Technical lambda sensor??

[flapping lugs]

Hi eveybody
Hope you can help before i spend my money. Just got myself a nice sporting seicento, seemed ok for a few days, then started to use loads of fuel. I noticed a leak on the injection manifold gasket, and have sorted that. But its still drinking go go juice like its going out of fashion! I pulled out the lambda sensor, and it was black with soot,I cleaned it up, hoping it would help, but it hasn't. The end of the exhaust is black with soot too. Im thinking the lambda sensor has packed in, as obviously the car is running miles too rich. The injection light isnt on, and other than a rough idle the car runs well. I just wanted a second opinion before i splash the cash!
By the way, theres no leaks from any petrol pipes all the way from the tank to the engine. I reckon im lucky if im getting 30mpg

 

[ralphtown]

Sounds like the symptoms I had with my old Sporting.
Is it SPi? or MPi?

I advise you look for "davefromwatford" on ebay.
he,ll sell you a good second hand one for £15 and if it is,nt the Lambda,then you have,nt spent too much.But I suspect it is.

RALPH.

 

[flapping lugs]

Not sure if its spi or mpi as i dont know what they mean/are!! Im guessing single point injection and multi?. It will be a single point i think. When you take offthe air filter there is just one injector that squirts petrol into the throttle butterfly. The body of the injection goes into an almost mirror image of the exhausts coming out. Am i thinking correct?? Cheers

 

[fingers99]

SPI.

Check from brim to brim, part fill consumption figures are very unreliable.

Worthwhile trying a s/h lambda -- just about any FIAT one will fit.

Any problems hot starting?

If the car seems to be running cool, possible faulty thermostat (or some eedjut has removed it!).

 

[flapping lugs]

No problems starting, seems to run pretty well, although it does smell to be running rich from the exhaust (like the chokes on). Idle isnt too rough, but this could be the noise from the scorpion exhaust. Other than the alarming fuel cosumption its a great motor. I put £20 in on tuesday, (3 gall), the fuel light is on now at 38 miles!!!
If it was injection problems i would have thought the dash light would be on and it would be really running rough,if at all. Ive reset the ecu. I took the sensor out tonight and it is sooted up again. Its a really black soot.The air filter is clean and in good nick.
Oh, Ralph, I cant seem to find davefromwatford on ebay? Does he just advertise broken car parts?
Thanks again all

 

[flapping lugs]

looking at sensors on the net, how do i know what my engine code is. No codes or numbers seem to match my number off the sensor i have. Also is the fire engine the mpi engine?

 

[sei16v]

Coolant temp sensor (for engine management not gauge). When they go funny, they tend to stick the car in cold loop ( choke )... Thus running a lot more fuel through the car all the time as it never comes off auto choke...

Whenever i have a fuel issue, thats usually my first port of call...

Worth a look and usually only £10-15 from a motor factors such as CAS etc.

 

[fingers99]

looking at sensors on the net, how do i know what my engine code is.

No codes or numbers seem to match my number off the sensor i have. Also is the fire engine the mpi engine?

FIRE engine is 1108, can be MPI or SPI. 899 is only SPI.

You can PM jiminwatford (just like that) -- he's a member on here (but not in Watford!)

 

[fingers99]

Coolant temp sensor (for engine management not gauge). When they go funny, they tend to stick the car in cold loop ( choke )... Thus running a lot more fuel through the car all the time as it never comes off auto choke...

Whenever i have a fuel issue, thats usually my first port of call...

Worth a look and usually only £10-15 from a motor factors such as CAS etc.

Yes, but it usually makes them swines to start when hot.

Check the stat.

 

[ralphtown]

SPi has a big square air filter box MPi has a flat box with a fresh air inlet in one corner.

I could,nt get to the bottom of my poor running on my old SPI.
In the end,I threw sensors at it.
Turned out I,d been sold a nasty Chinese Lambda looking object.
Jim sorted me straight away.
he sent me a S/H one and the car was trasnsformed in a second.

RALPH.

 

[flapping lugs]

Hi again
Right, Ive changed the lambda sensor, and also the coolant temperature sensor, but still problems. I cleaned the plugs, put in the new sensors and it starts and runs lovely. Until I take it for a test. It has a scorpion (loud) exhaust. When the plugs and lambda is clean it sounds lovely and quiet, but once the engine is warm the tickover sounds to burble?? quite loud. Pull a plug out and its sooty, there is soot blowing from exhaust all over back of car. You can almost watch the fuel gauge going down! I have a feeling im missing a glaringly obvious solution??
I have taken the airbox off that many times, im unsure ive got the pipes to the air mass sensor the right way. If you stood infront of the car, looking at it as though looking into the engine bay, i have the black pipe going to the right side, and the brown one going to the left..Is this right, and would it make any difference?
Oh, I reset the ecu when changing the sensors. I haven't got to the end of my tether yet..but it can't be far off.
It is as though the choke is on and won't knock off. It does start up when warm,although probably abit more cranking than when cold. Any ideas welcome!

 

[flapping lugs]

Ahhhaaaa,
I knew it would be something obvious!! There was also a slight perishing to the air pipe to the ecu! Runs smooth now. BUT... When i got the car the tickover was high, so I pulled out the idle control valve, and cleaned it. While doing this, the shaft came off. I adjusted (screwed) it back on. Is there a length it should be, should it unscrew itself?, and would it be better just to buy a new one. The tickover saws abit revving/dieing etc..