Found out another problem related to erratic idle.

The relay supplying the heater of the Lambda sensor can fail, causing the sensor to read rich at idle as it runs cooler, causing the ecu to 'lean out' the fueling and resulting in lean missfire at idle. All other driving conditions are fine.

For reference Bosch oxygen sensor part number is........0258 003 193 And use this link to find your local Bosch stockist/ motor factor http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/bdl/loc_se...oduct&intType=1

First things to look for when your SPI engine is not running quite right are air leaks. These leaks are usually the ends of the little black, red and yellow capillary lines, they tend to split as shown below and play havoc with the vacuum reading of the ECU. They should be a very tight fit and nothing less than excellent condition.

The main one that seems to cause a problem is the one on the end of the short capilary identified with white, from the back of the inlet manifold to the fuel trap. Located on this port on the back of the inlet manifold, again identified with white.

The fuel trap looks like this, has one short black port and long green port.

While on the subject of capillary tubes and fuel traps, there is a known problem of fuel causing blockage in these tubes, mainly the one identified with green, attached to the long green port of the fuel trap and the ECU at the other end. The symptoms of this are, hesitation when accelerating usually accompanied with a backfire in the inlet manifold and the car usually bucks violently. The only fix for this is to remove the tubes along with the fuel trap and blow through, remove the ECU and insert some cotton wool into the MAP ( Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor port and place the whole thing on a warm radiator over night. This is what is suggested in in a Rover service bulletin. Also ensure the capillary ends are in nothing less than excellent condition as above. The MAP sensor port as shown.

Other locations of air leaks are the breather system hoses and the evaporative emissions control system. Check all rubber hoses are in good condition, no cracks or splits. The main breather hoses to check are the ones supplying the purge valve and the charcoal canister. They usually leak at the purge valve shown here.

If the engine turns over but fails to fire, first check the inertial switch. This switch some times has a tendency to trip when you have hit a sharp bump or pot hole. Its purpose is to stop the fuel pump spurting fuel all over the show in the event of an accident. Press the centre of the top down to reset. This is not the only thing to stop the engine firing, but humour me and press it anyway.

If the engine fails to turn over then the immobiliser/ alarm may still be on. The alarm system sends a coded signal to the ECU telling it when the alarm is on or not and whether the engine is available to start or not. The alarm ECU is mounted on the bulkhead inside the car.[picture not available]. The alarm diagnostic connector is green and protected with a black rubber cap as shown. The alarm need special equipment to test and Your local Rover Dealer will have this.

This subject has been amended with Rover service information and is in blue The Oxygen (Lambda) sensor can be problematic causing either rich fuelling or lean fuelling. The only satisfactory way to check that this sensor is working correctly is by using a diagnostic tool such as the crypton ACT. This tool will show the voltage of the sensor swing from high volts (rich) to low volts (lean). This voltage swing happens in about a tenth of a second for a new sensor down to half a second for an old sensor needing replacement. To read more on Oxygen sensors follow this link http://www.picotech.com/auto/lambda_sensor.html The Oxygen sensor and its location in the manifold seen from the offside of the car

And its connector

The diagnostic reading the sensor volts and swings from high to low voltage

These sensors should be checked for operation at 36000 or three years, and then every year after this. If there is any doubt as to its age or condition and you are having problems but unable to have a diagnostic check done, then it may be in your interest to replace the sensor and eliminate this as the fault, but first check everything else described in this topic. Drivability symptoms of a faulty sensor include, hesitation, misfiring, elevated Hydrocarbon and CO readings not to mention poor idle. I have found that the relay for the heating element of the sensor can fail. This produces a Lean misfire at idle, yet all other driving conditions are fine. The reason for this is, at idle the sensor is not running hot enough and relies on the heater to keep it at operating temperature. The sensor reads constantly high voltage and the ECU thereby leans off the fuelling. To test if this relay is faulty, the easiest thing to do is swap it with the electric fan relay next to it and see if the misfire disappears. The Oxygen sensor heater relay

The electric radiator fan relay

Direct replacement Bosch sensors are exactly the same as the OEM item and IMHO the only ones to use, Part Number 0258 003 193. Steer clear of the universal items, they cost little less and you have to cut and splice the connector from the old to the new. Don't buy this part from the likes of a Rover Dealer or any of the large Mini suppliers, buy it from a Bosch stockist and they can be located here http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/bdl/loc_search.asp?intProduct=12&s trLocator=Product&intType=1 and should only cost around 65 ( MiniSpares Center want just under 100)

