Stuck in 4th gear...BLITZ TC?

[macbuddy]

While "charging" up a freeway on-ramp, "paddling" my way to redline, my Fit threw a CEL. I abruptly found myself stuck in 4th. I was panicked, puzzled and pissed! The paddles failed to work, and the cruise buttons were frozen. I even tried manually shifting into neutral and back several times. The car was definitely stuck in gear, and I was yet 20 miles from home. After assessing the situation, I decided to go ahead and "limp" it home in 4th gear, at 65 mph, spinning at 3,500 rpm.
When I finally got to my exit, I then discovered that the Fit would not downshift! It "jerked" and "clanked" to a halt, where I waited for the light to change. Luckily the engine continued to idle. When the stoplight turned green, I "jerkily" left the light in what felt like 3rd or maybe 4th gear. All six drivers behind me, prolly thought it was the first time I had ever driven a car, as I ever so slowly gathered up speed. Heck, I wasn't worried about them, I was just happy that I was able to make it home.
Once I was in my driveway, I shut it down, waited a few, then fired it back up. Hmm, the ECU must have reset. Everything seemed back to normal, although the CEL stayed lit. A quick series of button jabs, and the Scangauge showed me that a P2138 code had been thrown. P2138 alludes to an "Accelerator Position Sensor Circuit Range/Performance" concern. Once I was convinced that my Fit was healthy again, I proceeded to clear that CEL (also with the help of the Scangauge).

To my relief, I have been driving trouble free ever since!

Having told you that, I need to also mention that I have since removed my "glitchy" BLITZ Throttle Controller. My BLITZ TC has been acting up for over 3 months now. I have been bracing myself for something like this to happen. The symtoms were sporatic at first, but became more frequent with time. My unit had a habit of turning "off" and "on" by itself, usually at the most inopportune times. Sometimes, it would shut down while I was passing, which made timing of such maneuvers difficult. Then at other times it would produce an occasional episode of "sudden acceleration." I guess kinda like what a Toyota might do. To say the least, it was a bit daunting. It's a good thing that our cars only have 109 hp! Imagine what the outcome might have been had I been in the cockpit of a 520 hp GTR!

-macbuddy-

[manxman]

Wow! That all really sounds unpleasant, and dangerous. Did you try to contact the fitfreak member BlitzUSA (Mike- the group buy seller from whom you bought your controller?). It probably won't help though- as I recall, the warranty was a huge 90 days or something. You might PM SlimJim- he bought my Blitz after my wreck of the GD. He would be very interested in all of your experiences as the T/C went through the failure process.

I think, if you can afford it (low price anyway), the NTD from twpanson would be less likely to fail, at least in the same manner. And Panson would stand behind his product, regardless of warranty (I will bet, but can't guarantee it).

[claymore]

Whoa that sucks. Any possibility of the connections getting dirty or corroded? Anybody else having problems?

[Slimjimx701x]

On my end, I only have the P21378 code. I have never been stuck in any gear or have the "Toyota jump" as of yet.

Since the then, I just kept the TC unplug

[twpanson]

Let me know if there is anything I can help.

Panson

[twpanson]

Let me know if there is anything I can help.

Panson

I don't know if the harness is the same. I can send you a refurbished one to test if you like.

Panson

[macbuddy]

Hey Panson,
Thanks for the offer, but I am pretty sure the harnesses are different. If I don't get this Blitz figured out, I may have to pick up an NTD from
you in the future.
Thanks,
-macbuddy-

[The JKS]

I know this is almost a month old but did u figure out the problem yet? I had this same problem with my Z4 after adding a throttle controller... The Z4 went into the "limp mode" and stayed in 4th gear until I manually reset my ECU with my laptop. Long story short, I had to reprogram my ECU from a tuning shop to work better with the throttle controller. No offence to throttle controller makers, but some models need to be researched a little more before they start to sell them :(

[macbuddy]

JKS,
Wow, that's scary knowing that someone else has experienced such a similar event. So, I am not the only one that has experienced a "Possessed" throttle controller.
To answer your question, I haven't tried figuring out the Blitz ever since disconnecting it. I immediately pulled the TC from my Fit as soon as I learned that it could turn on by itself. I just wanted it out of service ASAP! I didn't want to take a chance on having it do a "Toyota" to me.
Hopefully, I can work on it this summer, when I have some spare time. I'm a little busy right now with work, and family obligations.
I am hoping that the problem is just a loose connection, or wire. I noticed that when the unit was failing, I could often get it working again by jiggling the head unit wiring. I am guessing that the wiring inside that display unit is shorting.

