I’m experiencing some very strange problems with my engine at the moment and hoping someone could help me figure it out. The engine is basically a standard RF40 setup ie 5.0w engine with a Motec M800 and all electronic setup (with coil packs etc).
The symptoms are…
1) The car will start and run OK while it is cold (or mildly warm)
2) Once the engine temperature rises it just cuts out under throttle
3) The cut out is total and with no warning, although if the engine is cool enough, it will come back to life if I lift off the throttle.
4) As the engine temperature rises, less and less throttle is required to cause it to cut out
5) At its (almost) worst, it will idle smoothly but ANY throttle will cause it to cut out.
6) At its absolute worst it will always give one burst of life during startup and then immediately die (regardless of throttle position).
7) Allowing the engine to cool a little will allow it to start and idle.
8) Allowing it to cool totally will allow it to again run perfectly until the engine warms up again, and the whole cycle begins again.
I have connected the ECU to the Motec diagnostic/tuning software and confirmed that the temp sensors and TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) are OK. The RefLo and SyncLo show an error while the engine is idling, but the Synced status shows OK suggesting the RefLo and SyncLo voltage levels are good enough. All the above symptoms are repeatable having tried the whole cycle three times to date (the last time with the Motec diagnostics attached).
Also, When the engine finally dies, many errors are reported, but that’s probably an effect rather than a cause (maybe). The strangest error though is Revs Too High.
Incidentally, I can hear the fuel pump still running after the engine cuts out.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that the throttle bodies were sprayed with a carburetor cleaner shortly before the problem arose, some of which ended up on the TPS and Ref sensor. Can’t see any real association myself, but there it is.
Any ideas anyone?
The symptoms are…
1) The car will start and run OK while it is cold (or mildly warm)
2) Once the engine temperature rises it just cuts out under throttle
3) The cut out is total and with no warning, although if the engine is cool enough, it will come back to life if I lift off the throttle.
4) As the engine temperature rises, less and less throttle is required to cause it to cut out
5) At its (almost) worst, it will idle smoothly but ANY throttle will cause it to cut out.
6) At its absolute worst it will always give one burst of life during startup and then immediately die (regardless of throttle position).
7) Allowing the engine to cool a little will allow it to start and idle.
8) Allowing it to cool totally will allow it to again run perfectly until the engine warms up again, and the whole cycle begins again.
I have connected the ECU to the Motec diagnostic/tuning software and confirmed that the temp sensors and TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) are OK. The RefLo and SyncLo show an error while the engine is idling, but the Synced status shows OK suggesting the RefLo and SyncLo voltage levels are good enough. All the above symptoms are repeatable having tried the whole cycle three times to date (the last time with the Motec diagnostics attached).
Also, When the engine finally dies, many errors are reported, but that’s probably an effect rather than a cause (maybe). The strangest error though is Revs Too High.
Incidentally, I can hear the fuel pump still running after the engine cuts out.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that the throttle bodies were sprayed with a carburetor cleaner shortly before the problem arose, some of which ended up on the TPS and Ref sensor. Can’t see any real association myself, but there it is.
Any ideas anyone?
