V12 ECU

Talk about the E-Type Series 3
User avatar

MLBS3V12
Posts: 471
Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 6:57 pm
Location: France
France

#61 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MLBS3V12 » Sat May 09, 2020 9:52 am

Philip
With the fact that nothing seems to happen with the vacuum applied manally, I'm looking now for a new Marelli ignition ECU.
Hope to find one soon.
Le chemin sera long!...

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


MarekH
Posts: 1565
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:30 pm
Location: Surrey
Great Britain

#62 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MarekH » Sat May 09, 2020 12:19 pm

Dear Michel,

The reason Philip wanted to know whether the injectors were clicking was to ascertain whether they were simply being held fully open all of the time. This can happen if there is a short in the wiring or if the ECU commands a very long opening time. The very long opening time is called for either if the load is very high (e.g. throttle wide open - electrical signal from throttle pot) or if the pressure sensor inside the ECU sees no vacuum at all (e.g. throttle wide open - vacuum signal from manifold) or if the ECU thinks the engine is cold.

The full load vacuum switch is not the most important component here and not important in my opinion. You can disconnect it and mimic its working by either leaving it open circuit (disconnected), or closed (by joining the two wires which go to it). As you know it simply adds 15% fuel if it is "on".

More interesting is that there needs to be a variation in the output of the manifold air pressure sensor sitting inside the ECU proportional to the vacuum applied to it.

If no vacuum is applied to it, the ECU thinks the throttle must be wide open, i.e. the air pressure in the manifold equals outside air pressure.

You can stick a meter across the relevant electrical contacts of the ECU's barometric sensor and verify that it does do something as you vary the vacuum. By this I mean does the electrical resistance vary with pressure (do this with no voltage applied - just measure the pins on your workbench). If it does appear to work and you have no change in your fueling, then you should look for a dry joint in the ECU that stops the signal from getting any further in the ECU. If there is no resistance change across any of the pins as you vary the pressure, then that sensor is probably bad and a new one needs to be swapped in. (For example, if the sensor casing is cracked or broken then it probably doesn't hold vacuum and so always thinks it is at full throttle.)

As Philip said, the main coolant sensor, if bad or accidentally replaced with a non correct but similar sensor, can fool the ECU into thinking it is colder than it really is and if this is your problem, then there are workarounds. It is not obvious to me that you have the correct coolant sensor for the Marelli ECU. (I have seen this done once before when a very experienced etype guy fitted a new coolant sensor (the correct sensor!) but to an ECU which had been remapped while the old coolant sensor was fitted. The ECU always overfueled exactly with the same symptoms you have.)

Firstly, check the ECU coolant sensor resistance is high when it is cold - it'll likely be well over 5000ohms. It will also likely be only 200ohms or so when hot and maybe about 2000ohms at 20'c. Those are just guesses, but if that information doesn't come through the loom to the ECU, then the ECU will always think it is very cold and always overfuel.

You can mimic this sensor's resistance by simply using a variable resistor pot instead in its place (for testing purposes only). You should be able to change the fueling to be lower by fooling the ECU that the engine is hotter than the original sensor thought it was. Another way of doing that is to put another second resistor in parallel with the ECU coolant sensor to mimic a cooler temperature.

Depending on how these tests work out should give you an idea of whether you are looking at an electric fault or a physical fault with the pressure sensor in the ECU.

(The other coolant sensors do different things and ought to be wired into different locations. Roger Bywater's website shows the ECU connector pin numbers.)

kind regards
Marek

EDIT:- when testing the air pressure sensor in the ECU, make sure the full load vacuum switch is not part of your circuit and that you are testing only the sensor in the ECU. Also if the hoses are split or cracked, then off course it will think it is 100% air pressure and no vacuum, so eliminate those from your test.

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

jagwit
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:52 am
Location: George
South Africa

#63 Re: V12 ECU

Post by jagwit » Sun May 10, 2020 8:50 am

MLBS3V12 wrote:
Sat May 09, 2020 9:52 am
I'm looking now for a new Marelli ignition ECU.
Why? I have not seen anything you wrote to suggest the Marelli ignition ECU is faulty. Perhaps you meant "an EFI ECU for a Marelli car"?

