'00 track car

Started by AJRFulton, December 2, 2020, 16:48

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AJRFulton

#200
Quote from: Anon on July 18, 2022, 18:42Maybe though when someone wired up the Apexi, they used different input channels for different purposes.

e.g. Crank and cam swapped or MAP/MAF swapped, coolant/air temp sensor swapped etc

So reverting to some "off the shelf" harness is not going to work.

And also trying the non typical configured ECU will not work in another car.

Before you know it the "tuner" is telling you the ECU is faulty  :))

I'd get that with 1x Apexi - but tried it with 2x.  Good relationship with my tuner too, he is best friends with my best friend's big brother. So known him since I was 12-13.

J-Spec being literally 5 mins away is good that way. Andy has what, 10 MR2's laying there for breaking, then other bits on the shelves - so another Apexi there to try. Very handy taking the car down and just taking bits as needed, or looking where things go, as needed.

AJRFulton

#201
>:D
Quote from: Anon on July 18, 2022, 19:47But the settings would be changed... so only a correctly configured Apexi will work. You can pick what input/output channels do what when they are first configured.

Swapping them about would tell you nothing at that point.
Quote from: Anon on July 18, 2022, 19:47But the settings would be changed... so only a correctly configured Apexi will work. You can pick what input/output channels do what when they are first configured.

Swapping them about would tell you nothing at that poin
Quote from: Anon on July 18, 2022, 19:47But the settings would be changed... so only a correctly configured Apexi will work. You can pick what input/output channels do what when they are first configured.

Swapping them about would tell you nothing at that point.

Can factory reset ECU via FC Controller bud.

AJRFulton

#202
Anyway, Andy ran it on his car tonight - started pretty much instantly, and ran fine. Pretty safe to assume now that my Apexi is working. Andy is running a stock 2ZZ.

So some head scratching now. Why would a stock ECU run my car, and not my Apexi? That MWR kit should be a straight plun and play on a stock 1ZZ harness, with running the lift solenoid wires, and switching the throttle body wires?

Open to suggestions.

Alternative @Alex Knight I bring this to you and run it on something that is close to a like for like car. Is it the harness that could be causing it? Although AFAIK the immobiliser is irrelevant in the Apexi FC - it isn't programmed in, but interested in what you're saying about bypass wires.

Clearly something silly now stopping car from starting.

Alex Knight

When I bought the MWR swap harness back in 2013, it was basically a USA-centric swap harness with zero thought or provision for the EU immobiliser. I didn't know this at the time of installation.

I was a bit irked, as the patch harness was supposed to be plug and play. What we figured out in the end was that we had to de-pin five wires from the loom that were terminating at the patch harness (and then basically going nowhere), and re-pin them directly to the ECU.


The five pins you need to remove and re-pin are the following:

A2  MR2 Loom -> A2 Celica (2ZZ) ECU
B7  MR2 Loom -> B7 Celica (2ZZ) ECU
B15 MR2 Loom -> B15 Celica (2ZZ) ECU
B17 MR2 Loom -> B17 Celica (2ZZ) ECU
B26 MR2 Loom -> B26 Celica (2ZZ) ECU

But like I said, that was in 2013, and they may have changed the harness since then?

AJRFulton

Not asked Matt about it, however it does state its been redesigned on the site.

It is running the stock ECU and tbh it sounds fine when running. Wouldn't like to run that at revs right enough - but idle is fine.

AJRFulton

The FC commander is talking to the ECU. Nothing seems amiss, but.... It's ancient tech. Obviously I'd rather have an ECUMaster, but can't justify spending £1k when the Apexi works and tbh.... Is still good enough.

I contacted Matt @ MWR and he suggested to try another cam sensor as an easy hit as the Apexi won't fire, but OEM would with a faulty one.

Will get one off JSpec tonight and see. However that will be that for 2.5wks as off on a touring holiday to the Alps.


AJRFulton

#206
Well got to the bottom of this.

I bought an Odessy PCM680 motorsport battery last year, replacement for the PCM680 that was in it. Quite literally it had almost never been used, < 10 laps completed then sat with the power kill switch tripped for months.

With the car sitting over winter as the new engine was built, the battery went a bit dead. Which was fine. My battery charger is attached to the wall, and the race battery is in a case and bolted down, so it's a bit of a pain to remove - I've got a power pack that I'd use to jump anyway.

However, I took the Odessey battery out and put it on the charger. Came back the next day and the casing had swollen out - multi-meter across the terminals and only 8V. That is the 2nd PCM680 battery I've had this happen to, however the first was maybe 6/7 yrs old. I appreciate a lightweight battery might only have a life of 4-5-6yrs.

