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VVT Shutoff Issue Data Gathering

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#1
tylerbrown

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In an effort to work towards fixing the VVT shutoff issue that is plaguing the VVT SMs, I wanted to collect some more data to get a better idea of the total quantity of VVTs that this problem is affecting and to see what kind of percentage of total VVTs being run have either had or have an issue with the shutoff problem. I also want to gather some more information on what people have all tried when working towards resolving the issue, and if they were successful in finding a solution to the issue (understanding that not all cars will be fixed by the same things). 
 
To get the best data that we can, please, all VVT SM car owners respond to this data collection survey at the link below:
 
 
Please respond once per VVT car you have owned. If you are unsure as to the responses to the question as your car is maintained and prepped by a prep shop, please either work with them to answer these questions, or have the prep shop owner/knowledgeable tech fill out the form for you. 

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#2
Steve Scheifler

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Just an FYI, I have a standing offer to work on this FREE for anyone willing to bring a car that does it with reasonable frequency. I have a hub-type dyno that can simulate track conditions far better than a typical roller dyno so we can reproduce issues like this in the shop. I can scope the signals to various sensors, log OBD data on the dyno and if necessary will temporarily install a plug & play ECU with full high-speed data logging to identify what’s really going on. No guarantees, but there really are a limited number of things it can be on any given car.
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#3
tylerbrown

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For the amount of money being spent trying to race while also trying to fix the problem on one of my cars it might make sense to take you up on that..


Tyler Brown

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#4
Steve Scheifler

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We’re about to have a Majors here and unfortunately the entry list is abysmal, we could use another entry. Bring it down early and we can spend an entire day or more on the dyno first. If we can’t reproduce it we can install a MegaSquirt for you to run in whatever class fits to see how it acts while logging everything.
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#5
tylerbrown

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Unfortunately the car met the tire wall at Road Atlanta, and I will not have the time to get down for Gateway unless I quit my job!  :pessimist:


Tyler Brown

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#6
Steve Scheifler

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Damn, sorry to hear that. I also happen to have a frame rack and paint booth but those are pretty much BYOE (bring your own expert).
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#7
Jim Drago

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We’re about to have a Majors here and unfortunately the entry list is abysmal, we could use another entry. Bring it down early and we can spend an entire day or more on the dyno first. If we can’t reproduce it we can install a MegaSquirt for you to run in whatever class fits to see how it acts while logging everything.

Steve

We may take you up on that one.  Let me see what I can do here

Jim


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#8
Ron Alan

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You may be on the right track Tyler with collecting info...finding that one common denominator may solve mystery? Be curious to know if anyone has had a car shut off at idol, when cold, at low rpm or even on a dyno? Or only on track at speed and temp? Also curious if cars turn off completely or limp mode? When key is cycled do they fire right back up? 


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#9
Steve Scheifler

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You may be on the right track Tyler with collecting info...finding that one common denominator may solve mystery? Be curious to know if anyone has had a car shut off at idol, when cold, at low rpm or even on a dyno? Or only on track at speed and temp? Also curious if cars turn off completely or limp mode? When key is cycled do they fire right back up?


Yes, we definitely need more details describing the events, and video with sound if possible. In at least done cases I have heard it described as less like a misfire and more like a complete shutoff for a few beats then back on. Many people are now familiar with the kind of intermittent “misfire” caused by bad wiring or connectors to the cam or crank sensors, I’m assuming that this is something distinctly different. What’s been described to me sounds more like a complete electrical loss like an intermittent main relay but surely anyone running data would have spotted that by now. I gather that it happens like a light switch, instantly off then instantly back on, which could be all four injectors just stopping then restarting, but NOT something related to fuel pump for example. I hope a lot of people are responding to the survey.
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#10
tylerbrown

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Yes, we definitely need more details describing the events, and video with sound if possible. In at least done cases I have heard it described as less like a misfire and more like a complete shutoff for a few beats then back on. Many people are now familiar with the kind of intermittent “misfire” caused by bad wiring or connectors to the cam or crank sensors, I’m assuming that this is something distinctly different. What’s been described to me sounds more like a complete electrical loss like an intermittent main relay but surely anyone running data would have spotted that by now. I gather that it happens like a light switch, instantly off then instantly back on, which could be all four injectors just stopping then restarting, but NOT something related to fuel pump for example. I hope a lot of people are responding to the survey.

 

Not too many yet. 37 responses so far but I will probably start reaching out to people to take down notes. I will probably try to start calling people too to get more information from the people who have not answered the survey.

 

The "VVT Shutoff" is NOT a pipping/popping like the bad cam sensors on the 99s, it is distinctly as if someone turned off the ignition for 3-8 seconds or so. I have many videos that I could show, Id just need to dig them up and edit them together. All the electrical for the car stays on, dash is still on, rpm signal wire is still giving data, but its like the ECU is either not allowing the injectors to pulse or that its not send the signal to spark for 3-8 seconds and then all the sudden it starts firing again.

 

One theory is that between the advanced timing of the slotted wheels plus the variable valve timing that the timing of the engine gets so far out of wack that the spark can not even ignite the air fuel mixture, but I don't believe that that is what is happening as then I would assume you still get some ignitions and it'd sound more like misfiring, not all together nothing for the 3-8 seconds like what is happening.

