MIL light

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:44 pm

simon wrote:There still seems to be some problem with aftermarket induction kits, that would be the first thing I'd get rid of.

Doesn't seem to be as clear cut as this. If you read through all the threads you'll find that this is the standard Lotus answer to cover up what appears to be a problem with their dodgy A-spec software.

Post by **simon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:48 pm

Novice Racer wrote:Actually ran for months without a problem with the Hurricane. MIL light came on when I started the car to drive it off Robin ramps immediately after exhaust fitting, so I doubt whether the Hurricane is the route of the problem.

NR

I was replying to Steve's post.

Post by **simon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:50 pm

mac wrote:Why not take the car for a run down to the factory - do the tour and get the change done by Lotus Motorsport whilst you are there.

Good solution. Take a few days off work and pile loads of miles on the car instead of popping down to the dealer and swapping ECUs over

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:04 pm

But they don't swap over ECU's - you need to either take the ECU off yourself or drive the car down to a dealer and leave it with them.

Besides - think of it as a pilgrimage.

Mac

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:35 pm

simon wrote:
Novice Racer wrote:Actually ran for months without a problem with the Hurricane. MIL light came on when I started the car to drive it off Robin ramps immediately after exhaust fitting, so I doubt whether the Hurricane is the route of the problem.

NR
I was replying to Steve's post.

Yes, but presumably you mean all aftermarket induction kits, not just the pipercross?

NR

Post by **simon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:11 pm

Novice Racer wrote:Yes, but presumably you mean all aftermarket induction kits, not just the pipercross?

NR

Yeah, AFAIK it's a problem with any aftermarket kit on some of the toyota cars.

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:39 pm

SteveBanks wrote:
ryallm wrote:Contrary to popular belief if you have an A spec ECU you don't have to pay quite the full whack
Mark
I just noticed that the other day on the B&C site, I was under the impression that you had to pay £900ish so this is good news. Pain in the arse to send back though as I'll be without a car and at the mercy of Dealer/Lotus Motorsport. Why can't you just get a dealer to order one for you, go in to pick it up when it arrives and exchange for your old one at the same time? Would be a lot easier for the customer. I take it you like the change?

Because all they do to go from A-to-B is wipe it clean, stick on a B sticker and program some new code into the ECU

Robin

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:47 pm

robin wrote:
SteveBanks wrote:
ryallm wrote:Contrary to popular belief if you have an A spec ECU you don't have to pay quite the full whack
Mark
I just noticed that the other day on the B&C site, I was under the impression that you had to pay £900ish so this is good news. Pain in the arse to send back though as I'll be without a car and at the mercy of Dealer/Lotus Motorsport. Why can't you just get a dealer to order one for you, go in to pick it up when it arrives and exchange for your old one at the same time? Would be a lot easier for the customer. I take it you like the change?
Because all they do to go from A-to-B is wipe it clean, stick on a B sticker and program some new code into the ECU

Robin

Would not surprise me.

Mark, who did you deal with for your upgrade and how long did it take? All reports seem to be positive but people tend not to like admitting to spending lots of money for little return so convince me it's worth doing

And before anybody thinks this is an extreme and expensive way to switch off my MIL light, I was seriously considering upgrading before the bloody thing came on. The problem might not be induction related anyway so I still need to get my a-spec read first.

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:16 am

My MIL light came on at the weekend, one week after fitting the Hurricane induction kit to my Toyota-engined car. After AndyG read out the code (P0171, System Too Lean), we switched the MIL back off and it hasn't came on again (touch wood!).

I contacted the manufacturers of the Hurricane (via Eliseparts) and they said that this is the first they've heard of this and that they've sold plenty of Toyota engine Hurricanes without any such problems. They said it could be because the MAF sensor wasn't re-connected properly, but I'm pretty sure it is.

Lotus told me before fitting it that I wouldn't need any ECU adjustments for fuel mix, etc. However, when I called them after the MIL coming on, they denied all knowledge of this.

I think they simply just can't comment on aftermarket kits from a legal point of view, so just want to cover themselves by denying all knowledge.

Our resident expert, Dan, has however informed me that the ECU will now adjust the fuel mixture after getting that error and that the MIL will now not come back on.

Lots of conflicting info there, but I'm definitely going with what Dan has advised. I don't know much about this, so could be wrong, but it sounds like the increased airflow causes a "System Too Lean" MIL error, but following the reset of the system after this error is read out, the ECU adjusts the fuel mix accordingly and so this shouldn't re-occur.

My 2p on induction-related MIL problems on Toyota-engined cars!

Cheers,
D

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:17 pm

My MIL has now went off on its own after about 100 miles

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:34 pm

I think it re-checks the error status each time you switch the ignition on Steve. Did it go off after re-starting the engine or did it just go off while you were driving?

If it doesn't come back on, I would assume you probably don't have a problem, but remember I know nothing about this!

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:34 pm

Bulb has gone

(OK Its probably an LED

)

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:11 pm

It went off when I started it so the event that triggered it must not have reoccurred. I read somewhere about it resetting after 4 hot starts if the problem did not happen again within this time.

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Bulb has gone

Post by **simon** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:57 pm

When the hell are you gonna come get your pads? I might accidentally fit them if you don't get them soon

colin adams · Post by **colin adams** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 11:44 pm

Sounds a very familiar story. I have a pipercross and stage 2 on mine. MIL light kept coming on and going away occasionally. A few visits to MMC later they replaced the olde A-ECU with a B-spec one (free despite the fact we had by then gone out of warantee). So far the light has stayed out. Did not check to see if the bulb had also been removed.... colin