LEC Expeditionary Force in Cyprus

[epipete]

Ok, for the benefit of anyone who might be crazy enough to bring their beloved car to Cyprus, this thread will, hopefully, provide a journal of my motoring experiences.

The car was shipped from Felixstowe on 10 Sept 2015 arriving in Limassol on 25 Sept 2015, the service at the Port at both ends was very efficient and the SBAA were very good in guiding me through the importation process. The car was in the same shape as when dropped off at the shippers in Suffolk suffering no damage during transit. It is a point of legality apparently that Car Battery's are disconnected during the freight but mine wasn't, presumably because they couldn't find it and, so, was flat. They allowed me to jump it with a set of leads I'd secreted in the spare wheel bay.

Cyprus roads are a mix of good and bad, the main trunk being very good some of the town roads, what we might term B Roads are sometimes quite poor. They also seem to delight in putting Road Humps in Village locations, some of which are either very high or rather visually obscure, during the drive back from the port today I encountered 8 in the last couple of miles, by braking before them and allowing the front to return to normal hight just as you approach them I managed to only catch the rubber bumper finisher one and traversed the other seven with no problems. At night when they are hard to see in unfamiliar locations it might be very different, so there is a need for extra vigilance.

Anyway got the car home, tomorrow off to the MoT station to see what problems there might be.

[GeoffSmith]

Plenty of spare rooms then....

[epipete]

We are kinda rattling around, we arrived together a week ago and I haven't seen her since!

[GeoffSmith]

We were due to complete on the 17th. Then tomorrow. Just heard it's now Friday.

[epipete]

:D

We were due to complete on the 17th. Then tomorrow. Just heard it's now Friday.

Take heart, Geoff, it will happen; today, tomorrow, hey, man yana (probably misspelt but you get the drift!)

[cliff]

Nice one, happy she arrived safe and well. You two as well, hope you are settling in. Guess leaving XIL behind means that I am only an associate member of the force.

They have dug up the road through Ayia Thekla (again!) so it's either a 10km detour on the motorway or a bit of offroading down some dirt tracks to get to the unpaved beach road then a quick drive to the shop and/or pub. Even coming off the motorway, it's still dirt roads to the pub & shop. Given that I have bottomed the Audi rental car several times this week, you are very brave to bring the Elan down here. The kerbs round here are a killer as well, as for the speed bumps.

Would love to bring mine down but common sense points to the Grand Cherokee. Seriously thinking about fitting something like this on the Cherry;

http://www.cruisinon.com.au/jeep-access ... wk2-12-14#

I know Dave P has done something similar on his car, but I like the simplicity of the design if not the price. There is plenty of scrap steel plate in Scunthorpe so I am sure I could knock up something for the Elan & the Cherry.

[epipete]

Well, the hard work starts now! Took it for its MoT today (in fairness I had reservations and suspicions beforehand) and it failed on exactly the issues I thought it would - Rear Brakes, Hand Brake and Emissions (7point8), and a Floppy Front Light (for which I have the pellets to hand). Oh, they also thought it was noisy, my 2.25 PNM exhaust obviously didn't impress. Their test is very stringent covering everything using some very sophisticated and impressive equipment - the Shock Test had me worried but they all passed!

I have 10 days to fix, obviously untrue but the retest cost rises after. Taking them one at a time then:

Rear Brakes & Handbrake. The best, I assume, but not cheapest solution to the is to go to PNM and buy their modification get it shipped and fitted over here. Any thoughts. Tis a pity as I spent a small fortune refurbing my old Calipers (and a gratis set which are on a boat somewhere) prior to shipping! I'll maybe market them to try to recoup some of the costs.

Emissions. Not sure where to start with this, will going closed loop fix the matter once and for all? Need to do a paper clip test to see if I can get it in Service Mode and then take it to a garage to check base timing, again, will this affect the emissions? What else???

Floppy Front light. I need to go buy some grease and a socket set & screwdrivers as mine are on a boat, but that is minor stuff. Of interest how much grease do you put into the large cog with the pellets - ram it full (as I did last time) or just a smearing of the pellets, and at the base of the lift motor is a screw that moves the armature up and down, is there any way of knowing the optimum setting for this?

Finally, they didn't include noise on the fail list so my suggestion that it was ok in England seemed acceptable to them so this can be left alone, indeed, after my last service I thought it considerably quieter anyway!

Pete

[epipete]

Thanks Cliff, I brought the car over cus I thought it would be an enjoyable thing to have, as indeed I still do. I can't see me doing lots of miles in it and intend to get a more practicable car - Freelander or similiar as the shared workhorse.

You are right though XIL is probably to (I can't think of a suitable adjective but you know what I mean) to risk out here.

I thought about Sump protection but the main risk since, I don't intend leaving the metal roads in it, is from the speed bumps and pot holes, the former would 'kill' your Rad (and front end), the later your suspension, so I'm not convinced there is that much risk to the Sump.