The air temperature sensor is the green plug and sensor mounted in the underside of either of the types of air filter, Standard or K&N. This sensor is used by the ECU to determine the density of the air entering the engine. The sensor does not have to totally fail to cause issues with engine running. The sensor is a NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermostat, resistance rises as the temperature falls. The sensor element is constructed of two dissimilar metal wires fused together ( the bead ) at the tip of the senor, this generates a resistance that changes with temperature. The problem with this type of sensor is that it is prone to contamination with moisture which causes corrosion at this fused pint, generating a higher resistance. This happens over extended periods of time which causes them to read out. It will most likely read out low compared to the actual air entering the engine. The ECU thinks the air is denser (colder) than it is and adds more fuel to compensate, the engine does not need this extra fuel. This situation can only get worse as this excessive fuel now cloggs the pours of the oxygen sensor As the ECU struggles to control this situation. A rich running condition is now present. I would only recommend replacing it with a new one. The sensor can only be accurately checked using a diagnostic tool and a calibrated thermometer. The Rover part number is NNK10001 Note: New information. Apparently this only contributes to 20% of the fuelling equation with the main reasons for rich running being the Throttle position sensor and the Coolant temperature sensor. When this sensor fails, causing rich running conditions, it usually causes the Oxygen sensor to fail, if not corrected quickly. This usually is not the case and hence why the Oxygen sensor fails as the carbon particles clog the pours of the sensor. This is where those scam 'Power boost for your car' take advantage, or is that disadvantage. The whole scam revolves round adding a specific value resistor in a parallel circuit to the air inlet sensor, thereby altering its resistance (high) and fooling the ECU into thinking the air is denser than it actually is, and hence more fuel added by the ECU. Problem with this is, well the same as the symptoms below. Very little is gained, but more damage to the engine and its components results. Steer clear of these scams, some one is having a laugh and it'll be at you if you buy one. Just for comparison these resistors can be bought at the local Marlins for a few pence each. Symptoms of rich running are black sooty spark plugs( make sure the correct plugs are used first NGK BPR6ES), rich misfire, erratic idle and elevated CO and Hydrocarbon emissions.

The sensor looks like this

The sensor looks like this

Located here on the standard filter

And here on the K&N

To remove the standard air filter housing the three screws have to be removed first

And disconnect the vacuum capillary, red in colour with a brown end, from here

This capillary supplies vacuum to the air cleaner inlet air temperature control system which operates a flap inside the housing, drawing air over the exhaust manifold, heating it, to aid smooth running in cold and freezing temperatures. To remove the K&N filter this screw (similar to a jubilee clip) needs to be slackened

the engine bay.

Word of warning when refitting this, make sure the filter surfaces and injection housing are free from oil, and only nip the screw enough to prevent the filter from moving. Excessively tightening this screw will cause the filter to pop off over time. This IMHO is a design fault on the part of K&N. Some people have been known to use cable ties to keep the thing in place. The K&N has no warm air system therefore the Red capillary is blocked off usually with a screw supplied in the kit and is usually tied back somewhere in

The sensor can be read when connected to the system with a diagnostic tool like the Crypton ACT

The coolant temp sensor is the black sensor located in the inlet manifold. It can be found underneath at the right side of the manifold as you stand at the front of the car. The coolant temperature sensor works on the same principle as the air temperature sensor, where by as the temperature falls the resistance rises or vice versa. Problems arise when this sensor reads out again for the same reasons as the air sensor. This has a more dramatic effect on the fuelling of the engine. If its so far out the ECU may never leave the cold start and warm up programs witch are open loop control where the signal from the oxygen sensor is almost ignored. Again this sensor will usually read out low. A permanently rich condition will result. This sensor is connected directly to the ECU and then the ECU provides a signal to the Temp gauge on the dash. The gauge should read not quite mid way, just a little below the white line when the engine is warm. If it reads any different then there is a problem with the engine controlling the temperature. Or the sensor is faulty. On that note it is worth while checking the plug connectors as these can suffer contact corrosion. This sensor can only be accurately checked with the diagnostic and a calibrated thermometer. If there is any doubt and you are unable to have a diagnostic done then I would advise replacement but that only if you are suffering a rich condition and the temp gauge reads below and never anywhere near the mid white line, not above as this would probably be a cooling system fault. Again if this sensor is faulty and causes an over rich mixture for long periods, the Oxygen sensor will usually fail too, as discussed above in the air sensor section. It also may be worth noting that if the thermostatic control is not working correctly on the cooling system that both a hot and cold condition can result so it is in your best interest to fault find this first. For instance if the cooling system fault causes cooler engine temperatures then the ECU will see this as if the engine is still warming up and stay in cold start. Here is the sensor removed from the manifold, it differs some what from the ones used on the carb engines.

