3 Free "Mods" = Better performance

[rustychops41]

I finally got around to doing the 3 free mods, the TB ground, the coolant bypass, and the timing advance. I did them all in the span of two days. The TB ground: Maybe better response, certainly no increase in power. but the annoying way the RPM's would "hang" on the 4-5 upshift is gone. The coolant bypass: I won't really know on this one for a month or so. It gets WELL OVER 100 degrees here in the long hot summer so we will see. The timing advance: Absolutely the best 15 minutes I ever spent getting dirty. I chose to run the tank nearly dry, fill up with mid-grade, and reset the ECU after doing the mod, and still I didn't feel the improvement until later on, the ECU was still perhaps "pulling back" the timing for a little while. But definetely more power across the board. I highly recommend the timing advance.

 

[xMazdax]

How did you go about doing the timing advance?

 

[WillD]

It sounds like rusty tried to trick the timing into advancing itself by filling up with a higher grade of fuel and then resetting the ECU. The 2.3L Mazda3 engine has VVT but I'm not sure that will work. I'd have to see some dyno numbers before/after to believe it.

 

[bbrich57]

The Monzta timing mod, as it used to be known, was first known to be accomplished by a member on M3F some 7-8 yrs ago now and is accomplished by moving the crank sensor to make the ECU "think" it is in a slightly different spot (more retarded) than it is.
There is approx 4* of adjustment available that the factory uses to fine tune the initial timing based on differences in ECU and sensor manufacturing. Sometimes, there is nothing left. Other's, maybe a few degrees.
It's done by pulling the small access cover inside the RS wheel well off, finding the crank sensor itself beneath the crank, lossening up the 2 8mm(?) bolts that snug it down and moving the sensor as far DOWN as it will go. Retighten the bolts, but be careful as the sensor is plastic and the bolts don't have to be that tight to hold it.

BTW: Mid-grade fuel is not likely to be needed and more a waste of your money than anything else. The difference is very small.

 

[rustychops41]

Like bbrich said, RF wheel well, pull the side splash shield, two 8mm bolts, slide it down. I've read elsewhere that it takes a while for the ECU to "accept"(?) the new setting and indeed the difference did not materialize until later. To clarify, I ran the tank low, did the mod, THEN filled up with 89, not sure if the sequence mattered though