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Hello! New owner of an imported JDM FD3S. It's a 1996 model so I'm looking for some help tracking down some JDM specific parts. I'll be checking out the forum for resources but I'm sure I'll have questions soon. Appreciate any help given. This has been a dream of mine for years but finally able to own one. Of course it will need a bit of work.
Thank you! Yes, she's a Series 7 RS model. Cosmetically it's pretty good. Unfortunately finding more and more things to fix mechanically but she'll get there eventually.
Thank you! Yes, she's a Series 7 RS model. Cosmetically it's pretty good. Unfortunately finding more and more things to fix mechanically but she'll get there eventually.
Welcome to the club. Seems like Series 7s are appearing outside of Japan more often now. Any certain things you're having issues with? I have most of the Japanese FD manuals and can help out a bit if you get stuck
Last edited by Akagis_white_comet; 08-19-21 at 09:13 PM.
Reason: spelling fail
Welcome to the club. Seems like Series 7s are appearing outside of Japan more often now. Any certain things you're having issues with? I have most of the Japanese FD manuals and can help out a bit if you get stuck
I would love the advice! Cosmetically the car is great. When I got it I ran into some unknown issues. So far I've replaced the oil, coolant, brake fluid, diff oil, entire suspension (Ohlins kit), plugs, wires, fuel filter, and a ton of vacuum lines. Ran great for a few days and now I'm suffering low boost keeping the second turbo from coming on. I've already replaced a few turbo hoses and changed out the spring clamps for the screw type ones. 94,000km on the clock and supposedly verified. Looks like correct based on condition.
Most disappointing was when I changed the diff fluid and found that a few chunks of tooth came out with it. I was going to make a post looking for the part number of the JDM 4.30 ring and pinion part number if you happen to know.
Your ecu may be throwing you into limp mode; Frustrating your efforts of getting into the second turbo is a characteristic of this.
Find a way to run codes before you go further down the rabbit hole.
Assuming you are still runny stock ecu.
Run a smoke test to find any more tubing leaks.
Akagi can probably provide you he wonderful chart of the exponential things that can go wrong.
If you are changing out the dif look into the RX8 dif swap.
Put a little spring in your step.
Yes, would definitely like to know more about the RX-8 diff swap. Please feel free to DM info if it would be helpful.
I've gone through a troubleshooting guide for the twin turbo system. Oddly enough when the primary turbo has been on low boost I've occasionally been able to get the secondary to come on over 4500RPM which doesn't make sense based on what I've read. Basically I'm seeing only a few psi boost at most from the primary, and rarely it seems the secondary comes to life when I hit the RPM threshold. I'm taking it in to a local specialist next week so hopefully they can have some trick to track down this issue.
Find someone that can run codes with a JDM code reader.
If your specialist does not have one, ask him how he can work on JDM cars? *
I don't know much about the RX8 dif swap, but a number of our group have done it.
I think you can search it out on this site.
(* ironically our best local shop does not have a code reader. They also refuse to fix stock set-up, and typically will rip everything out and go parrallel with an aftermarket ecu.. Don't be surprised if your specialist recommends this as well.)
Note: some of the vacuum lines to the turbos have check valves hidden in them. If you change out with straight hose you may have issues. Also the filter for the MAP censor sometimes gets reversed.
The ecu will go into limp mode is the OMP is malfunctioning. My OMP was blinking on and off and so confusing the ecu.
Sometimes, if you sense you are in limp mode, you can pull over and shut down briefly. The ecu may re-set and work OK, until it cycles through it check cycle again and picks up whatever fault is bugging it.
Watch out as well if your local specialist does not have JDM manuals, particularly for Series 7 and Series 8. There were substantial changes from the JDM S6 that is closer to USDM.
Yes, would definitely like to know more about the RX-8 diff swap. Please feel free to DM info if it would be helpful.
I've gone through a troubleshooting guide for the twin turbo system. Oddly enough when the primary turbo has been on low boost I've occasionally been able to get the secondary to come on over 4500RPM which doesn't make sense based on what I've read. Basically I'm seeing only a few psi boost at most from the primary, and rarely it seems the secondary comes to life when I hit the RPM threshold. I'm taking it in to a local specialist next week so hopefully they can have some trick to track down this issue.
