What have you done to your MS3 today?

[8.5MS3]

ive had a testpipe in my car since about 3k miles.....and im in NYC

you may fail cold start emissions testing, but luckily we dont have that here

 

[Outkast]

Good to know guys. Thanks for the insight. Looks like I'm heading back to the shop with this information.

 

[8.5MS3]

why dont you just do it yourself

its a half hour install

8 bolts on belly stiffener

4 spring bolts

2 hanger bushings

 

[MM BOOST]

and another thing, unless they get under the car, and completely remove the black metal undercarriage bracing, they will not be able to tell that the 2nd cat is missing if they do visuals because it is basically hidden for the most part by this black piece. The main cat will still be there, so I think you will be find. Test pipe was an EASY install, and definitely improved the sound of the vehicle. I recommend it. Taking it back just because a shop wouldn't install it is foolish. It is literally 4 bolts (and dropping that chasis bracing that I previously mentioned - 8 bolts).

 

[Tronspeed3]

Windshield wipers are "sticking" again, made an appointment to bring her in to the dealer. They reflashed the ECU last year when I had the same issue and it worked until this week. WTF

 

[Rotus]

The shop I took to get the Test Pipe installed poo poo the whole thing. They did the RMM install, but not TP because it replaces the Cat and would not pass state inspection. My MS3 is a daily driver & I did not want to swap part each year just for inspection. Another note, they said the engine light would stay on with TP installed. So, instead I'm researching Hi-Flo Cats as a compromise. CorkSport seems to offer the best at this time. I agree with your bang for buck statement as I was going with new SURE TMIC, SURE RMM & SU TP. I just have a slight change in plan now, but should get some noticible gains.

LOL, that shop has no idea what they are talking about. It only replaces one cat. There is another one on the downpipe. The second cat has no sensors after it and will not trip the CEL. Mine hasn't tripped it yet. As far as inspection, mine has passed twice with the test pipe on there. Don't know how stringent your test are though.

The real reason that shop won't do it is because they could get fined for removing a cat (even though there are 2). Do it yourself or find someone that can help you. I have a friend in the NY/NJ area that could probably help you out if you want. He's also a member on here and has a speed3.

 

[LittleRedWagon5]

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Just part of the project today. Hope to get that done (and bedded), and oil change, tire rotation, and spark plugs. Although I'm not sure if I will find any store that carries the recommended spark plugs. May just have to bite the bullet and go to mazda and pay $20 per just cuz its a "mazda genuine part"

Get the Denso IV-22's Been running them for over 6 months now and there great.

 

[oaklandopen]

Windshield wipers are "sticking" again, made an appointment to bring her in to the dealer. They reflashed the ECU last year when I had the same issue and it worked until this week. WTF

I thought I was in the same boat as you, till I took my wiper motor out and saw there was some arcing that happened between contacts, thus making an open circuit when it shoud have been closed keeping the wipers moving. I'm guessing its the same for you. All I did was clean the contacts and they work again

Get the Denso IV-22's Been running them for over 6 months now and there great.

I would but I'm just gonna go to the dealer and get some oems

Brake update: did them this morning along with oil change, did what the box said as far as break-in and I guess I will go easy on them for a few hundred more miles? Like no excessive dragging, or slow stops?

And although I flushed my system, I feel like the bedal isn't quite as firm as before. If I stays that way I might have to re-bleed. I had my wife doing the pumping, she probably bitched out a couple of times during the process

 

[8.5MS3]

Bedding-in Street Performance Pads
For a typical performance brake system using street-performance pads, a series of ten partial braking events, from 60mph down to 10mph, will typically raise the temperature of the brake components sufficiently to be considered one bed-in set. Each of the ten partial braking events should achieve moderate-to-high deceleration (about 80 to 90% of the deceleration required to lock up the brakes and/or to engage the ABS), and they should be made one after the other, without allowing the brakes to cool in between.

Depending on the make-up of the pad material, the brake friction will seem to gain slightly in performance, and will then lose or fade somewhat by around the fifth stop (also about the time that a friction smell will be detectable in the passenger compartment). This does not indicate that the brakes are bedded-in. This phenomenon is known as a green fade, as it is characteristic of immature or ‘green' pads, in which the resins still need to be driven out of the pad material, at the point where the pads meet the rotors. In this circumstance, the upper temperature limit of the friction material will not yet have been reached.

As when bedding-in any set of brakes, care should be taken regarding the longer stopping distance necessary with incompletely bedded pads. This first set of stops in the bed-in process is only complete when all ten stops have been performed - not before. The system should then be allowed to cool, by driving the vehicle at the highest safe speed for the circumstances, without bringing it to a complete stop with the brakes still applied. After cooling the vehicle, a second set of ten partial braking events should be performed, followed by another cooling exercise. In some situations, a third set is beneficial, but two are normally sufficient.

