Ok....

My secondary had been working for 2 days, and then they just stop working.

I get like 3 psi when I normally get around 12.

Only mod is a downpipe.

Now There's a huge check list that I have already found, but I want to know if there is something more specific.

Here are the symptoms.

When the secondaries aren't working:
My engine is giving off a lot more heat. I mean I cooked a pen by hovering it over it.
I get a lil smoke.
I run 12-3 psi.

When they are working:
Hardly any heat.
12-10-12 boost pattern.
NO SMOKE. Nada. Nothing.
I hit 135 in 4th with a lot of rpms to go until I got pulled over (doh..stupid me. One time I really open up on the highway..and I get caught.)

What the hell is going on???
I want to find the exact problem that would cause this.

Here are some other things that may just be coincidences:

When I'm around 1/4 tank, my secondaries will come on. I stop to fill up my tank (because i get scared if its ever under 1/4th), and I get back on the road and the secondaries aren't coming on.

Also, when I'm doing a lot of highway driving..my secondaries will come on (full tank or not) and I will get 12-10-12. They'll work until I stop pushing the car, and they'll just stop. Especially if I let the car idle for too long.

Ok some facts about my driving habit and car:


I drive a 93 Rx7 R1 5 spd

I use 93 octane all the time.
I drive my car with no boost and at low rpms until its in operating temperatures on startup. I also let the car do its own warm up also.
When I'm coming home or going to be making a stop, I use no boost for a couple of minutes and then turn the car off right when I park. (I was doing just the idle for 45 seconds before, but read it was better to keep it moving for air).
I've changed the oil and the oil filter 20xx miles ago. Non Synthetic Mobil 1 I believe. 10w30.
I live in N. Alabma (for those who want to know the climate I'm in)

Help me

 

bump..

 

So you're saying that you consistently have a correct boost pattern and lower underhood temps when your fuel level is under 1/4 tank?

 

May be a coincidence, but so far yea. When I have that 1/4th tank and I feel the secondaries kick in; I say to myself, "Damn..I have to fuel up soon. I shouldn't be boosting as much." So I fill up and start driving again. They don't come on

 

Bump

 

Hmm... electrical problem? Try disconnecting your fuel level sender.

BTW are you near Huntsville?

 

Yes...I..am.__I'm__Adrian__that_you_met_at_the_Hun tsvilel_rotary_thing.

Sorry
keyboard
is
broke


I'll
pm
u
my
number.

 

How the hell is a bad fuel level sender going to cause the secondaries not to work?

Maybe you should take off your intake hoses and see if the secondary turbine spins freely. The excessive heat might be caused by your turbine not spinning and causing a huge obstruction in the exhaust flow. Another possilibity is a clogged cat, although I doubt it based on the fact that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

That was exactly my question

We just messed with it for a little while.

There's an idle problem that's causing some other issues. I replaced the map sensor; no change. Idles around 900 RPM but only 12-14 mmHg vacuum. Idles real rough and apparently is running lean (would make sense). Problem is transient and appears at random. Idle will get rough and downpipe will heat up (due to lean condition high EGT). When it's idling incorrectly, he can't get any significant secondary boost. The smoke he mentions is coming from some other ancillary oil leak (probably turbo oil drain) that's dripping onto the hot downpipe and smoking off. Messed with a few other things but I'm pretty stumped. He probably should plan on a vac line job, since with the condition of his vac lines they're going to break if he starts taking anything apart to troubleshoot.

And as a side note, that's one of the cleanest (interior/exterior/engine bay) '93 FDs that I"ve seen.

 

how do you know its running lean?

in ancase, double check the wg and tca actuators with a mightyvac to see if they are indeed moving when they should. do the key on key off test as well as check the actuator on the y-pipe (the one connecting the 2 turbos).

 

argh. I had boost but my idle wasn't different, nor was my vacuum. I boosted 12-10-12. The engine had no smoke and the heat was minimal.

Wth is going on?

 

Could you explain this more please?

 

Adrian, when you're ready to take the UIM and intake apart and do you vacuum lines let me know and I will help you check everything out.

 

Thanks, I'm ready to do it, but I heard it'll take forever and a day to do all those damn vacuum lines. I want to start at sunrise and just start taking things off and replacing hoses and checking solenoids. Does the length of the new line have to be the same length as the old line? Do I have room for error?

 

They don't have to be the same length, they just have to be long enough to connect the two sides. If it's a little longer, it's no that big of a deal.

Having a friend help you troubleshoot can be invalueable at times, especially when you are just starting to the work on the car for the first time.

 

i want a friend to help me do my vac lines...^_^

 

Thanks Mahjik. Now, can you work your Mahjik and tell me if there is a good guide on what to do and what not to do and how to do it on the hoses? Please?

 

Just come on down to ALabama from California, and I'll help yah.lol

 

not sure what you mean. do you need help finding the actuators? do you not know what a mityvac tester is? do you not know where the ypipe flapper/actuator is?

let me know what you need and ill get pics for you, pm me though becuase i might not check this thread if it drops too far down.

 

Just take your time and "cut" off the hoses from the solenoids, don't pull the hoses off if they are old and brittle.