Seeking Help!!!

[TurboJunky]

I recently bought a beautiful 44,000 mile TR from a gentleman in Canada who had professional upgrades done to the car. It dynoed at 476hp at the rear wheels with these mods:

John Craig TE-45 Turbo, Seimens 55 lb. injectors, Mark Jackson (17 row) stock location intercooler, Houston SS 3" downpipe, 3" no cat, HD waste gate actuator rod, 3" mandrel bent full stainless steel exhaust with dual stainless Pit Bull mufflers, Precision 9.5" single disc lock up torque converter (0 pump config.), Translator Plus MAF (Mike Licht chip), Aluminum radiator (3 row), 160 stat, Aluminum rear brake drums, Cross- drilled front brake rotors, Direct Scan (computer included), 210/205 Reed cam (flat tappet), forged pistons (.030 over), steel main caps (center two), KB oil booster plate, Kirban body brace struts (trunk), hot wired Walbro 340 fuel pump, Twin rear Air bags.


Shortly after buying the car and only on occasion I'm finding the car will cut out total ignition at about 3-5 lbs of boost and I don't know why. The first time it happened it took about a week and the condition went away. After contacting the previous owner he suggested I disconnect the battery to "reset" the ECM and no shit, it works. I had this condition happen to me 2x after his suggestion and as soon as I pulled over, disconnected the positive power from the battery for @ 30 seconds, reconnected it the car ran perfectly again. He gave me the laptop so I can plug into the ECM along with the DirectScan software but I can't get that to read anything no matter what I try. And yes, the ECM is modified so the laptop can read engine performance in real time. Personally I'm not interested in getting the PC to read the ECM, just try and understand why the car corrects itself when I disconnect the battery and reset the computer by doing so.

Anyone???

 

[Chuck Leeper]

The Directscan may be the key to id'ing the issue.
Suggest you "renew an interest in getting it to work...If you reject that suggestion, invest in a Scanmaster.
"About 3-5# boost"?? Is that via a real gauge, or what's on the dash gauge?
T/shooting these cars w/o data input, is a crap shoot at best.

 

[TurboJunky]

The Directscan may be the key to id'ing the issue.
Suggest you "renew an interest in getting it to work...If you reject that suggestion, invest in a Scanmaster.
"About 3-5# boost"?? Is that via a real gauge, or what's on the dash gauge?
T/shooting these cars w/o data input, is a crap shoot at best.

The previous owner had the GNX replica dash installed in 1988 so it has a VDO boost gauge.

I'll take your suggestion on reigniting my interest in getting the Direct Scan laptop to work. I don't know much about how the Direct Scan works but all I know is there's a large "pig tail" running from the ECM, to under the dash and runs under the center console to plug into the rear of a laptop that I sit on the passenger seat. The software is already loaded onto the laptop so I fire up the computer, plug the car's ECM into the laptop, start the Direct Scan software and then start the car. The software does nothing. I've tried reversing the order in every imaginable way and nothing records on the computer. I'm at a loss...

 

[norbs]

I;m confused, the software reads data from the direct scan, but does not record it?

 

[TurboJunky]

I;m confused, the software reads data from the direct scan, but does not record it?

My apologies for the confusion. The software fires up normally, but doesn't give me any information whatsoever. Even though I have have it plugged in to the car, the software acts as if it's not plugged into anything. It gives me absolutely no readings.

 

[norbs]

That is because your using a laptop that has no DOS on it, you need to run a dual boot operating system, install windows 98 on the computer. Or wipe out the existing operating system and install windows 95, 98 on it.

 

[TurboJunky]

I apologize for sounding like a noob even after owning these cars for 23 years, but this car is the first modified one I've owned and know nothing about operating this software. When I got the laptop it came with a Direct Scan floppy disk and the PC had the software loaded onto the desktop, so I was booting it up in Windows and starting the software that way. Is that not correct?

 

[norbs]

What version of windows is on the computer?

 

[TurboBob]

what number chip?

when it cuts out, does the check engine light flash/blink?

Bob

 

[TurboJunky]

The laptop is an old IBM Thinkpad that has Windows 98 AND Windows XP Professional loaded on it. When I boot it up in Win98 I can't get the USB wireless working, there's no driver loaded to run it. When I boot up in WinXP the wireless works and I'm currently updating the system with Windows Update. Prior to the update there is a "DS".exe file on the desktop and when I run that Direct Scan starts and runs, but it appears to be running in a pseudo DOS mode but as a Windows application. BTW, this is the laptop the previous owner gave to me with the car that was used to fully tune it.

