Rover 75 Auto engine swap with manual MG ZS180

Hellfire127 · 2nd February 2023, 16:13

Hi folks,

A local garage put a manual gearbox MG ZS180 v6 engine into my Automatic 2005 Rover 75 Touring as the original engine had a dropped liner in cylinder 4. He put the auto box on the new engine.

They couldn’t get it to tick over although it will drive. They have had my car for months, as they can’t get it running properly I have got it taken back to my house. Will the car have to go onto a T4? The original engine ecu and throttle body from the R75 is being used. The MGZS engine is slightly more powerful being a MG ZS180. Will the ECU need to be remapped?

Is there anyone in the Oxford area that could take a look at it? Failing a local expert any one know a trader who would look at this?

Cheers

Toby

BigRuss · 2nd February 2023, 18:15

The ZS engine is actually 177ps the same as the 75 they just rounded the figures up. It's not the 180 engine fitted to the ZT that has different cams and ECU tune

Stocktake fitted a low mileage ZS 180 engine that I found for him to his launch car. It runs very well and was plug and play, no change to tune or any other alteration.
The only difference he found is the lower teardrop engine mount bracket on the engine.

The throttle body is the same too

There's got to be another reason for it not to be running properly.

Russ

Hellfire127 · 3rd February 2023, 06:34

Thanks for replying Russ. That is really helpful thank you.

I will check everything myself. Maybe something didn’t get plugged in correctly. I saw/heard the engine running before it came out of the MG ZS so I know it should be fine. The only difference is the doner car was a manual.

BigRuss · 3rd February 2023, 20:33

Just a thought, were the coil packs the same on both engines?
If the coil packs are different from those fitted previously that could account for the problems.
The ZCS coding and engine tune is different between cars fitted with the two types.

Russ

Hellfire127 · 9th February 2023, 14:07

They swapped the engine over with the coil packs that were fitted to the engine originally. So the original coil packs went with the original engine. The ZS engine was fitted with the coil packs it cme with.

So that is wrong then Russ? The R75 packs should have been fitted to the ZS engine when it was fitted to the R75?

Cheers

Toby

Hellfire127 · 9th February 2023, 14:23

I just looked on the DMGRS website and they only list two types of coil for the KV6 early and late. The two cars were about the same age 05 for the R75 and 54 for the ZS. Thay probably means they had the same coils? Before I gave up with the original R75 engine I fitted a new set of BERU coils from DMGRS, unfortunately the garage scrapped my original engine before I had the chance to harvest any useful parts. So maybe I should buy a new set of BERU coils from DMGRS? and replace the set that is in the ZS engine?

Cheers Toby

BigRuss · 9th February 2023, 15:18

Hi Toby, at that date for both engines, the coil packs should be the same ie the later ones.
But MGR being MGR, check which you have fitted to the engine, if they're the later ones then the problem must lie elsewhere.

Russ

Hellfire127 · 15th February 2023, 17:23

Starts fine, revs to its fast idle speed when warming up, then settles down to a steady smooth tickover. But when you touch the throttle it revs up then runs badly, pulsing and cuts out. Turn the key again it’s fine, straight to a smooth tickover. If you put it in drive it’s pulls along at tickover speed but is undriveable, mostly cutting out after a few seconds of rough idle.

Hellfire127 · 27th February 2023, 09:05

I just thought you would like to know how this issue turned out in the end. It seems that the garage that carried out the engine swap did not clear the original engines faults!! Incredible really. When I connected my code reader and cleared all the misfire faults the car ran and drove fine!! I phoned the garage and told them he said he couldn’t get his diagnostics kit to talk to the car! Really?!! The car was in this garage for months !

2nd February 2023, 16:13	#1
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Rover 75 Auto engine swap with manual MG ZS180 Hi folks, A local garage put a manual gearbox MG ZS180 v6 engine into my Automatic 2005 Rover 75 Touring as the original engine had a dropped liner in cylinder 4. He put the auto box on the new engine. They couldn’t get it to tick over although it will drive. They have had my car for months, as they can’t get it running properly I have got it taken back to my house. Will the car have to go onto a T4? The original engine ecu and throttle body from the R75 is being used. The MGZS engine is slightly more powerful being a MG ZS180. Will the ECU need to be remapped? Is there anyone in the Oxford area that could take a look at it? Failing a local expert any one know a trader who would look at this? Cheers Toby

