At my wits end

[Guye]

I recently took my car to get an ORC clutch kit and handling bits fitted (wasn't up to doing it myself). The mechanic opted to take the engine out to make things easier. Since I got the car back I have noticed there is a slight hesitation around 3000-3500rpm, and the car no longer revs beyond 6000rpm. At 3000rpm I noticed the a/f meter leans out very slightly, it stays in the green just not as deep (sorry that is so vauge). The car ran perfectly before this with a rpm limit of 8000rpm (only went there once). I am now getting a code 14. I have changed the coil, igniter, rotor, distributor cap, plug leads, plugs, cleaned all the electrical connections, added a grounding kit, HKS actuator, checked vaccum lines, swapped the JAM ecu to the stock unit (car wouldn't rev pass 5000rpm then), reinstalled JAM ecu and checked the ecu harness connections (back to 6000rpms).

Now here's the kicker in the head. Although the tach show the revs top out at 6000rpm, the speedo registers speeds comparative to what I was getting at higher revs. For example, before the work was done 1st gear to 7200rpm gave 60-65kph, 2nd gear gave 110kph at the the same rpm. 180kph + came in 4th. I am getting the same results even with the the 6000rpm limit. The only difference is there is greater exceleration than before throughout the limited rpm range, so the car does feels quite potent, even with the slight 3000rpm hesitation.

I have read threads on similar problems and I have tried all I know how to. Could it be a ground wire I am missing? Is the ORC kit affecting the rpms? Is the tach lying to me? I am lost. I want it running at its full potential and I don't think 6000rpm can give me that. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dan3SGTE]

that is a strange one?! im just trying to think......... to be honest if the tachmeter is reading less BUT your Speed hasnt changed i would only imagine the tach is is wreked...

 

[ChrisGT]

Agree with the above...could not be hooked up properly?

 

[Guye]

that is a strange one?! im just trying to think......... to be honest if the tachmeter is reading less BUT your Speed hasnt changed i would only imagine the tach is is wreked...

I was thinking this is a possibility. I don't know how the starlet's tach gets the rpm signal, so I wouldn't know how to begin exploring this theory.

 

[Dan3SGTE]

I was thinking this is a possibility. I don't know how the starlet's tach gets the rpm signal, so I wouldn't know how to begin exploring this theory.

the starlet gets the RPM signal from the Coil pack mate..... maybe the wire wasnt plumped back in properly.....

 

[Monkfish]

that is a strange one?! im just trying to think......... to be honest if the tachmeter is reading less BUT your Speed hasnt changed i would only imagine the tach is is wreked...

I'd go along those lines. The clutch won't affect the way the engine revs unless it's been put in backwards or something stupid like that! If you can confirm the speeds with GPS and they're the same as before, then I'm with 3SGTE on this that the rev gauge is lying to you. It is possible a wire has been left disconnected or was nicked when the engine was put back in.

If a garage did it, take it back and tell them what is wrong, they should fix it and not charge you as you could easily argue that they haven't finished the job properly.

 

[Guye]

The coil was changed and the connection cleaned. Unless there is another connector I missed or the wire itself has a fault along the harness........

 

[Dan3SGTE]

The coil was changed and the connection cleaned. Unless there is another connector I missed or the wire itself has a fault along the harness........

If this problem occurred literally when you got the car back i would find that highly unlikely that you have a fault along the harness and if so that wouldnt be his fault unless there is a chafed cable along down that he did or as you said you missed a link/connector somewhere....... i would make double sure...

As monk said also i would make 100% sure via GPS as speedos can be really inaccurate sometimes and he must of disconnected the speed leading to the G/box so could of fu*ked it up putting it back in........

 

[Guye]

I'd go along those lines. The clutch won't affect the way the engine revs unless it's been put in backwards or something stupid like that! If you can confirm the speeds with GPS and they're the same as before, then I'm with 3SGTE on this that the rev gauge is lying to you. It is possible a wire has been left disconnected or was nicked when the engine was put back in.

If a garage did it, take it back and tell them what is wrong, they should fix it and not charge you as you could easily argue that they haven't finished the job properly.

We have no GPS unfortunately. Comparision was done using speedo only. I made an oath never to take my car back to that joker that I may have to break....he had the car for almost 2 months total just to fit a clutch kit, panhard rod, torque dampener, mani and downpipe. He has tried 3 times and failed to get me my missing rpm's back...I'm not keen on a 4th.

 

[Dan3SGTE]

We have no GPS unfortunately. Comparision was done using speedo only. I made an oath never to take my car back to that joker that I may have to break....he had the car for almost 2 months total just to fit a clutch kit, panhard rod, torque dampener, mani and downpipe. He has tried 3 times and failed to get me my missing rpm's back...I'm not keen on a 4th.