 

People claiming to have the shutoff issue when its misfiring is not the shutoff issue IMO.

 

Since I believe it is the ECU raining on the parade, to verify that the ECU is actually not sending ignition to the coil packs or the injectors to pulse it was suggested to me by Josh Smith that I hook up an oscilloscope to the Cam Sensor/Crank Sensor, Coil pack and fuel injector wires on a car that has the shutoff and record what's happening during the shutoff period. I have a car that I could do this on and definitely like the idea of doing this.

 

IMO the ECU is not firing one or both of the coil packs or injectors after it sees that something between the cam and crank sensor is too far out of wack due to us advancing the timing further than stock with the slotted timing wheel. For a lot of the cars that I know that have this issue it goes away after you pull the timing back to stock, base 10 timing. This to me is saying that the ECU shuts stuff down when it doesn't see something it likes when we run the VVTs as 14-16 degrees, which means we are unable to run the cars as we are trying to and or allowed to with the slotted timing wheel. This to me does not make sense to allow us to run. So then a solution to this to me would be we need to not let the VVTs run as much advanced timing, or any more and only run stock timing wheels, but then how do we help them make up for the lost power? Bigger plates? Is that enough? Else we have to allow a ECU that doesn't shut off the car with the current timings that people are running. (This again is granted that is what is happening is that the ECU is shutting things off for the 3-8 seconds).


Tyler Brown

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#11
LarryKing

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Maybe just leave it alone and call it a parity adjustment.


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#12
38bfast

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Tyler we have had a car that had the shut off issue continue after we pulled the timing back to stock. Most that had the issue pulling the timing worked but we did have one that it did not. I think Jim's car was the same. Pulling timing did not fix it. So to me its not the end all fix. 


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#13
Steve Scheifler

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Thanks Tyler, that’s consistent with what I’ve been hearing. One caution about tach signal, I’m not sure where it originates. An inductive pickup (like a timing light) is triggered by actual spark but these are from the ECU which may reflect the command for spark or may come indirectly from the the cam or crank sensor. There was a mid-year change to this on NA8 ECUs but I don’t recall which way and everything changed with the NBs anyway.

Using an oscilloscope on sensors is what I referred to above. We did that recently on an NB1 with a misfire and could clearly see an occasional low spike or false spike on the crank sensor though they didn’t always result in a miss. We also look for general “noise” on those lines which could overwhelm the actual signal. That’s still pretty high on my suspect list for the VVT cars and why I mentioned scoping one first. BUT the NB1 we worked on did occasionally throw an OBD code that loosely translates to a cam/crank sync error and my understanding is that the VVTs aren’t doing that. BUT, my old VVT had them so far out of sync it wouldn’t even start and it never threw such a code. In other words, there’s still a lot to learn and it’s time to apply a bit more scientific methodology to the problem.
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#14
gerglmuff2

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has anyone herd from mazda on the topic? seems to me based on the symtoms they should have some pretty solid leads as to what to look for, and knowing whats in the code, should knock a few things off the list. 


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#15
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Since I believe it is the ECU raining on the parade, to verify that the ECU is actually not sending ignition to the coil packs or the injectors to pulse it was suggested to me by Josh Smith that I hook up an oscilloscope to the Cam Sensor/Crank Sensor, Coil pack and fuel injector wires on a car that has the shutoff and record what's happening during the shutoff period. I have a car that I could do this on and definitely like the idea of doing this.

Presume this is the Mazda Josh Smith.


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#16
Ron Alan

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1st time I remember hearing/seeing this happen was 2015...doubtful Mazda has any concern beyond a stock vehicle...at which point this would have been resolved long ago? IMO has everything to do with something we are doing beyond stock parameters. My money is on something ECU or we are having wire failure inside sheathing...but this should show up on a stock vehicle as well? Any Mazda service bulletins related to street/stock cars shutting off temporarily? 


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#17
tylerbrown

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Tyler we have had a car that had the shut off issue continue after we pulled the timing back to stock. Most that had the issue pulling the timing worked but we did have one that it did not. I think Jim's car was the same. Pulling timing did not fix it. So to me its not the end all fix. 

IMO when this is happening there is something else that is wrong like a cam/crank sensor/wiring harness. There are many things that seems to cause this shutoff condition, but the worst case is when you have a car doing this that you have changed a ton of things on and it still happens unless you pull the timing back to base 10. Thats why even if we were to come up with a potential solution to just have the vvts at base 10 timing you'd still have people having this issue I believe because they do have a bad sensor or wiring issue.

 

The one car we have I have doing it right now I've changed the timing wheel, crank sensor, cam sensor, readjusted the timing belt tension, and replaced the engine wiring harness to no avail. What do I change next??


Tyler Brown

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#18
Ron Alan

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water temp sensor(rear of head)


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#19
tylerbrown

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water temp sensor(rear of head)

What is the thought process on that?


Tyler Brown

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#20
Ron Alan

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No idea other than a car I watched with the problem only shut off after 190-195 degrees. Out front he was fine...got in draft...died. Odds are this goes back to the theory of the computer seeing things out of sync...and temp is one of the parameters. I'm sure its not issue but cheap shotgun! Will car run without it plugged in?


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