Microtech LT8 problem...

[JayRome]

ok need some help...

basicly here it goes..

as you all know i rebuilt FRONTN (VR4 cordia) to get it back on the road, from a 3 year stand by in Tim's garage... new turbo etc...

now everything is in, and ready.. started first time but only ran on 2 cyls, cyl 1 & 4. so one coil pack was not getting any signal. traced it all the way back to the ECU pin outs and hot wired it to spark, worked fine...

question to you guys is, does anyone else have an idea why a Microtech LT8 with a fully tuned map (3 years + old) just decides to not fire one coil pack??

 

[bazeng]

So the wiring has not been touched at all?

Also by hotwiring you mean you gave the coils 12v's as a trigger to cause a spark?

Are they stock coils?

How are you testing spark?

 

[JayRome]

So the wiring has not been touched at all?

Also by hotwiring you mean you gave the coils 12v's as a trigger to cause a spark?

Are they stock coils?

How are you testing spark?

i made a whole new loom for the engine bay, back traced it and nothings off...

yer adding 12v to the ignitor trigger wires at the ecu connector end

yes stock coils but i have 2 sets thinking it was coils, but both dont spark on the same side..

testing with ignition lead and spark plug clamped to ground...

i do remember trying to start the old engine a year ago and it did the same thing.....

 

[bazeng]

Have you looked into the microtech settings at all to make sure all CAS input settings etc are ok?

 

[JayRome]

Have you looked into the microtech settings at all to make sure all CAS input settings etc are ok?

i was just thinking that at work, i'm a first timer to programming/installing a Microtech soo i'll read into it, but i am using the same CAS that car came with soo i'll try a nother one and see how that goes..

 

[DOUGMO]

baz is refering to the setings in the ecu i think you will find jay. as in how the ecu reads and then sends the signal from the cas,not so much a faulty cas

 

[JayRome]

baz is refering to the setings in the ecu i think you will find jay. as in how the ecu reads and then sends the signal from the cas,not so much a faulty cas

ohhh mah bad, but in saying that the engine runs fine just on 2 cyls.... kinda odd cause if it was reading the CAS signal rong, technically one coil pack would be the primary ignition... which it iss in this situation but the car idles ironicly fine for 2cyls..

but it is #2 signal out put that issnt working soo could it just be turned off in the settings?

 

[bazeng]

Remember Jay,
The stock coils must be run in wasted spark mode so the CAS / ECU will only trigger twice.

So you have to wire trigger 1 or output ign 1 to coils 1&4
and trigger 2 or output ign 2 to coils 2&3

Are you using the existing stock coil pack loom? or did you rewire the coils altogether?

I'm not sure if the microtech has 4 ignition outputs but if it does, you haven't wired them to each coil have you?

Regardless, if this microtech is the laptop compatible one, take it to a tuner to suss out as you need a special dongle to connect via laptop

If it isn't the laptop compatible one, you need to use a handcontroller.

Confirm the trigger settings there before you do anything else.
It could be as simple as a software adjustment.

 

[JayRome]

Remember Jay,
The stock coils must be run in wasted spark mode so the CAS / ECU will only trigger twice.

So you have to wire trigger 1 or output ign 1 to coils 1&4
and trigger 2 or output ign 2 to coils 2&3

Are you using the existing stock coil pack loom? or did you rewire the coils altogether?

I'm not sure if the microtech has 4 ignition outputs but if it does, you haven't wired them to each coil have you?

Regardless, if this microtech is the laptop compatible one, take it to a tuner to suss out as you need a special dongle to connect via laptop

If it isn't the laptop compatible one, you need to use a handcontroller.

Confirm the trigger settings there before you do anything else.
It could be as simple as a software adjustment.

i have wired the specific way Microtech has built a diagram on, using the stock coils and ignitor, using only 2 out of 4 out puts on the ecu....

i have the LT program its kinda cool, real time everything.. the dongle is on the way and hopefully this has the upgrade software on it to be compatible with a laptop, other wise i have the hand controller but its not as easy as the laptop by the looks..

thanks for the info baz, i'll get back to ya if everything goes well...

 

[JayRome]

ok this is doin my head in...

all the settings on the hand controller are correct, to run a waste spark ignition system...