I've uploaded the Series 6 Japanese and Series 7/8 vacuum diagram in the 3rd gen section's sticky thread. That should help you pin down the issue.
The chart is the alphabet for foreign words in Japanese.
Much of the Japanese in charts is actually the English names for things written in Katakana.
Thank you! Really appreciate the warm welcome and all the help. Looking forward to seeing what we can find out this week. Oddly enough all my boost came back suddenly yesterday so that might make it trickier to track down.
Thank you! Really appreciate the warm welcome and all the help. Looking forward to seeing what we can find out this week. Oddly enough all my boost came back suddenly yesterday so that might make it trickier to track down.
Under what conditions did it "come back"? Heat, rpm, road speed, etc? Trying to find the common thread to narrow it down. From a glance, this sounds like a vacuum system issue, such as a solenoid or check valve not opening/closing fully like they need to. I've seen the procedure to rebuild Series 7/8 "black box" (AKA Vacuum Unit in the diagram), but I have a sneaking suspicion that some parts may break from heat/age when attempting to disassemble it. While it likely won't be as brittle and "beaten down" as a Series 6 Solenoid Rack, due diligence and a gentle touch is always a good idea.
A useful trick to remove a vacuum hose for replacement with silicone is to carefully score it with a knife lengthwise where it is pushed onto the barb. Go back over the same line again, a little deeper until the resistance feels different. Remember, the rubber is only about 2-3mm thick. With that done, you should be able to insert a flathead jewelers screwdriver where your cut is and push/pry the hose sideways to separate it from the barb.
Let me know if you get stuck on any linguistic matters. Sometimes, certain words and phrases can get a little murky when translating from Japanese. For example, "真空" means "Vacuum", but the characters individually translate to "True" and "Sky". "電圧" is Voltage, but the two characters mean "Electric" and "Pressure" respectively. If you combine the two examples, I think you can understand how things can go awry on a seemingly simple item. Mostly, it's harmless and you get "Washer Sauce" for "Windshield Washer Fluid" (they use the same characters), but it can go 8 grades of expletives fast such as suggesting the headlights are dead because "I haven't taken a bath"...
Might be a good idea to have a second ratbox on hand before you start taking one apart. They are about $500 each new.
A code test might tell you if any solenoids in your rat box are the cause for error.
A smoke test will tell you if you have any leaks in your vacuum system.
Am I repeating myself?
The ecu may have reset itself, but could well go back to limp mode if the cause is still there.
Some people loose boost from a collapsing intake pipe. It is unlikely in an S7, but not if a pipe has been replaced by someone at sometime with something less rigid.
Under what conditions did it "come back"? Heat, rpm, road speed, etc? Trying to find the common thread to narrow it down. From a glance, this sounds like a vacuum system issue, such as a solenoid or check valve not opening/closing fully like they need to. I've seen the procedure to rebuild Series 7/8 "black box" (AKA Vacuum Unit in the diagram), but I have a sneaking suspicion that some parts may break from heat/age when attempting to disassemble it. While it likely won't be as brittle and "beaten down" as a Series 6 Solenoid Rack, due diligence and a gentle touch is always a good idea.
A useful trick to remove a vacuum hose for replacement with silicone is to carefully score it with a knife lengthwise where it is pushed onto the barb. Go back over the same line again, a little deeper until the resistance feels different. Remember, the rubber is only about 2-3mm thick. With that done, you should be able to insert a flathead jewelers screwdriver where your cut is and push/pry the hose sideways to separate it from the barb.
Seriously good stuff, thank you! My boost has gone and come back under seemingly random conditions. Before it was working flawlessly all morning and I parked the car for a few hours. Went to start it and was only getting barely any boost on the first drive. This condition stayed for weeks. Intermittently came back once or twice on hard acceleration but then gone. Yesterday I drove it all morning, freeway speeds and city driving with little boost. After idling at a stop, went to pull out onto a 35mph road and suddenly the boost was back in full. Car always fully up to operating temperature on my drives.
I haven't replaced every vacuum line but did quite a few of them as well as the short 90 degree one inch turbo hose to a valve. Clamps are now screw instead of spring. Replaced the brake booster hose with the factory check valve one as it was cracking. You're right it is a good idea to test/replace every check valve I can find on the vacuum system. Obviously I've got some work to do and reading on here of the stuff other owners have found.