 

[oaklandopen]

I did exactly what the box said:



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On another note, the dealer ***** another customer, me. New plugs were like $28 a piece

On top of that, my oil filter housing drain plug was starting to crack a little between the head and threads, so instead of JUST buying that piece I had to get the whole plastic housing. Another almost $30

 

[ericrapp]

Ngk are iridiums are 11 bucks at piece at advance auto oakland and about same on line
Outkast, I got a quote aways back, from Corksport. For a high flow cat and it was expensive. You can find another shop to install it. i did my exhaust by myself and the mid pipe was fairly easy.
The car can be failed for no cat by visual inspection in NY. but most are cool about it. But they also check the 8 monitors like o2 through your obd II port and 7 of 8 monitors must function to pass.
Sometimes the second o2 will not light off and throw a code when you modify down pipe and or mid(test )pipe so keep your catalytic handy for inspection time. These can be reset easily enough.
Screw the high flow cat!just put the stocker back on a couple 100 miles before inspection and save some cash while increasing HP!

 

[Domino81]

I think I'm going to be at the track this weekend, btw, Eric. Esta sucks balls... it's still closed and the 1st event has been rescheduled AGAIN.

I opened my windows on my way back from work today. It was 73 and very humid. Felt delightful.

 

[Outkast]

Wow! Talk about virtual peer pressure; luv'in it! The good news, I didn't ship back yet. The other good news is I have a "local" garage that will probably do it. It's one of those two car lift back woods kinda place. A six pack and pizza should do the trick for this garage. My main mistake was seeing if the dealership would install. The car has already past inspection and worse case is I place the original Cat back on prior to inspection or better yet, see if it fails first and then reinstall. Either way, I'm taking all your advice and installing. You guys on this board haven't done me wrong and seen nothing but good stuff. I'll post when I get it installed.

Rotus - I may take you up on that offer if this local garage decides to not install.

 

[oaklandopen]

Ngk are iridiums are 11 bucks at piece at advance auto oakland and about same on line

Ugh....had to be a place I decided NOT to go to after I dropped off my son at daycare. I went to pepboys, which was on the way. And because they said they didn't carry any for the speed, I assumed I might not find them in any other store

I might have gone to other places but my wife was nagging to me from the passenger seat about having to shower or poop or something, so I just went home

So the final tally for the days: new brake pads&rotors, all new brake fluid, oil and filter change, new spark plugs, rotated tires, and hit a couple bolts underneath with the impact gun

 

[jri4]

Solid. Sometimes it sucks doing it, but doesn't it feel good knowing all that s*** is done and you don't have to worry about it for a while?

 

[ericrapp]

Oakland you gotta keep s*** tight in a car that does over 150! What i did was just ask for the ngk part number i wanted. I also got them from the regular sources online. I am on my fourth set two steps colder Denso gapped at .030. Did you do fluid brake yourself? i need some good advice for when i do rotors soon
Outkast six pack and pizza hell il do it for ya! My dealership which is decent said no to my EBC brakes pads even after i said i dont care what it costs! they just cant do the fun stuff for you. Rotus is a good kid and would be my first choice.
Domino we are having lots of flooding and nasty t storm today about 445 here still but the track is open for season and we gotta go i think. i have the schedule here somewhere. But the car is not ready. i could only spectate for now. or slow roll a 15.00 1/4 hahaa
The windshield is getting repaired tomorrow. The inspection friday? fr rotors and pads arrive tomorrow also. I need another month but i hope we get to hang out. I am just waaay too busy it seems lately. sorry

 

[oaklandopen]

Solid. Sometimes it sucks doing it, but doesn't it feel good knowing all that s*** is done and you don't have to worry about it for a while?

'Cept with me, when I schedule normal maintenance some catastrophe happens. Does feel somewhat good, though

Oakland you gotta keep s*** tight in a car that does over 150! What i did was just ask for the ngk part number i wanted. I also got them from the regular sources online. I am on my fourth set two steps colder Denso gapped at .030. Did you do fluid brake yourself?

Well I've yet to take my car past 100, but after I changed them I could definitely feel what I had been lacking due to generally older plugs.

As for a brake change...wish I could tell you its not hard, but certain general knowledge sure helps make things easy

If there isn't already a "how-to" for them (although I sure you'd be able to find one online somewhere) id be glad to walk you through the steps

Its essentially a 3 person job. One pumps the brakes in the car, one keeps the reservoir topped off, the other is at the wheels bleeding from the bleed screw. There's a little more to it but that's the gyst

 

[Domino81]

http://estadrags.com/

That's my home track... we got a lot of flooding here in Syracuse. Our warehouse was flooding... ******* drain covers were poppin' off and water was shootin' up like, 2-3 feet from what I was told. The street in front of United was a river.

Oh, yeah... that photo was taken well before the flooding here in Syracuse. And the low-grade hurricane we ******* got. lol 60 and sunny for the track day Saturday!

 

[not yellow]

Wow! Talk about virtual peer pressure; luv'in it!

some one said that the test pipe was the best bang-for-the-buck mod wise but I have to disagree. definitely changes the note of the exhaust but gains are minimal. I can think of several other mods that have given me more bang. it's not terribly difficult to install the pipe yourself but if it doesn't work out getting some one else to do it then I wouldn't worry about it too much...

 

[LittleRedWagon5]

Install tommorow. S/U EGR plate and Sure TIG TB gasket.