Thanks for your input Marek!! I did not know that the pressure sensor output on the Jag ECU is resistive (like an oil pressure sensor). I only know the active MAP sensor used in MS which has a voltage output. Learnt something new :-)
Best Regards
Philip
Jag: 72 S3 XKE, 74 S3 XKE OTS, 80 XJS (Megasquirt + 5sp manual O/D)
Jensen: 74 Interceptor (EFI by Megasquirt + O/D 4sp auto)
Chev: 59 Apache std, 70 C10 (350V8, 700R4)

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


MarekH
Posts: 1565
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:30 pm
Location: Surrey
Great Britain

#64 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MarekH » Sun May 10, 2020 9:31 am

I don't know whether it is resistive either, but I am suggesting that there ought to be a variation measurable with change in air pressure. Firstly I'd try to do that in a non-invasive way, via checking resistance on an unpowered unit, then if that is not conclusive, I might go on and try to measure the outputs of the baro sensor versus ground when the ECU is powered up, since it ought to be able to trace where at least some of the tracks it connects to.

If the baro sensor does respond linearly to pressure, but the ECU output doesn't, then it is very unlikely that one one the pcb tracks is broken, but it is quite possible that a dry joint stops the information from either going in or coming out of the ECU somewhere.

Either way, I think Michel wants to work out whether he has an electrical fault or a physical fault. The ECU obviously works, but not the way it is expected to.

If the car can be made to run on a cold engine with its current "bad" input, it can then be fooled into thinking it is hotter than it is and made to run better by making the coolant sensor input reflect a different (hotter) temperature.

From experience, the most likely list of electrical faults are first in moving parts, then connectors, then harness and finally the sensors. The harness may be higher up that list, as it has been moved about and changed.

If Michel has a track pump for his bicycle, then he can pressurise the MAP sensor line to a modest pressure, e.g. 1.25 bar and see whether it holds pressure. If it holds pressure, it should hold vacuum.

kind regards
Marek

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

MLBS3V12
Posts: 471
Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 6:57 pm
Location: France
France

#65 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MLBS3V12 » Sun May 10, 2020 7:13 pm

Hi Marek and Philip,
I thank you so much for your deep explanation. It is always helpfull to get information from you. You both have a serious experience on the V12.

For weeks, I was cleary turning around. I've verified all 2 or maybe 3 times, the wiring harness, all the connections, all the modifications I've done on the wires as I've reduced or extended some of them, the coolant sensors the air sensor have been checked too.
Lately, because of your remarks I've looked to the Map sensor and the vacuum hoses. All seemed to be ok. Yes the Map sensor from the Ignition ECU Ignition because Philip, there is one into........ But not the one from the EFI ECU!!!! :banghead: :banghead: I just simply do not connect a hose from the manifold to the EFI ECU!!!
I've looked again the doc I have particularly on the "Marelli" engine. It is cleary shown the tube to be connected to the ignition ECU. Nothing about the EFI one. This is normal because this doc talk about the Marelli, not the EFI..... :doh:
I do also have the spare parts catalogue from the XJS. The ignition EFI is shown with the small tube to be connected to. Not the EFI !!!
I' m sorry guys :shrug:
I'll test a tube connected to the EFI tomorrow and post the result. I need first to clean one again the plugs
Le chemin sera long!...

