Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Disheartened owner

We will be collecting our new Plus Four this month -I'm popping over to see it on Tuesday as it should be just finished or very close- and am looking forward to it enormously. In our case we have opted for the Aero Racing manifold, which we have been assured , makes a big difference. So, by the time we have driven to Shropshire and back to Kent and then home to SouthWest France we should have a good idea of how it is responding and will let you know.

Meabh - does that manifold mean you have the Aero racing ecu tune as well?

The Aero racing manifold and remap on the smaller Sigma 1600 engine ( non-Gdi) make the world of difference to its performance - so I guess the same is true for the plus4

Andy I can't answer that one with any certainty. I have been told that, as you declare, the manifold really wakes up the performance at low revs and through the range.I have been told that that is enough. We'll see.Thanks for asking.

Sorry to hear that you are disappointed. My very small experience of the GDI engine did not reveal such a flat spot. 500 miles is really very little and I noted that my wife's Polo became much more lively once it had about 5,000 km on the clock. My own pre GDI (now with throttle bodies) did not have a particular flat spot but I did have a sports exhaust from new.

Regarding instruments misting up I have just realised that I have not had this since I had the instrument faces changed to magnolia colour and fitted LEDs for the instrument lighting. Previously it was common in cold weather. To me this really is an issue that should have been resolved year ago: modern motorcycle instruments do not suffer from this problem so why should sports car instruments.

Misty gauges, yes we have all suffered to an extent. Mine are sometimes so bad I have to stick to the speed limit !!! With regard to the engine, have you had the soft ware upgrade? It is a free service and only takes a couple of mins. and as Dave W said, it will get better as the engine beds in. I am now somewhere over 13000 and mine goes like a rocket. Big smiles but even bigger eyes watching for the "Safety Vans" hiding around corners.

The misting is one to live with. An exposed, open top car will get that ( not every make though). That is why cars have windscreen de misting systems. Gauges are a smaller version of a windscreen.
Flat spot? Bite the bullet and get the dealer to sort it under warranty. Also don't be afraid to drive with gusto and don’t molly-coddle the car. It is a sports car after all! Modern engines are better than years ago with better design and tolerances so can be driven at higher revs sooner. Also, the ecu and maps can be adaptive to driving style so will benefit from being put through rev range and gear changes. Get the engine up to temperature and start pushing a bit. No need for a full “Italian tune-up “ but start to get a feel for response over the rev/gear combinations.
My Plus8 with Gems ecu comes alive at 3000rpm. I used to be lazy with it at first as the torque meant it was like an automatic! Staying in higher gears with no labouring. I gained confidence and feel for the driving and now it runs well and is a smile inducer.
On reading the Gems manual there is a section on “running in” when resetting it after rebuild. It involves a varied speed regime and it adapts itself.
Don’t be put off by your first impressions.

I very much appreciate the replies.

The dealer was adamant about the 4000rpm limit and also about not staying at a set rpm but to 'exercise' the engine through the range. I have made sure the car is driven through the range and it does 'light-up' above 3500 so I know it is there when needed but getting there is a pain.

I'm sure the misting would not be an issue if the car performed correctly, however I have bikes, a '65 Merc and an aircraft that don't mist, not too sure why it has not been resolved.

I was unaware of the software upgrade, however the car is a month old so I would have thought it is at the latest state - I will now look into this.

One thing I will take forward from this is to use a 'local' dealer. I'm sure a quick solution would have been found with a chat to the engineer.

I got my 2019 +4 110 back in January, with the GDI engine.

I have to say that I didn’t encounter a flat spot, then engine was overall “tight” for the first couple of hundred miles (although brakes that needed bedding in were a more significant issue!)

Like others have said, I think it would be a trip back to your “local” dealer.

I wonder whether there is a “delivery” setting that should get changed at pdi but was overlooked?

Hope you get it sorted, and can fall back in love with the Morgan. I bought mine under similar circumstances so understand the emotional attachment and desire for everything to be “just so”

My 2011 Plus 4 GDI (bought last November) has always been fun to drive, but I was frustrated that the power delivery only really kicked in above 3000 revs. It probably was around 3500 actually. I say "was", as I have had the ECU remap and sports exhaust fitted at Williams. This has really spread out the power delivery further down the rev range, and makes for a more relaxing drive.

The gauges do mist up sometimes. I think it would annoy me more if I had just bought a new car. Also, I was prepared that it might happen, having read about it beforehand on this forum!

My ex-demo Plus 4 also had a 'flat spot' as you have described.

Not horrendous... but not a linear power delivery either.

A re-map would be in order... the GDi can be done to 180BHP from Williams Moran for example.

Got to be worth while doing!

I think the warmer weather with dry your gauges out as well!

It will all be worth it ">)