2nd February 2023, 18:15	#2
BigRuss Premium Trader 75 CDT Tourer,2.5 Launch Saloon, Omipro MG/Rover (T4) Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Liversedge, West Yorkshire Posts: 5,408 Thanks: 1,105 Thanked 1,340 Times in 661 Posts	The ZS engine is actually 177ps the same as the 75 they just rounded the figures up. It's not the 180 engine fitted to the ZT that has different cams and ECU tune Stocktake fitted a low mileage ZS 180 engine that I found for him to his launch car. It runs very well and was plug and play, no change to tune or any other alteration. The only difference he found is the lower teardrop engine mount bracket on the engine. The throttle body is the same too There's got to be another reason for it not to be running properly. Russ __________________ Replacement Key Service http://https://the75andztclub.co.uk/...d.php?t=244732 Full T4 Testbook diagnostics available. Diesel ECU repair and replacement. Options enabled or disabled as required. Diesel X-Power 135 and 160bhp, Rover 1.8T 150 to 160 MG 160 V6 to 177 upgrades available P.M. for details. Last edited by BigRuss; 2nd February 2023 at 18:24..

3rd February 2023, 20:33	#4
BigRuss Premium Trader 75 CDT Tourer,2.5 Launch Saloon, Omipro MG/Rover (T4) Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Liversedge, West Yorkshire Posts: 5,408 Thanks: 1,105 Thanked 1,340 Times in 661 Posts	Just a thought, were the coil packs the same on both engines? If the coil packs are different from those fitted previously that could account for the problems. The ZCS coding and engine tune is different between cars fitted with the two types. Russ __________________ Replacement Key Service http://https://the75andztclub.co.uk/...d.php?t=244732 Full T4 Testbook diagnostics available. Diesel ECU repair and replacement. Options enabled or disabled as required. Diesel X-Power 135 and 160bhp, Rover 1.8T 150 to 160 MG 160 V6 to 177 upgrades available P.M. for details.

9th February 2023, 15:18	#7
BigRuss Premium Trader 75 CDT Tourer,2.5 Launch Saloon, Omipro MG/Rover (T4) Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Liversedge, West Yorkshire Posts: 5,408 Thanks: 1,105 Thanked 1,340 Times in 661 Posts	Hi Toby, at that date for both engines, the coil packs should be the same ie the later ones. But MGR being MGR, check which you have fitted to the engine, if they're the later ones then the problem must lie elsewhere. Russ __________________ Replacement Key Service http://https://the75andztclub.co.uk/...d.php?t=244732 Full T4 Testbook diagnostics available. Diesel ECU repair and replacement. Options enabled or disabled as required. Diesel X-Power 135 and 160bhp, Rover 1.8T 150 to 160 MG 160 V6 to 177 upgrades available P.M. for details.

3rd February 2023, 06:34	#3
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Thanks for replying Russ. That is really helpful thank you. I will check everything myself. Maybe something didn’t get plugged in correctly. I saw/heard the engine running before it came out of the MG ZS so I know it should be fine. The only difference is the doner car was a manual.

9th February 2023, 14:07	#5
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	They swapped the engine over with the coil packs that were fitted to the engine originally. So the original coil packs went with the original engine. The ZS engine was fitted with the coil packs it cme with. So that is wrong then Russ? The R75 packs should have been fitted to the ZS engine when it was fitted to the R75? Cheers Toby

9th February 2023, 14:23	#6
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	I just looked on the DMGRS website and they only list two types of coil for the KV6 early and late. The two cars were about the same age 05 for the R75 and 54 for the ZS. Thay probably means they had the same coils? Before I gave up with the original R75 engine I fitted a new set of BERU coils from DMGRS, unfortunately the garage scrapped my original engine before I had the chance to harvest any useful parts. So maybe I should buy a new set of BERU coils from DMGRS? and replace the set that is in the ZS engine? Cheers Toby

15th February 2023, 17:23	#8
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Starts fine, revs to its fast idle speed when warming up, then settles down to a steady smooth tickover. But when you touch the throttle it revs up then runs badly, pulsing and cuts out. Turn the key again it’s fine, straight to a smooth tickover. If you put it in drive it’s pulls along at tickover speed but is undriveable, mostly cutting out after a few seconds of rough idle.

27th February 2023, 09:05	#9
Hellfire127 Newbie Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kidlington Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	I just thought you would like to know how this issue turned out in the end. It seems that the garage that carried out the engine swap did not clear the original engines faults!! Incredible really. When I connected my code reader and cleared all the misfire faults the car ran and drove fine!! I phoned the garage and told them he said he couldn’t get his diagnostics kit to talk to the car! Really?!! The car was in this garage for months !