Put in a charged regular battery (and pursuing a warranty claim for the Odessey), and..... started immediately with the Apexi.

Can only assume the way the ECU powers up is different as the OEM ECU was starting fine with a f**ked battery and a power pack (then running off alternator power), but the Apexi was not.

I have started the car with a flat battery, and power pack before (with the Apexi in situ), with no issues - but that was a working battery. I don't see any obvious reason why this would be the case, but it really isn't my field (feel free to enlighten me).

Been chasing my tail for a very long time with this.

AJRFulton

#207
Quote from: Anon on August 18, 2022, 17:53Well done on getting running again!

I think the Odyssey PCM680 is an AGM battery.

I don't mean to teach you to suck eggs etc, and you may be fully aware of this:-

AGM have a different charge voltage than a normal Lead Acid battery as fitted to the MR2 originally.

The MR2 will have a charge rectifier/regulator built into the back of the alternator which is applicable to lead acid batteries - e.g. 14v .... also when testing a normal lead acid battery, fully charged is 12.6v

An AGM battery charges at more like 14.8v... and to check if it is fully charged it's 13v

Might seem like a small difference, but it means you are only charging the battery upto about 70% using the MR2 charge system with an AGM fitted - which would be fine as long as you connect it to an AGM compatible charger while the car is in your garage.



It is usually on an AGM compatible trickle charge when it's parked up. It's attached to my wall, so car has to be parked up next to it. (Yeah it can be taken off wall, but screws, effort, etc).

I've the older version of this charger
https://www.demon-tweeks.com/odyssey-battery-charger-2014873/?sku=ODYP0053021&istCompanyId=a2904180-3a7d-4e56-b876-cf81c9512180&istFeedId=6fbc4b04-fd28-4ce1-8513-835c8f118690&istItemId=iatiittla&istBid=t&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxveXBhDDARIsAI0Q0x37hb_MzkhAAFoBnnGgNUVkZ1AgbpVg89dt2suVMqieHoEBudGVXr8aAtv7EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

However when I eventually took the battery out of the car and put it on the trickle charger, it swelled.

thetyrant

Glad you sorted it, in my experience the hassle of the Odyssey batteries isnt the worth the weight saving!  no point saving a few kg if the car wont start!, been there done that many times never again and there are better solutions if wanting a light battery but cost a lot more.

As above the charging voltage and maintenance of these little batteries is critical to getting even a reasonable life from them, i fryed my first one by using a normal charger but luckily they replaced it under warranty, 2nd one did a lot better while car was in regular use but once sat and left to go flat it was never same again even using proper charger.

At least you are up and running again :D
Ex-2005 roadster  owner, i will be back :D

JB21

I use a 12v golf cart battery. Its 6kg but does a decent job and never let me down unlike the previous Varley red top that was on there which popped my ECU.

AJRFulton

#210
Quote from: thetyrant on August 19, 2022, 09:19Glad you sorted it, in my experience the hassle of the Odyssey batteries isnt the worth the weight saving!  no point saving a few kg if the car wont start!, been there done that many times never again and there are better solutions if wanting a light battery but cost a lot more.

As above the charging voltage and maintenance of these little batteries is critical to getting even a reasonable life from them, i fryed my first one by using a normal charger but luckily they replaced it under warranty, 2nd one did a lot better while car was in regular use but once sat and left to go flat it was never same again even using proper charger.

At least you are up and running again :D

Well put the heavy component as low as possible in the car, and as far to the front passenger side as possible (along with the fire extinguisher). So passenger footwell is the ideal place but..... it is now in the cabin and it gets scrutineered and my experience is that scrutineers love to check in cabin batteries. I've had to run around the paddock before trying to borrow a terminal cover after mine was deemed a bit perished (which it was..... but a lot would have had to happen for it to be in danger of arcing)

So it has to be a non-spill (motorsport) battery, with a suitably shock resistant battery casing, in a suitable motorsport secondary case, bolted to the floor with appropriate strength bolts, etc. That's the main reason why I chose a an Odessey battery - its the cheapest way to be compliant.

If the car was track day only, I'd just have a small regular battery and the run the risk of dying of acid burns should I roll 20 times (which IMO is a very small risk) - Never weighed them, but the battery in the Mrs Honda Jazz will be in the same ball park with weight.

AJRFulton

#211
Quote from: Anon on August 19, 2022, 17:13If it's outside the cockpit can it be a normal battery?

