K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

K-Series Programmable ECU installation questions / support issues
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garz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm

K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by garz »

It’s a 2004 K20A2 supercharged lump in a Lotus Elise running a Kpro - the PRA type ECU if that makes a difference

car was put away before lockdown and only now getting it back on the road – was starting and running perfectly before - no electrical or mechanical changes since laying up.

engine cranks fine and seems to fire occasionally - but will not catch and run

I thought maybe the petrol was just old and gone bad – have heard this can happen - so have put 10litres of fresh 99ron in there (that’s what its mapped on) - I’m told that even if it has gone bad a 50/50 mix of old and new should be enough to allow it to start - then just take it to the station and fill up to dilute the old.

Also purged the fuel system including the rail and pipes from the reg - to ensure the fresh fuel mix was getting through to the injectors ( I collected the old fuel I purged and it looks perfectly clear and normal colour – zero water or crap in it)

fuel is getting through - smells strongly of fuel after 30 seconds of starting attempts - took plugs out and they are wet with fuel also - but otherwise gapped fine and clean

the fact that it does fire and nearly run – seems to indicate that the coil packs are OK - and even if one had failed it would start on 3 …

battery seems fine - cranks at around 200rpm - when it nearly catches it will get to 400+ rpm but still not go. Does this each time I try within the first 4-5 seconds of cranking - then is Flooded after 30 seconds of trying - and will not fire at all after that.
no error codes via kmanager, no daughterboard coms errors or MIL light

can datalog while cranking – and all looks as expected to me – ECU is reporting Cam angle and RPM so I assume this means it can see the crank sensor and cam sensors?

Injectors are pulsing
What else does it need to fire?

All sensor readings are as expected – none seem flaky or giving odd values

I wondered if somehow the map might have become corrupted so wiped it and re-uploaded a fresh copy - tried 2x just to be sure – but no change.

Will upload the cranking log and map.
log
lotus cranking log 090521.kdl
(742.45 KiB) Downloaded 61 times
map
lotus live map as of 24062017.kal
(127.25 KiB) Downloaded 68 times
can you help ?
garz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by garz »

updating with further info

Serial no of K-Pro: 3682
Software: 4.0.8.0
K-pro Firmware version. 1.01
ECU part number.37820-PRA-E13
ECU serial Number: 37930-5183
KManager version 4.0.8
garz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by garz »

mainly i am looking for help on how i can rule out the ECU / K-pro as a potential issue

is Hondata able to do that from the log and cal and sensor readings - or could that all look fine and there still be an issue with the ECU
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Spunkster
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Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 5:06 pm
Location: Hondata

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by Spunkster »

Start by downloading the most recent version of software and uploading the calibration to the ECU using that version.
garz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by garz »

Thanks for the reply Spunkster

But I’m not quite following the logic there.

The kmanager version that I’m using is the exact version that was used to map the car in the first place and has been used successfully to upload fresh maps to the car since without any issue.

Are you now saying that version causes problems.

2 diff tuners and I myself have experienced issues when uploading maps dyno tuned on an older version of kmanager with a newer version of kmanager. Issues like changing various setting in the cal. Tick boxes checked that were not checked in the original cal.

So while it takes 30 seconds to write. Upload using the latest version. In practice it’s a lot of work to screen shot every screen in each tab in kmanager in the old and check it item by item in the new uploaded cal.

And for what reason? The old kmanager version has worked fine since 2015 why should it only now become a problem?

Are you able to confirm the kpro is behaving normally from the cal file and log?
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Spunkster
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Posts: 22737
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Location: Hondata

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by Spunkster »

The software is out of date and must be updated.
garz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm

Re: K20A2 starting issues after layup - help please

Post by garz »

Actually. No it doesn’t.

Turns out the plugs had simply fouled when it didn’t start and then flooded on the old fuel.

Fresh set of plugs and it fired up first click.

If I had updated the software from the known working one and reuploaded the cal. I would still be checking through screens for every single tick box and option in case it had changed something.

Thanks for the help.
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