To EECS or not to EECS - That is my Question

[Jeemy]

OK,

Without having more time to trace wires and post pictures (the sun is out but we now have gale force winds, and I cannot windsurf for another 2 weeks - so frustrating) I have one problem to solve before I can rebuild my engine bay.

I don't have an EECS solenoid valve.

In my engine bay, I have the EGR solenoid, but not the EECS. As I understand it the EECS is a Fed variant to comply with US or Californian emissions law, and something to do with the cat. All fine and well, but if you look here:

P1010279.jpg

Which is the best picture I have (out of 400, who'da thunk it) - I do have the connector.

And I have what I think is the other end of it sticking out underneath near the gearbox. And I am fitting the Piper 2.5" kit with the sports cat.

So do I need to fix up the EECS system, or can I just ignore it and assume this cabling is just there in case this car decided to be a Fed model?

I wouldn't concern myself but there have been a few 'modifications' I have had to troubleshoot where shortcuts have obviously been taken by owners or mechanics in the past.

Googling, reading the manual etc, I have gone as far as I can go. Help please?

[rip]

Does it work without it? If so, I would ignore it.

I have several unused connectors under my bonnet & it works fine.
All SEs have the lambda sensor connector but only fed models were fitted with the sensor from new.

[Jeemy]

Ah, my dimwittery becomes manifest. This is the O2 sensor connector? I have this to fit when I put the new exhaust in. I thought it connected somewhere under the nearside wheelarch. Because the car is on ramps I have no easy way of getting inside the wheel arches until it can move under its own steam and come down.

It 'worked' before. In that I drove it 400 miles trouble free to get it here although the tracking rods are worn, or the wheels not aligned or both, so there was noticeable judder 50% of the time above 50mph.

But there are so many disconnected parts - immobiliser, positions 1 & 2 on the heater, what appears to be a BOV, to name a few - together with so many things that I just wouldn't drive a car with such as MOT failure brakes, holes in the exhaust, and ancient mismatched tyres - that I don't trust anything on this car until I have the knowledge 100%.

I will take a good look at the closed loop manual and how the O2 sensor is meant to connect and go from there.

[rip]

although the tracking rods are worn, or the wheels not aligned or both, so there was noticeable judder 50% of the time above 50mph.

Mine did that very badly at 50 when I applied power. When I lifted off, the vibration calmed down.
In my case it was caused by worn driveshaft components.

[Jeemy]

aaargh. i have no real choice to push onwards at this stage…..

[HJ2]

What is the EECS exactly and what does it do?
After reading this i still don't have any clue ?!

[Jeemy]

I really should have updated this and not left bad info when I (I think) got to the bottom of it.

Its not the O2 sensor - its exhaust emissions - the evaporative emissions control system.

It would be fitted on US cars as I understand it to have them conform to stricter emissions laws. The plug I found at the other end implies something is connected near or in the flex joint of the exhaust or at the foot of the downpipe, which feeds back to it.

This is still be an O2 sensor - but I think its purpose is purely sensing unburnt fuel, where our down-pipe installed O2 sensor reports the air-fuel mixture and adjusts it to improve performance; the EECS would measure the air-fuel mixture and try to ensure the fuel would not exceed a certain illegal limit. Presumably this means performance is or can be compromised. Thats all I gathered before moving on as I didn't need to fix it.

[GeoffSmith]

Pretty pointless unless you're going to go to add a vapour canister and plumbing like the S2s. And it's nothing to do with emissions when the engine is running: It's to prevent the release of petrol vapours from the fuel tank (EVAP control).