Hey guys,
decided tonight i would pull the computer out of my ef xr6 falcon and have a look at the catch codes, the car hasen't been running like a xr6 all my mates that have xr6 falcons tell me it's nowwhere it should be powerwise. Catch code is 4DCD had a look and was shocked to see its an 95 EF Fairmont Wagon ECU, 3.23 Diff, This is nowhere near good enough considering the 3.45 diffs in these falcons.

Planning on getting a T.I performance chip with a stock ef xr6 tune. My question is what problems is running this Fairmont ECU going to cause? Once i have chipped it can i expect a massive gain in power and performance? Thanks guys

If it's not running how it should then consider things that are due for replacement... Have you checked it for codes? Are there sensors out of range... Is it due for an injector clean/replacement, does it have fuel pressure issues, is the exhaust or cat part blocked, are the valves not sealing, does it have blowby, has the timing chain stretched retarding cam timing, is the coil pack at peak performance or is it wearing out, are spark plugs good, are leads still acceptable impedance, is the throttle body clean...

The XR has a few kw over the std falcon IIRC and these few kw is made up in fuel pressure, cam, head, and computer... Swapping a tickford computer to an std computer will result in a drop in power only noticeable on a dyno...

Irrespective of what your mates tell you it should go like, Ford has always had the "special" cars... The one odd ball car that goes like the powers of piss despite still being no different to the car that followed it off the assembly line... These freak cars exist (my brother has an ED like it) and others are average and then you have your lemons at the other end of the scale...

Instead of worrying about the tiny tune different in an XR computer I'd be looking to bigger and better things to find get up and go... And replacing things that are definitely likely to cause it to be laggy... Is there a joint there on Copland St that does dyno tuning? If they have the ability find yourself a cam and them have them do a tune to suit what the car actually needs as opposed to the std XR tune...

Cheers,
Tim

Yeah been replacing a few things lately. Nah havent done that yet. Fuel gauge seems a bit off. Drove about 50 kms the other day with the petrol light on. Yeah due for an injector clean. Not sure about fuel pressure seems fine. Exhaust system is fine brand new cat back. Only problem I seem to be having with it is a sticky noisy lifters the car over revvs and the clutch cable isnt sitting right in the firewall making it hard to change gears etc. Needs reinforcing I think. Yeah my mates also have 4.11 diffs etc so no comparison. Shes got some power there. Throws ya back in the seat. Just had issues with other things haha. So maybe half a lemon? Lol

Planning on an au xr6 engine in the future. Changed sparkies today need leads tommorow. Oil change done and filter so getting there slowly. Not sure about copland street will check it out and yeah just gotta get the cash up for a cam and tune. Just put the computer back in and she sounds alot healthier then before. Isnt over revving sounding alot better so might just be a dodgy ecu?

Maybe it had a bad memory in it and resetting it has fixed it... See how it learns again over the coming weeks... Maybe it is dodgy... Could be an out of range MAP or dirty Hego or wrong IAT... Sensors cause weird problems... Hence I suggested doing the scheduled code check on the computer and making sure nothing odd is happening... but yeah dodgy ecu is a possibility... my old man had one...

4.11's are useless if you use your car as a car... If you want to drive from here to Sydney with 4.11's you'd be able to watch the fuel needle moving... I like my 3.45's I retrofitted... Great fuel economy and good take off ability...

Sticky lifters are common... I had one previously in the ED head but only on start up... it pumped up and went away... The AU head I have on it now is fine... Fuel gauge works on a buffered value so depending what has been happening it can be a bit out... The fuel regs are known to sick open and cause over fuelling and I check my fuel rail pressure on occasion to make sure it's still hunky dorey, but if it gets too far out you'll soon tell anyway...

Fix your clutch cable issue asap before it drops to the floor and you rear end someone at the lights... contact fiend on here for one of his firewall plates made out of stainless... for 70 or 80 bucks imported from NZ they're brilliant... I have one and so does my bother... My pedal also gave way and it has been removed and repair and strengthened... Usually the pivot pin on the pedal box tears the box and goes C**k eyed... If that doesn't happen first it tears the "boss" out of the firewall wear the cable passes through it... check for cracking of the wall around where the cable goes in...

Was in gasweld the other week and they had something with some serious go on a dyno... could hear it inside gasweld... I assume there's a mechanical joint there somewhere... not sure how involved with custom tuning they are... if they do it it would open up other options for me instead of needing to trailer my car to sydney or similar to have any custom work done with whatever I decide in the future...

Cheers,
Tim

a new ef ecu with a manual tune will prob cost u about the same i spent for mine $700 from ford used it for about 6 months then changed car back to a auto .currently lives in a sealed box in the garage ..j3 will work if u can get a good one and a good tune put on it

Yeah mate just got an xr6 manual of a mate and the car is running so much better. Isnt revving as high and actually behaves like an xr6 blowsbme away how smooth and how much better the gear changes are. Its evem got the propee exhaust note too. So much happier with it now.

Will investigate the lifter a bit more, seems to have gone away now..
Yeah will either get the cable off here or get someone to wield the plate for me.

Also had a look around today at fords and found an el xr6 thats got a rebuilt motor and only has 30, 000ks on the clock. So seriously considering buying this new one.. would be better wont have the issues im having with this car. Its an auto so manual conversion is the forst thing I'll be doing.

Got the xr6 manual ecu for $100 - mates rates. Car is running perfect like an xr6. Even sounds like one now so prettu happy. Old ecu must of been dodgy. It was an auto ecu in a manual so id say he did the resistor trick. It also had stickers on it like it had been reconditioned or something..