Plastic Fantastic tew

[Deaf Bob]

Maybe go up in wire size to lessen the load to the fans?
We use 2/0 cables for battery cables and almost pinky sized wires for the fans. That is running no alternator. Batteries last 2-3 derby that way. But to be safe, we always charged them before a show.

[fatguyzinc]

I really don't want to change the entire fuel system but I can because I have the carb setup I originally was going to run... to be continued

i got $5 says that is the single best thing you could do.. i bet
it runs better, cleaner, more consistent AND makes more power...

dinosaurs rule.

[SuperBuickGuy]

so the lights didn't go up, but what's worse is only one motor was connected to the mechanism.... I saw this there, but given everything else... did nothing about it

40 amp relay, 12.8 (25.6 total) amp draw.... not good (this is the fans)

and a hot mess

what tripped me to the problem was the fuse kept tripping and not opening the light. I replaced the fuse and it was the amps being drawn, not just a faulty circuit breaker.

with that said, the motors could be drawing too much when hot.... this, I will test once it's back together.

[SuperBuickGuy]

to recap.
1) put dog to sleep night before
2) got no sleep, so had to stop on the way
3) my wife's dog took off looking for him - didn't find out until I had crossed the border to California
4) dog found after substantial effort (though I suppose it's funny - but dog got 1/8 mile away, someone captured her, took her to the local vet... dogs don't get away with anything around here ;) ) but it was 8 pm before someone who might know someone mentioned the impoundment and the vet closed at 7. Thankfully the next morning (while still on my way) found out dog was fine.... Old dame dog decided she didn't want to eat because of the stress.... (did I mention they're both Search and Rescue trailing K9s, so a lot of time and money invested in them both?)
5) Everything worked fine when I took the car through tech
6) but there was the start of the cascade of problems.... in tech they checked the lights, which caused the fuse to blow which powered the lights and the electric fans
7) car got warm-ish on the lap.... that probably overheated the computer.... which it shouldn't, but pictures tonight tell another story
8) computer went, took 7 hours to resolve and missed 3 events
9) car ran fine that night but didn't warm up
10) tuned IAC, went to the autocross to walk it, car was overheating.... no fans.
11) spent a lot of time wishing I had a bunch of stuff here in the shop - the guy with the silver C4 was a hero, he did have all sorts of parts.
12) hot wired the fans..... alternator took a dump

I probably could have fixed that but by then I was done.

However
on the plus side
1) I made a number of new friends
2) I got to go around Big Willow at 70% in my C3
3) My friends here dropped everything to help find my wife's dog
4) I got a lot of love about the car.... and 5
5) I'll fix it all and learn while doing it.

Sure, I wish it'd worked perfect, but I wasn't the first to go down or leave. And my goodness is my car fun to drive at even 70%.

[SuperBuickGuy]

two of the problems have one source. I didn't realize that the headlight motors could draw 30 amps. I have a 30 amp breaker on the headlight motors AND the fans. Fans are 13 amps each.... still no answer on the EFI... but I have a fun time ahead of me rewiring a bunch of stuff.

[DanStokes]

Bummer. The dyno guy here hates FiTech and has switched to Holley TB systems with excellent luck - that's what he installed on the Volvo. Evidently Holley has improved their stuff since your experience but then Carolina Dyno IS a retail outlet for them so maybe he gets better service.

Dan

[langleylad]

Well that’s frustrating !

[Monster]

now the grills seem to have slowed the air down to cool the car.

[SuperBuickGuy]

FiTech.
Great customer service, but I'm starting to have second thoughts
this sight is become way too common


this is what it takes to replace the computer

pull the injectors, pull the front then pray your way to get the computer back in place.....


This problems were as follows. The computer went out on day one after one track 'session' (but not really a session). Maybe heat? I dunno. So I ran 6 hours round trip to get a replacement computer.... and it worked right up to the point it needed to run the fan.... In talking to another guy there, his experience with a new FiTech was the computer provided a positive signal (as opposed to a negative one with the old computer). Even with the fan disconnected, I couldn't get it to run right..... so there will be a solid 3 or 4 hours next week on the phone with them trying to resolve its issues (which I suspect will be yet another computer)....

and let's recount, that's 2 computers on my FJ40, 3 injectors. 3 (maybe 4) computers on this one and only under warranty because of the manufacturer defect on the throttle body. Some how the tune we had in the computer got lost, but even that wouldn't save us....

I honestly don't know what's next. I really don't want to change the entire fuel system but I can because I have the carb setup I originally was going to run... to be continued

oh and now the grills seem to have slowed the air down to cool the car.... that I have fixes for... .but just one more thing

[SuperBuickGuy]

As Ed(oletrux4evr) states "Loud pipes save lives"... It's a safety feature

I argued this at the engineering challenge, I'll let you know in a few hours how successful that argument is....

[milner351]

Dan speaks truth - as vehicles have become more sound proof - even the railroads increased the decibel level of the train horns in 2010.

[DanStokes]

As Ed(oletrux4evr) states "Loud pipes save lives"... It's a safety feature

Sadly, this no longer works (if it ever did). Today's idiots are driving their air conditioned cars with noise-resistant windows rolled up and with their ear buds plugged in so they aren't hearing your pipes - or anything else. So loud pipes only annoy the driver of said loud pipes. Don't believe me? Just look around in traffic.

Dan

[silver_bullet]

As Ed(oletrux4evr) states "Loud pipes save lives"... It's a safety feature

[SuperBuickGuy]

When is the muffler test ? I'm interested in how that design will flow & sound.

after I get back. I need my lathe, unfortunately, it's not operational right now

[Monster]

When is the muffler test ? I'm interested in how that design will flow & sound.