MSP sucks at autoX

[Cirielle]

i bet the problem is the ic getting too hot and not having enough time to cool off. i experience the same while racing at the strip. the 1st run the car feels good, but if i don't let it cool off the next run sucks!! a larger fmic would solve that!

And that does sound like heatsoak. But what they were describing doesn't sound consistant with heatsoak. It wouldn't be one minute crap and the next minute gold. It would be crap all the way through.

 

[MSP Pro]

Ok, short answer, Autox MSP & Lt. Dan, there's something wrong with your car.

Long answer: I bought my MSP in January and autox'ed it this season on the OEM Bridgestone RE040s in Street Tire class. 10 events in Portland, Oregon. Link to results here: http://www.oregonregionsolo2.com/home.htm Also, 6 events (#3 to #9) in Richland, Washington in BS1 class. Results here: http://www.ssscc.org/ You can look at the other cars running and get an idea for how the MSP stacks up against them. (I'm especially proud of Portland event #9 against the D stock ITR on race rubber: I turn a 51.540 on street tires, he turns a 51.593 on race rubber. This is Ron and Annie Bauer's ex-ITR, so it's a well set up car.)

These events include both before flash and after flash. Portland events #9 & #10 were with Injen CAI. All other events stock. Air pressures: F 38 R 35.

Ok, that's 16 events in all kinds of weather from 50s up to 90s in temp. I NEVER had a power delivery problem with my MSP, before or after the flash. My worst hesitation was a little soggy response at 3k rpm when it was in the 90s. I even had great power response when the low gas light came on, which I estimate is only 2 gallons in the tank.

After the flash, my car is noticeably stronger exiting corners, with lots more grunt than before the flash. For all those thinking about the flash and autox, I strongly recommend getting it.

Lt. Dan: Your pedal problem is probably just being new to the car. I wear 12EEEE New Balance tennis shoes. Never had a problem missing the brake or finding the gas. Pedals are nicely placed. However, I do have racing belts in the car and pull the seat up very close to the wheel for autox runs.

So, all in all, I think you need to check all your vacuum lines for leaks and all your piping for good fit and clamping. I'd also check all the sensor wiring connectors. Something is wrong with YOUR car.

Morris Green
MSP #1046

PS: Dyno results from Sean's car pre/post flash (with mods) are on page 1 of the *EVERYTHING* ECU fix/comments/thoughts posting stickied at the top of the Mazdaspeed Protege forum.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

my car likes to drive nice when it feels like it and sometimes it hesitates, and many people have the same experience. If you guys like the way the power delievery of this car you guys have not driven enough good cars. WRX and evo and some of the best examples of turbo power delievery, smooth and predicable.

Well if you want to spend $5-$10K more, then get a Wrx or an Evo...but I've heard of MSP's beating wrx's in AutoX..don't know about Evo's though.

 

[charles]

BTW i know i can out drive 99% of the people on this forum.

Sure you can

P.S., the FS powerband rules (tounge in cheek)

 

[xantxp5x]

dude thats impossible. I auto x my p5 before i had mods and i won my class. Now i have tires rims and suspension and intend to do it again. i doubt the msp is less performing than my p5. i say seat time and do some auto x research

 

[Autox MSP]

Nope had the dealer look at my car when being flashed about the power surging. They said its completely normal on these cars. alot of help they were.
I guess there is something wrong with my car because it also doen't like going in to first easy. I drove another one and it went in to 1st like butter.
Hopefully it does better at the track seat time.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

get some GM synchromesh or redline to help with the notchy shifter

 

[Cirielle]

Nope had the dealer look at my car when being flashed about the power surging. They said its completely normal on these cars. alot of help they were.
I guess there is something wrong with my car because it also doen't like going in to first easy. I drove another one and it went in to 1st like butter.
Hopefully it does better at the track seat time.

If your leg hurt and you went to one doctor and he said everything is fine....wouldn't you go to another doctor just in case???
Same with the car! Just because one stealership states that it is the car, well they could be wrong wrong wrong and so ****** wrong. Did they do anything to test it??? My car never has acted that way! I didn't put mods on until 6500 miles. So those first ones were stock, without flash, and in the summer. I felt some heatsoak, but usually it was consistant. Not sporadic! If your dealer won't test, then maybe you should.

