R400 very jurky, kangarooing at low speed.

[adscnc]

Borrowed an R400 off a friend to drive around northern spain and portugal last may. All went well except for: when you want slight speed increase from a low speed say 20-30mph. As you start to accelerate it just doesnt like it, severe kangaroo..ing. As you accelerate out of the jumping it accelerates great as you would expect. Imagine driving over a cobbled surface through a town centre, you want low speed, just touchin the throttle slightly now and again, but each time you do off it goes kangarooing.

Doing the trip again this May and want to try and fix it before I go.
What are the likely causes ?
Al.
Burton on Trent.

[Purespeed]

Which R400 is it K or D?

Jason

[noddynitro]

If its a K you need to rest your foot against side of the car or try adding a second spring on the throttle.

[adscnc]

Its a K series.
Have mastered the resting foot on side of car to aid a slow feed on to the throttle. but it is still a real pig.

[Smollet]

adscnc said:

Its a K series.
Have mastered the resting foot on side of car to aid a slow feed on to the throttle. but it is still a real pig.

My Sigma 150 had similar issues( it was near enough undrivable at low speed) but the problem was solved with an upgrade of the ECU from CC. I wonder if there is a similar cure available from CC?

[nigelpugh7]

adscnc said:

Borrowed an R400 off a friend to drive around northern spain and portugal last may. All went well except for: when you want slight speed increase from a low speed say 20-30mph. As you start to accelerate it just doesnt like it, severe kangaroo..ing. As you accelerate out of the jumping it accelerates great as you would expect. Imagine driving over a cobbled surface through a town centre, you want low speed, just touchin the throttle slightly now and again, but each time you do off it goes kangarooing.

Doing the trip again this May and want to try and fix it before I go.
What are the likely causes ?
Al.
Burton on Trent.

Al, I used to own one of the first K Series R400's which suffered with this problem from the outset.

Caterham had it back several times, but the problem would not go away, despite a different map on the ECU.

The fueling was terrible, and as a result the fuel economy was dreadful with the range being less than 90 miles on a tank!!

It was cured with a two day mapping session on a rolling road at Mech Repairs in Cheltenham.

It transformed the car, it became smoother and much easier to drive, and the fuel economy almost increased two fold, meaning 160 miles plus out of a tank.

I would recommend it to anyone with a K Series with the MBE ECU, in fact many of the Lotus Seven Club have been there since.

Good luck with it.

Nige.

[1st_petrolhead]

I also have an SLR which is now R400 spec and having just spent half a dat a DayTuner (http://www.daytuner.co.uk/) at Harrogate, I can recommend the investment. They charge about £300 for a session and know what they are doing and come recommended by SBD.

Of course if you live near London they Road and Race also come recommended and they charge about £400.

The map pre session was lean at the bottom end and rich at the top end. Once completed the car is just much better and the biggest difference is in the slow speed drivability.

[MadHatter7]

Why go to an unrecognised rolling road ? when you can go and see
Steve Greenald at Track And Road www.tracknroad.com
And get your 7 mapped by the best in the business
They pride themselves in the drivability of the car and not just the Bhp figure
Guess this is why Ford,Roush Performanmce and Bernie Ecclestone to name but a few trust the 2 Steves with their cars
They did the business with mine too

[anonymous-user]

Believe it or not there are few people who can map cars in the UK

[BertBert]

yonex said:

Believe it or not there are few people who can map cars in the UK

And sadly, many who cant! I'd want to be certain that the people who had the integrity of my engine in their hands had a very strong track record! That doesn't just mean the Steves, but in the Caterham world, that's not a bad place to start!
Bert

[MadHatter7]

This is true. But when you have as much tied up in the car as i do you want the best. All the racers i know go to the 2 Steves
Add to that everyone i know that goes there values the combined knowledge of Track and Road
Once you use them you wont go anywhere else

[1st_petrolhead]

MadHatter7 said:

Why go to an unrecognised rolling road ? when you can go and see
Steve Greenald at Track And Road www.tracknroad.com
And get your 7 mapped by the best in the business
They pride themselves in the drivability of the car and not just the Bhp figure
Guess this is why Ford,Roush Performanmce and Bernie Ecclestone to name but a few trust the 2 Steves with their cars
They did the business with mine too

No sure if this reply is in responce to my post?

[anonymous-user]

MadHatter7 said:

This is true. But when you have as much tied up in the car as i do you want the best. All the racers i know go to the 2 Steves
Add to that everyone i know that goes there values the combined knowledge of Track and Road
Once you use them you wont go anywhere else

I have used them, I think are very good but as I said there are others who are just as capable with the added benefit of not having to put up with Mr grumpy

Just pointing out that they are not the 'best' but one of a number of good people to use.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 3rd March 11:45

[sv]

Another recommendation for Track 'n' Road here - Steve remapped my Supersport R many moons ago.

[Smollet]

yonex said:

I have used them, I think are very good but as I said there are others who are just as capable with the added benefit of not having to put up with Mr grumpy

Just pointing out that they are not the 'best' but one of a number of good people to use.

Edited by yonex on Thursday 3rd March 11:45

Any suggestions of who they might be?

[anonymous-user]

Smollet said:

Any suggestions of who they might be?

Emerald and/or Northampton motorsports are worth visiting. So that's Essex/South/Norfolk covered

[Dave J]

I don't think emerald map mbe?

[derestrictor]

Do these remaps really banish the trucculence without any compromise in the R400's manic surge for battle?

[jimmyslr]

Yes, they do banish the issues without compromise. The top end is largely unchanged and most of the change is lower down. This means that pick up is more linear which can seem like less manic behaviour, but in reality is faster. Think of it like a turbo in an 80s car.... Nothing, nothing, nothing, whoosh. Feels quick but would be murdered by a modern car with smoother delivery.

I have used emerald, the steves and minister on various cars. All respectable.

James

[derestrictor]

Many thx, will look see.