I have recently installed a new blacktop Zetec in my car. It is fitted with the Griffin Power Systems inlet plenum, uses the original Ford throttle body, original Ford injectors and rail etc. It is all controlled by an Omex 600 ECU that was provided with the Griffin equipment with a base map installed.

The engine seems to be running rich and there is a slight misfire that is right through the rev range. As the car is not MOT'd yet i haven't driven it properly, just running the engine in the garage.

Having read a few comments on here and spoken to the guy from Griffin the general consensus seems to be that it should be OK with just a little tweaking on a rolling road. The problem for me is that the nearest rolling road is 250 miles away, so i dont want to turn up there with a basic problem that cannot be fixed on the day, costing me a fortune.

As everything is more or less standard apart from the ECU, then i am thinking that maybe my fuel pump is delivering too much pressure. The fuel pump orginally started life in a Toyota Corolla GTi. Would you expect that car to deliver a higher fuel pressure than the Ford needs? Do you think this area is worth investigating?

If it is just the ECU settings then hopefully my rolling road guy will sort that out.

Also, is there a cheap, accurate way to determine if the car is actually running too rich/lean, maybe it is just my imagination!

Any comments or suggestions much appreciated.

I have a sneaking suspicion that late blacktops didn't have a fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail (something to do with the ECU controlling the pump voltage?) - I think the fix was the fuel rail from an earlier zetec with one built in..?

if you don't have a regulator between the pump and the injectors, then fit one...

The griffin system will have a base setting based on a certain fuel pressure - you can bet your house it won't be the same as that supplied by the toyota pump.... also not sure how you are managing your return line without one?

For a cheap regulator, search ebay for 'Power boost' valves, you can use one from any car - they are fairly simple variable regulators packaged for the max power brigade.

To check mixture, pull your plugs - if they are black and sooty, then it is rich.

[Edited on 16/5/09 by gregs]

Just to confirm, i pulled the plugs today and they are very black and sooty...so suspicions confirmed!

I will check the query with the fuel pressure. The pump is from the Corolla, and yes the engine has a standard Ford pressure regulator as originally supplied with the engine.