my car feels pluged up....
 

well before i hit 11k rpms today, my car has been feeling pluged up. especially when it gets a bit warmer. btw it still runs fine after the 11k rpm incident. any ideas what it could be? i thought cat , but it boosts fine. i get full boost by 2600rpm. thanks in advance.

i learned, at least in my experience, to check plugs first and go from there. i've had the same thing or a hesitation a couple of times and new plugs solved the problem twice now.

11k rpm?

yea read the thread its only a few down from this one. i hit 11k or so , upshifting but really going from 3rd at 7200rpm into 2nd on accident.... will do plugs over , no that i think about it could be that.

ok did the plugs today , still feels the same. i think it was quicker when the car was stock. after i added dp, intake mod , and m2 stage 3 ecu , it feels pluged up. mostly when i shift from first to second it takes till 5-5500 rpm to get full boost again. and it is also slower throughout the rpm range, but i do get full boost. it also gets worse as the ambient temp goes up, last week it was 40 and it was a good difference from today 75. anyone have any imput on this for me... thanks...

maybe running too rich?

you dont need the ecu with only an intake and dp

i have a cat-back also

still don't need that ecu is you're running 10psi or less. you could be way rich since that ecu is programmed for a mid-pipe and bigger intercooler in addition to your mods. if you have the stock ecu, why not plug it back in and see what happens.

The M2 stage 3 ECU is not programmed to support running a MP. It is specifically programmed for an intake, DP, CB, and a larger IC. Although it is tuned rather conservatively, and as a result some individuals have been running a high-flow or MP with the ECU. However, as previously stated it is not tuned to support a MP.

Another aspect of the equation to take into the account is the fact that as ambient temperatures rise. Power levels have a tendency to trail off in a boosted car depending on the situation. Describe the road conditions prior to "getting on it". Were you sitting in traffic before hand, only taking in hot air? Or driving around in clear air with minimal traffic and stops for lights etc.

As SurgeMonster stated, you could also be getting used to your car.

you might just be getting used to the speed of the car. I thought there was a problem with my last fd until I went to the track and did .7 seconds faster with the same 60 time

your ecu is not tuned to your car, ever car/engine/turbo/fuel system is different, i dont understand why people keep buying aftermarket ecu's which you cant tune/retune.

i also agree that you might just be getting used to the speed of the car, thats why most of us go broke (going faster and faster cost more and more money hehe :))


also, its normal to feel less power as ambient temp goes up and you start to heat soak (even from day to night time, you should beable to feel a difference in how your car is running).

I agree with everything said aside from the initial comment. I believe with mods such as an intake, DP, cat-back, larger IC running more boost than stock. Although I also agree that every car is different, and you do sacrifice the fine tuning capabilities of a Power FC when electing to run a re-programed ECU. However, given the situation I feel a chipped ECU is the wiser of the two decisions you are faced with.

The first being, running the stock ECU untill you have enough money for a Power FC. After all, not everyone has the ability to spend 1,000 dollars on an ECU as if it were nothing. All the while, you are now risking complications as a result of running those mods at boost levels higher than stock. Or the second choice, and the wiser of the two IMP. Purchasing an M2 or Pettit re-programmed ECU and ditching the stock ECU unit untill you have the rest of the money needed for a Power FC. After which, because there is still an active market for the ECU. You can sell it for about the same price you bought it for (350-400). Using the added funds to purchase the Power FC.

So in effect, you are running a properly programmed computer versus the stock unit for the same amount of time. Untill you have the abilities to purchase a Power FC, if you do not quite have the means for doing so in the first place. I am aware there are numerous other gray areas regarding this debate. But overall, I feel as though running a programmed ECU is the best solution.

PS: my apologies for highjacking your thread.

yes true it is probably heat soaking more. but i have an m2 med. going in soon. see i am comparing my 93 r1 to my old 93 touring which had pettit ecu, intake mod, cat-back, midpipe, stock pre-cat, greddy smic at 12.5psi, 9.5lbs flywheel/act clutch, and it used to break loose in 2nd gear with 18" wheels. mine breaks loose in first gear only when its 40 or less. my car has m2 stage 3 ecu, intake mod, cat-back, dp, 10.5psi... unless the intercooler and flywheel are really holding me back.... one question i have is why would my old car have the stock pre-cat and a midpipe???? any advatages/disadvatages to that....

anyone have anymore imput for me.... please

Did you check the plug wires ?

I'm just guessing from the top of my head. I have a similar problem with aprox. the same mods. When I changed the plugs about 500miles ago it was so powerfull and smooth up top. But yesterday when I went for a drive and punched it, I again got sort of like ignition brakeup and much less power.

Let me know if you find anything on this topic.

yes changed plug wires. i have magnicor 10mm wires in there... well i know im not getting used to the power. ran with my friends wrx yesterday and was only 2 car lenghts in front by 100mph. when i was stock i was about 6 car lengths at 100mph, and i had a bad start that time.

How many miles on your catalytic converter? Perhaps it has gotten clogged.

the car has 77k , but i checked the vin with mazda and the cat was replaced at 32k along with other recall things. so it has about 45k miles on it.

ok today i switched the m2 ecu back to the stock ecu to see if its running to rich and i am lossing power. nope it is actually slower on the secondary turbo with the stock ecu. i changed the plugs a week ago so its not that. im thinking my cat and my dp are holding me back. i have a hks dp which i am switching to a pfs stainless this week to see if that changes anything. if not i will buy a high flow cat.

check your compression first.. maybe its getting a little low. cant hurt to be sure before u start "wasteing" money on other shit.

will a normal autozone compression tester work?

you wont notice a diffrence in the hks and pfs dp. the hks has a small bend in it so it can fit j-spec cars, but not enough to notice a diffrence between the two. i would invest in a cat replacement first. even though you only have 45k or so miles on it, it still could be clogged.

also do you have a boost gauge? check to see what your boost pattern is.

yes i have a boost guage pattern is perfect with the m2 its 11-8-11, when i have the stock ecu 10-8-10. vacuum is usually 16-17.

yes a regular piston engine tester will work. just get someone to turn the car over as u watch the needle bounce off each rotor face.