mods vs. weather

[haberdashery]

the other night i began to notice how many of you lived in states of colder climates, and very few who live in the warmer states. i live in arizona, and im dreading the 120* heat thats coming up here in the next month or two, and i got to wondering if certain mods tp a speed3 would benefit me more in this heat, or would not be of any gain at all, or worst of all, actually slow me down. im curious about things other than the obvious, like an upgraded motor mounts, downpipes,.. etc things that wouldnt matter when it came to the heat.

so heres my question: would i be seeing more gains buying an sri or a cai? would a tmic benefit me as much as some of you have seen? would there be any other mods that anyone could suggest?

 

[chacon101]

I live in Tampa and THANK GOD we don't get that hot here

I would suggest getting a TMIC and a CAI. Some will tell you to get a short ram intake such as one from Cobb but that's a whole other story/debate.

Do you plan on getting the Cobb Access Port? If so, then maybe it is a good idea to get the Cobb SRI. Personally, I would wait for the add on of being able to use the MazdaSpeed CAI. I like that stuff on my car is Mazda based (enguard)

From what I have been able to find regarding the difference between the CAI and the SRI is that once at speed, the difference isn't that much. Maybe when at a city traffic pace, yeah, the CAI would be more beneficial.

 

[driver311]

My would suggest the mazdaspeed intake also for warranty issues and then just get a fmic from there. Maybe a test pipe. CAr would make another 40whp and be very relible and warranty safe.

 

[AutoXRacer]

I have a TMIC and in regards with your heat (120*), I would definitely get a FMIC... The TMIC would just be useless in that heat, especially in traffic.

Mine got heat soaked during the races last weekend in the staging lanes and I wished I would have had a front mount.

As far as other mods, definitely the Mazdaspeed cold air intake, tranny mount, downpipe, and cat-back exhaust. Oh and a BPV or BOV. You should be very happy with the end result!!! I know I am!!! (2thumbs)

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

I don't know that there are necessarily more MS3 owners in colder climates than in warmer. I bet it is more likely that they are writing in because it is winter. Wait until summer gets here and those in the warmer climes will be writing in looking for ideas for the problems their extreme temperatures cause.
Completely agree that in your heat an FMIC will have huge advantage over an upgraded TMIC.
If you have the budget for an FMIC, decide which one you are going to get before you buy an intake, as some of them come with their own intakes.

 

[haberdashery]

haha as much as i didnt want it to, i knew the fmic would come up. they are so expensive, but i suppose thats really what i'll have to do to get the most out of this car. does anyone, or know of anyone who has any sort of problems with them? i dont plan on playing with the computers or turbo anything with an accessport/dashhawk or anything, i just want to get things flowing better, while keeping it safe.
i was looking at the cp-e dp, which kind of takes the place of needing a test pipe, for the price would that be worth the gains over just a dp or test pipe?

 

[AutoXRacer]

Regarding the CP-E DP, do you have emission laws in your state? If not, I would suggest the Cork Sport or TurboXS DP which are much cheaper in price...

I went with the CP-E DP because I wanted a catted pipe, even though I have no emission requirements. I didn't want to deal with the strong fumes coming out of the tailpipe.

Just so you know, the CP-E pipe is roughly $600 (w/o cat) when all the others run for about $50 or more less...

BTW, DashHawk is just a gauge/display unit. It beats installing gauges in the car and does a lot more. All it does is display your engine's parameters. temp, boost, voltage, TPS sensor, etc... It also reads CELs, datalogs, and works like a shift light/warning meter. In no way does it mess with your ECU... It's the best gauge/gadget I've bought for my car!!

 

[Ghetto Mods]

heat soak time??

Anybody have any idea how long it takes the TMIC to become heat soaked?

It's a pretty big step up from a TMIC to FMIC in terms of cost and installation hassle and I'm not sure it's that big of an upgrade if I'm just running a few bolt ons and sticking with a fairly mild tune.

Will FMIC cause more turbo lag due to plumbing length?

IMO TMIC + turbo inlet may be a better bet than FMIC, but I need to get a good handle on the heat soak issue first - esp. b/c I'm a phoenix resident myself.

Oh, and it's a dry heat you wussies!!

 

[haberdashery]

thanks guys for all your replies, you have indeed been of a lot of help. i think im leaning a little more towards taking the safe route, mazdaspeed cai and test pipe, as driver said. but i've still got an attachment with the tmic, does anyone think that it would in any way slow me down when/if it is heat soaked, in the weather i have mentioned, or would it just be of no help until the winter months, where weather is anywhere from 40*-80*?

 

[AutoXRacer]

The TMIC will slow you down if you are in traffic...but once you are moving and air is rushing through the TMIC, you're fine. Its the just idling and letting all the engine heat engulf the TMIC thats causing the heat soak/inefficiency.

Heat soak only takes a few minutes or so depending on the weather.

A FMIC definitely has to increase turbo lag; though our stock turbos are pretty small and do spool up quickly. In any case, a FMIC should increase lag, I just don't know how much; it will vary depending on the size of plumbing, routing, and size of core. A little lag in this car is welcome though, its a little too strong causing traction issues....

 

[haberdashery]

yeaaah, id rather throw the ~$1000 towards some aesthetic mods or something, rather than a fmic, although one would be nice, they seem so daunting and complicated, and would indeed cause a traction issue haha. i guess ill wait until it cools off in october or something and get a tmic, driving around in 120* heat doesnt sound too attractive, its already in the 80*'s here =(

 

[bykeryder4life]

you need to decide what kind of driving you do most, if your constantly in or around traffic then a FMIC is your best bet, otherwise stick with the TMIC and put the money into something like a CAI and motor mount. The FMIC shouldnt cause much lag especially if you are running recirc. with your BOV to keep the pressure up.

 

[Ghetto Mods]

Thanks for the response. BTW, I see in another thread you are a rocket scientist. I'm assuming Lock Mart since you're central FLA??

PS I'm a rocket scientist as well.

(jacked)

 

[haberdashery]

im actually really never in traffic, its a wonderful thing. i actually can usually drive as fast as i want, there aren't many cops around here.. which does make me think. thanks for your responses fellas, i greatly appreciate the enlightment. (drinks)

 

[AutoXRacer]

Thanks for the response. BTW, I see in another thread you are a rocket scientist. I'm assuming Lock Mart since you're central FLA??

PS I'm a rocket scientist as well.

(jacked)

Not Lock Mart, but Boeing...
What do you do out in AZ?

 

[Ghetto Mods]

Boeing - I used to work for them (11 years of my life).

Now I work for Orbital and I am in my happy place.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Boeing - I used to work for them (11 years of my life).

Now I work for Orbital and I am in my happy place.

Sweet!!! We just had one of the girls move to Las Vegas to work with Bigalow...

Yeah, government work is so dull...I feel so brain dead.
Private sector is the way to go!!! (2thumbs)

 

[Barney]

It's close to zero here. Be thankful you have some heat. And can walk outside not dressed like a eskimo. I lived in Phoenix a while, way back.
I'd live here 9 months of the year and 3 months in Phoenix.