What is slightly concerning to me is the availability of the series 7 vacuum parts in the US. Is there a good source to find some of these little bits that may be JDM specific? I can guess that the USDM ones are likely the same but I'd like access to a series 7/8 parts catalog to try and cross reference numbers.
Quote: "What is slightly concerning to me is the availability of the series 7 vacuum parts in the US. Is there a good source to find some of these little bits that may be JDM specific? I can guess that the USDM ones are likely the same but I'd like access to a series 7/8 parts catalog to try and cross reference numbers."
You should decide fairly soon if you are going to try and save the sequential set-up or rip all that stuff out.
We have perhaps over 100 rhd up here and very few have managed to resusitate the sequential.
The odds are stacked against you.
There is a little tiny c-clip that connects your second turbo actuator to the valve arm. They tend to break off. As a result your big actuator could be detached.
While you are at it, you may wish to replace the twin green solenoid hanging on the front of your UIM ($200) . I believe it operates the "big turbo" actuator and the wastgate (or moderates their operation). if one of those goes youj'd have syptoms such as you are describing. Be careful removing the vacuum hoses, you're more than likely to break off one of the nipples. (Please note that even "new" solenoids may have been banging around in parts bins for some time. I have heard there is a high failure rate even for "new" solenoids.)
Your TPS can test OK, but go out of spec once it heats up.
Check you spark plugs often. As you are burning oil, they can foul.
If you have had corrosion in the gas tank, the sock protecting the intake can get fouled.
Quote: "What is slightly concerning to me is the availability of the series 7 vacuum parts in the US. Is there a good source to find some of these little bits that may be JDM specific? I can guess that the USDM ones are likely the same but I'd like access to a series 7/8 parts catalog to try and cross reference numbers."
You should decide fairly soon if you are going to try and save the sequential set-up or rip all that stuff out.
We have perhaps over 100 rhd up here and very few have managed to resusitate the sequential.
The odds are stacked against you.
There is a little tiny c-clip that connects your second turbo actuator to the valve arm. They tend to break off. As a result your big actuator could be detached.
While you are at it, you may wish to replace the twin green solenoid hanging on the front of your UIM ($200) . I believe it operates the "big turbo" actuator and the wastgate (or moderates their operation). if one of those goes youj'd have syptoms such as you are describing. Be careful removing the vacuum hoses, you're more than likely to break off one of the nipples. (Please note that even "new" solenoids may have been banging around in parts bins for some time. I have heard there is a high failure rate even for "new" solenoids.)
Your TPS can test OK, but go out of spec once it heats up.
Check you spark plugs often. As you are burning oil, they can foul.
If you have had corrosion in the gas tank, the sock protecting the intake can get fouled.
Agreed. I've done a little reading on the Series 7/8 system and corresponding parts catalogs as of recently, but would have to dig a bit more to put together a Black Box Rebuild Guide with the relevant part numbers and whatnot. As always, too many projects, not enough of me to go around and no way to outsource any of it. Insert your favorite expletive here We'll see where I'm at in a couple weeks, things may lighten up a bit by then.
Also, having a second Vacuum Unit (black box) before starting is a good idea. Wouldn't be the first time I sourced something from Japan, but it does get expensive quick.
Deep down in one of the Japanese manuals they have an exploded view of the rat box. I will see if I can dig it up.
But try to run codes before taking the rat box apart. They are pretty solid state, so less likely you have an air/vacuum leak inside.
Also a smoke test ($50 at my local shop) could reveal any leaks in the rat box.
Did you say you have run a fuel pressure test?
All good tips ,thank you! I do want to keep the stock twin turbo setup if I can. I understand that gets harder the older it gets. My slot at the local specialist got delayed but I will have them do a smoke test and try to get a general sense of engine health/pressure. Worst case, I'll go with a single turbo kit which I know they are familiar with and have built a few local FDs.
You also have the option of having the existing twin turbo set up to run "parrallel". This is achieved by having the valve/gate to the second turbo fixed open (among other things) . This has been done using the stock ecu, but much more commonly a Apexi Power FC replaces the stock ecu. Other aftermarket ecu may also work with the parrallel set-up. Stock ecu might never get happy if it senses a bunch of missing solenoids.
08-18-21, 11:22 PM
We'll see where I'm at in a couple weeks, things may lighten up a bit by then.