Getting it started

[craigr]

Hi all,
 
I have some starting/idle problems with my FD currently and am looking for some advice.
 
Very long story, but basically RE:Worx have done a rebuild for me, with a street port, and strapped on a T04Z. The car came back to me a fair while back and was then sat in the bodyshop for over 10 months whilst the kit and respray were being completed.
 
When I collected from the bodyshop they had problems starting it. Did a fuse/relay-out, plugs-out spin over and start and it seemed OK, if a little rough at the edges.
 
It has now been in my garage for a few months with periodic starting. It kept flooding, requiring the plugs to be pulled, etc. I then killed the battery with all the charging and flattening, so I bought a new battery and some new BUR9\'s all round (what Geff had put in originally).
 
Last couple of weekends, it failed to start again, but after deflooding it would finally fire up, followed by the usual clouds of smoke, rough sounding revs, etc. However, this time it will not clear itself, let the revs drop below about 2.5k and it is in danger of dying. If you release the gas it does die.
 
Geff has suggested I get it over to him as the frequency of flooding is pointing to some issue that needs resolving, however as it won\'t start I am rather stuck.
 
I was wondering - the guys set the Apexi with a base map for the run-in of the rebuild (1000 miles) - is there any way it could have lost this map ? Before it would hit the rev limiter at c.4k, but now it can rev beyond that. If it has lost the map, is it worth shoving the stock ECU back in there and seeing if it would cope with the single turbo, bigger injectors, etc ?
 
Worst case, I guess I will need to pay for a tow truck.
 
The car has been in project mode for nearly 2 years now, and I\'ve not driven her for that amount of time - getting really frustrating !
 
Cheers in advance for any advice,
 
Craig

[g11ary]

The Apexi should not loss its map, it would suggest possibly a map sensor problem or similar, vacuum related. Check the hose to the map sensor is on.
With all the money spent dont risk driving it, join the AA and get a breakdown recovery to Reworx or hire a trailer.

[yehreally]

FOOK dont change the ecu PHONE geff.

[clive]

If you plug the standard ECU back on and the car starts o/k you will be able to drive the car safely back to RX Worx at limited revs no matter what the engine spec is.

(the stock ECU will not let the engine damage itself)

[Fendamonky]

^ You put a LOT of faith in the stock ECU...
 
I wouldn\'t trust the stocker an inch with what all has been done to his car. Yeah... I\'d def get her towed down to Portsmouth quicklike.

[clive]

^ You put a LOT of faith in the stock ECU...
 
I wouldn\'t trust the stocker an inch with what all has been done to his car. Yeah... I\'d def get her towed down to Portsmouth quicklike.

It\'s because I have done the above quite a few times and its also very usefull for stating an unmapped car,

It will only let you rev to somthing like 2800 and the engine cuts but thats enough to drive it down the road o/k , (limp mode)

I drove around my car with a gt42, 1600 injectors etc 100 miles like this to get a map put in one turn,

Also if the car startsThis will let Craig know if it\'s an ECU fault as well  

As to whether he drives it like this or not depends if the guy has the money to trailer the car back portsmouth

[Fendamonky]

I honestly thought that the stock ECU was good for a stock engine (or near stock), only..


Once you go with the single, port job, uprated injectors, etc it\'s pretty much out of it\'s league I though..


On the other hand..

Personally I would be checking the Odometer and looking very closely at the body shop you took it too... A freshly rebuilt, higher power, 7 chilling in a body shop for 10 months just screams temptation. I\'d NOT trust any old panel banger/painter to be responsible with my fresh rebuild for that long.. Any quick warm-up and gentle drive around the block could QUICKLY turn into "let\'s see what this baby\'s got!"... and then POP!

[craigr]

Thanks for all the advice guys.
 
I hear what Clive is saying, and agree that at least it will show whether it\'s something to do with the Apexi. However - I have been mega careful to-date, and don\'t want to ruin the engine if there is something other than ECU that is causing problems. I think the best bet is to trailer it over.
 
For info, I have been in touch with Geff a number of times and he is on standby to look at it whenever I can get it across.
 
In terms of the bodyshop, I trust them absolutely implicitly, the mileage is exactly 21 miles more than when Geff did the rebuild, as that is all I have done since getting it back. The TLC the guys in the bodyshop showed when doing the bodywork proved they would never have abused the situation.
 
It\'s probably one of those ridiculous situations where a vac hose has popped off, or the ECU ground is dodgy or something, and 2 mins with Geff will resolve everything.
 
Thanks once again for the advice.