newb mods question

[skwab]

Hey everyone, this is my first post so I apologize in advance about all the questions - but I picked up a MS3 about 4 weeks ago used from a non-mazda dealer. They said it was stock, when I test drove it I could tell it wasn't but didn't know enough to know what had been done. So far what I can tell has been done is this:

1. Turbosmart BOV
2. Injen CAI
3. GHL SS Drone Free catback exhaust

So my questions are what do I need to be aware / weary of with these mods, any pluses or drawbacks, emissions problems or anything I need to worry about when taken to a dealer warranty wise, and what other mods should I look for thay might not be as easily noticeable. Also - how can I tell if the engine mounts have been upgraded?

But I love the car and plan to keep it for a while so any advice there would also be appreciated (ie which oil to use etc)- I owned a G35 6MT coupe a few years back and while I miss the rear wheel drive overall I like the MS3 better.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Is it a BOV (blow off valve) or a BPV (bypass valve)? If it is a BOV, go back and demand they replace it with a BPV. A BOV without a proper tune is trouble waiting to happen on these cars.

 

[skwab]

From what I understand the turbosmart is a combo - a certain amount of air is blown off and a certain amount is recirculated.

What kind of trouble can this cause?

 

[SharkDiver]

You dont want the combo either..Its blowing off air that has been measured my the maf and will cause the car to run rich and then maybe ruin your CATs.

 

[skwab]

Thanks guys - so i'm looking at replacing the turbosmart with a forge BPV - is this just a straight swap out? Will I need to have anything else done or have the engine tuned after running the BOV or will it adjust.

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

From what I understand the turbosmart is a combo - a certain amount of air is blown off and a certain amount is recirculated.

What kind of trouble can this cause?

Turbosmart makes all three types, if I remember correctly; BOV, BPV, and combo. You need to find out what model you have to determine which type it is. As Shark stated, the metering system has already measured that air and is expecting it to get into the engine. If you dump it to atmosphere instead of putting it back in to the system it throws off the a/f mix, which can cause all sorts of problems, and not just the long term one of possibly ruining a cat.
If the car is running smoothly, no backfiring or stuttering and making plenty of power, you probably have a BPV. I doubt very much that the previous owner traded this in with an expensive piggyback unit installed, so you cannot have a "tune" adjusting for a BOV. From what I have read, there is nothing wrong with the Turbosmart BPV. I have a Forge and like it, but if you have a BPV and it works, spend the money on something you need, like a boost gauge.

 

[skwab]

Well it's either a combo or a straight BOV because it makes the whoosh sound after about 2500 RPM which I assume is the air being released, and it has that blow off port that BPVs don't seem to have.