why am i so slow??

[jmv]

So today, i went out driving around with a friend in an older miata. All he's got on his car is a catback. We never directly raced.... but i don't think i could pull on him if i tried. wtf?? Shouldn't the car be faster than that?? It feels like the top end of the car does nothing. With Intake, FMIC, and exhuast dumped after a 2.5" midpipe, @ 7 psi, i would think i should be passing up a 100whp miata...... (the unichip listed in my sig isn't installed).

does anyone have suggestions of crap i can check that might be causing problems?? I've replaced the wga recently, and i've ordered new samco silicone vac lines i'm just waiting for them to get in.

 

[Pirana]

Do you have a A:F ratio gauge installed? If you do, check if you are running extremely rich. That will kill any power you might have.

 

[SSCharged]

yeah i think he does have an AFR in that car, coming from his sig, but im not too sure about mazda and their turbos, but maybe the guy above me is right, about running rich

 

[jmv]

well its a narrowband. I know its a worthless P.O.S. and i shouldn't have bought it (and lately its not even working AT ALL), but i don't have the money right now for a wideband. Thats definitely on the list for the fall when i'll have some income.


Something that occured to me.... during the time when i was trying to get my unichip working, i was sitting in my car cleaning stuff, it was just idling, and i got a CEL. I don't remember the code, i've got it written down somewhere. At the time i just attributed it to problems with the unichip. But i recall at autozone when they read teh code for me they said one of the possible causes was a bad 02 sensor.... now, with my narrowband acting real weird and sometimes just completely not working, i was wondering if maybe it could be a problem with the 02?? I've only had that one code though. Is there any way i can check the sensor??

 

[Pirana]

If you have a bad O2, the ecu can go into rich mode just to save the engine...and that would rob off power.

 

[jmv]

hmmmm.... but is there any way i can check it before replacing it?? I don't even know how much that would cost.

 

[terbow]

u can check the voltage on the 02, see if its slow to respond or not in its correct range of voltage. i dont know the voltage offhand but its supposed to switch between like .1 and .9 every second or so. youll have to get specifics but if its not doin that or its slow to do it, it could be bad.

 

[Pirana]

If that is the problem...then the cheapest way is to get a universal Bosch from Autozone, and rewire it. If thats not an option, then you need one from the stealership.

 

[terbow]

indeed.

 

[jmv]

i'm sure i could wire in a universal one as long as it fits in and all that. I'll check it out.

Anybody got any other ideas??

 

[BOOSTR]

If it were dead you'd still have a CEL. Maybe you got some dirty injectors and just need to put something in your tank to clean them. Other than your perception of how the car should run are there any other conditions present to indicate a problem?

 

[jmv]

well, i haven't been able to find any vacuum leak but my gauge reads 18 at idle.... others with this gauge have seemed to have the same reading, but thats why i bought the silicone vac lines.

When i had the unichip on the car, i was trying to get the boost tuned by JDM Sam... the car would buck on high boost, he pegged it on a problem with the car. The unichip later fried itself....

other than that its perception i guess.

 

[BOOSTR]

I was just curious if any other issues existed and didn't want to see you buy an O2 sensor either universal or direct fit if you didn't need it.

 

[terbow]

when my 02 was on its way out, i got a cel that came and went, they dont always have to fail comepletly. it can just be reading a wierd voltage that might make it run like crap but not die out comepletely.

 

[Pirana]

Also, you might want to take it out and clean it...dry ofcourse...and see if it helps...sometimes when the car is running too rich the O2 gets clogued with sud and wont read properly...Just an idea.

 

[03.5MSP]

I know exactly how you feel. I kinda have the same mods, but i also have a intake, and exhaust mani, and im at 10psi, and my car feels uber slow. But Microtech is on the way and im hoping that helps.

 

[jmv]

i was expecting the unichip to fix all my problems, but even when we *thought* we got it working right, Sam said the top end still wasn't pulling like it should. And then i found out that it stopped bucking after unplugging my cruise control lines for no apparent reason, because it came back the next day.

I mean, i know part of it has to do with the fact that i've gotten used to the speed it offers...... but i mean, not being able to beat out a 100whp miata?? Thats a little f'd up isn't it??

 

[jmv]

anybody got tips for using seafoam??

i figure trying to clean stuff out couldn't hurt, as it may clean up my 02 sensor and possibly my injectors as well, both of which seem like they could be part of the problem.

 

[jmv]

bump, anybody got seafoam tips?? i was reading a thread on it where P5 people were saying to put it into the brake booster line, but apparently the MSP has a one-way valve or something the P5 doesn't, i don't wanna mess it up or anything...