Not actually sure. I'd need to read the blue book, and individual championship regulations.

Although the passenger foot well is probably the best place to put the battery in terms of being low and as far to the "light" side of the car as possible.

In terms of performance gain, it's nothing.... But if you do 5 things that have an unnoticable 0.05s a lap performance gain then you've made the car 0.25s a lap faster. It's the motorsport worm hole  :)) (although I'd settle for a full season of a working car).

End of the day the battery costs about £100. If it needs replaced every 2-3yrs it's pennies in motorsport terms.

AJRFulton

#212
Well, I have (had) a transit van that had been converted to a race/day van. Used for towing the car, and occasional weekend camping.

I was going down to Wales on Thursday night, camping this weekend. Cruising at 60-70mph somewhere south of Carlisle and bang the rear offside tyre blew out.



Van fish tailed, I thought I had corrected it after the initial squirming, the van went straight for a second or two but the fish tailing resumed only more violently and with a high top van, we flipped, hit the embankment and rolled.




The van did its job and surprisingly came out ok body panel wise. However images don't show well how squint the chassis now is. Going by the back doors, a good few inches of bending has happened. Van only had an MOT on 15th September.

I initially thought I was OK, a bit of a sore back. Paramedics checked me over at scene and gave ok. 12hrs later the adrenaline wore off and it was obvious there was something wrong with my back, so off to A&E.

A CT scan and lots of doctor chat later I'm told I've fractured a vertibrate, and remain in hospital. I'm still waiting for an MRI scan to assess how bad the damage is, but optimistic it's fairly minor by broken back standards.

However getting told you've broken your back and being put on a spinal protocol in hospital, then a doctor telling you you have to be braced in a bed as a precaution to minimise the risk of permanent damage or paralysis..... It gets your attention!

I've only just got the car almost race ready again. However it will be at least 8-12wks before I'm back working on it, and - at least - 6mths before I'll be allowed to race again.

Joesson

#213
@AJRFulton

Can't like your post other than for the fact that you can write the post!
Get well soon.

PS
Tyres are being discussed, again, currently, you have highlighted why that may be.

Mezula24

Bad luck but lucky escape.
Hope that you are better soon.  :)

AJRFulton

#215
Quote from: Joesson on September 26, 2022, 11:34@AJRFulton

Can't like your post other than for the fact that you can write the post!
Get well soon.

The lesson to be learned is cheap and retread tyres.

Generally, brakes and tyres, two things I never go cheap with. No idea what exactly caused the blow out. Van was MOT'd a few days ago, and I had checked tyre pressures after loading up, and were fine.

The van had 4 retreads on it when I bought it. I replaced the front 2x but the back was always "I'll get round to it". I don't do much mileage with the van, I only use it a handful of times a year. So it got forgotten about tbh.

But yeah, I'm lucky and unlucky at the same time. Flipping a van at motorway speed will always be a fairly big accident. I've only ever rolled in a track car before, at a race track - and that was nowhere near as violent feeling despite being significantly higher speed.

Being bed bound for the next 6 weeks will be the hard bit. Not a lifestyle I am used to, or have the kit around the house to accommodate.

Joesson

@AJRFulton

Cheap/ retread tyres are something I bought once, on the advice of the Firestone tyre fitting shop. Four retreads on my Imp.
The front offside split on the side wall after about 7 miles. Some argument about You must have kerbed it but I got a refund and 4 new tyres.
Fortunately my incident was at manoeuvring speed on a residential road and no drama involved, other than what could have happened as we had young children at the time.
Will you be in bed at home, or in the hospital?
I do believe that Home Help can be provided and I suggest you don't be shy about asking for it before they ship you home.



AJRFulton

Quote from: Joesson on September 26, 2022, 12:07@AJRFulton

Cheap/ retread tyres are something I bought once, on the advice of the Firestone tyre fitting shop. Four retreads on my Imp.
The front offside split on the side wall after about 7 miles. Some argument about You must have kerbed it but I got a refund and 4 new tyres.
Fortunately my incident was at manoeuvring speed on a residential road and no drama involved, other than what could have happened as we had young children at the time.
Will you be in bed at home, or in the hospital?
I do believe that Home Help can be provided and I suggest you don't be shy about asking for it before they ship you home.


I'm in hospital just now. I had a CT on arrival and it confirmed the injury, but the resolution of that scan isn't high enough to determine the exact nature of the fracture. Hoping to get an MRI today, and then that will be reviewed by a specialist and they'll decide the appropriate treatment.

