Just bought an S14...Problems

[BoostInnovations]

The car smokes at idle...its definately not oil or coolant...it looks blackish...I know the turbo isnt in great shape either...when i get on the throttle it spits and sputters until about 2k(maybe a few backfires) and then it takes off smoothly only building like 5-6psi because of the bad turbo flange gasket...but then it starts to sputter about 4500-5k varying...it doesnt like to rev over that...i need help

The exhaust manifold to turbo gasket is leaking...pretty bad...


I also think the timing is off a tad bit...but the gasket should definately be taken care of first to start ironing out problems...how do you time that motor? I know you move the CAS but what wire do you ground out etc? Also, it smells lean but looks like its running rich...what could be the deal with that? They should be stock injectors and the AFC is zeroed out to take it out of the system...there is a Greddy Profec B in there but I am not sure it is controlling anything right now but this problem appears at idle as well as WOT...


The ABS module was removed and then reinstalled...the brake pedal is really spongy...when i got the car it would just go to the floor until you pumped it 4-5 times...we bled it enough today to get it to have a little stopping power but there is air in the top part of the system as we went around the wheels a few times after it started kicking out pure fluid...anyone know how to do this on a 95 SE?

The guy i bought it from never found anyone to tune it for him. The wiring was done professionally by Wiring Specialties...he did the physical swap himself and had a professional supervise him. He had a daughter board installed at one point but he said it didn't work for him or something. It also has a Z32 MAF...I made sure the AFCII was set up correctly as well. I am very new to these cars but I did build an 11sec DSM so I am not a n00b to cars.
Thanks,
Tony

[BoostInnovations]

i also did search...please help me!!

[kuramaya]

What motor and year is it? Have you tried adjusted the Crank Angle Sensor? I sthere and Aftermarket Fuel PUmp and FPR on the car?

[BoostInnovations]

well its an S13 motor and its 95 SE...the crank angle sensor determines timing...i thought it was the cam sensor? we tried adjusting it but we didnt have a timing light...are there any special procedures like on a dsm where you have to ground out a wire and shit? or just adjust and watch with a timing light? I believe the car has a fuel pump...i know i should probably get an AFPR...

[kuramaya]

it's almost impossible to troubleshoot problems over the net..but you say black smoke, I say too much fuel...if it has an aftermarket fuel pump and no FPR I bet you are way to rich..you say it sputter until two k, then fine then sputters at 4500 or so..this could be due to richness easily..the ECU will adjust itself to run a certain A/F in closed loop, then as you speed up it corrects, then in open loop at high rpms begins to get too rich..when an SR is running too rich it sputters period....You will need a Fuel Pressure Guage, in motor ones are cheap like 20 bucks..just splice into the Fuel line from the pump line to the Fuel Rail...the FPR if stock you can tell..the aftermarket pump is pumping too much fuel...You have coilpacks right? COuld also have a bad coilpack which are expensive...even here cost me about 130.00 bucks each for OEM...

[BoostInnovations]

thanks i appreciate the help at this point...i havent really tried to do to much i just wanted to see what other people thought before i really dug in and had more of an idea of what to look for in these cars as i have no experience of how they act. I am going to try to fix the gasket asap and try to see how it runs. I am pretty sure that is going to make a world of a difference but not fix everything. After i fix the gasket i will throw it on a wideband and figure out whats going on.

[kuramaya]

thanks i appreciate the help at this point...i havent really tried to do to much i just wanted to see what other people thought before i really dug in and had more of an idea of what to look for in these cars as i have no experience of how they act. I am going to try to fix the gasket asap and try to see how it runs. I am pretty sure that is going to make a world of a difference but not fix everything. After i fix the gasket i will throw it on a wideband and figure out whats going on.
ah your a smart man...wideband is the only way to tune...

