TECHTALK

CAN YOU RELY ON TROUBLE CODES?

Eurotech, the Sun Diagnostic vehicle fault help-line, often gets
calls from customers who have read fault codes on a vehicle. Quite
often they have changed a component in the system or circuit
indicated in the fault code such as P0175 O2 sensor or P0335
crank sensor. The vehicle has been road tested since the new
component was fitted but the same code has been reposted.
How reliable are fault codes? Well the truth is they are reliable
but they are only an indication or a guide to the problem. How and
why does the ecu set a code?
The engine management monitors the input circuits such as
O2, crk, cam, mass, tps, and ECT. When a change in input data is
received by the ecu it results in an adjustment of an operating
parameter such as increasing or decreasing the injector on period
to compensate for a lean or rich mixture. If the resulting change
does not bring the parameter back into the desired window and is
present for more than a preset time then a code will be set and the
sensor input ignored. The last good input will often be set until
the ignition is turned off. In some cases the ecu adapts a limp the rpm, possibly gone into open loop ignoring the O2 readings.
home strategy. You can see that if the customer was waiting at the junction the
There will be operating circumstances where the fault occurs vehicle would try to drive off. If on the other hand the vehicle was
when the parameters are out of the desired window for long being driven at part throttle the transmission may see the cold
enough for the ecu to change its output signal but not long conditions and change down momentarily and change up just as
enough for a code to be logged. quickly.
Under these circumstances we need a live data movie to see a The ECU is unlikely to see the problem for long enough to
domino effect. post a code.
We now know that the engine cooling sensor circuit is where
the fault lies. We still are not sure where exactly the fault is so we
need to test the circuit.
Logic level 1 Upper threshold voltage
The battery voltage has to be checked first. The ecu cannot
operate correctly unless the battery can supply 12volts.The ecu
supplies the ECT with a 5volt reference and a ground return.
What did the ecu see when the fault occurred?

Look at the circuit and imagine the ecu has a voltmeter at

point (A).

Lower threshold Logic level 0

31
voltage
15

ECT

This scenario was logged by one of the Eurotech operators:

“A customer has an automatic vehicle that has an intermittent fault.
A
The symptom is that the vehicle will hesitate and run very rough and
then the gearbox sometimes changes down while driving. If it
In
happens while waiting at a junction or in a queue the engine speed
increases, almost driving the vehicle into the vehicle in front.”
There were no codes stored in the ecu memory.
In the next column is a movie graph taken off the vehicle. You ECU
can see clearly the domino effect of a problem caused by an
intermittent ECT fault.
The engine-cooling sensor has indicated to the ecu that the When the engine-cooling sensor is cold the resister value is
coolant is extremely cold; the ecu has reacted and has increased high and the ecu will see a high voltage at point (A). As the coolant

