Niggles - "slow" digital display?
Discussion
Morning all,
Well I've had my 2000 reg Tuscan for almost a month now, and found a couple of niggles I'm hoping someone can help me with.
Firstly, I've been getting some stuttering under acceleration recently. I'm sure there's a more technical word for this but you get the idea. This is quite recent, and the dealer suggests some of the non-optimax (but I thought still high RON) fuel I put in is to blame. Has anyone experienced this before? What fuel brands are safe to use?
Secondly, EFI Warning Fault light comes on sometimes when starting up. I've been told this is nothing to worry about provided it doesn't STAY on. Does anyone else's do this?
Finally, the one thats most confusing... my digital display is often very slow to update and seems erratic in use. For example, when its being "slow" / "erratic" and you click the button to move to the next display it takes upwards of 10s to remove the current characters and draw the next ones. Its like you're watching someone tapping a spacebar to overwrite the old characters and then typing them in the next page (slowly). It is then almost unusable whilst driving because eg the speed only updates every 5s or so. At the same time I often get lots of bad characters on my display so the whole thing becomes a complete mess. Other times it works fine. Any ideas?
Look forward to meeting some of you tomorrow in Kent :beer:
Cheers,
Mark
Well I've had my 2000 reg Tuscan for almost a month now, and found a couple of niggles I'm hoping someone can help me with.
Firstly, I've been getting some stuttering under acceleration recently. I'm sure there's a more technical word for this but you get the idea. This is quite recent, and the dealer suggests some of the non-optimax (but I thought still high RON) fuel I put in is to blame. Has anyone experienced this before? What fuel brands are safe to use?
Secondly, EFI Warning Fault light comes on sometimes when starting up. I've been told this is nothing to worry about provided it doesn't STAY on. Does anyone else's do this?
Finally, the one thats most confusing... my digital display is often very slow to update and seems erratic in use. For example, when its being "slow" / "erratic" and you click the button to move to the next display it takes upwards of 10s to remove the current characters and draw the next ones. Its like you're watching someone tapping a spacebar to overwrite the old characters and then typing them in the next page (slowly). It is then almost unusable whilst driving because eg the speed only updates every 5s or so. At the same time I often get lots of bad characters on my display so the whole thing becomes a complete mess. Other times it works fine. Any ideas?
Look forward to meeting some of you tomorrow in Kent :beer:
Cheers,
Mark
Bollocks, you have just bought it, take it back and get them to tune the engine, get a new set of HT leads put on at the same time, common cause of low rpm stuttering, the heat destroys them, I get a new set every service, cheap at about £45 odd quid. You have the same dealer as me and I am a little surprised they fobbed you off with a bad petrol line...this can happen but if you problem is not going away then the engine needs tuned, they go out of tune very easily.
EFI warning is usually damp related, so will often come on after you wash the car, dealer can seal up the switch(forgotten which one it is) under the bonnet to almost elimate this.
Digital display going slow is heat related, if it's doing this all the time you will need a new LCD screen fitted, dealer will remove pod and send back to factory, about £200 I think.
Good luck, hoope you are enjoying it, and can I compliment you on a wonderful colour choice
cheers
Whitey
EFI warning is usually damp related, so will often come on after you wash the car, dealer can seal up the switch(forgotten which one it is) under the bonnet to almost elimate this.
Digital display going slow is heat related, if it's doing this all the time you will need a new LCD screen fitted, dealer will remove pod and send back to factory, about £200 I think.
Good luck, hoope you are enjoying it, and can I compliment you on a wonderful colour choice
cheers
Whitey
The stuttering thing has only just started happening this last week (after I filled with some Texaco "super" unleaded I think). Just to clarify, its fine at low revs pottering around, its only under heavy acceleration and medium / high revs it starts having problems. I phoned the dealer yesterday who were happy for me to bring it in for a look (so far they've been first class), and their service department are going to call me on monday to get more details.
Regarding the screen though, its just had a new display before I picked it up. When you mention its temp related, does this mean my engine temperature is too high, or the area around the pod/screen is too hot?
In fact speaking of which, what is the recommended range for oil temp and pressure? I religiously wait until 70C before revving over 2kish or using more than a tiny amount of throttle. Sometimes my oil stays at a fairly constant 75C and other days its upto 95C. Likewise for pressure it seems to vary from 9psi to 39psi so far. What should my oil temp / pressure be when sitting in traffic and also hooning about down the lanes?
Thanks for your help,
Mark
Regarding the screen though, its just had a new display before I picked it up. When you mention its temp related, does this mean my engine temperature is too high, or the area around the pod/screen is too hot?
In fact speaking of which, what is the recommended range for oil temp and pressure? I religiously wait until 70C before revving over 2kish or using more than a tiny amount of throttle. Sometimes my oil stays at a fairly constant 75C and other days its upto 95C. Likewise for pressure it seems to vary from 9psi to 39psi so far. What should my oil temp / pressure be when sitting in traffic and also hooning about down the lanes?
