Snap-on scanner shows no fault codes, and the only thing that looked dodgy was the Throttle sensor wavering between 0 and 2. (usually 1.5)
Only a few more things left to try.
ECU is faulty - Has anyone got a spare 190 I can borrow
Idle control valve - long shot.
TPS
Basically what I want to know is (other than has anyone got a spare ECU) could the ECU be at fault?
If I put a CAT on it when its chucking this much neat fuel and CO through, will I buger the CAT up?
I will take it too a dealer as a last resort, but as we have a garage we can do nearly everything here except reflash/read ECU.
Without trying to sound funny, what you need is an Exige friendly testing station.
Do you have a local dealer or Lotus specialist in your area who could point you in the right direction? Although the rules & controls are tighter, there are still some car friendly places out there who’ll give a nod & a wink & ‘let’ the car through.
I’ve taken the cat in a wrapper to get an MOT (through a dealer at the service interval). It came back with a clean bill of health, with the cat untouched.
Without trying to sound funny, what you need is an Exige friendly testing station.
Do you have a local dealer or Lotus specialist in your area who could point you in the right direction? Although the rules & controls are tighter, there are still some car friendly places out there who’ll give a nod & a wink & ‘let’ the car through.
I’ve taken the cat in a wrapper to get an MOT (through a dealer at the service interval). It came back with a clean bill of health, with the cat untouched.
Maybe not much help, but hey, good luck anyway.
Tim
Yes, Glenn pointed me in the right direction Tim when the MOT is due!
I’m not so bothered about it failing its MOT, that can be dealt with. It’s the fact that it highlighted a problem.
I believe that a car running as rich as mine is, is in danger of eating itself. Petrol to such an excess does not burn properly, then runs down the bores and washes away the oil causing premature wear of the liners, rings, pistons, and then subsequent oil contamination.
If they all do this then the Lotus 190 idle map is shite, or more probably, I have a fault which needs fixing.
If I put a CAT on it when its chucking this much neat fuel and CO through, will I buger the CAT up?
Andy.
Andy, I don’t think you’ll get through the MoT without a cat. You just have to put it on. See this THREAD here.
I realize you feel that there is something wrong other than not having the cat fitted and I may be missing the point but it does make a huge difference to the emissions
The standard 190 map is fairly poo as Mr P says. It does overfuel chronically. No way you’ll pass without the cat. The oil can get contaminated after a couple of k miles.
Also I think as others have said, where the lambda sensor is situated exacerbates the problem when a CRP is fitted.
Better mapping is available by using an Emerald ECU, although care needs to be taken around idle and fast idle to avoid enthusiastic fuelling at these points for the MOT.
Plenty of reading matter on here and Seloc about this.
I believe that a car running as rich as mine is, is in danger of eating itself. Petrol to such an excess does not burn properly, then runs down the bores and washes away the oil causing premature wear of the liners, rings, pistons, and then subsequent oil contamination.
If they all do this then the Lotus 190 idle map is shite, or more probably, I have a fault which needs fixing.
I’m looking to learn something here - how do you connect a Co value to running rich, and what evidence is there of fuel contaminating your oil?
How sure are you that the machine making the readings is accurate?
I’m looking to learn something here - how do you connect a Co value to running rich, and what evidence is there of fuel contaminating your oil?
How sure are you that the machine making the readings is accurate?
When I had my MOT panic and had to “Laptop it” while connected to the analyser, it was the CO that changed by altering the fuelling, once the lambda had settled… There seemed to be a direct connection between the two.
Whenever I see an old Sun exhaust analyser with an inch of grease on it I do wonder about their accuracy…
I’m sure DVA will be along soon with an explanation of “stoiciometry” and so on.
The CO analyser is a new MOT one, which are calibrated a bit more often than the old Sun/Krypton jobbies As for fuel in the oil, it just makes it less efficient, and if it’s bad you can smell the fuel in it. As it runs down the bores past the rings, into the poil is the only place for it.
Just for the record, my 190 failed badly with sports cat fitted. My ‘friendly’ garage found the exige model under elise section this year but as before they could not find it under ‘Lotus’ as an individual model they tested it as pre-cat car. As for the new regs if it fails DVLA know right away so the only chance is to get friendly garage to stick it up the exhaust of another motor. My garage buddy thinks it is well unfair to expect a car like our to pass an emmisions test given the type of vehicle. I personally was thinking of downgrading to a 177 if poss!!