I'm not entirely sure what to make of my cars performance.....

Initial run was utter pants - probably due to me not having done one of the TMIC-throttle body jubilees up properly yesterday... Look - I've got a cold and I feel like crap.

On the second run - first impressions were great, I thought I'd solved my problem. Then they brought the torque graph up.. which met with a universal "errr.. that ain't right".

Basically the car is making boost, losing boost, messing around between 9 and 10 psi in the mid-range, then slowly gaining boost again to the limiter. Fueling wasn't suspected as being an issue by the RR operators; consistently runs rich just as the PPP ECU is supposed to. No CEL's, no det.

320bhp @ 7627rpm
233.7lbft @ 6910 rpm

I'm going to have the intercooler off tomorrow, and check all the piping/boost solenoid/etc when my brothers here - see if that makes a noticeable improvement - if not, then it'll be booked in for a diagnostics.

Any other suggestions to what I should be looking for other than boost leaks?

 

Any suggestions please?

I've just had the intercooler off, checked the boost solenoid, checked OE BOV checked all the piping and no obvious damage or leaks.

My Defi's show a steady climb to 1.5 bar, then a little bit of tail off (measured both at the manifold and OE BOV). My PSI3 is a little harder to keep a track of, but does seem to show a bit of randomness around 13/14 psi, before peaking at around 20 to 21psi (wishing I'd bought the graphical one now!)

I'm really at a loss what to do now other than book it in for a diagnostic

 

ecu went "Oh my god" on first run and pulled lots of timing and maybe boost..

second run it went "oh that's better" but had only just finished learning by the time it got to the end of the run..

3rd run may have been better

however was there sufficent cooling fan to the tmic? was bonnet shut etc..

Simon

 

It was done in a Dastek RR cell - so big arsed fans everywhere! The bonnet was open - first run the car was warm, second run it was a bit colder having stood around for a couple of hours.

About the initial run - the car quickly climbed to about 16psi, held nice and steady, and then promptly ditched all the boost at about 5500rpm.

The two boost curves for the runs were totally different - the only difference being is that I tightened up one of the jubilee clips.

 

it should either have a fan plus duct onto tmic or the bonnet shut and air directed through the tmic.

Simon

 

There was a fan at the tmic.

Do you think it might just be a learning issue then, after the car was struggling to maintain boost with the loose hose?

I've just purposefully had the battery disconnected for a bit - and after warming up a couple of runs have been showing a max of 14/15psi in 3rd. Does that sound normal?

 

could possibly have been yes.

they often make around 300 the ppp sti.

Simon

 

The main concern was the lack of midrange boost, and the resultant lack of torque.

Last time I had it tested it made 297bhp/300lbft - which is a bit more like I was expecting to see yesterday, with perhaps a little more due to it now having the Nur Spec-R exhaust on it now.

 

it is possible it pulled the advance multiplier back the first run so far it dropped the boost and then the 2nd run part way through it upped the advance multiplier hence boosted later on.. the advance multiplier will cause boost to be pulled when it gets to 4.

Simon

 

Cheers Simon for at least explaining what might have been going on!

I'll be keeping a very close eye on it now.

Its going to get a remap once I've got back from the states with a bag full of cheap bits, so I can always deal with any other issues then.

 

if it is holding boost now then it was a roller or that boost leak issue etc

Simon

 

It seems to be holding boost - I've just done the near 100 mile drive back to work. All the way back I was seeing constant positive knock correction on the PSI3 - into double figures regularly at >30% throttle openings, so it seems to be learning fine again after the ECU reset.

It seemed fairly reluctant to boost to and above 1.3 initially, but towards the end of the journey it seemed fairly happy to boost to a displayed 1.5bar on my Defi and showed a peak boost figure of 1.51bar on my PSI3 (which seems a bit high!). It's still trailing off by about 0.3 bar at higher RPM but now I'm guessing thats the ECU playing it safe for the moment?

I have to admit that while I've known about the knock correction, I never realised the ECU also put so much effort into boost control after a reset!

Thanks for your advice again - its put my mind at rest a little!

 

a) I am surpised that Clive didnt hook it up to delta dash to monitor the car during the run. He always used to.
b) As Simon says, the bonnet should have been shut to direct air at the TMIC - a fan blowing in the general direction seems a little random.
c) disconnecting the battery does not reset a newage ecu
d) cant you reset the ecu with the PSI3 ?
e) it was probably a reaction to high intake temps that caused timing to be retarded.
f) just because knock correction is showing as positive does NOT mean that it is not pulling timing. Knock Correction is the Maximum Advance minus knock retard. So the map could have been asking for 10 degrees of ignition advance on top of the base timing which it would give if it was happy. But it might have retarded 7 degrees due to knock. It would still show 3 degrees of positive knock correction !

Who mapped it? If it wasnt Clive, at what point did he say 'it needs a remap' ?

 

^^^

DM, the newage ECU on my 05 wrx will reset after having the battery off for about 20-30 mins..

IMHO, with regards to this dyno run, if the bonnet was up and there wasn't a ducted fan connected to the TMIC then CT's have probably gone ballistic..!

It's no wonder the boost was all over the shop..!

Second run was probably better due to an effective reset before hand. The ecu would be starting from a more cautious setup, rather than from it's learned (and presumbably advanced road settings). Hence it would be more able to deal with the sub optimal IC cooling. IYSWIM..?

First run, as Simon says, it would have had a shock and gone 'oh my god, whats happened..!?"..

All IMO, obviously and it might be utter tosh, but it makes sense to me..

 

I think there was no battery disconnect between runs

 

hmm - i think you are wrong as the Denso ecu uses a different RAM to the earlier classic ecus, but if it works for you then great I know mine doesnt reset even with the battery off for 24 hours.