Erratic Running After 3 Miles Élan M100 S2

[dravidham]

Hi folks

I run the car about once a month if it's dry, starts from cold runs fine until I have covered about 3 miles then runs erratic and lumpy so bad I think it's going pack up so I head for home, I had a problem like this about 5 years ago but the engine just failed after a few miles back then and the advice at the time was O2 sensor, was then replaced and that resolved the issue. For my current problem I thought maybe again it could perhaps again be the same sensor that has failed so I fitted a new O2 sensor but the problem remains, checked plugs removed caps one at a time first plug on the right made no difference but each plug in turn there after the running was worse, so changed the plugs for new ones but there is no change and the pattern the same, could the injector for the first plug I checked be faulty or a perhaps a coil? Could temperature be the trigger?

Regards,

Graham

[GeoffSmith]

Hook up ElanScan and log a run from cold until it runs rough.

[dravidham]

Hi Geoff,

I will track my Elanscan cable down and run a scan. It's been a long time since I used that cable and I have since changed computers - would you be good enough to confirm if the Elanscan cable works with Windows 7 please?

Thanks,

Graham.

[muley]

Graham

I can confirm Elanscan works on Windows 7

Rgds

Jim

[Peter_W]

If the ElanScan cable can't be found right away you could check for any stored fault codes using the paper clip method.

[dravidham]

Thanks to both of you. I will post back just as soon as I have access to the car and also the corresponding Elanscan test results.

Graham.

[dravidham]

If the ElanScan cable can't be found right away you could check for any stored fault codes using the paper clip method.

Thanks Peter,

If the cable is hidden a little too we'll that will be a great method to fall back on.

Graham.

[dravidham]

Well I tracked down my cable and needed to install the Elanscan software on my windows 7 laptop.I am using Com3 in device manager and Elanscan is also set to read Com3; however after much experimentation with ports, the closest I can get to a working device is when I am getting the dreaded error: Bad_echo_.28sent:_F4_56_01_B5:_received:_.29

Geoff - I used Elanscan software from a google search as the link to your site with the drivers seemed to be dead......perhaps the googled Elanscan software I have is at fault - would you be able to provide me with a working link to your software please for process of elimination?

Thanks in advance.

Graham.

[GeoffSmith]

http://www.lecinterfaces.talktalk.net/index.htm

[dravidham]

Many thanks Geoff - your speedy reply is much appreciated. I will try the cable again tomorrow with the software from the link you provided when daylight returns.

Cheers,

Graham.

[dravidham]

Good morning,

Well I uninstalled the usb drivers and elanscan software that was installed on my machine yesterday and after a reboot I freshly installed the usb driver and elanscan interface from Geoff's link.

Although the cable seems to be talking to the car, it is not quite right and I am getting an error "No Frame Start Byte Received" and then eventually the reoccurring "Bad Echo" message follows.

I have attached a screenshot that I took a few moments ago that details the error and also outlines my Com3 Port settings.

Am really keen to get a successful scan today so I can diagnose the car issue (my last day off work for a week). Do any of you have any suggestions as to how I can get this working on my Windows 7 Laptop please?

Thanks in advance,

Graham.

[epipete]

My sympathies to you, I too have the same issue with elanscan been trying to get it to work for over a year but without success! Geoff tested my cable (which was fine), and I've tried three different laptops! Same messages as you appear to have.

Lost the will to live late last year and have now given up!

[dravidham]

Hi Geoff - I have been unable to pm you (perhaps and issue my end) - do you have any suggestions on how I can get this cable up and running on windows 7. Any advice would be greatfully received.

Thanks,

Graham.

[Peter_W]

Lost the will to live late last year...

Oh my that made me laugh...a perfect summation of the frustration and despair caused by an elusive solution to a long standing problem.

[Simon_P]

Graham,

Can you post the file in something that I can see... lost the will to download rar software!

[GeoffSmith]

Happy to oblige Simon....

Elanscan Screenshot.zip

It is set up and working correctly Graham. The 5 lines in the error log are errors which occurred most likely when you started the engine and because the acquisition period is 100ms, this represents only ½sec of lost data. The rest is being captured ten times a second and displayed every second and would have been saved in a log file if you pressed <F4>.

Anyway, you have an error code of 300 which, if you expand the faults by clicking on the [+] to the left of the fault code, will show that you have a CAS fault and an EST monitor error.

[Simon_P]

Thanks Geoff!
What is an EST monitor?

Yup - looks like the errors are in the GPU!

[GeoffSmith]

EST = Electronic Spark Timing signal (which comes from the CAS via the coil packs to the ECU) so both codes are likely to have been thrown by the same problem. Check the connections (particularly to the HES) in the CAS and if it persists then it probably needs a new HES (A100E0102S on the Aftersales list for about £20).

A couple of related threads:
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=19213&p=248203
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=17630&p=231316

Yup - looks like the errors are in the GPU!

Yep - software deficiency not my hardware. Just wonder if troublesome Pete from down the road is the same.

[Simon_P]

Just wonder if troublesome Pete from down the road is the same.

.....What? The F4 error again?

I get a couple of errors with mine, but I consider it lucky that a 20 year old bit of car that talks very slowly in one language can talk to a new computer that talks very fast in another language, through an interface that I took 10 years to make, and a USB converter that has to be told to slow down, can communicate at all.

[epipete]

'Troublesome Pete' Indeed, I really can't recall when last I felt so offended

I'll have a look at mine tomorrow