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

jagwit
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:52 am
Location: George
South Africa

#66 Re: V12 ECU

Post by jagwit » Sun May 10, 2020 7:28 pm

:wow:

:bouncyyellow:

:lol:

:drinkingcheers:

:swerve:

Its always good to find the "smoking gun" or, in this case...... the missing pipe.
Best Regards
Philip
Jag: 72 S3 XKE, 74 S3 XKE OTS, 80 XJS (Megasquirt + 5sp manual O/D)
Jensen: 74 Interceptor (EFI by Megasquirt + O/D 4sp auto)
Chev: 59 Apache std, 70 C10 (350V8, 700R4)

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

MLBS3V12
Posts: 471
Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 6:57 pm
Location: France
France

#67 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MLBS3V12 » Mon May 11, 2020 5:06 pm

The engine runs now fine, smouthly, very regularly on all the 12 ctlinders without exess fume compare to last week. great!
I fine that the AAV I ve restaured using a bulb which works @85°c is a bit long to allow the engine to comes to idle. I will find another one.
I ve another topic to work on: the 2 fans do not work....
Le chemin sera long!...

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

jagwit
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:52 am
Location: George
South Africa

#68 Re: V12 ECU

Post by jagwit » Mon May 11, 2020 7:45 pm

Excellent news!

Congratulations Michel!
Best Regards
Philip
Jag: 72 S3 XKE, 74 S3 XKE OTS, 80 XJS (Megasquirt + 5sp manual O/D)
Jensen: 74 Interceptor (EFI by Megasquirt + O/D 4sp auto)
Chev: 59 Apache std, 70 C10 (350V8, 700R4)

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


MarekH
Posts: 1565
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:30 pm
Location: Surrey
Great Britain

#69 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MarekH » Mon May 11, 2020 8:08 pm

All's well that ends well.

There ought to be plenty of threads about Otter switches, the fan relay, the wiring (including the fuse above the battery) and about the fans themselves, so checking them off systematically should be no problem.

kind regards
Marek

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

MLBS3V12
Posts: 471
Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 6:57 pm
Location: France
France

#70 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MLBS3V12 » Wed May 13, 2020 8:51 am

Not one but 2 problems on the fans. Bad contact into the connector from the Otter switch and a grilled ground cable connected to the relay.

Yesterday afternoon I ve done ~1km on the road. All sounds good. A few meters on the 5th.





Next step is the bonnet replaced anr the interior.
:hammerdrill:
:thankyouyellow:
Last edited by MLBS3V12 on Wed May 13, 2020 4:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Le chemin sera long!...

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


MarekH
Posts: 1565
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:30 pm
Location: Surrey
Great Britain

#71 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MarekH » Wed May 13, 2020 9:19 am

Le chemin est claire maintenant - at long last!

kind regards
Marek

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


Chrispy
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 02, 2022 3:03 am
Great Britain

#72 Re: V12 ECU

Post by Chrispy » Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:43 pm

Fspp369 wrote:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:57 pm
Thanks all.
I quite like the idea of using a bulkhead plug but that creates another break in the chain, which whilst making life easier has its downside.
Can we still get new ECU plugs from anywhere? It’s still my gold standard.
Because I’ve changed my seats to modified XjS type I do have a reasonable space under the seats to put the ECU so that’s most likely the site for it. In the passenger footwell gives me the worry that the usable space is then a but small, especially if I’m the passenger with my size 12’s kicking 3 bells out of the thing!?

I’m going to have to get a defunct ECU and loom and try and desolder/re-solder the pins, to practice on.
hi late in on this thread But is the XJS eco and ignition harness seperate to the rest of the car?

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

User avatar

lowact
Posts: 618
Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2017 10:05 am
Location: Canberra, Australia
Contact:
Australia

#73 Re: V12 ECU

Post by lowact » Sun Jun 19, 2022 9:53 am

For XJ12 S3 it's seperate, I guess XJS the same.
Regards,
ColinL
'72 OTS manual V12

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links


MarekH
Posts: 1565
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:30 pm
Location: Surrey
Great Britain

#74 Re: V12 ECU

Post by MarekH » Sun Jun 19, 2022 11:44 am

The fuel injected v12 was in production for almost twenty years so there are a lot of variations in harnesses as there were five different ECUs in that time. Removing the ECU harness from an XJS will be almost impossible as electrical harnesses are the first part to be put into the car and everything else is then built around them. With the XJS, you will struggle to get the harness past the very slim gap in the flying buttress on the right hand side of the car.

kind regards
Marek

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
Hide post links
Show post links

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic