that bolts to the engine / gearbox and front panel under raditiator.

[G51 NAV]

I rarely get loss of power now, but the auto-choke revs and falls on its own as the engine warms up. This makes no difference to performance tho. Not sure what this 'orfco' valve is. Is this easy to get to? Can you service it or replace it?
As Gary has said, your MG EFi doesn't have an ORFCO valve. Neither does it have a choke, as such: the ECUs are programmed to give enrichment when the engine is cold, which is not quite the same thing but I guess amounts to the same net result but in a far more exact and controlled manner. The symptoms you now describe were 'common as muck' on the old MG BBS 8/9 years ago when MG EFis were commonplace. Every newby would join to ask what always seemed to be the very same question :laugh: The cause and solution were nearly always the exact same thing: built-up crud in the throttle-housing and pipework leading to and from it, almost universally solved by flushing everything out with carb-cleaner.

[redmaestro]

.....the cause and solution were nearly always the exact same thing: built-up crud in the throttle-housing and pipework leading to and from it, almost universally solved by flushing everything out with carb-cleaner.

Hi G51, thanks for that! I'm glad its not just my car that does it. As a bit of a novice when it comes to these things - exactly what do I need to carb-clean? I replaced the air filter the other week while I was curing my ignition problem, and I sprayed cleaner into the air intake, took off the air pipe (inbetween the throttle housing and filter housing) and sprayed directly into the throttle housing. It didnt make much difference, it cleaned some muck in there but the revs still rise and fall when at idle until it settles. Which pipes should I look at next?

I'm going to nail this eventually!!

[Russ]

Have a look at the thread efi flat spot,I had a simmilar problem which turned out to be a blocked fuel pick up pipe in the tank

Russ

[G51 NAV]

Hi G51, thanks for that! I'm glad its not just my car that does it. As a bit of a novice when it comes to these things - exactly what do I need to carb-clean? Everything...unscrew the stepper-motor and clean out in there. Whip as many pipes off as you can (no need to do the cooling pipes lol) and make sure everything's all degunked. Russ I don't think it's the fuel pick up pipe: his car is kind of running fine now, except for idling high on first startup, which with mine and other cars was always down to gunked throttle-housing and assocoated pipework.