If the bone is stable and it's assessed it's a normal compound fracture (of the L1 vertibrate), I'll be out of hospital this week and it will be home care for the next 6 weeks or so.

Of course it may be worse, but the consultant is advising me that this isn't expected - but they have to be sure, and (quite rightfully) will always be cautious with spinal injuries. With it being over the weekend, there has been a lack of availability of a spine specialist.

It isn't actually that painful, unless I move the wrong way. I'm sat in bed here fairly pain free. However.... Trying to move is a different story.

Joesson

Quote from: AJRFulton on September 26, 2022, 12:27I'm in hospital just now. I had a CT on arrival and it confirmed the injury, but the resolution of that scan isn't high enough to determine the exact nature of the fracture. Hoping to get an MRI today, and then that will be reviewed by a specialist and they'll decide the appropriate treatment.

If the bone is stable and it's assessed it's a normal compound fracture (of the L1 vertibrate), I'll be out of hospital this week and it will be home care for the next 6 weeks or so.

Of course it may be worse, but the consultant is advising me that this isn't expected - but they have to be sure, and (quite rightfully) will always be cautious with spinal injuries. With it being over the weekend, there has been a lack of availability of a spine specialist.

It isn't actually that painful, unless I move the wrong way. I'm sat in bed here fairly pain free. However.... Trying to move is a different story.

The weekend is often the time when things go wrong, the shops used to be closed, not so bad nowadays if you need a spark plug, a cup of sugar, or whatever. But  the Hospitals don't seem to cater for what is often a higher influx of patients at ha time. Sometimes with difficulty much of the time. I do believe that once you are out of A&E, in a bed, in a ward, things usually progress for the better.
You seem to be able to move your fingers to reply, so hopefully that movement will soon progress, pain free, to other parts.

AJRFulton

Quote from: Joesson on September 26, 2022, 13:39The weekend is often the time when things go wrong, the shops used to be closed, not so bad nowadays if you need a spark plug, a cup of sugar, or whatever. But  the Hospitals don't seem to cater for what is often a higher influx of patients at ha time. Sometimes with difficulty much of the time. I do believe that once you are out of A&E, in a bed, in a ward, things usually progress for the better.
You seem to be able to move your fingers to reply, so hopefully that movement will soon progress, pain free, to other parts.

My legs are moving fine too.

I came in expecting a pulled ligament, slipped disc, etc. I was surprised it's a fracture.

I played football and have broken 5 bones prior to this, and this isn't that painful when at rest.

Joesson

Quote from: AJRFulton on September 26, 2022, 14:17My legs are moving fine too.

I came in expecting a pulled ligament, slipped disc, etc. I was surprised it's a fracture.

I played football and have broken 5 bones prior to this, and this isn't that painful when at rest.

Thus far I have broken only one bone, my toe, next to my big toe, caught it in the gap between floor mats when training, one of the very few times I used floor mats!
It healed bent, and rubbed sore from the inside of my shoes. I asked my GP, he laughed!
I went home and used two wooden match sticks and some Elastoplast type tape and straightened the toe in my home made splint. After a while it straightened sufficient to prevent my toe rubbing on my shoe.
If I can be of assistance with your back, let me know!

Chilli Girl

I'm sorry to hear of your accident, hope you get better soon. Take care @AJRFulton
Ex owners of Chilli red facelift 52 reg called Chilli, silver 55 reg called Foxy and blue pfl W reg MR-S called Sapphire. Now 2 less!

puma2

 :o gutted for you after was is a shocking experxance.
the main thing is your alive and talking.
as always things could have been worse.

the hard thing now is how to deal with the inactive.
keep posting on here and lets us how you get on.
hopefully you have some nice nurses looking after you before you get home.

take care and  keep fighting

Topdownman

Very sorry to hear about this. I hope you make a quick and pain free recovery. Sounds like you will have plenty of time on your hands to argue with your insurance company and research your new van!
"Racing" tax disc holder (binned), Poundland air freshener, (ran out), Annoying cylinder deficiency,  (sorted),
Winner of the Numb bum award 2017
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AJRFulton

Quote from: Topdownman on September 28, 2022, 09:26Very sorry to hear about this. I hope you make a quick and pain free recovery. Sounds like you will have plenty of time on your hands to argue with your insurance company and research your new van!

The insurance claim has been surprisingly easy to deal with. Engineers have assessed the van and agree the van suffered an offside rear failure. It's obviously going to be a total loss.

I should be paid out by the end of the week.

Unfortunately I am still in hospital though, so - it will be a winter project getting a new van ready.

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