Holley Terminator X - Searching for ECU

[482supersnake]

I have a terminator X stealth that I'm having issues with. Tried to set it up for the first time a couple of months ago and when I powered it up the 3.5 hand held says searching for ECU. I went back through the wiring and everything looks good. All the pins look to be fully seated in the plugs and in the correct places. I used an OHM meter and there is a connection from the CAN plugs to the ECU plugs at all wires. I wired the ECU directly to the battery as per Holley instructions. The hand held and ECU both power up fine with the key turned on. I sent hand held and ECU back to Holley and after waiting 2 months the say that both passed inspection. 2 times it has show the TPS set up but hasn't gone any further and when i tried to set it the hand held just went back to searching for ECU.

I'm kind of at a loss on where to go from here and any suggestion would be helpful.

[My427stang]

Only time I have seen that, the inline fuse in the harness was blown.

[482supersnake]

Had someone else suggest unplugging everything except for power and the handheld connection.  I did that and it went straight to setup. Started plugging things back in and when I plugged the distributor back in the screen went back to searching for ecu.
I double checked that all the wires going to the distributor were in the correct plug positions and that the all have current.  Both checked out. I'm running a MSD dual sync.  Both crank and cam LEDs come on with power.

[My427stang]

Random things

I had a Terminator X that had cam and crank sensors wired backwards, if you turn your distributor back and forth the correct light should correspond with the ECU.  We spent two days and had Holley tech come to the dyno, to ultimately find by accident that the harness was backwards at one of the junctions. 

Cam light came on distributor, crank on ECM and vice versa.  I don't trust any plug now from Holley LOL.  My wife and I sit down on every build and she calls out positions and colors and I check them before install

Second, if no other issue, and you have key on power to the distributor harness and the ECM, and key off power on the large wires and good grounds, almost sounds like a short in the distributor

[482supersnake]

I was able to get the handheld to work by unplugging the distributor.  The directions for the msd dual sync and Holley dual sync are different even though they are the same distributor.  I set up the hand held with the dual sync option but it still says searching for ecu when plugged in. When powered up I have both led lights on at the distributor  and can't get the one to go out when I rotate the housing.  I double checked  the plug wiring and it looks to be good. I also noticed that the led on my msd 6efi ignition box doesn't come on. Both red wires have good power.
So frustrating.

[My427stang]

Needless to say something isn't happy, cam sensor and crank sensor lights on ECU should cycle at 1:2 and correlate.  I haven't used an MSD Dual Sync, I have used the Holley Dual Sync and Hyperspark.  Hyperspark is weird too

If it loses it's mind with the distributor, and none of the lights are acting correctly, I'd say has to be a distributor problem

Maybe call and see if you can test the distributor somehow. 

[482supersnake]

I tried a different distributor and I'm having the same results.  The crank light won't go out when I turn the distributor housing  but it does dim and the crank light at the ecu does change color also. Looks like I need to call Holley tech again.

[My427stang]

I know you said the wires were right but I would look close at every pinout both color and location, leave none unverified.

Very hard to remember from a few years ago, but I believe a purple and a purple/white were swapped not at the distributor but at a plug on another part of the harness. 

This same harness had the handheld wires swapped, Holley's QC is not the best

[482supersnake]

I ran new wires from the ecu to the distributor. Same issue.  Double checked all the wire positions and they are good.  I'm not sure if when Holley checked the ecu if the are able to check the distributor function.

[482supersnake]

Well after checking and doubling checking everything I decided to purchase a new ECU. What do know everything works fine now and I fired the motor for the first time today!!!

I'm not very happy with Holley or Holley's tech people.  Everything is brand new but was purchased a year and half ago so it's out of Holley's one year warranty.  I sent the ecu back to them and was told it checked out fine. With the supply issues I purchased this set-up when it was available even though I new it would be awhile before the motor was running.  Holley can see if the ecu has been run yet they are firm on their one year warranty.  Now I'm out another $750 on a replacement ecu.