[The JKS]

I ended up hard wiring mine to back of the OBD2 because I need to use the port and use the throttle controller at the same time. Does urs have 7 modes? Mine worked fine in mode 1 ~ 4 (3 being normal) but as soon as I switch to 5 ~ 7, it threw a code and then went straight to the limp mode. My Z4 had a SMG tranny and it was pain because it acted like an automatic tranny as soon as the limp mode kicked in... We found out that the TC I had opens the throttle body "too quick" so the ECU was freaking out. We reprogram the ECU and deleted the throttle manage section so that it doesn't see how fast the throttle body opens. I hope it's just ur unit or the wires and u don't have to go thru all these troubles... Long story short, it was a $1k fix to use s darn $200 TC unit... But u know what? I really liked the result and made my Z4 0.5 quicker in 1/4 miles. :)

[macbuddy]

Whoa that sucks. Any possibility of the connections getting dirty or corroded? Anybody else having problems?

Well, I had some spare time this weekend and re-installed the BLITZ throttle controller unit. This time however, I sprayed some electrical contact cleaner onto the connections before hooking the leads back to the blackbox. I know it's only been a couple of days, but the BLITZ seems to be working again. I've tested it on over a hundred miles of backroads, and no problems, just smiles!
For the record, I had been driving for the past 5 months without the TC. During that time, I had also been running with a new coilpack. Ever since replacing the bad coilpack, I have had no problems nor thrown any codes.
Now that the coilpack question has been eliminated, I am looking back, and thinking that the "thrown code" may have been due more to that weak coilpack, and perhaps less to the BLITZ TC.
Hopefully my Fit will no longer throw the same P2138 code ("Accelerator Position Sensor Circuit Range/Performance" code). Hopefully Claymore was right in that the problem was due to dirty contacts, and/or bad connections.
Anyway, just thought I'd update this thread to perhaps ease the minds of those that also have the same BLITZ TC problem, or any brand TC problem. If you do, check your connections!

It was fun to re-experience the more responsive throttle again! Maybe my 120 mile test run was too much fun. My Scangauge normally shows me a 34-36 mpg reading...however, with the BLITZ set on SP3, I was seeing 28 mpg* by the time I got back home!
-macbuddy-

*(FYI, yesterday I drove more "sanely" and was still able to achieve 36+mpg with the BLITZ set on SP3).

[claymore]

Try not to have TOO much fun testing it out.......... well maybe for one tank then you can get back to normal driving and check your mileage on the next tank :rolleyes:

[macbuddy]

Okay, ever since re-installing my BLITZ TC, it's performance and reliability had been declining day by day. Finally last Sunday, it threw a CEL again. A quick glance at the Scangauge showed that the same P2138 code had been thrown. This time, I narrowed the problem down to the Control/Display module.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5605/p1010774w.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/149/p1010774w.jpg/)
I found that every time I touched this Display unit, the TC would short out.
I tried contacting the group-buy organizer, Mike, to see if he could help me either get it repaired, or replaced. I have yet to hear back from him. The BLITZ TC owner's manual was no help, it did not list any contact information what-so-ever. I scoured the Internet for any address, e-mail, or phone number, to get in contact with an Official BLITZ representative. After an unsuccessful evening on the Internet, I gave up. I was unable to find any promising leads.
With no other options, I decided to go ahead and break open the back of the Display module to see if I could repair it myself. A very firm squeeze on the plastic case was just enough to release the 4 retaining tabs, and the rectangular black case split in two. Inside, I found a very small circuit board covered with several tiny electronic components, an LED display, 3 switches, and a small wiring harness connector. Using 3.5X stereo magnification, I was able to see the problem. Two of the 8 pins of the wiring harness connector had hairline cracks in the soldering.
Using my smallest tipped soldering iron, I was lucky enough to re-solder the connections, without frying anything else on the circuit board.
The good news is that for the past 5 days, it appears to be working like it did when I first got it. I hope this is the last time I have to update this thread.
-macbuddy-
*Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. I didn't think about it until after I had already rerouted all the cables, mounted the Display unit, and was convinced that I had the TC up and running again. I know it is probably hard to visualize what I just described, but I wasn't about to tear it all apart again just for a photoshoot.

[claymore]

Good work on finding the problem. They should be paying you for the solution.

[macbuddy]

I hope this is the last time I have to update this thread.

