Star Tester

Star Tester

Author
Discussion

Ianbailey

Original Poster:

29 posts

73 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
My S3 is not as smooth as it should be so looking for a Star Tester Ford EECIV/EFI If anyone has one for sale in exchange for beer tokens

RayTVR

1,074 posts

150 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
HI Ian

They do come up ocasionally on auction sites. There is one here


Although that may be a little rich!

A better option would be to borrow one on here . I have one and I think Phillpot also has one.

Ianbailey

Original Poster:

29 posts

73 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Thank you RayTVR
Can I change that to buy Or borrow one in exchange for beer tokens

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Also lots of the same on ebay

RayTVR

1,074 posts

150 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Ianbailey said:
Thank you RayTVR
Can I change that to buy Or borrow one in exchange for beer tokens
Sure - send me a PM with your address and details?

How urgent - Thinking of Christmas post issues.

tvrgit

8,473 posts

259 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Penelope Stopit said:
OBD1 or OBD2 doesn't fit the TVR S - The connector is a triangular 3-pin connector dating from the early days of steam I think. If you want to read codes on a TVR S, either buy or borrow the correct STAR tester, or use the "count the flashes" method with a test lamp and a bit of wire.

Or discover, like I did, that the diagnostic socket doesn't work anyway so save your time and money!

Ianbailey

Original Poster:

29 posts

73 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Ray thank you I have sent a message

TVRGIT thank you for the update good old PistonHeads

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
tvrgit said:
OBD1 or OBD2 doesn't fit the TVR S - The connector is a triangular 3-pin connector dating from the early days of steam I think. If you want to read codes on a TVR S, either buy or borrow the correct STAR tester, or use the "count the flashes" method with a test lamp and a bit of wire.

Or discover, like I did, that the diagnostic socket doesn't work anyway so save your time and money!
Understood, the advert mentions EECIV, hence the post

Wonder how much is involved to make it compatible




Ok I've slipped up

Didn't notice the $340 shipping charge


tvrgit

8,473 posts

259 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Penelope Stopit said:
Understood, the advert mentions EECIV, hence the post

Wonder how much is involved to make it compatible
you can probably connect it up with little bits of wire with the correct terminals on the end - probably! TBH, it's a lot easier to figure out where to put a bit of wire and a test lamp.


Penelope Stopit said:
Didn't notice the $340 shipping charge
I did! Also noticed that it's listed as "currently unavailable" in any case, so you'll save the shipping charge as well!

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
tvrgit said:
Penelope Stopit said:
Understood, the advert mentions EECIV, hence the post

Wonder how much is involved to make it compatible
you can probably connect it up with little bits of wire with the correct terminals on the end - probably! TBH, it's a lot easier to figure out where to put a bit of wire and a test lamp.


Penelope Stopit said:
Didn't notice the $340 shipping charge
I did! Also noticed that it's listed as "currently unavailable" in any case, so you'll save the shipping charge as well!
Well spotted

Ok then, it's not the first time I've made a proper fool of myself

Agreed, lamp and cable keeps it simple and cheap

mentall

469 posts

137 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Here's a Gunson 77032 that seems to be available. It's what I've been using for years.

All the testing is done by the ECU. The code reader can only prod it to do its thing, and read the results. The Gunson gives out a sequence of three-digit codes (actually, the first digit is zero, so it's 2 digits) which you can write down. More elaborate testers may remember and recall the readings, or even turn them into English, but there aren't any other tests they can do. All the testing is done by the ECU.

I prefer to do my own interpretation using (for example) the book by Charles O Probst. Although this is American, and doesn't mention the Cologne or any other 'foreign engine', the codes are the same and there's a wealth of data and technical description which takes you into how the system works.

The connection on the Gunson doesn't match the plug on our cars. But it's simple enough to connect:
The connector on the car has 3 wires:
blue/green, which goes to ECU pin 48 (STI: Self-test input),
brown/green, which goes to ECU 17 (STO: Self-test output) and
brown, which goes to ECU 40 and others (Signal return).
If you can find a 3-pin connector with these coloured wires (mine's a flat affair with male pins) then you're holding the diagnostic plug!

The Gunson has:
green, ECU STI
blue, ECU STO
red, Signal return

Other code readers may vary. The Gunson also has a separate power supply, which has a long red cable with a crocodile clip to reach the battery +ve.

So it's just a matter of connecting them up. Scotchloks are fine for this non-critical application.

The first time I used mine, all I could get was code 015 KAM (Keep-alive memory) test failed. So I checked ECU pin 1 for a permanent 12V feed to the memory, and it wasn't connected. I fitted a (fused) permanent live from the radio, and I had codes!

But then I had 041 and 042: no HEGO switch detected. So I checked the Lambdas (mine's an S3C): both dead.

So I replaced those, and worked my way through MAP, TPS (bad connections) and ISC (duff idle valve) problems.

So before all that, my engine was running continuously open-loop, and failing to remember its self-generating operating map. No wonder I had problems: it was over-fuelling all the time.

So: £30 for the Gunson, and £30 for the book, was a bargain to me!

Good luck!










Edited by mentall on Friday 18th December 17:07

Ianbailey

Original Poster:

29 posts

73 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Mental wow !! that was only learned the hard way and such a help to weekend mechanics like me much respect Ian

Ianbailey

Original Poster:

29 posts

73 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
RayTVR
Just a quick one did you get my *messnger” message?
Regards ian

RayTVR

1,074 posts

150 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Ianbailey said:
RayTVR
Just a quick one did you get my *messnger” message?
Regards ian
No sign of anything, you should be able to message through my profile on here

lancepar

1,042 posts

179 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Tip:
What I've found......

Make sure your user name appears top right of PH page, for some reason if the "sign in" request is there instead, then the "email me" option from the profile page don't appear.
I find if I click on the "sign in" option it changes to my user name yes

HTH

cool

mentall

469 posts

137 months

Saturday 19th December 2020
quotequote all
Ianbailey said:
weekend mechanics like me
Thanks, Ian.

Sorry if I made it sound as though I did it in a weekend, though: probably about 100 weekends, with loads of other work on the car as well!