Elise sport 160 Fuel pump problem

[sprooce]

Hi,

I'm suffering from starting problems ( it won't start ). Fuel pump doesn't run as usual to pressurise system on turning the key. It can be made to run and does pressurise the system but doesn't stop automatically. When the fuel pump has been run the engine still will not start - doesn't even kick.

Any ideas? Is there a fuel pressure sensor somewhere that may be broken??

Cheers,

Sprooce

[deltaf]

Fuel pump relay? Most prob its not energising the pump.
hth

[sprooce]

Maybe the relay is sticky. ( where is it BTW) but I can make the pump run by trying to start the car then quickly turning the ignition off and back on. The pump runs but doesn't turn off if I do that.

There's pressure in the tank after I've done this but the engine still won't start.

Thanks for your help,

Sprooce

[deltaf]

Hmm....cant tell you where the relay is hiding, but deffo try the fuse box/relay panel first.
HTH( a bit)

[Matt_T16]

Relay problem or ECU not sending the "pump on" signal due to it not seeing input from RPM or CPS sensors. Are there any error codes logged?

Matt

[sprooce]

haven't taken it to anyone who could check logged errors ( because it won't start :-) ). ECU problem sounds scarily expensive... hope it's not that.

will hunt for the relay... shouldn't be too hard to find. What worries me is that I can get the pump to run with my ignition fidling trick.. so maybe the relay is OK.. which leads me to worry that it might be to do with the ECU. :-(

Never had a car with an ECU before ( or fuel injection even ) so this is all pretty new for me.

Used to be pretty good with stone age carb technology but this machine is a completely different animal.

Thanks guys,

Sprooce.

[deltaf]

Do you know what engine management system it has fitted?
If you can find out for me, give me the engine capacity and code also and ill sort out the fault finding info for the model that uses that same management system.
At least youll have somewhere to start...(no pun)

[sprooce]

OK.. been out to the car. Can't find out very much - seems the Sport 160 comes with documentation for the standard 111S and a 3 page leaflet giving the technical differences between the types. What it doesn't give are the differences in locations of various fuses/relays / inertia switches! Maybe I'm not looking hard enough but they don't seem to be where I expected them to be. Anyway, the details:

ECU: Lotus ECU designation: ECM/A111E0050H
On the bottom of the ECU it says:
EFI Technology
OAEF710A00000
SN 0599

Engine number:
too hard to find ( just spent some time upside down in my engine bay ) I'll get it later.

Anyway as far as I know it's a K16 1796cc but it has a Lotus Sport 160 sticker on the plenum chamber. As far as I know it's the standard K series ( no VVC) but it has a different engine map to give more power.

Anything else?

Thanks again,
S.

>> Edited by sprooce on Friday 9th July 19:43

[deltaf]

So its a Lotus ecu? hmmmmm havent got the fault finding sheet for that baby unfortunately.
Is there ANY other makers name on it? Rover perhaps?
Was wondering if the Rover Mems ecu was being utilised ya see, modified by Lotus possibly.....
Most likely IS the relay tho given what youve said as if youre fiddling the key on/off/on/off to get fuel pressure and then itll run.....suggests the relay isnt consistently switching........however i HAVE been wrong before tho!

[sprooce]

Ah. Shame. Well now we get down to it. I've found a wiring diagram for the K series and there isn't a fuel pump relay!.... seems like it's run straight from the ECU via fuse 13 and the inertia switch ( which I can't find on the car ).

I'm not sure whether it's a MEMS with a different map... I suspect it might be. There aren't any other markings on the ECU but it has the same connector and appears to have the same diagnostic connector in the engine bay as the MEMS. Plug in replacement.

So we're heading back to Matt's suggestion that it's something to do with the ECU/ ECU sensors.

Maybe I'll have to admit defeat and drag it to the local Lotus people.

..... but it was working last time out!! I know, everything fails at some point.

Cheers for your efforts,
S.

[deltaf]

Ill have a shufti at all the stuff ive got for fault finding on the mems system and post it up on here asap mate ok?
At least youll be able to have a look and see if its about right for your motor.
HTH.

[eliot]

If this helps:

A quick google reveals:
www.elises.co.uk/models/sport160/
saying that's the ecu is efitechnolgy,

who's web site is:
www.efitechnology.com/


eliot.

[sprooce]

Hi all,

It is indeed an EFI Tech ECU. However their website ( as far as I could find ) has no particular mention of their work with Lotus... seems like this ECU is a tough one to find out about.

More research in the engine bay revealed a serious lack of servicing in the plugs and distributor areas. So much for the record of servicing!!

The plugs had been put in so tight that we needed to steep one plug in WD40 overnight and then get a stilson pipe wrench on the plug spanner!

So clean distributor and rotor, clean gapped plugs replaced, we tried to start her. No joy.

As a side effect of having this work done we found that the fuel pump would fire up and the ECU come online if the ignition was left turned on for 30sec to a minute.

I don't know why it worked but it was repeatable. So the engine runs fine and the problem is somewhere in the electrics or the ECU.

So I'll pull all the fuses and relays, check their contacts and hope that that fixes it.

Thanks for all your help,

S.

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[weed]

sprooce said:

Maybe the relay is sticky. ( where is it BTW) but I can make the pump run by trying to start the car then quickly turning the ignition off and back on. The pump runs but doesn't turn off if I do that.

It could be a faulty ignition switch.
This would be the electrical portion that the key turns, not the lock cylinder itself.
Find out if any other key on/start powered accessories are on the blink as well.
m.

[sprooce]

I've been experimenting some more.

I'm fairly certain that the ignition switch is OK ( not exhaustively tested however ) as everything else works fine and if I turn the key to on and leave it, after a while the fuel pump runs and all is well.

Something to look into a bit further though. Thanks,

S.

[sprooce]

OK. I take it all back Weed. More fiddling with the ignition switch as the focus has shown results.

A slight rotation of the key back towards off, after switching on, makes the fuel pump come alive and from there everything is perfect.

Gentlemen, thank you all for your time and advice. I think I know where to look for the solution now.

All the best,

Sprooce.