[BoostInnovations]

indeed, the wideband is the all knowing tuner haha

yeah im not gonna take a stab in the dark by just blind tuning the AFC...that could get me in more trouble than its worth

[kuramaya]

indeed, the wideband is the all knowing tuner haha

yeah im not gonna take a stab in the dark by just blind tuning the AFC...that could get me in more trouble than its worth

oh yeah can kill ans SR with only a few pulls if you jack up the SAFC....I am looking at on board widebands right now so I can keep an eye on things all day....I have the APEXi Turbo Timer which has an included function of O2 sensor voltage reader and A/F ratio...its only good at WOT, open Loop, its cool with me..when I am on that bitch and she is sitting at 11.5-12:1 I am happy...but I need to tune out my Low Throttle settings...running a bit rich and tired of smelling fuel in bumper to bumper traffic

[BoostInnovations]

i also have an apex'i timer too but its not installed

[kuramaya]

i also have an apex'i timer too but its not installed


Good piece of gear, once you get it hooked up it will more than pay for itself...being able to see your A/F at WOT is a good thing..now it is not perfect and should not be used for tuning...but a good 95 percent of where you are as long as you are in open loop

[BoostInnovations]

how reliable is the knock display on the AFCII? I know on some cars its good and others its worthless. If its reliable then its good to know that I am not knocking. Is there anyway to datalog with a palm or laptop using the stock ECU and nothing added on?

[kuramaya]

how reliable is the knock display on the AFCII? I know on some cars its good and others its worthless. If its reliable then its good to know that I am not knocking. Is there anyway to datalog with a palm or laptop using the stock ECU and nothing added on?

you have to set the knock settings as per the directions in the SAFC manual...the Knock reading is good if hooked up correctly. Mine peaks at about 20 after a drive to work or back...
late
daryl

[HitAndRunCrew]

It sounds like you have alot of extra stuff in there...Z32 maf, Profec, AFC, maybe a fuel pump...There is no way I would buy some other dudes car and assume that all of that was installed correctly if it is running like crap now. You need a good base point, before you start tuning it.

First off, even if you have an aftermarket pump, Walbro, GTR or something, it shouldn't cause you to run rich. It doesn't matter how much fuel your pumping because your injectors are only going to allow soo much fuel to your engine.

Second take out the Z32 and AFC, for the time being and re install the stock Maf. (after you get it running right stock, then you can throw some more air at it with the AFC) but I wouldn't personally try to run the Z32 maf with an AFC, you will need a BFC or a tuned ECU.

Last, you don't need to run any crazr ground wire to adjust the CAS. If you don't have a timing light, just put in the center adjustment and test drive it, move a little +\- to you get to where you are feeling the power all the way through the RPM's.

Of course fix the exhaust leak before you do any of that...That is just my little bit of Ghetto tuning that I know...and I have messed with alot of SR's...

[BoostInnovations]

what is a BFC? why wouldnt the Z32 MAF work with the AFC? I have it set up to run with that...the boost controller hasn't been touched at all...I dont have the stock MAF cause it didn't come with the car. The car was wired by Wiring Specialties. It also has a daughter board that is uninstalled. I have no idea what this is for or what it does. Like I said I am new to SR20s but not to cars/tuning. From hearing how the car runs etc it has to do with the A/F ratio and timing...well besides the gasket...so maybe you could be right about the Z32 MAF idk...ill let ya know...The guy is an Airplane Mechanic and was taught by the Air Force...whether or not thats a good thing lol


edit: He had the CAS out and i was wondering if it was possible to have it inverted like in a DSM...and how would it run? Would it do what i described?

[HitAndRunCrew]

Speaking from personal experience, it is not easy to get the Z32 MAF to work properly using just an AFC on the SR20. I kow some people have done it....but...I'm just saying, you're having problems, and it sounds like it has alot to do with the MAF and maybe the CAS.
I have been able to get a RB20 MAF to work okay, but after you go a little bigger it gets rough. You can use the KA maf (I forget if it is the SOHC or DOHC version though) A Bfc is a BIG FLOW CONVERTOR made especially for Q45 maf (90mm) and the Z32 MAF. Thats too expensive though. You said it has a daughterboard that is not installed, hmmm, doesn't make sense...A daughterboard is a smaller board that is plugged into the top of your ecu. If you were to open your SR20ECU up you would see a smaller board on top of the big board (motherboard...daughterboard) If it is not "installed", then it ain't there...Now if it is there, do you have ay idea what it is tuned for...injectors...ignition timing...??? If not, you need to pull it out and drop a stock ECU. I understand you might not have an extra one, but I would least pull yours out to make sure that it is normal (single board).