Thanks for your help,
Mark
Hi,
Get it to your dealer then for them to tune it. I've used that dealer for 8 years and also found them first class.
I mean heat in area around pod, on a long 3 hour plus drive roof off in sun, on earlier cars the screen would start to fade, dunno if that was resolved on newer cars. If it's just had a new lcd fitted then there is a fault.
Join this forum for Tuscan owners. Loads of info there and here on PH.
<a href="http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuscan-owners/">http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuscan-owners/</a>
Oil pressure varies slightly from car to car as the oil pressure sender units have often leaked and been faulty so they have changed the design a few times. Get the dealer to check this. 9psi at idle sounds a little low from my experience, should be high teens at idle, again get dealer to check.
One thing to look for is if your hot idle is less than 700rpm get it to a dealer to check as it is often a sign of valve clearances closing up, but also can just be a tweek of throttle adjustment required, but always best to get checked.
Here are the factory recommended warming up details:
JOHN RAVENSCROFT’S TIPS ON MECHANICAL SYMPATHY AND HIS ENGINES!
RUNNING IN
Most importantly, drive fairly normally. Being too gentle with an engine when running in can be as bad as being too rough.
Although it is important to avoid full throttle or over 4,000 rpm during the first 1,000 miles, occasional bursts (c.5 seconds) of 75% throttle up to 4,000 rpm, will help to bed the piston rings in.
FROM COLD
When starting, please be careful not to let it rev straight up so please make sure that you do not give it anything more than a tiny bit of throttle while cranking it over and then lift off as soon as it catches.
Then try to avoid more than 3,000 rpm until the oil (not water) temperature has exceeded 40C, 4,000 rpm until 60C and 7,000 rpm until 80C. If it climbs above 110C, please keep the revs below 5,000 rpm until the oil temperature returns to normal.
cheers
Whitey
>> Edited by whitey on Sunday 26th June 15:31
>> Edited by whitey on Sunday 26th June 15:33
Get it to your dealer then for them to tune it. I've used that dealer for 8 years and also found them first class.
I mean heat in area around pod, on a long 3 hour plus drive roof off in sun, on earlier cars the screen would start to fade, dunno if that was resolved on newer cars. If it's just had a new lcd fitted then there is a fault.
Join this forum for Tuscan owners. Loads of info there and here on PH.
<a href="http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuscan-owners/">http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuscan-owners/</a>
Oil pressure varies slightly from car to car as the oil pressure sender units have often leaked and been faulty so they have changed the design a few times. Get the dealer to check this. 9psi at idle sounds a little low from my experience, should be high teens at idle, again get dealer to check.
One thing to look for is if your hot idle is less than 700rpm get it to a dealer to check as it is often a sign of valve clearances closing up, but also can just be a tweek of throttle adjustment required, but always best to get checked.
Here are the factory recommended warming up details:
JOHN RAVENSCROFT’S TIPS ON MECHANICAL SYMPATHY AND HIS ENGINES!
RUNNING IN
Most importantly, drive fairly normally. Being too gentle with an engine when running in can be as bad as being too rough.
Although it is important to avoid full throttle or over 4,000 rpm during the first 1,000 miles, occasional bursts (c.5 seconds) of 75% throttle up to 4,000 rpm, will help to bed the piston rings in.
FROM COLD
When starting, please be careful not to let it rev straight up so please make sure that you do not give it anything more than a tiny bit of throttle while cranking it over and then lift off as soon as it catches.
Then try to avoid more than 3,000 rpm until the oil (not water) temperature has exceeded 40C, 4,000 rpm until 60C and 7,000 rpm until 80C. If it climbs above 110C, please keep the revs below 5,000 rpm until the oil temperature returns to normal.
cheers
Whitey
>> Edited by whitey on Sunday 26th June 15:31
>> Edited by whitey on Sunday 26th June 15:33
Whitey is completely correct 
The stuttering sounds like your HT leads. I get mine changed every service. I have just got mine back from a service as I had a slight missfire. Get them changed.
Also get them to check that it is in tune (as Whitey said they easily go out of tune)
Thirdly it sounds like your pod is on its way out. I'm on my 3rd one now Hopefully the last. The heat does destroy them but they now have a PCB fix for it.
As for idle mine sits around 18PSI at 700RPM. Just about right methinks. While you get it serviced and you can afford it throw some Nitrons on there. You will not regret it...
Good Luck fella...
M@
The stuttering sounds like your HT leads. I get mine changed every service. I have just got mine back from a service as I had a slight missfire. Get them changed.
Also get them to check that it is in tune (as Whitey said they easily go out of tune)
Thirdly it sounds like your pod is on its way out. I'm on my 3rd one now
Hopefully the last. The heat does destroy them but they now have a PCB fix for it. As for idle mine sits around 18PSI at 700RPM. Just about right methinks. While you get it serviced and you can afford it throw some Nitrons on there. You will not regret it...
Good Luck fella...
M@
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