Motor Industry Magazine www.motor.org.uk April 2004 26

temperature increases the resistance of the sensor begins to fall
and the voltage at point (A) will also fall due to the potential at
point (A) becoming closer to that of the ground connection.
Let’s look at the graphics again. Is the voltage that the ecu is
seeing higher or lower? The voltage is almost reference at 4.1,
which is indicating a high resistance. From this we can presume
that the circuit is complete otherwise we would expect to see the
5-volt reference. Up to now we have been relying on ecu data, in
this case voltage. We need to check the actual voltage at the
component. To confirm this we can check the reference voltage
at the ECT connector, with the ignition on and the sensor
disconnected. There should be a 5-volt supply on one of the
wires and a good earth on the other. If the reading on the
BACK TO BASICS WITH AUTO-SOLVE
TRIGGER SIGNALS (PART 3)
In this month’s topic we will conclude trigger signals, taking a final
look at the BMW coil per cylinder multi-pulsed primarys and begin
to look at the relationship between the crank angle sensor and the
camshaft sensor.
BMW COIL PER CYLINDER
In Fig 1.0 it can clearly be seen that the primary circuit is subjected
to multiple triggering. This function only occurs at idle and is
present to stop any fouling of the spark plugs and provides a cleaner
burn, thus reducing hydrocarbon emissions. The primary reverts to
conventional switching when the accelerator pedal is touched and
the Electronic Control Module (ECM) sees an increase in voltage
from the throttles potentiometer, as shown in Fig 1.1.
Fig 1
The extended spark duration time (in this case 6.7 milliseconds)
can be monitored by probing the switched earth return on the
individual coils using a voltage probe. When the coil saturation time
between each pulse is monitored, it can be seen that there is only
approximately 0.75 of a millisecond to produce the required voltage.
voltmeter differs from 5volt there is a problem in either the circuit
from the ecu or the circuit in the ecu.
This sort of fault could result in a code being set. If the
engine-cooling sensor was only dropping to 20c for instance, the
ecu would not see a fault but would register that the O2 was
inactive because of an excessively rich mixture. The important
thing to remember is that the ecu works within tolerances for the
input devices.
Well can we rely on trouble codes? The answer is yes to a
point.
The truth is we have to test and confirm. The code is an
indication but it is no way proof of a faulty component.
✎ This feature was contributed by Sun Diagnostics.
This is a real testament to the electronics fitted within the system.
The multi-pulsing is a unique way of burning the excess of
hydrocarbons still within the combustion chamber when the engine
has a large amount of 'valve overlap', common with a high
performance engines.
Fig 1.1
CAMSHAFT SENSORS
This sensor can also be referred to as the Cylinder Identification
sensor. As the engine rotates the sensor will signal to the Electronic
Control Module (ECM) that the engine is approaching number 1
and the timing of the injection pulse can be determined. On an
inductive sensor, a resistance value should be seen between its
terminals with these terminating back at ECM. The output signal
from these units can be in either analogue or digital format (sine
wave or square wave) and will depend on the manufacturer
concerned. Vauxhall have also used an Alternating Current (AC)
excited sensor on their Simtec engine management system, which is
described later in this section.
It is unlikely that a failed camshaft position sensor will cause the
engine not to start, as this particular sensor only times the injector
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Motor Industry Magazine www.motor.org.uk April 2004 27
 TECHTALK

pulses. When this sensor is disconnected the point at which the switching and as with all other Hall units has 3 electrical
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injector fires can be seen to 'shift' giving an incorrect point at which connections.
the fuel is delivered behind the inlet valve. Unlike the output picture from a Hall Effect distributor output,
the ‘spacing’ of the squarewaves will be unequal; this enables the
CAMSHAFT SENSORS: INDUCTIVE vehicle’s ECM to determine the camshaft’s position.
This particular type of sensor generates its own signal and therefore In Fig 1.3 we can see the location of the camshaft sensor and
does not require a voltage supply to power it. This particular style of the targets that provide the squarewave output. This particular
sensor is recognisable by its two electrical connections, with the example is taken from a Vauxhall Vectra fitted with the Ecotec engine.
occasional addition of a coaxial shielding wire to reflect any HT
signals that may corrupt the signal.
The voltage produced by the camshaft sensor will be
determined by several factors, these being the engine's speed, the
proximity of the metal rotor to the pick-up and the strength of the
magnetic field offered by the sensor. The ECM needs to see the
signal when the engine is started for its reference; if absent it can
alter the point at which the fuel is injected. The driver of the vehicle
may not be aware that the vehicle has a problem if the CID sensor
fails, as the drivability may not be affected.

The characteristics of a
good inductive camshaft
sensor waveform is a
sinewave that increases in
magnitude as the engine
speed is increased and
usually provides one signal Fig 1.4
per 720° of crankshaft
rotation (360° of camshaft
Fig 1.2 rotation). The voltage will In Fig 1.5 we can see the relationship between the targets and
be approx 0.5 volts peak to the generated output signal.
peak while the engine is cranking, rising to around 2.5 volts peak to
peak at idle as seen in the example show in Fig 1.3. This voltage may
differ between different manufacturers, requiring the appropriate
data to be sourced. An example of an inductive camshaft sensor is
shown in Fig 1.2.