Dang it! I got the "UP" and "POWER" buttons transposed! I didn't notice this until this afternoon. Anyway, I couldn't stand leaving them that way. Tonight I had to break it open again. This time, I remembered to take some pictures.

The transposed buttons
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5605/p1010774w.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/i/p1010774w.jpg/)

What's inside the box
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/3788/p1010770w.th.jpg (http://img832.imageshack.us/i/p1010770w.jpg/)

Underneath is the tiny "Wiring Harness Connector"
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/8128/p1010765y.th.jpg (http://img842.imageshack.us/i/p1010765y.jpg/)

Imagine trying to solder these pins!
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2573/p1010769.th.jpg (http://img508.imageshack.us/i/p1010769.jpg/)

[manxman]

Throw it awaaaayyyyy!

[claymore]

I love it a man that takes pride in his work. That is some great soldiering you preformed there not too many people around that could get that done.

So what's the scoop you use a magnifier and what kind of iron was used.

[macbuddy]

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/6968/photo091608001.th.jpg (http://img810.imageshack.us/i/photo091608001.jpg/)So what's the scoop you use a magnifier and what kind of iron was used.

Hey John, like I said, I was lucky not to damage the rest of the components. One problem I had was trying to hold the iron steady enough, so as not to "bridge" the solder across 2 adjacent pins. The iron I used was s Butane-Powered, Wall Lenk Cordless Soldering Iron that I picked up at Sears (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00954003000P?vName=Tools&cName=ElectriciansTools&Lighting=&sName=Soldering%20Tools%20&%20Accessories=&sid=IAx20090815x000001&aff=Y)
Another problem I had, was in using the 3.5X magnification. When peering through my Optivisor (http://secure.transtronics.com/Optivisor.html), the magnification made the tip of the soldering iron appear "humongous." I felt like I was trying to mend the broken contacts with a soldering iron that had a tip the size of a bowling ball!

Throw it awaaaayyyyy!
Geez Dave, why would I throw away a $350 toy that still works? I still enjoy like using it! In SP3 mode, it makes the Fit so responsive, while still returning mpg figures in the 34-36 mpg range.

[manxman]

Why would you throw it away? Because when it fails on the road, it puts you and your passengers in danger. Because there is no support from the manufacturer or its marketers for defective units. Because the ETC controller from Panson Pan works so much better and costs so much less.

Since I was the person who encouraged you to join the group buy on that other forum to buy this thing four years ago, I feel very badly. I also feel badly that I sold my Blitz T/C to Slimjimx701x.

If I still had a Blitz unit and was aware of your problems with it, I would throw it away. Overpriced, faulty, and dangerous products really piss me off and I won't keep using them once I find out that they are junk. Under many circumstances, your junk can kill you on the road. I regret being responsible for wasting your cost in buying the Blitz, and regret selling this junk to Slimjim. Of course, I did not know about the defects in either one of these situations.

Have you posted about the defects and resulting car malfunctions on that other forum with so many other Blitz buyers? Doctordoom, the original tester and OP of the thread that produced the group buy would probably be very interested in what might happen to him in the future, and might be interested in your "fix".

[claymore]

Yea I would hate to throw away $350 also and it is fixed.

[macbuddy]

Why would you throw it away? Because when it fails on the road, it puts you and your passengers in danger.
Hey manxman,
Thanks for your concern, and don't feel bad about encouraging me to make the BLITZ purchase. I am an adult, and I realize that there is a risk whenever one decides to install unproven products.
The "danger" of my BLITZ TC was that it was turning on and off by itself. I determined the symptom was due to a shorted connection that supplied power to the unit.
Whenever a source of power is introduced to a "healthy" unit, the TC "boots up." During that "boot up ritual," it apparently cycles through it"s modes before the control/display module allows one to chose a setting. The problem is that if this "boots up" while you have the accelerator depressed, the driver will experience the enhanced effects of the throttle controller.
Now that I have resoldered the connections, I feel that the BLITZ TC is safe to use again. I appreciate your concern, and I thank you for that!
Some of my friends call me "macGuyver" because I always somehow get things to work again. As for "junk," I can't throw anything away! BTW, you wouldn't throw away a table saw if you determined the problem to merely be a loose wire connection to the power switch would you? :)

[manxman]

If the table saw had a tendency to turn itself on at random times, I would not only throw it away, I would smash it to pieces so that no one else could be hurt by it, and then take it to the scrap metal bin at the local dump. I hope that you have solved all possible weird symptoms, and that no more surprises are waiting for you.