Dam that sucks arse!

unfortunately you cant be sure that the speeds are the same at a lesser rev... only other way i could think of is a rolling road although you cant compare to when it had an 8KRPM limit unless you have an old print out?

 

[Guye]

Dam that sucks arse!

unfortunately you cant be sure that the speeds are the same at a lesser rev... only other way i could think of is a rolling road although you cant compare to when it had an 8KRPM limit unless you have an old print out?

If there wasn't bad luck, I would have none. The car was never R/R since the local dyno was down for ages. It's working now and I was getting a session when I finally got my car back. I canceled it until I got the bugs worked out so there is nothing to compare too. This sucks.

 

[Dave.]

Its GOT to be the rev counter lying to you mate,

If you get the same speeds in each gear, then it simply can't be anything else

Now the problem is 'why' its lying to you - if it gets the reading from the coil pack, i'd start there, and check all wiring back to the rev counter..

Hope you get it sorted, that garage sound like total arseholes.

 

[Guye]

Failing everthing else I will have to try another garage to see if they can help, maybe even the thiefing dealers. I just want my beloved car running perfectly again. I have a gut feeling the problem is going to turn out to be something mundane, that's why I've missed it.

 

[Monkfish]

We have no GPS unfortunately. Comparision was done using speedo only. I made an oath never to take my car back to that joker that I may have to break....he had the car for almost 2 months total just to fit a clutch kit, panhard rod, torque dampener, mani and downpipe. He has tried 3 times and failed to get me my missing rpm's back...I'm not keen on a 4th.

2 months?! Fuck me, I can do a mani/turbo swap in 2 hours!

I was going to suggest you take it to someone reputable like Dave or Toby, but you're in Barbados, so that's that plan scuppered . I'm not sure what to suggest. It's tempting to tell you to take it back, but if he's as reliable as a cling film condom, I'm not so sure. Are there any Starlet specialists that side of the pond or someone that know's what they are doing with them?

 

[Dan3SGTE]

Its GOT to be the rev counter lying to you mate,

If you get the same speeds in each gear, then it simply can't be anything else

Now the problem is 'why' its lying to you - if it gets the reading from the coil pack, i'd start there, and check all wiring back to the rev counter..

Hope you get it sorted, that garage sound like total arseholes.

But if hes only been judging on the speedo mate then he cant even be sure that the speeds in each gear at 6K rpm where the same as before at 8K rpm...

thats the concern i have... so cant go blaming the tachometer just yet....

@Newguye, question for you, how does the revs build up? Do they look the same as before or do they hesitate? are they going up slightly slower? any visual changes whatsoever?

 

[Dan3SGTE]

2 months?! Fuck me, I can do a mani/turbo swap in 2 hours!

I was going to suggest you take it to someone reputable like Dave or Toby, but you're in Barbados, so that's that plan scuppered . I'm not sure what to suggest. It's tempting to tell you to take it back, but if he's as reliable as a cling film condom, I'm not so sure. Are there any Starlet specialists that side of the pond or someone that know's what they are doing with them?

 

[Dave.]

fair point actually mate ^ didn't even consider that...

I'd bet the tacho climbs quicker....

I just assumed he knew the speeds were the same lol - try checking against another car, like get to top in 2nd and see if its the speed it was before, see if you are both going at the same rate.

I'd still bet its the tacho tho

Dave

 

[Guye]

2 months?! Fuck me, I can do a mani/turbo swap in 2 hours!

I was going to suggest you take it to someone reputable like Dave or Toby, but you're in Barbados, so that's that plan scuppered . I'm not sure what to suggest. It's tempting to tell you to take it back, but if he's as reliable as a cling film condom, I'm not so sure. Are there any Starlet specialists that side of the pond or someone that know's what they are doing with them?

I have been through the car with some local forum members like gorganl. No luck as yet. There are no specialist down here (main reason why preprogramed ecu's are the only choice for us ) except maybe the toyota dealer....my wallet vibrates everytime I mention them I am sure I will get it sorted somehow, I just wanted to get some other views on this issue.

 

[Guye]

But if hes only been judging on the speedo mate then he cant even be sure that the speeds in each gear at 6K rpm where the same as before at 8K rpm...

thats the concern i have... so cant go blaming the tachometer just yet....

@Newguye, question for you, how does the revs build up? Do they look the same as before or do they hesitate? are they going up slightly slower? any visual changes whatsoever?

The revs build fine. The engine sounds smooth and powerful, and the revs climbs more quickly now than before. The only slowdown is when it hits the 6000rpm mark then it rpms crawls. When reving at a standstill the 6000rpm mark sounds like a limiter.....clean quick revs then pop pop pop pop pop pop pop from the exhaust @ 6000rpm.

 

[Dave.]

quicker makes sense, that would imply its moving across the 'real' (0-8000) rev range, but just indicating it wrongly (0-6000) - if you know what i mean?