This voltage may differ between different manufacturers,

requiring the appropriate data to be sourced.

Fig 1.5

VAUXHALL ECOTEC AC EXCITED

This camshaft sensor differs in operation from the other sensors by
having an Alternating Current (AC) voltage supply to the CID sensor.
The ECM supplies a very high frequency at around 150 KHz (2500
cycles per second) to an exciter coil that is located in close proximity
to a rotating disc.
Fig 1.3
The disc is located at the end of the camshaft and has a section
CAMSHAFT SENSORS: HALL EFFECT removed that when 'open' allows the frequency to excite the
The characteristics of a good Hall Effect waveform are clean, sharp receptor (through mutual inductance) and returns the signal to the

Motor Industry Magazine www.motor.org.uk April 2004 28


Fig 1.6
DEAR DAVE…
Re a Vauxhall Astra that has been hesitating for some time. I have
checked all the obvious things like HT leads, plugs and coils etc.
There are no fault codes stored in the ECU memory and no faults
are showing up on any of the readings from our scanner when
plugged in to the diagnostic socket. The car is fine under
acceleration and at idle but hesitates if the engine is kept at a
steady speed.
This sounds like a common fault with the Ecotec engine and
can be difficult to trace because it doesn’t affect the exhaust
emissions or bring up any fault codes. Most common cause
seems to be the EGR valve sticking open and choking up the
combustion. The easiest solution is to remove the EGR located
at the rear of the inlet manifold where it is bolted to the head,
clean it out with suitable carburettor cleaner and replace the
metal gasket.
A Fiat Punto 75 1.2 litre is constantly stalling despite replacement
of the idle stepper motor, temperature sensor, engine control
module and fuel pump.
SEALEY PROMOTION
Hella has added an engine management module to its annual programme of air conditioning training courses for the independent
and franchised trade.
“It’s a logical move as many of the businesses which are involved in air conditioning also provide engine management and
diagnostics services,” explained John Guppy, operations manager for Hella’s climate control division.
The two-day engine management course will run alongside the company’s two RAC accredited and assessed air conditioning
courses at Hella's workshop in Banbury.
ECM, indicating the position of number 1 cylinder. Fig 1.6 shows
typical outputs.
All the example waveforms used were recorded using a PC based
oscilloscope loaned by www.picotech.com. Other manufacturers
equipment will have different voltage ranges but the resultant
picture should be very similar.
Next month we will be looking at the relationship between the
primary picture and the secondary HT output, monitoring spark
burn times and HT voltages.
✎ Further information on Auto-Solve and the products it
offers can be found at www.auto-solve.com. This also features a
discussion board with free registration. The Auto-Solve Diagnostic
Assistance CD Ebook is distributed exclusively through the IMI and
can be ordered on-line or by completing the form on page 44.
The system used to run this engine is the Marelli-Webber 8F
Multi Point, and the problem lies with the location of the
control unit. Because it’s bolted to the wing on the driver’s side
of the engine compartment, it is susceptible to nearby
electromagnetic radiation. Make sure that the right make and
type of spark plugs are fitted.
I own a 1996 Ford Escort 1.6i 16v that has a problem with hills.
Whenever I try to coax it up a steep incline, it just gives up
completely. And it’s not just hills – motorways also cause
difficulties. The problem started a few weeks ago and has got
progressively worse. It’s particularly bad first thing in the
morning; when I try to accelerate hard the car has none of it and
makes a noise from under the bonnet like a dull roar. Top speed has
been restricted to about 50 mph and the engine will not exceed
4000 rpm.
It seems as though your engine is having breathing difficulties.
This may be caused by incorrect cam timing, or a restriction in
the flow of gases being expelled by the engine i.e. a blocked
exhaust system. It’s more likely to be the exhaust, bearing in
mind such a severe loss of speed and acceleration.
Dave Peacock
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