 

[changedman]

wow, with all the posts im happy to see this thread isnt pointless bitching! (yippy)

 

[Autox MSP]

I tried Gm sycromesh on the Civic and it shifted smooth for few months and started grinding in 2nd and 3rd. I switched over to honda mtf and it shifted so much better and grind went away. I will be trying BG syncromesh soon.

BTW i took my car to 2 different dealers and both said the same thing.
Also after the notchy first gear a mazdaspeed tech said its hard because its double syncroed and a mazda rep said because it has no syncros. Honestly with their lies i doubt i can ever get a clear answer.

 

[charles]

First gear you often have to be at a stop to put it in in some cars. Also, the car you test drove, how many miles did it have on it? It can take a while for gearboxes to get broken in.

Don't some hondas use ATF as tranny fluid?

 

[Cirielle]

I tried Gm sycromesh on the Civic and it shifted smooth for few months and started grinding in 2nd and 3rd. I switched over to honda mtf and it shifted so much better and grind went away. I will be trying BG syncromesh soon.

BTW i took my car to 2 different dealers and both said the same thing.
Also after the notchy first gear a mazdaspeed tech said its hard because its double syncroed and a mazda rep said because it has no syncros. Honestly with their lies i doubt i can ever get a clear answer.

But what did they do to test it out....or did they just say "this is just how the car is."
Like I said before, get some data. Get all the info you can about what it is doing...then, list it up here so it can be better analyzed and also talk with your Mazdaspeed tech - him and only him/or her (though that is highly doubtful). Seriously though, if you are going to post in here that you hate your car because of this and then a bunch of people are telling you it isn't normal how your car is being, then you might want to seriously check it out.

 

[Autox MSP]

I've talked to the mazda rep about the tranny problem. He wouldn't do anythign said its normal so end of the story there. Mazda is not going to do anything about it. As for the erratic power, both dealers said taht the flash does not completely fix the hesitation problem and end of the story there.

I can fix the issue, its all depends on money. I can just get some hard pipes, intercooler, Hks fcon fuel controller and dyno time. But i didn't buy this car to mod it out, i shouldn't have to put money in it to fix the problems that should never have been in the first place.
I noticed that each msp are very different. Some cars drive perfect with out the flash, some don't even with a flash.
Don't think because i posted that i hate the car.......thats farthest from the truth. I was pretty disappointed, but i still love the car. I'm goign to boost 10psi and see if some of the hesitation goes away. The greddy blue box made my civic run so rich that it did the similer thing before i went stand alone.

 

[servoeyes]

I hope you're not trying to shift into first in an AutoX with the MSP. Unless you're damn near a stop it'll just waste time. You have to massivelyrev match witht he MSP gear box to get into first at a roll. Again...that's what I've found.

Also...you obviously have a problem with the car. If a dealership won't even investigate it then you have to call MNAO and make sure that they know that your dealership is being uncooperative. Uneven power delivery is not a characteristic of the car as many dealerships are saying. Maybe you really need to explain the type of situation exactly to them...there's now way you're getting lag or soak...it has to be a leak, or pipe expansion, etc.

 

[Turbo Matty P]

Honda manual transmissions use 10W30 motor oil. I know it sounds strange, but I've been a mechanic for several years and even the owners manuel will tell you. My buddy put GL5 90W in my tranny and it damn near seized up. I flushed it out with 5W30 and added about 1.75qts of Valvoline 10W30 and it's never shifted smoother.

p.s. If SCC magazine claims the MSP is the best handling FWD car you can buy and you aren't turning fast times at the track....I think you may need to look inward first. Everyone's first gen MSP has some erradic stumble, but mine did also and I outran a supercharged miata.

 

[Autox MSP]

like i said hopefully upping the boost will fix the overrich fuel management.

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

Nope had the dealer look at my car when being flashed about the power surging. They said its completely normal on these cars. alot of help they were.
I guess there is something wrong with my car because it also doen't like going in to first easy. I drove another one and it went in to 1st like butter.
Hopefully it does better at the track seat time.

\



My MP3 did this, took it and they adjusted my clutch. now all is well, have them check the clutch adjustment. and if the same dealer keeps saying the car is fine try going to another dealer, i mean seriously im the king of complainers but this is re-fawking-diculous.

 

[Newf]

phone Mazda USA. This dealer bulls*** is really driving me nuts.

That's the way the car is....what a bunch of crap.....ARRRRRG, let me at em! Where are they? I'll go get em!