Ongoing saga with the F1 power unit. REVERSE ONLY. Nothing else. Expertise needed :)

Hello all, some of you might remember my ongoing saga with my 355 F1 power unit. I have made a couple of threads.
Long story short, I am now running the original set-up: my very own original power unit with its original pump and solenoid valves.
New clutch, new TO bearing (Hill), new clutch sensor, new gearbox rpm sensor installed, took it to the dealer who took everything apart and put everything back in. So the mechanics should not be an issue.

The problem:
I have bolted on my own original unit back on, and the car now only engages REVERSE.
It will not shift to first or second. Not with the car on, not with the car off.

Before all this drama started, on my original F1 unit, the car would drive fine shifting into all gears - until the clutch heats up and I get a "blinking" reading of what gear I am in. I tried installing the 360 pump with adapter but failed to do so. And now I just want the car back to its original (flawed if need be) way. I.e. if the parts I changed do not fix it, I want the car to drive with its flaw regardless and I will cut my losses for now and consider a new power unit in the future. $11k, damn!

The facts:
1. I drove the car on the new clutch, TO, sensors for a short 1km perhaps when I took it out of the dealer to an indy shop. HOWEVER, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
This drive was on BORROWED SOLENOID VALVES from a used power unit.

2. I have since returned all the solenoid valves to that unit and handed it back to its owner. Thus, I am running my car on my original set-up with the new hardware parts.
I have returned my car to its original state because the borrowed solenoid valves yielded a gearbox flashing light that would prevent me from engaging any gear unless it goes away. Now, there is no light that comes on. There is only the engaging of Reverse (and I drove it in reverse so it is holding and not dropping to N).

3. When I unbolted the old solenoid valves and refitted my originals, I did not bleed the system because my shop does not have the computer. In fact, NO ONE EXCEPT THE AD HAS AN SD1.
The shop I took for my F360 to plug into an SD3 said he cannot help at all with an SD3.
Where the car is at now has a Skilltester computer, just like the one in the pics below.

A.If I carry out the bleeding process, should it work?
If so, how is it engaging reverse only but nothing else?

B. After hooking the car to the Skilltester today, the mech asked me for my old clutch. I told him I will not bring it to him because it is NOT a clutch problem. I know this because as I stated I DROVE THE CAR on this new clutch, TO, sensors; so it does not seem to be mechanical. If it was, then again, how is it ONLY choosing to engage reverse?

C. Pulling the levers back together does put the car back to Neutral. So, the TCU must be getting the commands for N and R, but not 1,2 and beyond. Hmmm.

I am open to all opinions and expertise. Kindly advize and let's get this baby on the road again.
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I know what you mean and I also know how it sounds but TRUST me when I say that there is NO ONE over here who can deal with this. I hope the guys in Kuwait can vouch for that.

1. The dealer wants me to buy a new power unit altogether.
The car was with them for 3 months and they did not fix anything for me.

2. This shop it is currently at is the only shop in Kuwait that can hook up to a F355 ECU.

3. Like I said, no one, REPEAT: NO ONE, in Kuwait has an SD1.
The only shop with an SD3 told me he will not admit the car because he CANNOT do anything with the SD3 for me.
The AD has told me also that the SD3 will not help.
The AD, again, insisted that I buy a new power unit. Costs $22.25k with them, or $11.5k from Eurospares.

I need some help with identifying why the car is now refusing to engage anything but reverse. Any help appreciated.

 

Yeah, I went on and bought a F360 because spending 11k on a F1 unit did not make any sense to me.

Now, for my F355, I want it to just engage all gears and wish to know what the experts here think about why it ONLY engages Reverse! I just want to go back to what it was like, but with a new clutch/sensor/TO bearing.

There must be something with the computers, right?

I wish you never have to experience any trouble with your F1 brother. But please do not let my threads 'scare' you, as I live in Kuwait and I am certain that if I were in the US I would have been enjoying my car for the past 7 months.

 

Hi Mike! My car is actually AT Gemballa right now. It is called now Kuwait Performance. They are the ones who I took it to initially, and whom I have 'argued' with and took the car from them after it stopped shifting because of them, taking my car to Alzayani - where it spent 3 months. With no real happy ending.

The owner of Kuwait Performance (aka Gemballa) is Sh Athbi, he is a true class act and a fine gentleman. He has talked to me personally insisting that I bring my car again to the shop. I had my doubts (and still do) because the mechanic -his name is Satesh, an indian- is the one who I still "blame" for ruining my car. But, to be honest, I have NO OPTION (as I explained to BLAMPEE) but to try them one last time.

But Mike, they do NOT have an SD1/SD2. They have the Skilltester computer I have put above.

 

No, I do not know Askar nor Qasem. What is their shop's name?
Do they have ANY tools that can "talk" to the F1 TCU? This is what I need.
I do not need good mechanics at this time! I need good technicians haha.

As for Nazo, wow, really? I took my F360 to him last week.
I am considering him for my major service + clutch job later on when I get around to that.
This is because he has an SD3 and can bleed the F1 system on the 360 after those jobs.
Please let me know if you have had any experiences with him!

Yeah, Athbi is a great guy and REALLY down to earth. I will talk to him tomorrow or Tuesday at the shop because he is the one I trust and will let me know himself if the mech can do anything instead of wasting both our time.

Sateesh used to work in Montana-1, but has moved to Gemballa/KP.
They work on tons of Fcars and Pcars.

Mike, do you know of ANY manual 355 around? I am REALLY considering a switch.
Actually, I have played with the idea of transforming my 355 to a manual. But that is not the time to be negative haha.

 

WOW Mike, THANKS!
What do you consider doing with the wrecked car?
If I am in the market for some parts (shifter and clutch pedal assembly stuff), will you sell separately?

I will text you my digits now. We need to meet.

 

It would be very doubtful that the wiring is incorrect BUT of course we must triple and quadruple check.

Sorry I do not know what you are referring to. Pics?

 

The error they got was from the clutch reading.
But I will get you whatever I have when I have it!

 

Thanks guys, huge wealth of information here.
I will keep you updated.

But in essence, let me get this straight, you are saying if it engages R and goes to N then it should, as far as the unit is concerned, engage 1st up to 6th?

A weak solenoid valve, for example, cannot be responsible for this?

 

Thanks guys. Got a call 9.15am today, could not answer. Called back 10.30am and they tell me the car went from 1st to 6th. But now, no reverse lol.
I brought up the wiring issue to him yesterday, and apparently that is what he did today before he called me. Unfortunately by the time I got there, I cannot engage any gear.

These are some snaps I took of the Skilltester to share here.
You will note that the PIS distance position of the clutch is not what it is supposed to be, at 2.17; I understand it ought to be 4.8 - 5.2. And also that it is not reading any clutch wear. It is a brand new clutch, so I am guessing there should be a percentage and not the dashes. Thus, the clutch reading could be the issue?

Will bleed the system after checking the wiring completely. He showed me a manual where there was a picture of the 355 F1 system with the numbering of the EVs - Engagement & Selection.

I am a bit optimistic now after reading the 55.3 on the hydraulic pressure.
Also, despite the car not engaging Reverse, when we pulled the lever, the Skilltester numbers changed. I am guessing the command is there, but the actual selection/engagement (from EV swaps?) is disabling it now.
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Yes, the PIS should be 4.8 to 5.2, correct?
How does one go about doing that?

Sorry but I lost you when you mentioned the 'closed clutch position hasn't been written in'. Care to elaborate please?

Is this helpful to you sir?