Technical South African with a problem

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Technical South African with a problem

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I have to apologize for my ineptitude with managing stuff in threads but I'm posting the original first post from a "conversation" a chap - Shepherd3 - is having with me in "Conversations". He's very unfamiliar with the forum and I'm trying to guide him to this thread but he's not got here yet. He's asked me if I would transfer our entire conversation here in case someone can help, but I don't know how to do that. His problem seems to be that his car runs poorly with excessive fuel consumption and misfiring when it gets hot - he says after maybe 20 kilometers. Runs reasonably well from cold though. He has one of these fitted: http://unichip.pt/en/40-unichip-version-q.html and I think it reasonable to suspect that that's where the problem lies? perhaps not even the unit itself, but a poorly executed installation? Anyway, I've made a number of suggestions to him with the main one being to remove this tuning box, double check all connections/connectors and see how she goes.


Hallo guys i have my pand 1.2 2011 model it have problem loses of power ,bad idriling,more fuel consumption, cutting off some time misfirring help me i need this car what is problem i bought new plugs injectors i even change Mph sensor but no change

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Going to try something else so hang onto your hats:

Hallo guys i have my pand 1.2 2011 model it have problem loses of power ,bad idriling,more fuel consumption, cutting off some time misfirring help me i need this car what is problem i bought new plugs injectors i even change Mph sensor but no change

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Yesterday at 5:36 PM
Hallo guys i have my pand 1.2 2011 model it have problem loses of power ,bad idriling,more fuel consumption, cutting off some time misfirring help me i need this car what is problem i bought new plugs injectors i even change Mph sensor but no change
Hi Shepherd. Have you linked a scanner/code reader to it? I'd expect to find some trouble codes posted with the problems you are describing. If so then the codes will give you a flying start to finding the problem.

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
Yesterday at 5:47 PM
Hi Shepherd. Have you linked a scanner/code reader to it? I'd expect to find some trouble codes posted with the problems you are describing. If so then the codes will give you a flying start to finding the problem.
Thankyou the problem is i bought it was buypassed that why i want to try manual do u advise me to buy another computer boxs?

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Yesterday at 7:39 PM
Hi Shepherd. The likelyhood of sorting this out from a distance with as little to go on as you can give here is very remote. You need to get it read for codes, when the outcome of that is known some more educated guesses as to what's wrong can be made. To read the codes you need to plug a scanner - like Multiecuscan: http://www.multiecuscan.net/ into the OBD port.

Why not try posting your problems in the Panda 1980-present Panda (Mk3) section of the forum, that way all the Panda people on the forum will see it and you're more likely to get suggestions?

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Today at 9:34 AM
Good morning Shepherd. I've been thinking some more about you and your car. I see your forum details say you're in Motherwell, but the car doesn't have a British plate and the background in your picture doesn't look very much like one I'd recognize. So can I ask, are you somewhere in the UK or somewhere else?

Also I'm trying to understand what you mean when you say it was Buypassed when you bought it and you want to try manual. What do you mean when you talk about "it"? I would guess you mean the engine ECU has been bypassed in some way? I'm struggling trying to understand what you mean. Has the ECU been bypassed in some way? (that would be a clever trick) What is it you want to try manually?

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
Today at 4:06 PM
Good morning Shepherd. I've been thinking some more about you and your car. I see your forum details say you're in Motherwell, but the car doesn't have a British plate and the background in your picture doesn't look very much like one I'd recognize. So can I ask, are you somewhere in the UK or somewhere else?

Also I'm trying to understand what you mean when you say it was Buypassed when you bought it and you want to try manual. What do you mean when you talk about "it"? I would guess you mean the engine ECU has been bypassed in some way? I'm struggling trying to understand what you mean. Has the ECU been bypassed in some way? (that would be a clever trick) What is it you want to try manually?
Hallo yes an in south african .the ECu have got a unichip am sure it used help the computer box not to detector some.other errors .On Manually am saying without using Diagnosis

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
Today at 4:12 PM
Hallo yes an in south african .the ECu have got a unichip am sure it used help the computer box not to detector some.other errors .On Manually am saying without using Diagnosis
Its realy frustrating bcuz if i park the car for hours and the engine cool down it will perform nicely later after driving for about 20km when the engine heat up it will start those problem

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
Today at 4:18 PM
Hre is the thing that wa used to by pass the ECU

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46 minutes ago
Hre is the thing that wa used to by pass the ECU
Aha! It's a tuning chip! It is an add on to the car's original ECU and does not replace it but instead attempts to modify the output to the ignition and fueling parameters to increase performance. Almost certainly this is the root of your problems. If it were my car I'd be tempted to remove it and simply run with the original ECU and see what happens.

