vac lines and other stuff

[hcca]

Sorry for asking so many questions recently.. trying to sort out all the little problems :) Nearly there at least..

A few things that i'm not sure what goes where (JA):

Map sensor (the little black canister that sits on the top of the ignitor unit and has 3 or 4 vac lines coming out of it) - has a black wiring connector coming off it. The only place I can see it can possible fit is into a white connector off the wiring loom that has a black/red wire and a blue/black wire. Is this correct? I had it plugged in there for a bit and it got quite hot.. didn't seem like a good thing. It's unplugged now, car doesn't seem to care (although i've only driven it about 200 metres).

I have a long cable that runs around the back of the engine bay - it plugs into the wiper motor and then there is a black/white wire coming off half way along after this and then two other wires (red and red/blue) at the end in single wire connectors. I *think* the black/white wire goes to the brake proportioning valve (yes/no?).. no idea where the others go!

Vac lines:

Coming out of the inlet manifold there is a vac line that t's into two long vac lines that I presume go over to the turbo and stuff. One has a red trace on it which I currently have plugged into the thingy on the firewall that I presume operates the boost gauge. The other line goes to the wastegate actuator? (I don't currently have a wastegate actuator - line is plugged and car runs a bit better that way).

A vac line that has a t-piece in it that runs from the end closest to the wires in the map sensor (the thingy on the top of the ignitor box) and other end is connected to the base of the plenum. Where does the t'd off bit go to?

A vac line that comes out from the base of the thermostat housing. Quite long.. no idea where it goes!

There is a port on top of the turbo. I presume one of these lines goes there, but which one?

Oh yeah, plus the brake light on the dash is staying on after the car is started.. plenty of fluid in the master cylinder. Does that mean the M/C is rooted or do I maybe just need to do a bleed. Brakes seem to work fine.

Heelp!!! :)

I think that's it.. any and all help is very much appreciated!

[Cordzboy]

Maybe try replacing the cap on the fluid reservoir - mine was faulty, and making the light stay on like you say.

[SpidersWeb]

I thought the MAP sensor was the box mounted on the driver side firewall, that also ran the boost guage. Im no mechanic, and just repeating what other people told me, this 'vac line hunting' seems to be a mini nightmare.

Also the little black canister with 3 vac lines on it, that sits above the ignitor unit with a black plug, plugs in to a black plug on my car. This is what snapped in half a while ago (the canister that is), its been disconnected and since then the digital boost guage did work accurately for about 2 hours before it sprung a new air leak, I was told the MAP sensor ran the boost guage, so is this really the MAP sensor??? Also I have the white plug that goes no where, mine has four pins and is circular in shape. The canister does not plug in to this at all. I have a second black plug that it clips in to.

I think I might have to photograph my engine bay, and ask people on here to identify things. Might make it easier for everyone, publish results on website etc. I wanna know what these damn lines do because I still have the 'emissions regulation' crap in there and dont know how to remove it.

Taking the car to a mate to show him the bad colour matching my panel beater did, he has a digi cam. I can't follow the written descriptions unless sitting in front of car.

[hcca]

Ok, so the big thingy on the firewall is the map sensor? :) The vac line I have plugged into that is the one the comes off the inlet manifold runner (and is t'd to another vac line that goes somewhere else - not sure where).



It's virtually impossible to take photos of the vac lines as they all blend in together. Anyway, the green arrows point to the connectors that go to that black canister thingy (not plugged in). The white connector has a black/red wire and a blue/black wire. I can't work out anywhere else it could possibly go, but it doesn't seem right that the connectors are not the same colour!

The pink arrow points to a vac line that runs down to the base of the eci plenum. Along this line there is a t piece with a vac line hanging off it. I can't see what it plugs into.

I'll try to take some better photos later, but it's not that easy :)

[hcca]

By the way, I just had a brainwave about that long cable that runs around the back of the firewall - I suspect that one wire goes the the proportioning valve and the other two connect to the reverse switch on the gearbox :) That would make SENSE! :)

[Abalistic]

Hope this is of help.
The black plastic object near the coil is actually a solenoid that controls the EGR valve ( exhaust gas recirculation ).
It is part of the emission control system for Australian Starions.
There is no problem leaving the connector unplugged.
When it is connected, and the engine is up to operating temperature, that solenoid opens and allows a vacuum down to the EGR valve, that metal looking mushroom near the distributor. When the EGR valve opens, it uncovers an internal gallery through the cylinder head from the exhaust ports to the inlet manifold. ( the engine gets to suck on it's own exhaust! )
Leave it unplugged your Starion will be alot happier.

A :D

[hcca]

Aha.. excellent :) I just have to plug it in for the roadworthy people I guess, but good to know it will run without it. I noticed today that the boost gauge seems to be doing something more intelligent now (I think anyway having never had a working Starion before!) - Sits in slight vacuum until I hit the accelerator or while braking and then it boosts up a bit under a small load. Not pushing it at all because there's still a couple of issues like no wastegate actuator. And leaking fluids (oil, water, power steer fluid, you name it).

[ProZac]

heres an idea... the plugs that are attached (plugged into each other) in that picture of the same sort as the ones that are not plugged in, what if they are meant to plug in to the ones that are unplugged?

god, i hope you can understand what i mean...

[hcca]

Yeah, I get what you mean, but i'm pretty sure they are a different plug (just looks similar in the photo). The other plug is for the air con.

[Abalistic]

Understanding a Starion is a journey, it never ends.
Worries me that U have no wastegate?
It's part of the factory turbo for a Starion. Can u move the pushrod?
Is the airline from the wastegate to the inlet manifold ok?
As for the power steering leaks, if U have them, do something about them.
The oil leaking out goes straight down onto the alternator, it will kill it too.
Go to Super Cheap or what ever auto shop you have there and buy some Lucas power steering stop leak. Empty the power steering tank, (syphon with a tube) and put that in. It has a higher viscosity and plugs the leaks.
Take out the little mesh strainer at the filler hole in the oil tank. I found that that mesh blocks the flow when old, and causes all the noises. makes the power steering pump cavitate.
Hope this helps.

A. :D

[hcca]

I don't have a wastegate actuator - I do have the wastegate itself. I am getting one, but until then it won't see any hard driving.

I can't work out where the power steering is leaking from - it seems to be from the front where the pulley is as it's leaking onto the pulley itself. I'm guessing there's a seal in there that's gone.

[SpidersWeb]

hahaha wicked
I'm pretty stoked now.

I broke the EGR solenoid by accident, haha sweeeet. Accidental performance upgrades rock.