Problem #1

[Daz]

Well it was going to happen at some stage, its an old car after all, but would of liked to have owned car longer before first issue.

Anyway i believe its a minor one. My brain is telling me its my ISC but said i'd ask on here to confirm.

Issue is my engine is hunting on idle (happened when going to work this morning) i had this issue 14 yrs ago and i remember taking off the ISC and cleaning it. (Just a plunger if i recall correctly) but my brain is failing me as to where its located. Now something tells me throttle body but would like confirmation.

Also as my boost guage was going from -18 to -8 so had a quick scan of the pipework all looked intact and couldn't feel/hear any leaks. Issue dissapears when engine up to temp.

I'm i looking at right thing??

[Temeeo]

Not sure what the issue may be, but the ISC/Stepper motor is in the throttle body hidden just bellow the air intake pipe/hose.

[Daz]

Not sure what the issue may be, but the ISC/Stepper motor is in the throttle body hidden just bellow the air intake pipe/hose.

Cheers Temeeo

Thanks for the location confirm. It's been so long since i've worked on an FTO, i just trying to shake the cobwebs from my brain loose. Well today is my one day off before i'm ireland bound, so hopfully i can get it sorted (kids permiting ☺)

[Kace]

Should be stepper motor alright. Do a search on here to see the location. It's 2 mins to take it off. Clean it up and re-fit. You may still need to replace though. Does it fix itself after a while driving?

[Daz]

Should be stepper motor alright. Do a search on here to see the location. It's 2 mins to take it off. Clean it up and re-fit. You may still need to replace though. Does it fix itself after a while driving?

Yea once engine warms up its fine. Hoping to take it of this evening when home from holy communion party, also gonna whip the one of the red FTO too and clean them both and hope atleast one works after that.

[Daz]

Well i managed to get the stepper cleaned and did the one from my red one too

No exactly a standard setup with the turbo gubbins and pipework



But still easy enough to remove



Along with the one from the red one, which was cleaner



So seperated the coil from the poppet valve



To give the poppet valve a Gunk de-greaser bath



And do the same with the red's one and reassemble them



Before putting it all back together



After all that still have an issue upon restart but not as pronounced but again left when warmed up will see how it goes during the week.

[Daz]

Well still hunting from stone cold this morning but instead of hunting from about 300 to 1500 rpm its now doing it from about 1400 to 2300 rpm. Now part of my brain is telling me maybe i should of done an ecu reset after cleaning isc. It's funny its l8ke all the things i used to know are coming back but just tbe day after i need to know

[Kace]

Good idea on ECU restart. That fixes several things sometimes. Did you swap in Stepper from red car also? What happens with that one?

[Daz]

Good idea on ECU restart. That fixes several things sometimes. Did you swap in Stepper from red car also? What happens with that one?

No just cleaned the red one, wanted to see how origional one went. I'll try ecu reset first and if still having idle problems tomorrow morning when going to work i'll swap it and see how that goes. Hopefully will be sorted by time i travel saturday.

[Daz]

Update!!

Well the ECU reset didn't help, infact i think it made it worse, so the other ISC was fitted and no change. Can only think of a split pipe sucking in air?? But i've decided to book it into a garage, for wednesday, for a diagnostic test see if that shows anything, and have asked them to check out all the pipework when on the ramp.

I just want the cause found now!!

[Kace]

If you have time do the FTO diagnostic flash test yourself - search on here, it's quite easy to do.

[Daz]

If you have time do the FTO diagnostic flash test yourself - search on here, it's quite easy to do.