Dwell type = time
Dwell = 3.5ms
Pump Dwell = 4.00ms
Config = 04cyl/r
Input Trig = -Ve
Output Trig = -Ve
i hope i'm missing one more setting....

i have tested the out puts on the ECU it self while on the Test function for the ignition coils.. technically they should all fire during the test...

Ign #1 = ok (cyl 1&4)
Ign #2 = none (cyl 2&3)
Ign #3 = none (empty)
Ign #4 = ok (empty)
Tach = ok

anyone feel free to correct me if i'm rong...

 

[bazeng]

Just a thought,

with the sync and ref on the CAS.

You can only wire it 2 ways. A simple test is to swap the sync and ref pins around and see how you go. It is pretty much a 50/50 chance of getting it right first time but for some reason it is always wrong.

Also, use your multimetre and measure the unused ignition outputs from the ecu. Maybe it is triggering 1 & 3? or 1 & 4? the trigger connected to the coils that are for cylinders 2&4 might not be in use. So if your getting 12v from either outputs 3 or 4 on the ecu, use that one.

As for the microtech laptop software, is it the handcontroller on the screen?

I've seen some ****** microtech software before. I haven't played with the newer stuff though

 

[bazeng]

Try and run your coils off #4 then.

As for output trigger -ve? if that is refering to the ECU pulling the coil to negative, then shouldn't your coils be wired to earth and being positively constant?

output trigger should be +ve if you have it wired to the +ve of the coils.

But to test, dont do it with the coils connected.

disconnect all the coils and just monitor the ign output wires with a multimetre and check if it is earthing or providind 12v when you change these settings. I dont want you to hurt the coils/ecu testing it out.

but -ve trigger on the CAS is correct. +ve will work too but depending on the window of the trigger disc, if they window is offset, +ve will not be accurate. Also depending on the sensor, using +ve will not be as accurate as you go up higher in the revs so using -ve is ideal.

 

[JayRome]

Try and run your coils off #4 then.

As for output trigger -ve? if that is refering to the ECU pulling the coil to negative, then shouldn't your coils be wired to earth and being positively constant?

output trigger should be +ve if you have it wired to the +ve of the coils.

But to test, dont do it with the coils connected.

disconnect all the coils and just monitor the ign output wires with a multimetre and check if it is earthing or providind 12v when you change these settings. I dont want you to hurt the coils/ecu testing it out.

but -ve trigger on the CAS is correct. +ve will work too but depending on the window of the trigger disc, if they window is offset, +ve will not be accurate. Also depending on the sensor, using +ve will not be as accurate as you go up higher in the revs so using -ve is ideal.

nah #2/3/4 has no out put while cranking

all those settings are from Microtech, to run waste spark.. they seem right..

nah i'm running an ignitor, so everything goes through that first, so technically speaking after the ignitor all out puts will be a ground trigger...

ECU-> ignitor -> coil pack (like a stock ign)

all tests were done direct at the pin outs of the ECU, using a line tester... its no longer the wiring, it could be a failed part or the ecu needs a new map.... i should try changing the CAS just to see if it does anything....

 

[bazeng]

do the cas wiring flip, tell me what happens..

Forgot to ask if you were running CDI or ignitor setup.

I'm not sure what the stock ignitor setups requires (triggering) but with CDI's you can switch to either +ve and -ve.

Do you have any wiring diagrams of the stock ignition system?

But if your not getting #2 triggering at all, check the software mate.

 

[JayRome]

oh yer i have the Microtech MT-Laptop Beta Version 1.1, its got the real time everything, not the stupid looking handcontroller on screne...

the wiring diagram of the galant ignition... from the looks, the top is the HG loom and the bottom is the HH loom.... (HG has an adaptor for the RPM signal from stock) its a pos trig for the stock stuff....

 

[bazeng]

Thats the diagram!

If that is done, then it must be in the software.. or like you said, faulty ecu? or faulty ignition module?

 

[JayRome]

Thats the diagram!

If that is done, then it must be in the software.. or like you said, faulty ecu? or faulty ignition module?

trust me bro, it was my first time installing this ECU and i didnt want to screw it up. so i did all the research to the last fark up....

i'm fairly pedantic when i custom make an entire engine loom....

but thanks for the help bro! needed it!

i have to see if this ECU has the LT software on it, but we dont know how it was tuned. i'm hoping it will work with a laptop..... were soo close to finishing this project! the reverse turbo spins at idle even with only 2 cyls! i want to see what this thing can do!