Disappointed, light rant...

LarsD

Founding Member
Jul 2, 2002
2,680
120
123
Texas
Late last summer I finished up the drive train swap on my 91. Seems as though I haven't been able to go more then a couple of weeks without the car having to go down for repairs. First it was the new transmission had to come back out because Tremec didn't build it right, then on four separate occasions the car has died on me while sitting at a stop light and not wanted to restart. The first three times I was able to get it started and made it to my destination. Each time I found something wrong with the car that led me to believe I had fixed it. First couple were my fault (loose grounds), then the caps were blown in the ECU. Now it seems like it might be the TFI, which is fine, it has a ton of miles on it (was one of the very few parts on the car that is original). I would like to verify (if possible) that it is the TFI before I got throwing money at the car.

So I decided to do some data logging with my Quarter Horse and BE/BA software. It has always been a little buggy for me, but I assumed that it was because the Windows install on my laptop was old (IE been over a year since a format). I was able to tune the car, but couldn't get the data logging to work. Plus getting the tuner to work was a little cantankerous. For instance, I couldn't start the software and plug in the QH, it just wouldn't recognize, and if I shut down BE it wouldn't actually close. I would kill it in the process tree, but I'd have to do a battery pull on the laptop if I wanted to shut it down. So finally being fed up with these annoyances, I formatted my laptop a couple weeks ago. Reinstalled BE/EA and nothing else. Wanted to make sure it was clean, and not conflicting with anything else in the registry.

Fired it up (BE that is) and it seemed error free without being connected to the QH. Great. I keep getting the "do you want to update" nag window, but the last time I did that it totally hosed the BE install. So I chose to forgo it. I go to the tuning web forums, follow the data logging instructions and what do I get? Not only does the data logging still not work, but as soon as I plug the tuner in, it locks up BE and won't close even when I am trying to do a task kill. At this point I'm pretty pissed off. I really could use the data logging to try and (maybe) help me find what is wrong with my car, but the software I paid for doesn't work. This is why I normally don't pay for software (spare me your moral high horse, I'm comparing a paid for BE install to a free version of TweeCer that I used years ago on my 89 and it never gave me this trouble). I am seriously thinking about getting a matched MAF so my car will run without the QH and trying to tune it the old school way.

At this point all I can think about is how I wished I had done a 4V 03/04 Cobra swap on the car instead (at least then I'd have a good excuse for it still being undrive-able six months later), or bought a used Vette (yes, I've tied up enough in this car I could have bought a clean C5Z for cash). Though I didn't cause I really love my Fox, even if it is trying my patience.
 
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just take a break from it and attack it another day.

It's been sitting since late December. I finally just got around to messing with it again.

yeah time heals all wounds, or put it in the back of the garage and buy something else... thats what i do

I would too if I had the room. lol I already found a couple of cars I'd pick up if my garage was big enough.

I run Tuner Pro R/T and have no complaints. Look into possibly downloading the free version to try it out and then pay for the R/T if you like it. I spent something like $39 for the real time version, not free I know but I like it.

I spent over $130 on the software I have. Not spending anymore. I'll fix it the old fashioned way if need be.
 
Now it seems like it might be the TFI, which is fine, it has a ton of miles on it (was one of the very few parts on the car that is original). I would like to verify (if possible) that it is the TFI before I got throwing money at the car.

Convert to EDIS? You can buy the parts on eBay for $75. It'd be different and you'd have more accurate timing...
 
If you are having trouble getting the distributor system and A9L to run correctly then going to a more complicated setup would not be my advice

It's a cool thought. However it will be cheaper to just fix what I have at this point. I imagine my problem lies in the few parts on the car that didn't get replaced. At this point I am "assuming" it is the distributor, I don't know for sure. I was hoping that the software and tuner I had bought could assist me in narrowing down where my problem is, but it not working properly is causing me angst instead of helping.
 
You know it is funny you mention that. I was thinking yesterday about how cool it would be to runs COPS on this motor. I'm just not sure how you control it.

There are ways. The old crown vics used A9L and ran EDIS. I'm about to swap in Megasquirt and do direct coil control using LS2 coils. Its all preference, really.

I do agree with 2002BLGT also, that narrowing down the exact problem first before switching anything is the best route. I've never used BE software. Sounds like a headache...

Have you posted your problem in a BE forum? Someone has to have run into the same issue before.