I don't think it is physically possible to install the CAS inverted, but along as the plug is facing down and not straight up it is in correctly. Don't be scared to turn it and adjust it. As long as you are making smaller adjustments clockwise and counterclockwise and not beating on your car whentest driving it you should be okay.

Lastly...I used to be a Marine and having dealt with alot of Air Force "mechanics" trust me when I say, that doesn't mean he knew what he was doing...I have never seen a C-130 run on an Apexi AFC and Z32 maf with maybe a daughterboard.... :cool:

[BoostInnovations]

well i saw the daughterboard in a box of parts but im assuming its got a stock daughter board am i right? Is it possible to bore the stock injectors to like 550/555? Cause he said that there were some bigger injectors in the box but he didnt trust em and to buy new ones. I believe the daughterboard was tuned for the Z32 MAF and the bigger injectors but i will check with him to make sure. I think he said it messed up his ECU but he didnt know anything about tuning etc...he was looking for a shop in the area to finish his project and i found one and i wasnt even from around there...

[HitAndRunCrew]

well i saw the daughterboard in a box of parts but im assuming its got a stock daughter board am i right? Is it possible to bore the stock injectors to like 550/555? Cause he said that there were some bigger injectors in the box but he didnt trust em and to buy new ones. I believe the daughterboard was tuned for the Z32 MAF and the bigger injectors but i will check with him to make sure. I think he said it messed up his ECU but he didnt know anything about tuning etc...he was looking for a shop in the area to finish his project and i found one and i wasnt even from around there...

Okay, stock ECU's don't have a daughterboard. I am sure that if he did have one at one point that it was tuned for bigger injectors and MAF. They go hand in hand, no point in doing one and not the other. Find out what color your injectors are (the plug part) and let me know. Then we'll atleast know if they are stock or not.

Also I can't express it enough that you should find another MAF (stock SR, or KA) and another ECU if possible, and swap it with what you have now. I promise you it will make a difference. Oh and disconnect the AFC for now. BTW, what model AFC do you have?

[BoostInnovations]

its an AFCII and its completely zero'd out so it shouldnt be doing anything at all right? Thats the impression i have gotten in the past. It is in the shop right now getting the gasket replaced(yes im lazy...but thats what friends are for :)) I spose I can look at the j/y around here and find something. Do you think I should plug the daughterboard in and see if it helps out at all(after i find out what its tuned for)? Does the stock ECU have a spot for a daughterboard at all or is it only for a special ECU? I will check the "bigger" injectors tomorrow since he said he bought em bored out...i will also be in contact with him. BTW both of you in this thread are my hero!!

[BoostInnovations]

ok i just found somethin with the daughterboard thing...it said you have to switch a resister or something to get it to run off the daughterboard correct? Would it be possible that he didn't switch the resister back to factory? Would that even allow the car to run or not?

[BoostInnovations]

Ok, I got an email back from the guy that I bought the car from...he said the daughterboard is set up for the 550s and Z32 MAF. It is not installed in the ECU because the previous ECU is bad. So i think the next step after the gasket replacement is to get the daughterboard installed. Also, the fuel pump is just stock so that would not be a bad idea to do at the same time. I think the MAF is the reason it is not running right...it all makes sense now. How do you install the daughterboard?

[BoostInnovations]

I eventually looked to see what ECU was running the car cause i had done about every other type of troubleshooting for this problem known to SR's...this is a direct copy from another forums:

just to put some closure on this...the garage fukui ECU used to be chipped but it was missing...well the resistor was never changed back either...so that means the ECU was trying to read a daughterboard that wasnt there...tomorrow morning I am taking the ECU to get the resistor moved even tho I have another ECU on the way...just to see if it works or not...i also found that my knock sensor was completely unplugged and the plug wasnt even wired in...I also ordered a new CAS which should be here tomorrow afternoon sometime...but i will try the resoldered ECU first...i cannot believe i NEVER even thought of that until today...if nothing else i have learned alot about how SR's arent supposed to run

Thanks,
Tony

p.s. Wish me luck