Hi everyone,

I don't usually post here as many of my questions have been answered by researching the site. However I am at a standstill on what could be wrong with my car. Here goes:

97 civic ex with a fresh 11.5:1 GSR swap.
Eagle Rods
Balanced crank
ARP all around
ITR Oil Pump
New GSR Water Pump
New Timing Belt

Supertech High Comp Valves
Crower Springs/Retainers
Skunk 2 Tuner 2 cams
S2 pro series cam gears
Blox intake manifold
Mild Port work

IAB has been removed and valve cover will be vented.

Engine management (what I think may be the issue): Chipped Socketed P06 that has also been changed from auto to manual trans. SST chip.

ISSUE: Car idles high and also fluctuates between 1500-1800 rpms with a drop that sounds like a vacuum leak. Also running rich and won't rev past ~4.1k, possible limp mode? Note: I jumped the connector that causes the check engine light to flash for codes and when I turn the key to on it does not flash. Just a solid light.

IAT not connected, only 1 (front) o2 hooked up due to obd1, Crank position sensor spliced from two contact to 3 contact to accommodate Civic harness.

Could this be an ECU issue? I got the ECU from a friend that I plugged in without realizing it did not have a chip in the socket. I grabbed a chip from a p28 that I also have (which by the way would not run the car) and plugged it in. However, this didn't fix the problem. Would this mean the chip is a blank?

I guess can anyone shed some light on this? I was thinking maybe TPS sensor? MAP? Or does this sound like a definite ECU problem? I want to try and cancel out all other options before I purchase a new ECU, or at least the chip. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

You have a built engine. There is no way this engine will run anywhere close to properly with a standard GSR basemap chip. You NEED to get this car tuned properly. I suggest purchasing an ECU and Hondata S300 and get the car to a dyno.

 

Thanks for the reply! I agree that I will have to get Hondata and a custom tune. However, in the meantime (basically until I save the money to do so), wouldn't the car run on a standard base map? Although it wouldn't run well, it would at least not be in limp mode with a high idle variance? There has to be something wrong with it that I can fix in the meantime.

 

?wtf is an sst chip

 

If I had all that in an engine, I would have the right futhermucking tuning setup for it so it wouldn’t screw any of that $$$ up.

 

SST is a manufacturer of rewritable 28-pin chips that have commonly been used for Honda/Acura chipped ECU's. They have been provided by Hondata, Pherable, and Xenocron.

 

Well, I guess if its re-writable he should still be able to tune it with that though, just a bit more of a hassle to take back out.

 

I totally agree man. The plan is to go Hondata and hit the tuner shop ASAP. However, until I have the thousand dollars to do all that I'd like to get it running on at least a basemap. I researched and found that a solid check engine light on a chipped ECU means either bad chip (or corrupt file), poor connection between the chip and socket, or bad soldering. I solder as a profession so I reflowed everything to cancel out that possibility. I believe the mapping on the chip has been corrupted. I'm going to order a new chip from HA Motorsports (has anyone used their products?) and plug it in. If that doesn't work I'm going to be ordering a whole new ECU with Hondata on it.

My symptoms must be an ECU problem right? I unplugged the TPS sensor while the car was running and there was literally no change in idle. But a TPS wouldn't cause limp mode?

 

Yea man all the upgrades you did a base map chip not knowing what’s on it will maybe start it but it’ll run like **** and won’t add enough fuel or too much fuel, not enough ignition timing or too much Timing and will mess up your newly built motor and because of the added compression you put in the motor, more than likely will need more fuel and ignition timing adjustments put into it to run right.

Anything you do to change compression internally or camshaft swap will indeed require a tune.

