Hello, I am a new member and have only just introduced myself in the 'Newbie' section. I hope someboy will not mind advising me on a problem I've got. My apologies for the essay but I figured it best to supply as much information as possible?

It's a 51 plate and has done 23,500 miles, no problems up until now. 5 minutes into my journey from cold, the orange engine light came up on the dash and the car started spluttering. Pulled over and had a look under the bonnet, wiggled some things, got back in and it seemed ok once restarted albeit with the warning light still showing. Another half a mile, same thing again and I couldn't get past 20mph, or rev past 2000rpm. Pulled over and sounds like it's running on 2 cylinders. I called out the AA whose diagnostics gave a 'PO351' code, which I was told is Coil A primary and secondary circuit failure. Upon further investigation, it seemed that there wasn't a proper signal from the sender lead to the coil (with a test bulb inserted in the other coil's lead it flickered when cranked but Coil A's didn't - however when placing one leg of the test bulb to one pin on the Coil A lead it lit up solidly, the leg placed into the other pin of the lead showed nothing - I don't know what if any bearing that had on the diagnosis!)

He did a continuity test from the plug end up to the loom just before it plugs into the ECU and he said that was fine and that it probably is an ECU fault but would advise an Auto Electrician to look at it.

So that is where I am currently. After some searching I found references to a common fault on these MPI ECU's and a faulty coil pack causing the ECU to fail and to get the ECU repaired and 2 new coils. My ECU is the same code and hardware revision as another I saw pictured on here also.

Is this the route I should take or does anybody think I would need an auto electrician to look first. I'm low on funds and it was also booked in for it's MOT on Thursday aswell, then it's tax time once that's done

Thanks for bearing with me and I really would appreciate any help from the forum members here.

Kind regards, Jon

Welcome.

It does sound like ECU problem.

The coils should have a permanent live and they are then earth switched by the ECU, hence why you have a supply (light on) to the coil connector.

The only thing to try, which will probably confirm its ECU is to swap all the wires on the coils. You know that the coil currently running 1 and 4 is OK, if you make it run 2 and 3 and it still doesn't work, yet 1 and 4 run from the 'dead' coil, you have your answer.

Cheers

SPD

rallycinq said:

Welcome.

It does sound like ECU problem.

The coils should have a permanent live and they are then earth switched by the ECU, hence why you have a supply (light on) to the coil connector.

The only thing to try, which will probably confirm its ECU is to swap all the wires on the coils. You know that the coil currently running 1 and 4 is OK, if you make it run 2 and 3 and it still doesn't work, yet 1 and 4 run from the 'dead' coil, you have your answer.

Cheers

SPD

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Hello, thank you for your quick reply!

I see, so that would account for the light on through the lead, yet no flickering of the bulb when inserted to the two pin connector and turned over on the key?

Thanks for that tip, I see how that is logical and I do believe that he did try swapping the loom lead from the good one onto the bad one and it ran on those two leads, I'm sorry even with that essay I still forgot some information! The guy seemed still a little unsure and couldn't give me a 100% on an ECU problem and said to call an auto electrician. Would as you say, that confirm the ECU is at fault for sure and save me an electrician's fee? Could there be a fault in wiring or anything else? Sorry for more questions!

I have found coils on E-Bay that are cheap at about £12 plus a few pounds postage each and I've also seen original replacement (Magnetti Marelli?) ones at over £30 each - would the cheaper ones be ok to use or would I be putting a new ECU repair at risk using cheaper coils?

Thanks very much once again, Jon

I've heard that coils can cause the ECU problem but not personally experienced it.

Generic coils should be fine.

The threads you searched earlier will give you details of where to get your ecu rebuilt.

Chers

SPD

rallycinq said:

I've heard that coils can cause the ECU problem but not personally experienced it.

Generic coils should be fine.

The threads you searched earlier will give you details of where to get your ecu rebuilt.

Chers

SPD

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OK, thanks for your quick input and I have found a company up north that will do the repair on my unit. Hope I'm up and running again soon!

Kind regards, Jon.

Re: MPI Schumacher Seicento ECU and Coil Q More Info

Hello again, I don't know if rallycinq or anyone else is available to help on this one but I've just been out and again tested rallycinq's advice above to find the following:

Coil A (Fault Code above reading failure), swapped this lead onto Coil B which was running and now will not fire with Coil A's lead.

Vice Versa and Coil B's lead (which runs) will not fire Coil A.

I am assuming then, that I have both a failed Coil A and a faulty ECU which isn't providing signal through that wire - would this be correct?!

Thanks for looking, Jon

Yup, sums it up nicely.

Cheers

SPD

Hi, I wanted to say thanks for the help and support and to provide an update.

I installed the 2 new coils and repaired ECU and the car is back up and running lovely.

Off for the MOT tomorrow morning and (hopefully) a new tax disc on the way home!

Even though I have had the battery negative disconnected while repairing, now the car is running again, the orange engine light is still lit - will this need to be removed via the diagnostic reader or should I try removing the negative lead again?

Kind regards, Jon

The light should go off is there is no fault. There may be an issue with unburnt fuel still in the exhaust causing the lambda/O2 sensor to think there is a problem.

If it doesn't go off itself soon, may need to get the code read.

Cheers

SPD

rallycinq said:

The light should go off is there is no fault. There may be an issue with unburnt fuel still in the exhaust causing the lambda/O2 sensor to think there is a problem.

If it doesn't go off itself soon, may need to get the code read.

Cheers

SPD

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Just to confirm, the info above was indeed correct. The following day, the engine light went out and has been fine since. MOT passed with no advisories and now back on the road.

Thank you for your help,

Jon

SchumacherSeicento said:

Just to confirm, the info above was indeed correct. The following day, the engine light went out and has been fine since. MOT passed with no advisories and now back on the road.

Thank you for your help,

Jon

Click to expand...

Now for some Italian tuning.

Check all levels, get the car fully warmed through, then..... go for it. In a controlled manner and don't break any road taffic laws.

Cheers

SPD