Here is the sensor removed from the manifold

And here is its location on the underside of the manifold in line with the water heating pipes( this picture is taken with the manifold removed and upside down)

The MG cam is most definitely your problem. Due to the over fuleing the cat has been overheating in load conditions resulting in its failure. Threes just too much overlap on the MG cam to give a nice smooth MAP signal. Swap the cam out for a Kent 274 and fit another cat and you should pass emissions no trouble as long as there is no other faults. Be aware that the super cool two core Rad with the 'screw' in thermostatic switch for the electric fan, the operating temperature of the switch is low, resulting in over cooling causing open loop control and rich running.
Don't go and throw parts at the engine by guesing at it. Eliminate things and deduce the fault. Check every breather hose for wear and cracks including the breathers themselves for oily gloop then check the Vacuum sensing pipes for cracks in the end fittings, they're the ones that come off the back of the throttle body, blow them through as there should be no fuel in these, check them all right up to the ECU, check the fuel trap for the same, finaly Find somewhere to take the car and have it plugged into a diagnostic unit to check all the sensors are working within reasonable limits. I would say there may be a fault with a sensor, if the ECU was duff then the engine wouldn't run, but if you find the MAP sensor faulty then you will have to renew the ECU as it is built in, electronics are normaly very reliable but are suceptable to moisture and voltage spikes(might be worth checking your voltage regulator on the alternator). The ECU controls the fueling by comparing the reading from the lambda sensor, manifold vacuum (MAP)and throttle posission to its pre programed tables( this is the bit that can't be altered and where Superchips are taking advantage) after correcting air density by measuring air inlet temp, adjusts the fueling to suit. If any of these sensors are not functioning correctly then the fueling will be incorrect. Also try powering down the ECU by unplugging it at the main connector for about 30 seconds then plug it back in and start the engine but don't rev it, let it idle for about 10 minuts for the ECU to learn the engine. Another thing I found was the K&N filters are a bugger, if you over tighten the jubalee clip it tends to pull the whole thing up after a time leaving a gap where the injector cable passes through the injector body. Index the throttle. Don't go and bin parts without first finding out the cause of the problem, not the symptom. Unfortunately for the ECU sensors you will have to take the car to a garage and have a diagnostics check, but even then you probibly know more about your engine than they do, so you will have to take the information ( not the mechanics opinion unless he can prove with out a doubt)and work it out yourself, like I said unfortunately you'll have to do this to get the information. I found mechanics that don't know you or the car to be a bit funny, they think you know less than them because you have taken your car to them to fix. I find this is happening more and more these days, thats why I choose to do virtualy everything myself when I can. I found out some of this as I this week had similar problems, eratic idle, stalling on cold start idle and get this, backfiring into the inlet manifold. I found the problem to be fuel in the vacuum sensing pipe Connected to the ECU at the ECU end, this obviously was causing inacurate MAP readings. I had the whole injection system apart and found nothing else, powered the ECU down and restarted and everything's now fine. Hope some of this may be of help.

I was reading my Haynes manual earlier and noticed that the Flywheel obviuosly has magnets attached to it but more importantly has a magnet missing at 0 and 180 degrees so the ECU knows when the engine is at TDC....... Should the flywheel be in a certain place when it's put back on the car? it doesn't actually tell you in the manual to set the engine to TDC and put the flywheel in at a certain point, but this would seem like a fundimental thing? otherwise the ECU surely will surely get a wrong signal! Are you not getting confused with the fuel trap which is mounted to the left of the manifold, or the throttle possision sensor on the left of the throttle. The map sensor is part of the ECU to prevent any sort of interference with the signal if it were mounted externaly. the fuel trap is a black rectangular box with a black inlet stub and a shorter green outlet stub. The manifold vacuum is connected to the black stub of the fuel trap then from the green stub on the fuel trap to the stub on the ECU, this stub is behind the main wiring connector as you look at it from the front of the car. The device on the right of the manifold is the stepper motor for idle control. If the ECU is not connected to the manafold vacuum then this is the fault. As for the flywheel, theyre not magnets they are high spots cast into the metal at time of manufacture. The crank possision sensor is called a Reluctor, there is a coil of wire with current passing through it, as one of those 34 high points passes the sensor the current changes giving a pulsing current that the ECU can read, the two missing high spots equate to TDC and BDC on No 1 cylinder and the ECU would see something like this ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- and so on. The sensor fits in the flywheel housing and shouldnt move, the flywheel can only go on one way located by the locating washer. I do believe however that there is some incompatable parts around, this was extracted from the Mini Spares Center web site "Flywheel Part No. C-AEG423 - With AP pressure plate This flywheel must use a genuine AP CLUTCH PRESSURE HE3864 (GCC679)or Genuine AP clutch(our own GCK151AF)or the car WILL NOT START because the timing slot is out .USE C-AHT596 WITH CORRECT PRESSURE FOR BEST CLUTCH AVAILABLE ON VERTO MINIS this has 2 timing oval holes. Do not try to fit anything other than the genuine AP clutch and beware of Unipart supplies because under GCK151AF they are also using valeo pressures which will work " I don't realy know what they are going on about but some one on here might I may be wrong but i thought all spi systems are the same, i'm intregued. let me know the out come as this is my own first SPI and i'm curious to know more as no dout are you