Clicking from ECU area... DSMLink issues. URGENT!!!

[Boostin21]

This is beyond frustrating.

Tuesday 5-4-10
Car starts and runs no problem. Checked timing, car sounded and ran like a dream.

Wednesday 5-5-10
Car starts and runs as I check ignition timing. Go to start again, and while it was running there was a clicking noise coming from the ECU area. When some thing near the ecu started clicking the idle surged a little bit and would click as the engine would drop in rpms. The engine shut off and when going to start the car back up, it cranks but does not start.

The car was running for a good ten minutes to warm the car up and I shut it off for a little bit to retorque the head studs down. As I started the car again this is when the problems started, as stated in the above paragraph. No changes were made to the car between the starts.

I pulled the ECU and checked it for smells, leaks, and anything that looks wrong. I dont see anything. None of the caps apperead to be leaking and I checked to make sure the chip was not loose. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary inside.
ECMLink did the ECU. So i trust the work.

When the ignition is turned on, but the engine not running DSM Link will not connect to the laptop. The usb ports were verified in the computer and nothing has changed. The message that DSM link pops up with is the I/O Failed: Connection timed out.

Weird thing is, 4 weeks ago I drove the car and all was well. Absolutely ZERO problems.

I borrowed 2 socketed EPROMS from a friend today. I swapped ECUs with one in stock format. Cranked the car over and it chugged and popped like it was going to run. All 3 ECUs gave me the same result even with the DSMLink setup swapped over.

I am still being kicked off Link (IO FAILED: COMMAND TIMED OUT). I spoke with a very reputable member and he said it sounds like a relay is causing this issue.

I checked my MFI relay box that sits near the ECU and that seems to be fine.

I pulled the harness and am checking for broken wires and what not. My buddy and I are working on the harness and notice that my wires leading to the 3 ECU plugs are all tangled and arent neat whatsoever. We were comparing it to my extra 1g harness I have. Could this be part of the problem or should this throw up a red flag?

Help is greatly appreciated. All of this was COPY AND PASTED from the DSMLINK FORUMS. I have received NO help there and this is urgent to me.

 

[Boostin21]

battery has had the negative cable disconnected when it sits. It is a reasonably new optima red top. i will test it again solo and while cranking.
i can borrow a battery CCA/LOAD tested from work and check that as well.
I dont know.
Its just fishy that it worked and then while it was running it popped up with issues.

UPDATE:
I removed the engine harness and stripped it down, cleaned up all the wires where needed (solder, shrink tube). I tested the 2 injector resistors i have and the 2 MFI relays i have. All tested good.

Harness is back in, grounds were all double checked all relays installed properly.

Before i crank it over I am going to check the ignition timing again, I have a wierd feeling something is going on with the timing. We were checking it when the problem occured and... its just a gut feeling.

Has anyone seen the "IO FAILED: Command Timed Out" display before? What causes this? Bad relay?

 

That clicking you are hearing is probably the MFI relay dropping out. When it is acting up, I would check for +12 volts on ECU pins 102, 103, 107, 110, and 13.

 

[BoostedAWD91]

U make a post on the dsmlink forum?

 

[Boostin21]

^^^
Quoting Boostin21:
Help is greatly appreciated. All of this was COPY AND PASTED from the DSMLINK FORUMS. I have received NO help there and this is urgent to me.



KEYDIVER- I need to get a pin out. I have one laying around in the shop. Should i be testing at the ECU or off the harness? Also, does this mean that i have 2 bad MFI relays? The clicking noise has ceased since the first day.

Why would the 3 ECU's that i used, including mine, make it sputter with and without the LINK chip in them?

 

Ive had this same thing happen with a few chip burns, the only way i was able to cure the issue was to carefully
paint some dielectric compound on the led's of the eprom chip, that might be becasue im using a ZIF socket, but after I
did that everything was back to normal, My guess is the DSMlink isnt making a good connection with your eprom socket.

 

[Boostin21]

so should i check the connections to the chip? it seems like i have some work cut out for me. i'll let you guys know what i find tonite.

 

I'd say yes, My chip worked great in a zif socket for 6 months, then when i took it out to burn another
i couldnt get anything to work not even the original erpom untill dielectric compound was used, the same clicking
happened, another dead give away is the CEL will stay on and not got out like it should after 10 sec or so when you put the key to the ON pos.
not really sure if thats a common problem, Might only be an issue on ZIF socets, But it wounlt hurt to try thats for sure.

 

[Boostin21]

UPDATE:
After combing through the engine harness here are some other things i performed.
Tested the MPI relay voltage was good testing at 11.80-11.81 from a 11.94 voltage source. Checked resistance and got .1-.2 OHMS.
The injector resistor had resistance as well.

I crank the car over and NO start.
I have spark and fuel pressure.

I swap to a stock socketed ECU and received the same results.

Dielectric grease was placed in all plugs and obviously didnt make a difference.

Completely befuddled...

I still am receiveng the "IO FAILED:Command Timed Out" when trying to connect the laptop. So I will need to check wiring to the Diag. Port.
Next I need to check wiring to the resistor and power to the fuse block.

Im also going to check the CAS. I cant think of anything else... Im out of ideas other than rolling this car down a hill while in flames.

 

[Boostin21]

UPDATE:

I have spark.

When i hooked up a noid light to the injectors i got NOTHING! Again... The resistors tested good as well as the MPI relay. When I placed a test light on the #1 terminal of the harness to the CAS, the test light didnt light up. I need to check voltage still on the #1 terminal and they need to be between 4.8-5.4 ohms. When I hooked the test light up to terminal #3 it lit up.

I noticed that there was a break in the insulation of the white wire leading to the CAS. One wire coming out of one of the injector pigtails popped out of the plug. All the pigtails are super stiff.

Does this mean I have a bad harness (injector,CAS, TPS section).
Would it hurt to solder in a better section?

Thanks guys, its nice to make head way on this car at least... i guess.

Cullen

 

[Boostin21]

no new news... i cant figure this crap out.

 

[stevep]

What are you using to connect the computer to the ECU?
There are many things that would generate that error, which simply means that the DSMLink client can't talk to the ECU.

Does the ECU do the normal start up things like turning the CEL on and off and lighting up the boost gauge LEDs?

 

[Boostin21]

i never noticed them coming on... i have a keyspan cable setup. the green light is on when i try to connect.

 

[stevep]

If you don't then there is a good chance the ECU isn't turning on which makes looking any deeper a waste of time because nothing interesting happens until the ECU works.

I forget if the Keyspan LED turns on once it's attached via the USB or once the port is opened by the application.
The first just means it's plugged in, the second that the program found the port and is trying to use it.

 

[Boostin21]

sorry for a late response. i moved and dont have the internet at home at the moment. only at work.

steve, would you be able to inspect my ECU/fix it? im thinking its a bad harness and both of my issues are derived from the same source.

let me know if you can help and how much.

thank you

 

[stevep]

I can. The best way to reach me is always email. [email protected]