[DHS]

I just got my recently deceased brothers 1982 spider, I know very little about this car except he had it stored the last three years. It was not running and the neighbor told me my brother was told it needed a new fuel injection ECU. So I have turned it over and we have spark, it ran a few seconds with engine starter. I could not hear the fuel pump on switching to “ON” like most cars with FI. This is a series II body with a L-Jetronic like the series III ! My guess an early switch over car in 82.
I have checked the hoses and cleaned grounds going by the Greg Gordon’s write up for the ECU.
Pulled the tank today the intank pump is toast, it looks like several of the hose have been changed, I will replace both pumps and filters. My main question is there a place to get the FI ECU bench checked?
I am a “motor head” and do most of my own work, we have had seven Alfa’s in my family and want to keep this one going for my brother, although the rust is significant, an Atlanta car but spent the last 14 years in Panama City Beach.
So to recap where to get an ECU tested?

Dan

 

[ghnl]

Welcome to the AlfaBB.

There used to be a place called ECU Doctors that offered testing & repair of the ECU's in our cars but I recently read that they have stopped this service. There was a more recent thread here about a place (in California?) that was able to repair someone's ECU. I'll poke around to see if I can that info.

In the meanwhile, have you checked that the drive relay is operating correctly? The drive relay needs a tachymetric signal via a sense wire at the coil to 'know' the engine is running. You can try making a jumper wire to connect the #30 & #87 terminal connections where the drive relay connects. This will bypass the drive relay. If it then starts & runs you need a new drive relay. It is not safe to drive the car with the jumper wire in place as the drive relay also functions as a safety device to cut off power to the fuel pumps if the engine should stall (as in an accident). If you need a new drive relay be sure to get a real Bosch version. There is a replacement (KAE brand) that fits but may not offer the safety of cutting off the fuel pumps.

Also, originally your '82 Spider would have had an inertia shut off switch. It was intended to shut off the fuel pumps in the event of an accident. They proved problematic and since the drive relay was considered a safety device the inertia switch was eliminated. I believe that Alfa advised to remove the inertia switch and securely connect the two wires together. So, check to see if the inertia switch is still present. It will be either a can shaped or cigarette pack shaped device with a reset button on top located on the firewall between the hood latch & the windshield washer reservoir. If it still there do as Alfa advised - remove it and connect the two wires together. If it has been removed, check that the two wires are securely connected together. I think it had a red/white wire and a pink wire.

Check the fuel pump fuse - located near the FI computer under the shelf behind the seats. Alfa used VW type 'bullet' fuses that can somehow look OK but fail to allow electrons to flow. Best thing is to replace the entire fuse holder with one that uses the more reliable blade type fuse (7.5 amp).

Now then, regarding pictures. We like pictures. So we think you should post some. Soon.

 

[vintagemilano]

Hi there, Greg Gordon’s article is a good article. Eric’s advise above is super fantastic. Generally the Bosch ecu s are fairly robust, there isn’t a direct ya or nay test for them you and I can do. If you do try a test on the ecu, that outcome will always be a nay, do not try and test anything in the black box. When testing sensors resist every urge to test into the connector. Mostly always better to do those tests from the main ecu s disconnected connector anyway. General rule of thumb is to totally rule out every single other component then suspect the ecu. Maybe there is someone near you in Georgia that can test your ecu in their car once you rule everything else out first.

 

[spiderserie4]

First off, condolences for your loss.
Welcome to the forum, there is a good team here and we'll somehow get this alfa running for you

all good troubleshooting tips from Eric.

Inertia Switch: the wire is pink.
if gadget is still there I'd bypass it for now.
if it has been correctly bypassed it will have a nice connector like this ("G107" in the wiring diagram)


if someone has just twisted the wires together, then make a more professional connection.

I would not worry about the fuel ECU quite yet, as you have other issues that need correcting/checking first.
fit the new pumps and new filters (as you mentioned), then see if it starts.

If still no luck, then jump the drive/fuel relay as Eric says to (#30 & #87), this should make the pumps run continuously: if they run it tests the wiring and the 8A fuse is OK, but shows the relay is bad.
Drive/fuel relay is the big plastic one.


with a car that has been sitting that long, I'd in any case also
remove and clean the big ECU ground bundle on passenger side of head, just to left of #4 injector.
if you have the two black wire grounds under the AAV (Aux air device) on top of cam cover, remove and clean these as well.

 

[DHS]

Thanks all, First I unplugged both relays and sprayed them with cleaner also the big ECU plug. Checked the fuse in the red holder also and all in the fuse box. Found that inertia switch on the fire wall noted the wires were off and joined and taped. I removed it and got the Fluke and it checks good, hit it and the button on top pops up and opens the contact. I did pop it and painted the shaft red ( we did that in the Navy so you could see a popped breaker in the ****pit) so if popped it would be obvious. Also you can pull it and it would make a good anti-thief switch. But I can remove it if it is that much of a problem. I plan on removing the many bad hoses around the engine and replacing them with silicon hose, that is when I plan on cleaning the ground on the side of the block and take a really good look at the intake hoses. The AAV does not have any ground wires, but the 914 had the same type and would gum up and every year I would soak it in a jar of gas overnight and I plan on doing that. I will test all the sending units on the block as the article recommends. I also have a 94 Jag XJS V12 and it has the D-Jet system also very similar to this so I am familiar with most of this. Also I note that it does not have the altitude unit, I guess that was not put in all the cars?
Will start taking pictures to go with my questions.
Dan

 

[spiderserie4]

yep your year spider will not have the altitude compensation device, but it will have a plug plugged into nothing with 3 wires going to it.
this:
Is this wire important?
This is the altitude jumper: if you were above 4000 ft altitude, you simply jumped the two pins.

the later device was automatic.

