Speed the Lotus Exige

Not much to report. Car is running well but still needs to be dialed in a little more. Between work and the 100 degree days just have not been able to do much. I did run a few logs, they look good so that is encouraging. Last Saturday I took it to a cars and coffee down town.

 

I have not solved that yet. I still have to sit down and figure that out. I don’t think it will hurt it but it does need to be addressed.

 

Been a while sense I have done an update on the Lotus. The Exige has a dead head fuel system. One of the previous owners put a high pressure fuel pump on it when the SC was added. The stock regulator could not keep up so the fuel pressure was a little high. I decided to add a regulator and a return fuel system. I am going to use a vacuum reference line so I will have a 1 to 1 fuel pressure rise with boost. This means I will have to retune for it. So I decided to add a fuel pressure sensor and data logger. The fuel rail and return line system was straight forward. I was happy to find there was an unused whole in the fire wall just above my fuel pump housing. I ran the return line through it and drilled a whole in the housing to place the return line in.
Pinning into the ECU ended up causing me fits though! First I had trouble finding the right pins. To use the fuel pressure sensor I had to de-pin the traction control(not used) and pin in the sensor and reassign the input in the software. The pin came put easy but I had trouble getting the new pin in. I decided to pull it out and see what was wrong. Well the wire came out but the pin stayed it!!!!! That was pain to get out but I finally did. Late yesterday I got everything pinned in and set in the software. Today I have to pull the fuel rail back off and tighten up one line it has a very small seep. Then I am going to do some clean up to make it look a little better, close the clam and get it back on the road. Once I do the tune I am not doing anything els to the car.


I hope!!

 

Let sleeping baby’s sleep and don’t screw with a Lotus when it is running!!!!!!!

Well I got the car together and took it for a ride. I did not go above 4000 RPMs on the first two rides. I was just checking to make sure my fuel pressure sensor, fuel regulator and data logger worked. All worked great!

knowing all was good (I thought) I took the car out to do same data logs and work on getting the AFRs dialed in. As soon as I got on a two lane highway I nailed it I got to 4500 (where the big cam actives) and bang the car died! Pulled over and it would not crank. I called Hagerty and set up a tow. I was about 7 miles from home. Called my wife who was really not happy with where I was sitting. 1 hour no two so my wife brought the laptop so I could try and find the problem. No dice. Wife is now worried but heads home. 2 hours no tow. Call Hagerty and they set up another tow. Call the wife…….someone is not very happy. I was close to a bad part of town and it would be dark soon. My wife shows up in my truck with a tow rope and tells me she is pulling me home. I get every thing hooked up and she pulls me and the dead Lotus home. That night my wife (she is great) told me forget the computer what would make it stop? fuel or spark I told her. So the next day I found a blown fuse to the injectors. But it blew agin as soon as I hit 4500.

I posted my log from the data logger for the guys on the ECU group to look at. One of the guys saw that my boost went to about 20 psi just before the fuse blew. That can’t be my max boost should be 10 psi. This turned into a month long head scratcher.

First we thought I had a blockage ether in the intake or exhaust. Pulled everything apart, nothing. Then Someone saw my big cam was not engaging that was causing the over boost. Next there were several sensor I tested. Finley one of the guys said it is not reading the cam position sensor. I did a continuity test and found one of the wires was showing open. I had already pulled the plug out of the ECH and pulled on all the wires to make sure they were in place. So I tried agin but this time I moved the locking bar. Well sure enough that one came out. I pushed it all the way in set the lock and just like that it was fixed!

This was the first time I honestly thought I would not get a car running. I am thankful one of the guys caught the sensor reading. The post does not give a true sense of all I looked at. Everyone agreed it had to be with something I touched. One guy even said depin each wire to the ECU and look at them. They are a pain to get to so I just tugged on them. If I had moved the lock I would have found it sooner.

live and learn. I don’t think my wife likes my Lotus anymore. I know one think I am not doing anymore mods! I have been told to leave it alone, I think I will.











P.S. have I told you guys ECU Masters makes a ECU for the R53?

 

It’s not their fault. All the tow company’s in Memphis are very bad. When the first one didn’t come I called them and the girl was rude and said they did not have the equipment to tow my car, after waiting an hour. Hagerty didn't know they had canceled with out telling anyone. Par for the course.

 

Yes I do agree!