MK3 ABF loss of power: Problem found & possibly solved

Have you had it rolling roaded to make sure there is a problem? Your mate in his 8v would have been drafting if he was sitting behind you, which is gonna make quite a bit of difference to his acceleration.

May be of use, but my old KR valver always felt a bit breathless, like it never hit a power band, and after going through literally everything it turned out to be intercam timing caused by a slightly worn cam2cam chain. 2 garages couldn't diagnose this and they both had the cover off to check other things. It was only stretched a little bit, but enough to put it out just slightly. New chain was 8-ish from GSF. Car had done 138k. Went like stink afterwards. I'm going to change it on every valver I have from now on as a matter of course.

 

Wrong MK3 16v plugs?

Nah she's definetely down on power- Had a rag up from 40 to about 70 with a Yaris 1.8VVTi the other day and only gained about 1.5-2 car lengths and the timed figures seem to suggest she's poorly somehow.

Cant afford a new cam chain at present but that's certainly an idea come new job. and a power run on a road too!

Just pulled the plugs and I think they may be the wrong type but perhaps someone can help?

ELSA staes that triple electrode gaps for the MK3 16v should be 0.8mm max but these plugs appear to have 1mm gaps and they measure as such. TBH I know bugger all about plugs so I've noted the text on the plug body below:

FRANCE 0408 R1 1.0 (Is this the gap?) 14FGH-7DTURX

BERU Z90s apparently.

 

I would have thought if you have a larger gap and the coil is weak then the spark wouldn't be as strong. But i would always go with a plug thats recommended for the engine with the correct gaps Also a well known brand ie Bosch, NGk etc . May not do anything but least it could be eliminated.

 

Well it's simply peeing down with rain here so not had a chance to do much at all - swapped out the leads and no guesses - no change. Gonna let it cool down for a few hours and then try another FPR... Ho hum... Coil after that then the relays... great when they work etc.

 

anyone know how much a fuse box is and how easy it is to fit? mine is fecked. keeps short circuiting and causing a misfire.. solved by moving the hazard warning relay?!? presume this is because its right below the ECU relay which is new.

sometimes mine feels less powerful too and reckon this is the cause...

 

Poblem with the ABF is the diagnostics aren't very good. It basically keep trying things till it cures it. I found AutoData was useful for Testing components though.

 

Yea, even the gf can tell the difference, she swears by Sainsbury's 98ron for her 9A (Corrado) and I have to agree, it runs like cr4p on the regular stuff, less power and less mpg.

The ABF doesn't "run like cr4p" but as you say, noticeably less mpg and "flat" feeling, have to rev it's nut's off to get anywhere.

Cheers

Simon

 

Hi Azur
It takes about half an hour or so (longer if it's your first time) to swap out a fusebox - Not much to them once all the plugs are out the rear. Just take lots of pictures if needs be. All the main plugs are colour coded and the most, if not all, are unique - e.g. they can only go in one connector so it's like a jigsaw puzzle with only a few single connectors like erm... battery feeds and earths (drivers side of the fusebox) and the connectors on the top of the duse box
There are fusebox guides in the electrical FAQs so you cant go far wrong.

I tidied up my wiring a few weeks ago as had a terrible inner dash rattle (turns out it was the heated seat loom I had fitted when swapping over the leather from my old bus last year) It was out (again) 2 months before that to fit the lighted vanity mirrors loom; Not recommended as it involves some black magic to get the loom through the A-pillar channel


EDIT:
I also get better mileage on the high octance stuff but TBH I can't tell if I get any more ooomph

 

Hmmm, if your timing is a bit retarded and / or not advancing properly that would explain a) your lack of grunt and b) not feeling any difference between 95 & 98

However, if your mileage is still better on 98 that kind of contradicts that assumption (and we all know what assumptions lead to anyway.....)

 

Thats a fair point to make; it was my last car that I worked it out on - spent two years painstakingly keeping a spreasdsheet of mileage and petrol and swapping between 95/98 every 2 months or so.... it literally paid for itself with the extra mileage (which was nice) but yeah I'm only makng the assumption that my blue bus is the same.

It not just the timing that's (feeling) retarded! Like all these problems this is the first time I've had any real gremlins in years and it usually is something pretty damn daft.