I used a lot of sst chips from Pherable and they always gotten my setup close to what I have put together (engine wise )but never ran perfect as some parts of the driving were either too rich or too lean but every chip you get will not run perfectly for your setup even though if the setup is exactly like your setup, every motor is different and need to be tuned on dyno to get your a/f spot on. If you don’t have a wideband it’s really great investment to saving your motor so you’ll know your in the a/f range and not damage anything on start because of lack of fuel or too much fuel etc etc. Chips are made to get your car started and to drive to tuner and if driven on long enough will possibly shorten the life of your motor/ or will never reach its full potential, that’s why I switched to s300v3 and never looked back. I’ve gotten my lsv in a gsr built for boost in March and I tuned the fuel myself to startup then took it tuner.
Helps saves the headache of spending money on a chip and wondering if it’ll run right or not and then having to buy another chip because of it not running right and thinkin it’s the motor you built has something to do with it not running right.

 

Also do you know if the ecu has been chipped for vtec??? Either way p06 is a non vtec ecu and will need vtec added.

 

It probably is an ECU issue.

 

Yes the P06 has been converted to Vtec and also manual trans. I just ordered a chip from Phearable to plug in. I'll post an update once it comes in!

 

👍. Let us know. Don’t go crazy on wot till you see your a/f Ratio or get one if you don’t have a a/f wideband.

 

OP text me 520-840-2578 i am local to you and can help.

 

The chip came in from Phearable and I plugged her in WITH a new conversion harness and it didn't fix anything. WTF!

So my buddy who gave me the ECU had troubles with it too. So I'm buying a virgin manual P06 tomorrow and ordering a vtec conversion kit as well as a chip and socket kit for it. This way I can 100% cancel out the possibility of it being an ECU

On the other hand...anyone have a P28 for sale? 😂

 

You have a working ecu I can plug into my car to verify I have an ECU problem? Haha

 

I have any and all things to help you out. Shoot me a text anytime

 

And it's my day off so I'm free tonight!

 

I recently bought a virgin P06 manual trans ECU and chipped/socketed it as well as changed it to vtec via a kit from Moates.

I got home plugged it in and turned the key to on and immediately I saw the ECU pretty much catch fire. Upon further Inspection, capacitor c60 had fried. So many questions...

I read that I could possibly have the wrong dizzy? I did buy it off of someone parting their car out on CL...pretty much just took their word that it was an obd2 dual cam vtec dizzy...

But that kind of makes sense? The incorrect dizzy could have caused my other ECU to run in limp mode?

Either way kind of at a loss on what to do now...

 

Do you have a shop here in town or something?

 

I want to add that it was 100% nothing I did wrong on the conversion. I solder daily and I triple checked my work to the instructions that came with the kit.

 

I'm almost there! I brought the socketed p28 that originally didnt work into my job to examine the board better. I noticed a resistor was missing (c51 I believe? I can't remember off the top of my head) so I soldered one in there and boom she runs.

HOWEVER I'm still in limp mode! Upon startup the car almost dies and then after I give it gas it runs normally. Idles like a dream revs nicely until 4.5k where it cuts off. I was finalllly able to read the CEL code on it. I got CEL16. Fuel injectors. I've researched a little on this.

Fuel pressure is at ~40psi (is this correct?)
Main Relay clicks
When I pull the connectors off each injector the car stumbles, so the cylinders are getting fuel.

Something to note is that when I pull the vacuum hose off the FPR there is no change in fuel pressure. What can I do next?

 

Use a timing light to verify correct mechanical timing. Could be off a tooth

 

you checked at the the fuel rail or fuel filter???

but your fuel pressure is normal and within spec. When you unplug the vacuum hose on the fpr it’s suppose raise the fuel pressure up a couple psi.

where is the fpr vacuum hose connected too?

you might want to check to see if you have a spare laying around and see if it helps. Make sure it has the rubber o-ring before you install another one.

 

You have my contact info if you need help. i dont see replies online all the time so replying to a post doesnt help much. and the fact the we are both in arizona it just makes more sense to contact me directly. and to answer your question, no i do not have a "shop" i do have a garage and a lift and all the tools a shop has and then some. BUT if you want to take it to a shop then i do have a buddy with a shop that specializes in hondas and id be happy to refer you to him.