Engine and Transmission: December 2003  

It's May 2003 and I'm still trying to get over the failure of the first engine/computer. I've got the newer engine installed and the picture to the right shows the wiring installation for the TEC3 ECM's sensors. Here you can see how the final engine bay will look with all sides smoothed. On the right is the finished coolant level indicator. The purple color on the right side head is the coil pack for the TEC 3 whci essentially has a dedicated coil per cylinder. (no distributor)  
   
The TEC 3 ECM istelf got installed directly behind the driver's seat. Clockwise from top: The TEC3 ECM (computer that now controls the engine), Secondary fuse block (Donated by the Eagle Premier), Terminal block to allow quick connection of additional fused circuits, an AC inverter for running the laptop computer for tuning, and a pack of four relays, running the starter, fuel pump, coil pack and Cooling Fans. All engine power now comes from this area and has been removed from the original Delorean wiring harness. Hopefully, this will prevent any of the problems inherent with the Delorean's original wiring from preventing the car from running.  
   

I didn't have a digital video camera handy so you'll have to do with a narrative for the startup sequence:

All wiring was installed, new battery installed, a fwe gallons of fuel added to the tank, all fluids topped off, another look around underneath to make sure everything's tight. I fireup the laptop computer to monitor ungine functions during the test-fire. Turn the key to the run position, but the ECM does not respond. No lights, no fan. Hmmmm. A little looking around revealed that the although I connected the 12V pos from the ignition switch to the ECM's relay, I did not connect the ECM's 12V primary battery wire. Oops. OK All's connected now. Again, turn the ignition switch to run and this time the ECM comes to life showing a running LED and a cooling fan. Also, the computer screen now displays the engines current paramaters (0 RPM. cold coolant, etc.) Cross my fingers and push the start button. The engine cranks!.........and cranks!......uhhh and cranks. Hmmm. A glance and the computer screen and I notice a trouble code has popped up. "Faulty Cam Sensor". Eeek. Without that, the ECM cannot tell if the number one cylinder is in compression or exhaust stroke. I fire off an email to Electromotive to get some pointers. The response comes the next day and is admittedly a "shot-in-the-dark", but it involved adding a 100 Ohm resistor between two of the leads to the cam sensor. A quick trip to Radio Shack and a whopping $2.10 later, and I had two such resistors. A little soldering and taping and we're ready to try again.

Ignition on. Fuel pump primes, ECM comes to life, laptop displays engine data. Push the start button and it cranks and cranks. No trouble code this time and you can tell it is trying to fire!. I let off the starter and spin around to the laptop. I few strokes on the keyboard and I've pulled a few degrees out of the initial ignition timing. Back to the start button and this time she fires right up and quickly settles into a deep burbly idle. This was the first time we'd gotten to hear what the new exhaust system would sound like. High fives all around. Mike and I stood there for a few minutes admiring that oh-so-sweet-music. But no time for rest. We've got a suspension to build... Click here to go to the December Suspension Update