Here's the website I found for them: https://www.unichipeurope.com/

I'm not at all into tuning modern cars, although back in the 60s/70s I messed about a lot with Minis/Anglias/Cortinas/ Beach Buggies and others. I do use Multiecuscan (and VCDS on my VW group stuff) but wouldn't know where to start with something like fault finding your setup. If she doesn't work well after removing that chip box I suspect you're going to need an electronics specialist - who knows what other damage/faults the fitting of that box may have brought about.

All I can say is, Good luck my friend! Do let us know how it all turns out though won't you?

Have you thought about my suggestion to post in the Panda section of the forum? I know there are forum members who are very interested in tuning up their cars and may have advice for you.

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43 minutes ago
Aha, here's some more on it: http://unichip.pt/en/40-unichip-version-q.html

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
34 minutes ago
Aha! It's a tuning chip! It is an add on to the car's original ECU and does not replace it but instead attempts to modify the output to the ignition and fueling parameters to increase performance. Almost certainly this is the root of your problems. If it were my car I'd be tempted to remove it and simply run with the original ECU and see what happens.

Here's the website I found for them: https://www.unichipeurope.com/

I'm not at all into tuning modern cars, although back in the 60s/70s I messed about a lot with Minis/Anglias/Cortinas/ Beach Buggies and others. I do use Multiecuscan (and VCDS on my VW group stuff) but wouldn't know where to start with something like fault finding your setup. If she doesn't work well after removing that chip box I suspect you're going to need an electronics specialist - who knows what other damage/faults the fitting of that box may have brought about.

All I can say is, Good luck my friend! Do let us know how it all turns out though won't you?

Have you thought about my suggestion to post in the Panda section of the forum? I know there are forum members who are very interested in tuning up their cars and may have advice for you.
Click to expand...
Thank u so much i would like to forward it but am still new on this forum i thought i post in that forum if u can forward for me

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33 minutes ago
Always worth taking a very careful look at all electrical connections just in case there's a poor connection somewhere - always a possibility where something non standard like this has been added on. Also check that all the original ECU plugs are well pushed home into their sockets. I t can be a bit risky, especially in hotter countries where wiring looms may become brittle with the heat, but I like to pull connectors apart and check for internal corrosion of the pins and plugs. Might be wiser for you to just give them a good wiggle to improve any suspect connections?

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[IMG alt="Shepherd 3"]https://cdn.fiatforum.com/data/avatars/m/268/268739.jpg?1673085491[/IMG]
14 minutes ago
Always worth taking a very careful look at all electrical connections just in case there's a poor connection somewhere - always a possibility where something non standard like this has been added on. Also check that all the original ECU plugs are well pushed home into their sockets. I t can be a bit risky, especially in hotter countries where wiring looms may become brittle with the heat, but I like to pull connectors apart and check for internal corrosion of the pins and plugs. Might be wiser for you to just give them a good wiggle to improve any suspect connections?
Thank.u

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6 minutes ago
I'm not sure how to forward our entire conversation to the main forum thread but I may be able to move your first post to the Panda section. I'll give it a go right now.

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I think it is very kind of you to attempt to help Jock.

Very good advice to remove the "tuning box"
After that it needs a diagnostic code reader, then interpretation of any fault codes.
Questions answered about
Mileage on vehicle?
Service history?
Any modifications to air filter?
Does it have an air filter element fitted?
Is the exhaust in good condition?
Is the catalyst still in place?
Cooling system ok?
Temperature gauge showing correctly?

Probably lots more questions.

It is nearly impossible at such a distance and South Africa being so economically vulnerable with few experienced mechanics willing to take on such a job.
 
Worse when hot

Coil pack
Crank sensor
Fuel pump

Are a few possibilities, we need to diagnose the problem

Coil pack is probably the easiest to test

Warm the car up until it starts to fail, the see how far each spark is

Different fault but here's how I would test
Don't do this if you have a pacemaker
Don't lean on the bodywork
The spark always needs a better route to ground than you,

 
Last edited:
I think it is very kind of you to attempt to help Jock.

Very good advice to remove the "tuning box"
After that it needs a diagnostic code reader, then interpretation of any fault codes.
Questions answered about
Mileage on vehicle?
Service history?
Any modifications to air filter?
Does it have an air filter element fitted?
Is the exhaust in good condition?
Is the catalyst still in place?
Cooling system ok?
Temperature gauge showing correctly?

Probably lots more questions.

It is nearly impossible at such a distance and South Africa being so economically vulnerable with few experienced mechanics willing to take on such a job.
The milage is close to 180000
No modification on air filter
Ye exhaust is good
Yes the catalyst is still oky too
Gauge temperature always normal below 60
 
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