After a week, here's what bothers me

[BritishGuy]

I've had my car now for 8 days and I'm experiencing some of the issues you mentioned.

I already have an '06 GT (wife drives this one) as well as my 08 MS3, so I knew about the loud road noise I might do the sound proofing but that means taking door panels and other interior panels off and there's NO WAY i'd get them back on properly...thus giving me some nice rattles.

Well, I just finished my 1st tank of gas and I got a little over 220 miles /cry I haven't really been boosting but my commute to work is mainly stop-start and i'm lucky if I hit 70mph on a short stretch of highway for maybe 2miles. I did find some boost this morning and putting my foot down in 2nd gear, the steering wheel was all over the place and the traction light was lighting up more than a chain smoker! It was fun, though!

I agree that a stock boost gauge would be nice...i just need to find a nice aftermarket one that works well and looks good. I like the 3 gauges on top of the radio in the center of the dash but i'm too scared to drill holes into that area.

I'm sure there will be a few more small issues come up as the car gets older...and I think I heard my windshield making a few noises this morning


Matt

 

[LazerBlueP5]

3. I wish the fenderwells had some (more) soundproofing in them. Running through slush and rain creates a lot more noise than it should.

It's funny you mention that- I noticed the SAME THING! Driving over a dirty street the dirt/pebble noise in the fenderwells is louder than any other car I've ever driven!

 

[Bu11dogg2]

I had to get used to behaving with my right foot, too. I was getting 250 miles to a tank, but the better I get with my feet, the better I get out of my tank - Im up to 300 so far. Still working on it though.

Semper Fi dude

I have the same problem lead foot.

 

[Bravnik]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes I will be looking into syn ranny fluid once I get it to a good break in point. Does anyone know if the synchros are solid brass or they have fricton material on them? If they have fricton material a simple graphite based additive like Ford limited slip fluid should solve the problem in no time.

As for the other items .. I drive pretty fast in cruise mode (north of 75) and at those speeds the turbo boosts up easily .. too easily to the point where, if you're looking at instant mpg, it drops to 7 or 8 mpg in no time, with just moderate load. I cannot lift off the gas to climb a hill for instance. But If I had a method where I could dump the boost I could cruise at speed without getting into the gas like that I could climb into the throttle to keep up speed. Also the other times I could use it in slick conditions or while I turn my car over to a valet, etc. I think there is a real market for that kind of thing just to make the car more flexible. That accessport thing sounds like a good deal provided there's a dash type switch to control it or something. I look forward to hearing more about that.

If you're looking to actually cut your boost you can simply install a TurboSmart dual stage BC. In the 1st stage (off) you will only be boosting 8-10PSI. This will cause your car to go into boost a lot slower and a lot lower. This is due to you bypassing the boost silinoid thus your running off the default Waste Gate only (I believe)

In the 2nd stage (on) you will be running full boost for those times when you want too. You will need to set the boost you want (up too 17PSI without a Boost Cut Defender) and you're all set.

I have this system in my car. I mounted the switch in the center console box. I find that I'm always running full boost when I drive as I just like that. But its good for when you take it to the shop, valet or anytime you want to save a little gas or something. Works good.

Oh and for the boost gauge. Get yourself a DashHawk. It connects to your ODBII connector and you can simply velcro it to your steering wheel colom. Thus you can see your boost (and a TON of other stuff), not have to perminately install something and you have a tool that you can use in mulitple cars.

 

[restored2x]

I had to get used to behaving with my right foot, too. I was getting 250 miles to a tank, but the better I get with my feet, the better I get out of my tank - Im up to 300 so far. Still working on it though.

WTF!? I get 200, maybe 225 out of a tankful! I hardly ever floor it, either. How are you guys getting such great gas mileage?

OP - the wheel well noise bothers me too. I can even hear sand and small stuff. Never heard that before in any car. Maybe I'll use some of that spray rubber stuff in the rear wheel wells once it finally gets warmer.

 

[Rotus8]

WTF!? I get 200, maybe 225 out of a tankful! I hardly ever floor it, either. How are you guys getting such great gas mileage?

What's a "tankful"? If it is not at least 14 gallons, you fill up too often.

 

[chacon101]

14 gallons? (boom03)

I have let my mileage indicator get to 1 mile left before a full fillup and I can only put in 12.75 gallons.

I too only get around 210-230 out of a full gas tank but I have wings on my car.

 

[restored2x]

12.5 gallon fillup. I fill up when it hits "E". Still, sounds like I should be getting more.

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Rotus has the special order "enhanced capacity" fuel tank.

Unless I drive around like a complete loon for the whole tankful, I get about 25 miles to the gallon regardless of how I drive.
We did take a trip to the coast in a hurry (I was pretty consistently around/over 90 and frequently made shall we say "aggressive" passes) and when we stopped to fill up on arrival, the computer claimed we had averaged 36 mpg.

 

[robin2660]

I had to get used to behaving with my right foot, too. I was getting 250 miles to a tank, but the better I get with my feet, the better I get out of my tank - Im up to 300 so far. Still working on it though.

That's because some little California chickie is tooling with your shifter all the time. Hard to stay out of boost like that ....

 

[Bravnik]

I adverage 22-25 MPG myself. I drive almost 100miles a day to work and back and LOTS of spirited driving tossed in there on the weekends and pretty much whenever I can. The work miles are all commute highway so some days 70mph all the way to work and others adveraging 40mph.

I'm pretty happy with my MPG. Much more than my RX8 which drinks gas like there is no tomorrow.

 

[robin2660]

I am running stock with winter tires and drive in a spirited manner, mostly non-highway. At my last fill-up my trip computer showed 25.2 but my calculations (in faith that at least the odometer is right) showed 22.7mpg.

I can get 29 or so highway with the cruise set at 65mph, while the computer shows over 32.

Don't believe the computer.

 

[sleeper3]

I am running stock with winter tires and drive in a spirited manner, mostly non-highway. At my last fill-up my trip computer showed 25.2 but my calculations (in faith that at least the odometer is right) showed 22.7mpg.

I can get 29 or so highway with the cruise set at 65mph, while the computer shows over 32.

Don't believe the computer.

it is at the very least a gauge of better/worse mileage.

 

[Breezy]

WTF!? I get 200, maybe 225 out of a tankful! I hardly ever floor it, either. How are you guys getting such great gas mileage?

OP - the wheel well noise bothers me too. I can even hear sand and small stuff. Never heard that before in any car. Maybe I'll use some of that spray rubber stuff in the rear wheel wells once it finally gets warmer.

Yes, that's exactly my point .. getting good gas mileage in this car is NOT about keeping the revs down .. that just increases the load and gets you into the turbo.

Obviously I love climbing into the throttle (not really in first or second though) and that's why I bought the car but I would also like to get decent mileage while I'm just lugging along at 80 or so.

 

[sleeper3]

I get around 300 per tank and I'm always on the throttle.

 

[subparpunk03]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes I will be looking into syn ranny fluid once I get it to a good break in point. Does anyone know if the synchros are solid brass or they have fricton material on them? If they have fricton material a simple graphite based additive like Ford limited slip fluid should solve the problem in no time.

you want GL-4 75w-90 gear oil and a friction modifier to keep your limited slip from making an occasional annoying noise. I think they are brass, hence no GL-5.