Microtech won't fire one cylinder...

[--Redwork--]

Have a microtech on my 4a... Running a x4 box and multi coils....

Problem is it won't fire number 1.

I've tried everything..
ECU has been back to Microtech tested and returned apparently OK..
Have tried 2 differnt ignition boxes, different coils.. swapping out puts from the ECU to x4..
Have tested every wire in the ignition system...

For some reason either the ECU is not recieving a signal to fire number one, or it's not sending it.,..

Its driving me crazy trying to pin point the problem...
Has anyone every had this problem or know anything I could do to try and locate the cause...
Any help would be awsome..

[FAST EDDIE]

x4 box last time i had that problem, then it went down to wiring on coils then a crack in the bosch coil, fixed all of these issues and it wirked correctly, maybe earth on x4 box? id say x4 box and if it doesnt fix it maybe ecu wiring has an issue that is mashing x4 boxes?

[--Redwork--]

Ive tested the wiring on the coils..
All getting voltage and all trigger wires test up ok..
Have tried literally everything I can think of....

For some reason it just doesn't seem to be triggering that 1 coil to fire...
I would like to be able to test some how if the signal is bein sent from the ecu or not. But have no idea how to go about it...
Will be ringing the shop tomorow.. doubt they can help me though.. Will also try microtech tech support but theire a pain in the arse to get hold of..

[FAST EDDIE]

read the manual there is a test on the ecu that u can turn on which fires everything on and off, then test the trigger out of the x4?

[s14seriesII]

led type test light to check for signals to and from ecu and igniter

ignition outputs are normally negativly switched, so hook up led test lamp clip to positve terminal and start checking for a switching earth when the engine is cranked over or running ( get a 25-30$ neg and pos sensing led test light from bursons to do this easiest)

[--Redwork--]

I'm fairly certain the signal is just not being sent from the ecu...
Everything else tests up fine.. all the wires from the ecu to x4 tested good... from the x4 to the coils is good... coils are all good cause i've swapped which one the signal was goin to...didn't make a differnce...

Basically.. the only thing I can possably think of is that the ecu is just not GETTING the signal from the dissy... But I'm at a loss to understand how this could happen if its firing the other 3 cylinders and getting a homing signal from the other sensor in the dissy... I even went to the trouble of using the other homing sensor in the dissy (as theres 2) to see if that would help, but alas still the problem pursists.

Its driving me mental... Just painted my car.. Looks sweets as, but now I can't drive the freakin thing..

[s14seriesII]

its kinda imposible to be missing just one cylinder from the pickup as its a 24 tooth wheel and the ecu would be flashing errors and possibly after every revolution the ecu would fire the cylinders 90 degrees out (engine degrees not crankshaft for the noobs out there) so i dont think that is possible

so have you got injection pulse on that cylinder ? (are you running sequential injection?)

maybe the ignitor has a channel burnt out ? try swapping the input and output channels around and see if it changes cylinder or stays the same

could be a wiring issue are you testing the wires under load or just with a multimeter when everything is under no load ?
it could have continuity but not good enough connection for current draw

[Golberg]

A possibility is that you have a wiring fault which is resulting in new components being killed as soon as you put them in. Say for instance your igniter isn't wired correctly its possible that if there is a wiring issue then as soon as you put the second in it was fried too. As such changing other things may have fixed the issue, but the newer components are already damaged.

What I would recommend doing is to strip your harness completely and check everything.

[--Redwork--]

Yeah I thought it was the ignition driver in the ecu to start with. So I did swap outputs inputs and it just moved the problem... So I sent the ecu back...

I didn't test under load.... I'm not that experianced in auto electrics to know how thats done... Everything tests up fine though for continuity with a multi meter....

It is true that I could have fried something... But I sent the ECU back and they said there was nothing wrong with it... And the x4 module is fine too. Because I change the signal inputs to it (4 in and 4 out ) and it moved cylinders. so it can't be that...
And I have tested and inspected everything on the ignition side of the car...

And as you stated about the dissy... that was my thoughts aswell.. how can it only fire 3 cylinders but still run.


Like I said earlier guys... I've tried everything I can think of.. still no luck.... Am gettin sick of lookin at it.

And golberg why would I strip my entire harness.?
Every other system works fine... its just this strange ignition issue. And all the wiring for the ignition side of it I have allready expossed and tested..
Every fault I can think of would result in lossing spark completely or for it to loss spark on random cylinders.. not the same one ALL the time..

[Javal]

I'm fairly certain the signal is just not being sent from the ecu...
Everything else tests up fine.. all the wires from the ecu to x4 tested good... from the x4 to the coils is good... coils are all good cause i've swapped which one the signal was goin to...didn't make a differnce...

Basically.. the only thing I can possably think of is that the ecu is just not GETTING the signal from the dissy... But I'm at a loss to understand how this could happen if its firing the other 3 cylinders and getting a homing signal from the other sensor in the dissy... I even went to the trouble of using the other homing sensor in the dissy (as theres 2) to see if that would help, but alas still the problem pursists.

Its driving me mental... Just painted my car.. Looks sweets as, but now I can't drive the freakin thing..