[HJ2]

About the emissions: In what ballpark are you now, and what are you (or the bloody Cypriotics) aiming at?

[epipete]

About the emissions: In what ballpark are you now, and what are you (or the bloody Cypriotics) aiming at?

CO is 7.8 it should be below 3.5,

[Fredjohn]

Pete
That is pretty high, but a couple of ideas.

Adjust the CO pot near the ECU....full instructions in WSM and probably here and WikiLEC too.

Before testing, let the engine run up to high temp and allow the fans to cut in and out a couple of times (given your history you may be nervous at doing this!!!!!). This worked for me and in fact is what the WSM says to do before taking a reading.

Checking base timing and generally the correct set up is good policy too. Also check you have a clean/new air-filter. If this is clogged it will run too rich.

If all that fails, then going for closed loop may be your only option. You will need the CO sensor, completion of wiring to ECU if not already done (typical Lotus, some cars came with it some without) and the correct prom id chip for the ECU...1499. Your car probably is 9929. Again full instructions in WikiLEC.

Sorry to hear about the brakes, although like you not surprised. The PNM conversion is easy to fit, what is not easy is removing the original brackets that hold the existing callipers to the bearing/suspension carrier. Mine were well seized in. I removed the carrier from the suspension links and took it in to a garage. They welded a big nut to each seized bolt and they then came out easily.

Hope otherwise all going well and you are enjoying a new found youth in the sun. (So long as SWMBO doesn't find out about the youth you'll be fine)

[HJ2]

Holy cow!
You are not going to fix that with a closed loop installation. It smells like there is something wrong indeed.

Check the sparkplugs for color. Any of them black? If yes, check the injectors.
Also the CTS, MAP and Air temperature should be checked.
Also check vacuum plumbing for any leaks.

Combined with the tips as per above this should be almost a guarantee that you find the culprit!

[epipete]

Oh, you've alarmed me there somewhat! Obviously, I'm not going to find any specific dedicated Lotus Mechanic here on the Island nevertheless there should be a load of experience with Isuzu engines albeit not this one. Is it reasonable of me to expect some benefit in this when searching for a mechanic?

[HJ2]

I'd think so. This is not Lotus specific.
Perhaps find a GM / Opel mechanic with experience with the 80's models

The figures are so much off that I expect you'll find the cause. (unlike mine now...)

[epipete]

I've just done the paper clip test and all I get is 12 repeating, which suggests no codes held! What does this tell me?

When I start the engine, in service mode, it runs at just below 500rpm, (according to the Rev counter (I currently lack the means of being more accurate being as everything is on a boat) obviously on the cusp of stalling?

Any thoughts of what to do next, please

Pete

[HJ2]

Start with setting the base timing as per wiki:
http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Base_Timing

[epipete]

Start with setting the base timing as per wiki:
http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Base_Timing

Ok, as ever (cus I'm dumb) a couple of questions re the wiki:

#11. Important: now you must slowly raise the engine speed over 2,000 rpm, then return to idle slowly to reset the IAC valve (at the 20 count position). - what does 'at the 20 count position' mean?

#17. Cycle the RPM - again what does this mean?

Probably going off at a tangent but is there any thing needed to be done to the Idle screw in the Intake thingy, as the testers spent ages fiddling with it, so before I start I guess I should reset it? (I think they thought it was the CO Pot, maybe.)

Finally, more in hope than expectation, if the timing is way out will its correction go some way to improving the emissions?

[dapinky]

Pete,

the '20-count possition' is nowt to worry about (for you) - it's merely the factory-set idle possition of the mechanism, - just raise the revs, let them drop and it will set itself!

Cycle the revs just means run it up to 5K (or so), let it drop, do it again - job done.

If they've buggered about with the idle screw it needs to be in the right place to start with - with the paperclip in (service mode), set it to 950rpm. If you can't get it into service mode (because of your previous ECU ALDi issue) - turn it all the way in (clockwise), undo it 1 1/2 turns, and thats a good starting point.

Then set base timing, then reset idle.

As a 'temporary' adjustment to the CO reading, if one of the vacuum pipes accidentally falls off just before the test, it will allow more air in and reduce the emmissions (it would make it a bit of a pig to drive smoothly, though - so would need 'finding' shortly after the test is complete.

[HJ2]

Top tip Dave!

[Rambo]

About the emissions: In what ballpark are you now, and what are you (or the bloody Cypriotics) aiming at?

CO is 7.8 it should be below 3.5,

FFS

My red one has typically been 2.88, 1.98 and 1.46 % the last 3 tests

The yellow one has typically been 3.08 and 2.34% the last 2 tests

And my black one has been an unbelievable 0.13 and 0.17%

Something is seriously amiss if yours is up at 7.8% but hopefully you will get that down <3.5% by doing what the "experts" have suggested