Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Calling all M3W Brooklands owners

Hi Mario, I hope this helps a little.

I had my exhausts replaced several months back now after ridiculous delays on Morgan's part. The story never changes does it.

Another element adding to the delay was my dealers inability to load the ECU flash. We had no choice but to return it to Morgan for them to sort. Did they reflash it or simply exchange it? We don't know. Either way I was led to believe that anyone else requiring the fix, such as yourself, would be given no choice other than to return it.

Was I able to find out what the reflash would do?, was I heck. Despite repeated attempts.

For what it's worth this is what I believe it has done. My perception is that the idle characteristics have been smoothed out. Their is far less popping and banging on the overrun and my engine seems to return to idle that bit more smoothly. This last point I am slightly less certain of though.

The effect? Well from the cockpit the engine and exhausts appear to move around far less frenetically, although still far from smooth of course due the inherent nature of the motor.

I am not suggesting a major difference, but in my opinion the flash has been an attempt to smooth and/or limit the shocks being delivered to the exhaust system, the knock on effect hopefully being a non fracturing exhaust system.

I'm about a thousand miles in now, touch wood they both appear sound and in one piece.

Please consider that I, unlike my father, am very much a layman so please consider my views with care.

Nonetheless I hope this proves useful to you.

Good luck with whatever course you choose to take and please let us know how things progress....or otherwise.

Hi Mario
Perhaps you could take a "copy" of your current tune maps on the ECU using the S&S Protune software. There is an option to copy to PC.

Could then do same after the flashing by MMC to see what the differences might be.

No adjustments can be made , but you can read most info.

Live reading of selectable gauges is interesting as you are driving in real time.

Possible to record, with some free software? When doing your eventing

Bevel boxes and Brooklands exhausts, the saga continues!

Nigel

And perhaps a non fracturing frame

Hi Stan, thank you for replying and also for sharing your experience and thoughts or, at least, best guess on what the ECU flash does.

I'm not sure if this is possible or not, but do you think I can buy an ECU with the "flash" (different mapping, I suppose)and have it sent to me? ANd if this is possible, will I be able to swap ECUs back and forth while I try to establish what the difference might be?

I'm afraid of two things: 1) something goes wrong and/ or gets delayed to no end and I'm left here strandded with a car that doesn't have its ECU; 2) The flash, intended to "smooth" the engine, in fact removes power and torque and in a way the character of the beast. I prefer to "smooth" the exhausts rigidity if that's the case.

Hi Nigel, long time we don't talk, hope the rest of your trip around Europe was good, I see you got back from it already! I will try to download that S&S software and do as you say, I have no idea how that can be done but I bet the guys in the workshop know what to do if I tell them what you suggested. In any case I will still try to check if I can just order a "flashed" ECU and keep the original, as stated above.

Hi Mario,

From my experience it wasn't possible to have a new ECU sent, my dealer informed me that MMC would only accept my ECU in order to "solve" the problem. In fairness I didn't try to dig my heels in and insist on a direct replacement. I fully understand your concerns though.

And yes, the "character" has been changed and for most of you I'd say detrimentally. I was taught to drive with a deal of mechanical sympathy, my father having been an engineer and very aware of how driving styles can affect component longevity. As a result this change of character hasn't concerned me greatly. I would place myself in the minority here though.

Of more concern to me has been the fact that even "fixes" to previous problems such as the Centa drive, which we all know is also now failing. The fear of what is going to go pop next, even when trying to drive smoothly, is taking the fun out of it for me I'm afraid.

I know there are a number of apologists on the forum for MMC's approach to development and customer care but it doesn't sit well with me.

Regarding the above comment can I please stress that this is just my view and very much based on how I was bought up. On previous posts I mentioned my father almost frothing at the mouth when my mother confessed to liking Morgans. My father found them to be among the worst companies he ever had to deal with, and that goes back to the post war years and beyond.

So, getting back to the point Mario, I would guess that you won't be overly keen on the ECU flash characteristics and should consider holding out for a direct replacement and then have a play around and see what works best for you.

Good Luck, and keep us informed.

Hi Stan, again thank you for your reply and important information. Today I talked to my dealer and asked for him to know if I can buy a M3W ECU with the new mapping, and what price would that be. We'll see what reply I get to this query.

As far as Morgans reliability is concerned, I really can't say much because I have two extreme opposites in my experiences. Meaning:

a) The Plus 4 works like clockwork, always has, 7 years on, and I have to say that God (and a few friends and TMers) knows that I have been pushing it. Near 40.000 kms now, some natural wear (but no tear), i absolutely love that car, and I trust it to do Lisbon-Beijing-Lisbon with no problems (I need good roads though, I'm getting old and my back needs smooth surfaces, or else I would do the Dakar with it )

To add, it is an excellent car, the kind that makes you enjoy driving, not just being transported holding a wheel and doing what the sat nav orders you to.



b) The M3W has been problematic since day one because of its exhausts(literally, first exhausts cracked 500 kms after leaving the factory). The upside is that, if you disregard the exhausts problem, I seem to have had it easy on me. Bevel Box doesn't scream, frame didn't crack, rear pulley was replaced with a steel one (under warranty) as soon as the original showed signs of wear, no compensator issues so far, well ... no issues. Only real scare regarded the Suplex suspension, and that was solved quickly and amicably with Suplex.


Now, MMC in all this is the most baffling experience. I didn't have much of it with the Plus 4 because I didn't need MMC's help and assistance, ever, after I bought that car. Only recently it happened, because a little rock cracked my original windshield, and it seems MMC (or its supplier) doesn't know, doesn't have, doesn't recall (take your pick), the correct dimensions of my car's windhield. I was already sent two new windshield frames and none of them fit my car. So, I'm still using the cracked original one. As I said, baffling.

Regarding the M3W ownership experience, the factory's attitude has been, shall we say, a bit inconsistent. I'm not going into detail about it because I would need a couple of hours to write it down, but let's keep it at that: inconsistent. I am told things have changed recently and I do hope this is the case.

Will report when I get news about the possibility of buying a new ECU.

Mario,
An option if you do decide to purchase another ECU could be the Garage 56 one. That way you hopefuly end up with the MMC ECU set up for the Brooklands exhausts but locked and one from G56 that comes set up for something really quite similar that can be altered by hooking up to the S&S software, preferably altered by someone who has a rolling road and suitable knowledge, which rules me out on two counts.

I've been helping a friend to resolve the issues with his 2014 M3W Brooklands exhausts. (Obviously) it had cracked in the usual place, just ahead of the offside box and needless to say was out of warranty. Standing on the shoulders of giants (thanks MarioCP, KBMOG, Planenut & others) we decided on a belt & braces approach with a flex joint and welded gussets where pipe meets the box, both fore and aft.





The work was done by Custom Chrome in Nuneaton who were friendly and efficient. We noticed that with the existing setup the rubber mounts were under tension so they added 10mm to the length of the o/s pipe so that the rubbers get an easier life. Custom Chrome have a sister company that specialises in polishing so the exhausts were gleaming when we collected them. The whole job cost £200 (for both sides) and I'm confident that the exhausts will be problem-free for many thousands of miles to come.

Excellent work ...very well done indeed.

Makes me wonder why MMC could not create that fix.

+1

What nice piece of work and at a good price too .