Lumenition C460 problems

[John Gaines]

Lumenition C400 probems

A bit of a long story so please bear with me. 2L blacktop Zetec on Jenvey throttle bodies 
A couple of years ago I was setting off to the classic Le Mans. The car had been running fine. I put the battery on trickle charge over night and when I set off in the morning it ran like a sick dog. hesitating and missing all the way to Newhaven. When I finally arrived it cut out and refused to start. I had a spare set of plugs which I changed and noticed the crank sensor wire was next ti the live off the battery. I moved the cable away and it started and ran like a watch all the way down and back. 
When I returned to the UK the car broke down 20 miles off the ferry. Turned out to be a dead cell in the battery. so I purchased a new battery and alternator as it had stopped charging. 
After a new battery and alternator I can't get the car to run cleanly, it hesitates and misses and will not tick over. It smokes with a whitish plume and the plugs are sooty. I have replaced the following; 
Plugs, coil pack, leads, air temp and water temp senders crank sensor as well as draining the fuel. 
Any suggestions as where to look next would be appreciated. 
I have spoken to Steve at road and race who originally mapped the car ( it ran like a dream) and he has said that the ECU would either work or not. It must be something simple but it is driving me round the bend. The ECU is from 1999 so 20 years old but has always run fine.
Regards, Jon

[Geoff Brown]

20 year 'old tech' ECU - well done for it to last that long. Could be the ECU in terminal failure mode? Is a Lambda sensor fitted as you have not mentioned that?

The white plume could indicate over rich fueling consequently fouling the plugs & causing poor running. Not an expert on ECUs (one will be along shortly)  but what you have related leans toward a problem with engine fuel &/or ignition control.

[John Gaines]

Thanks Geoff, the lamda sensor was only in while it was mapped. I am going to contact Steve to see if he can check the ecu as I can't see anything else. Might be time for a new unit!£££ It does seem like over fueling as the plugs are fouling up. 

[Molecular--Bob]

Check your tps hasn't moved as this will lead to miss-fueling as it will be using the wrong cell in the fuel map for a given throttle position, but no idea how to reset it if it has.

[garybee]

As it started happening at the same time as you fitted a new alternator I'd be wondering if it was related.  Have you checked the voltage with the car running?  Have you disconnected the alternator (run just from the battery for a short while) to see if it runs the same? 

[John Gaines]

I have just started it with every thing connected and the battery was at 12.57, but when running it dropped to 11.7 and dig not increase when revved. Possibly the alternator not wired correctly?

Would 11.7 have an effect on the ECU?

[garybee]

I'd expect it to run fine at 11.7v but I suspect you're zeroing in on your problem here.  I certainly wouldn't be looking at anything the ECU is doing until you've got to the bottom of what's happening with the alternator.

[Geoff Brown]

Something that I forgot to query was the fact that there is no Lambda fitted?

A feed back of data from the Lambda sensor is essential in part for the ECU to offer the correct put or take of fuel along with other inputs - including the TPS.

So with the sensor removed after mapping the ECU could be a little lost with what to do.

[garybee]

I'd expect his car to run open loop only so no lambda required after mapping.