I seam to be unable to find the info? Tried flash test, diagnostic test, diagnostic flash test, diagnostic flash etc in search window but no joy, also downloaded engine manual from downloads section.. couldn't find it there either? Can you point me in the right direction please kace
Cheers

[Temeeo]

Never done it myself but have this bookmarked http://ftoaustralia.com/v3/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14667

[Daz]

Never done it myself but have this bookmarked http://ftoaustralia.com/v3/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14667

Cheers Temeeo
Hopefully i get time to give it a try tomorrow

[Daz]

Well issue worse than ever today, this morning i was driving like a learner car kangarooing all over the shop, couldn't get to flash the ecu, but more convinced than ever it's a split pipe as issue not just on idle now, so hopfully my garage will find it tomorrow. And while its up on the ramp ask them to give it the once over aswell. But even if issue isn't fixed tomorrow i'll still have it with me when i come over on saturday. I can adapt my driving to suit

[Temeeo]

I can adapt my driving to suit

Now that's a dedication! Fingers crossed it's something simple/easy to fix!

[Daz]

Now that's a dedication! Fingers crossed it's something simple/easy to fix!

I hope so but i'm getting a tad confused,
All pipework checked no leaks, and because its not OBD II they couldn't run a diagnostic for me, but did suggest since i have other car to change the throttle body so if i get time i'll try that.
Speaking of diagnostic i know mitisi used a MUT II tester but no mitisi garage near me. Does anyone already have a tester that they use and works... is so whats the name/brand of it so i can go looking to buy one! As so many on amazon and ebay etc
Tried flash test but got nothing but going by right up i should of got flashes reguardless, might try again when brighter.

[Kace]

Spend a bit more time getting the flash test working. It's a tiny bit finnicky just to get the wire into the wee hole but easy enough all the same. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes to find the right little hole for the wire and see the flashing - you can do it without crawling under there backwards and upside down which is actually a pain in the gonads.

Put key into ignition and switch to position 2 (position before it fires starter), then run any sort of wire from battery negative and just push a few stands of wire into the wee hole in corner of plug - you will have to orient yourself from those pics on FTO Aus. When you get it stuck in right you will immediately see the yellow engine light flash. Even quick flashes mean it's clear. A more irregular pattern shows that it's some problem.

We can swap out a stepper from one of our cars when you get over here also just to see.

[Daz]

Aye kace will be giving it another go tonight. Was thinking when i go into work today making myself up a cable with a crimped on bootlace ferrule on it, as it should be easier to insert and make contact with that on it' also never thought of taking negative from battery i was using door hinge as grounding point,, so aye, i might not of been getting the ground either??? Ah well plenty of cables in work i can make myself up a nice set to try to do this propper!!

[Daz]

Well just finished trying again and still no joy

First i got the snake cam out (from work) and used it to insert a terminal into pin 1



Then connected to the battery in the boot



These cable's were connected via a switch



With switch in off position i put key in ignition and turned to position 2 on.
I then flicked the switch but yet again nothing happened, i had made up loads of cables with different size terminals on the end but most didn't fit and those that did still nothing, so tried again with just a bare cable but still nothing...i give up!!!!

[Kace]

That is the negative you have connected it to right?

So I presume all you saw then was the other dash lights lit up and no flashing yellow engine light yeah?

[Daz]

That is the negative you have connected it to right?

So I presume all you saw then was the other dash lights lit up and no flashing yellow engine light yeah?

Yep connected to negative and yea usual dash lights on just no flashing engine ligh. Even videoed it so i could play it back to double check the count but none to count. I'm starting to thing that the ecu in mine is inoperative. Its had a vipec ecu fitted, i thought that it was just for the turbos and air/fuel ratio but maybe it runs the whole show?? But i presently don't own a laptop so will have to get myself one and download the vipec software. But will bring cables aith me to ireland maybe someone else can try an have better luck than me as i just don't seam to get it to flash

[Temeeo]

Its had a vipec ecu fitted, i thought that it was just for the turbos and air/fuel ratio but maybe it runs the whole show??

I'm totally clueless in this matter, but the same thought has crossed my mind - if aftermarket ECU was used would the error codes still be retrievable, I thought not.

[Gerry]

Any chance check engine bulb has
Been removed?

When you turn on Ignition is yellow
Check engine light on?

[Gerry]

If check engine light is on, its is possible
Somebody has disconnected this
Wire from obd port to make it easier
To connect to when trying to read the
Flash codes.
Or they may have hooked it up to a switch going
To ground to make codes easier to read