 

Cheers.

i've cured the problem by removing the relay i had to wiggle.

However, its the relay for the buzzing sound when you open the door with your lights on!

I've no idea why its causing the problem with the misfire.. can't find a wiring diagram of it, and not great with electrics but presume its something to do with its proximity to the ECU relay?!

Anyway.. can live without it untill i can be bothered to get a new one to see if its the relay of the fusebox which is the problem.

 

Swapped out the FPR and ECU and fuel pump relays - Not a jot of change

Will try swapping the coil later and can't even begin on the wiring as it's constanly peeing down here.


Anybody else fancy timing their standard MK3 ABF in 2nd from idle to the limiter and posting up or plotting a comparison of the results?

3 door with AC, 205 50 15 tires & standard gearbox
Heres the mean of 8 runs:
0 1000
0.4 1200
0.72 1400
1.04 1600
1.36 1800
1.76 2000
2 2200
2.32 2400
2.64 2600
2.96 2800
3.28 3000
3.52 3200
3.84 3400
4.16 3600
4.4 3800
4.72 4000
4.96 4200
5.28 4400
5.52 4600
5.84 4800
6.16 5000
6.48 5200
6.8 5400
7.12 5600
7.44 5800
7.76 6000
8.16 6200
8.48 6400
8.8 6600
9.28 6800
9.73 7000

 

Azur; PM me you email and I'll send you the current flow diagram for the buzzer.

 

i may be able to find my gtech plots for my car at home. if so ill post them up

that will show mph vs time

 

Matt (as usual) =

 

5 door, sunroof, 215 40 16 tyres, standard box
1/2 tank petrol, L + b flywheel CC remap

0 1000 0 1000
0.4 1200
0.72 1400
1.04 1600
1.36 1800
1.76 2000 1.55 2000
2 2200
2.32 2400
2.64 2600
2.96 2800
3.28 3000 3.11 3000
3.52 3200
3.84 3400
4.16 3600
4.4 3800
4.72 4000 4.56 4000
4.96 4200
5.28 4400
5.52 4600
5.84 4800
6.16 5000 6.01 5000
6.48 5200
6.8 5400
7.12 5600
7.44 5800
7.76 6000 7.47 6000
8.16 6200
8.48 6400
8.8 6600 8.25 6600
9.28 6800
9.73 7000 8.98 7000


Doesn't seem to bad to me mate. 2 tenths down basically but its hard to compare different spec cars on different roads...and 2 tenths isn't much... the fact thats its consistently 2 tenths down might mean its a difference in how we timed it

The main difference that is highlighted is between 6000 and 7000 when you become over half a second down. slightly worn camshafts/tappets maybe so reduced lift?


cheers for the wiring diagrams. still no idea why the buzzer relay is interfering with engine management though!

 

Oops meant to add:
3 door, AirCon, 205 50 15, std gearbox, TB+Chipped +1/4 tank fuel

I would imagine unless Anni rims are very light when compared to 'standard' off-the-shelf 16" rims that you would have noticeable slower accel than me but only due to the fact I'm running 15s? If not this tends to suggest that my bus is ill?

She just feels flat as efck and is very linear in her power delivery - no 'on cam' from 4K+

I wonder if this has anything to do with taking a 212BHP Ibiza out for a test drive a couple of weeks back? Could it all be in my head? (just like the voices )

I'm gonna go back out tomorrow and have a drag with me mate with the 8v on the local motorway and see what happens.

GF is pestering me for the internet but I have a peer over the diagrams later - Could just be a dodgy fusebox. I'll check to see if I have a spare relay that I can post!

 

that any use?

 

4500 @ 4.7s
5000 @ 5.2s
5500 @ 6.0s
6000 @ 6.8s

according to that chart

 

slightly different matt..

times we have done are from a rolling start in 2nd @1000 rpm untill the top of second, and your times start between 1st and 2nd gear change at 4000 rpm as you were doing 0-60 runs

Still pretty useful. Those 0-60 times are pretty much the same as i can get... apart from the 6.6 second one! you can see how long the 3rd gear ratio is too compared to 2nd gear...


Alan, although the anni rims are slightly heavier and wider than standard (about 1kg per alloy IIRC) the rolling circumferance is 2.37 cm smaller than 205 50 15 tyres so should accelerate roughly the same