 

[pantera928]

yep your year spider will not have the altitude compensation device, but it will have a plug plugged into nothing with 3 wires going to it.
this:
Is this wire important?
This is the altitude jumper: if you were above 4000 ft altitude, you simply jumped the two pins.

the later device was automatic.

Dan
I live in Oxford Georgia. If you want to send me your ECUs, I will be happy to test them in one of my cars and let you know if they are any good.
Just did that for jerbull88 down in Sylvester Georgia

 

[DHS]

Dan
I live in Oxford Georgia. If you want to send me your ECUs, I will be happy to test them in one of my cars and let you know if they are any good.
Just did that for jerbull88 down in Sylvester Georgia

OK, let me get the some more testing done and I will take you up on that, I had a 71 Pantera or should i say a large collection of rust with a 351C pushing it! LOL

 

[pantera928]

OK, let me get the some more testing done and I will take you up on that, I had a 71 Pantera or should i say a large collection of rust with a 351C pushing it! LOL

Pantera with rust? That is like telling me that other Italian cars rusted. Hard to believe.

 

[vbisbest]

Thanks all, First I unplugged both relays and sprayed them with cleaner also the big ECU plug. Checked the fuse in the red holder also and all in the fuse box. Found that inertia switch on the fire wall noted the wires were off and joined and taped. I removed it and got the Fluke and it checks good, hit it and the button on top pops up and opens the contact. I did pop it and painted the shaft red ( we did that in the Navy so you could see a popped breaker in the ****pit) so if popped it would be obvious. Also you can pull it and it would make a good anti-thief switch. But I can remove it if it is that much of a problem. I plan on removing the many bad hoses around the engine and replacing them with silicon hose, that is when I plan on cleaning the ground on the side of the block and take a really good look at the intake hoses. The AAV does not have any ground wires, but the 914 had the same type and would gum up and every year I would soak it in a jar of gas overnight and I plan on doing that. I will test all the sending units on the block as the article recommends. I also have a 94 Jag XJS V12 and it has the D-Jet system also very similar to this so I am familiar with most of this. Also I note that it does not have the altitude unit, I guess that was not put in all the cars?
Will start taking pictures to go with my questions.
Dan

I had a similar issue while working on my car, the fuel pump would not turn on (even though it had worked that morning). Turns out I forgot to attach the 2 ground wires on the AAV to valve cover bolt. You mention "The AAV does not have any ground wires", so this could be the issue.

 

[DHS]

I had a similar issue while working on my car, the fuel pump would not turn on (even though it had worked that morning). Turns out I forgot to attach the 2 ground wires on the AAV to valve cover bolt. You mention "The AAV does not have any ground wires", so this could be the issue.

OK, will look at that tonight, the AAV does have a plug, (914 Porsche was non-electric) as I understand it is heated to close faster, so do you mean a plug and ground wires?
Dan

 

[pantera928]

OK, will look at that tonight, the AAV does have a plug, (914 Porsche was non-electric) as I understand it is heated to close faster, so do you mean a plug and ground wires?
Dan

Many times the ECU ground wires go under the mounting bolts for the AAV. See photo.
Make sure those grounds are clean and tight

 

[ghnl]

...the AAV does have a plug, (914 Porsche was non-electric) as I understand it is heated to close faster, so do you mean a plug and ground wires?

The wire harness connector is indeed for a heated bimetal strip to close the AAV faster. There were ground wires originally attached under one of the bolts that secured the AAV to the cam cover. There is another gang of ground wires under a bolt on the side of the head at the right rear. I moved the ground wires from the AAV to the bolt on the head to make it a little easier to R/R the cam cover. So, find that other ground location and see how many wires are attached there. IIRC, the cam cover originally had two ground wires and the other bolt had three. Next to intake air/vacuum leaks, the most common issue with the L-jet system is poor grounds. So, find all those ground wires, remove, clean and re-secure.

 

[spiderserie4]

the main ecu ground connection always has some main ground wires on it, and then sometimes a couple of smaller ones up under the AAV mounting bolt, like here


later that single bolt on the main ecu ground (arrowed above in yellow), became a double connection (on the S4 at least)

 

[vbisbest]

OK, will look at that tonight, the AAV does have a plug, (914 Porsche was non-electric) as I understand it is heated to close faster, so do you mean a plug and ground wires?
Dan

Here is what mine looks like, it’s an 83 spider. Keep in mind the AAV is removed here since I was testing it.

 

[DHS]

Well I checked and the AAV ground wires are with the main ground on the right rear side of engine, looks clean but I will clean those wires. So I have the tank out and both pumps and a filter on order. So I will have a lot to do this weekend.

 

[pantera928]

Well I checked and the AAV ground wires are with the main ground on the right rear side of engine, looks clean but I will clean those wires. So I have the tank out and both pumps and a filter on order. So I will have a lot to do this weekend.

Just curious. Where did you order the parts from?

 

[pantera928]

Well I checked and the AAV ground wires are with the main ground on the right rear side of engine, looks clean but I will clean those wires. So I have the tank out and both pumps and a filter on order. So I will have a lot to do this weekend.

Replace all of the flexible hoses while you are at it.

 

[DHS]

Rockauto.

 

[pantera928]

Rockauto.

Usually great prices. Hope the quality is good.