You're going to need to do some real auto electrical diagnosis son, refer below.


its kinda imposible to be missing just one cylinder from the pickup as its a 24 tooth wheel and the ecu would be flashing errors and possibly after every revolution the ecu would fire the cylinders 90 degrees out (engine degrees not crankshaft for the noobs out there) so i dont think that is possible

so have you got injection pulse on that cylinder ? (are you running sequential injection?)

maybe the ignitor has a channel burnt out ? try swapping the input and output channels around and see if it changes cylinder or stays the same

could be a wiring issue are you testing the wires under load or just with a multimeter when everything is under no load ?
it could have continuity but not good enough connection for current draw

Let's all ignore the misinformation in the above post. It is VERY possible for you to have only one cyl misfiring. The mere suggestion of the 'cyl firing going 90deg out per revolution' suggests you shouldn't be posting in this thread.

Suggesting to check injection pulse is a good thing to do, however as he has told us his problem IS ignition related, it's not required to test such a thing at this point.

What I would be doing -

You'll need an LED type testlight and a Multi meter

Test all wires for continuity AND resistance with the multimeter (checking wires under load? dude is cooked) as perhaps one of the wires to your problem plagued coil has an intermittent break? even though it will show to be a complete circuit, so little current may be passing through it, it won't be enough to collapse the field in the coil.

THEN use the LED test light to check all control circuit wiring (i.e. coil trigger wiring from the ECU and the X4. Turn the motor over by hand to make sure they're firing at the right time too. You could have it programmed wrong. (i.e. set up for waste spark on incorrect cylinders or some shit)

THEN call an auto elec.


Regards,

Javal.

[--Redwork--]

Asked the guys at the shop and they had no idea...

Suggested a few things.. basically none of which. made any sence...

When I first put the Microtech on my car it would only fire no. one intermittently... But would run reasonably fine... drive around like this for nearly a month...
Then fitted cams to the car and it sat for about a week...
Then when I went to get it running again it had lost all spark on number one...

Nothing on the car was toched other than fitting the cams...
I didn't even remove the Dissy. just lifted the old ones out and fitted the new ones..

And I understand that a wire could be broken but still reading ok...
Thing is, i swapped the out puts from the ecu to the ignition module so that the ignition module would then send the signal down a different wire and it didn't help at all...
SO module to coils has to be ok, as the signal has been sent down different wires and the problem just moves.
The guys at the shop suggested that maybe the ecu is set to read the wrong number of teeth on the trigger. So that it reads home then starts counting but gets back to home befor its had a chance to go through all of the cylinders.. Makes sence. but it doesn't explain why my car did work sort of and now doesn't..

[s14seriesII]

ok i may not explain this right but if u have a timing light,

1 remove your top timing belt covers to expose cam gears
2 turn motor to tdc compression number 1 (the timing marks will line up)
3 with a white out pen or permanent marker, mark 1 at the top of the cam gear, III 90 deg to the left (intake side of engine) IIII dirrectly opposite number 1 and II in the remainding position.
now with engine running connect timing light and go through each ignition lead to check that it is firing in the right sequence and at the right time by shining timing light onto cam gear.
is this right but no signal from number one ignition lead ?

you say if u change inputs and outputs around the problem moves yes ? (im guessing your changing input and output of the x4 ignition module?) this could indicate a settings or electrical fault with ecu or ecu to x4 wiring ( making sure you leave the same lead/coil on its respective cyl)

is it possible (im not sure with microtech) to change around the x4 box outputs different from what u have and then move around/change the cyl firing sequence in the ecu to suit what you have changed it to?

i would also try to find a loose wiring connection somewhere try wiggling the wiring connectors and harness around while the engine is running to see if the problem comes and goes (dont forget to try the wiring between the ecu and x4 ignition module

hope this helps let us know how you go

[--Redwork--]

I understand what your saying...

I had the car running today for at least 10mins...
idled away pretty freakin well considering...
Double checked everything, wiggled wires, tried earthing the ecu caseing everything I could think of that mights help...
Still no good...
I couldn't get hold of the tech guy today. Will try again tomorow.
went through ecu setup on my laptop..everything is the way it should be..
Will triple check everyhitng again tomorow, ring this guy and if its still no good I'll be sendin the ECU back AGAIN.!!

[s14seriesII]

hmm do you have a led test light? , easy to go around all the trigger wires between x4 and ecu and then between x4 and coils they should be getting a switched earth signal
check at each end of the wires obviously..

[FAST EDDIE]

michrotech has the worst tech suppt ever and thats if you can get a hold of them, find a shop that specailises in them, i can reccommend Jazmac performance down in SA 83916200 maybe see if they have had these problems! id say its ur ignitor stil!!!

[--Redwork--]

I have another spare in my sprinter but if is causing them to get fried I really don't wont to toaste another one.. Yeah and my mate said tech support are terrible... some times the can't even solve the siplest problems...

I can't be the ignitor though... cause if I change the wires from the ecu to the ignitor it moves the problem....So it would seem that the ecu isn't sending that one signal..

Anyone else running a microtech with multi coils on there 4a that they'd like to bring round so I can through my ecu in there car and see if it still misses.. Prove with out a doubt thats its the ecu...