As I look at this laptop right now, the programs on the desktop are: "DataMaster 8D v351", "DataMaster 32 v351", "TunerPro RT", "Flash & Burn", "RT Tuner.exe", *"DS 1.52", *"DS". Both of these programs I have * by are the Direct Scan programs that when run under Windows seems to fire up in a DOS atmosphere.

If DirectScan needs to run in a straight DOS atmosphere I can fire up this laptop in that environment, but even though I have the original 3½" floppy the laptop doesn't have a floppy disk drive. It has a CD and a USB drive but no floppy......I think I just need some guidance on how to use DirectScan.

@ TurboBob, I have no info on the chip other than it's a Mike Licht designed chip. I'm in constant contact with the original owner of this car and can find more stuff out about it. When the engine cuts out no dash lights light up at all. In fact I was experimenting with this "cut out" phenomenon and when I let off the throttle the engine comes back to life but back at an idle, where I can start applying power again. If I continue to keep my foot down on the gas pedal when the motor starts cutting out it'll cut out completely and quit while the car's rolling. I'll have to re-start it in neutral and it fires right back up.

But as I wrote earlier, all I need to do is pull over and disconnect the car battery for @ 30 seconds and the problem disappears. It's crazy.

 

[norbs]

Run the direct scan from the dos environment, restarting from dos, through windows 98, you can;t run it through a window like that it will work, but never communicate.

 

[TurboJunky]

Run the direct scan from the dos environment, restarting from dos, through windows 98, you can;t run it through a window like that it will work, but never communicate.

Ok, I think I get what you're saying. DS has to be run straight from a DOS environment and NOT from a Windows based pseudo DOS environment, correct?

 

[norbs]

Ok, I think I get what you're saying. DS has to be run straight from a DOS environment and NOT from a Windows based pseudo DOS environment, correct?

Correct, but it depends on the operating system your using, it may work in the windows 98 environment, but I know for a fact it won;t work in XP, give it a try...

 

[TurboJunky]

Correct, but it depends on the operating system your using, it may work in the windows 98 environment, but I know for a fact it won;t work in XP, give it a try...

Excellent. As soon as this thing is done doing it's auto update I'll give it a shot.

Thanks Norbs!

 

[TurboBob]

sounds like the chip might be switching into Valet mode. If you can get the chip number I can be sure.

Bob

 

[TurboJunky]

I forgot about the "valet" option you could get burnt in these chips and that's PRECISELY what I think is going on now. It all adds up. I remember 22 or so years ago when I got my 1st GN and reprogrammed chips first started coming out they described this "valet" option, to keep your mechanic or valet from going bananas on your car. Bob, I think you hit the nail on the head. My car runs 100% normally until you start to get into the boost at 3-5 lbs, then the car shuts off, until you let off the gas and get off the boost.... = valet mode.

Ok, Bob.....I think you got it. Where's this number I need to get for'ya?

 

[TurboJunky]

Update....

I just got the Direct Scan to work. While some of the values are familiar to me many are not. I'll teach myself how this thing works for the most part. It did show the O2 sensor as a trouble code. Not surprising since I was running 110 octane leaded race gas for months.

 

[norbs]

That is great news......However now that you have entered the 90's for electronics,. maybe its time to move on to a Fast XFI system, it maybe hard to dial in at 1st but it gives you so much better data to work with. The stock O2 is really not that accurate , I think under about 13.5 A/f ratio..so all your tuning is not really accurate either.

 

[TurboJunky]

The 23 years I've owned these cars hasn't been for performance specifically, thus the reason I'm ignorant of all this stuff. I pretty much had show drivers and enjoyed the 300hp these engines actually put out stock. This is the first car I've owned with all these upgrades and I'm 20 years behind....

As far as upgrading what I have I'm happy with what I have as long as it all works correctly, and it does....other than this cutting out. Probably the "valet" option kicking in for some reason. The other owner dynoed it at 476hp at the rear wheels as it sits. I'm quite happy with where it is and don't have any intentions of 1/4 miling this car.

 

[TurboBob]

the chip number should be on a label on the bottom side of the chip.

DS was an incredible tool in its day. Its just outdated today. However, for basic troubleshooting and tuning it will serve you well. If you have any questions about the data, post them up, there are many guys on here that know the stock ECM down to the smallest detail..

Bob