1st Night Out: Terrible! Options

[turbohcar]

Well, no blown fuses at all. Checked all of them. I'm thinking when I ran the car basically out of coolant it may have hurt the thermostat somehow. If not, I really am clueless. I figure there's only three things that can be wrong in a cooling system besides the hoses and radiator. The waterpump(new), the thermostat(new 180*), and the radiator cap(new).

Unless that is, if there's something making it exceptionally hot. Wednesday night I started the car up initially. It sounded like cylinder 3 injector was not firing correctly. It was ticking extremely loud. I swapped out the ECU with my spare just to see if I could get the Palm to connect and the ticking stopped. I thought maybe it was a problem with the ECU. Now I'm not so sure.

Tonight I found someone that wanted to play. Namely, a WS6 Trans-Am. I went to pass HER, she floored it, I downshifted to fourth (not a low enough gear) went from about 4.5k and it started cutting out. Cutting out like fuel cut. Mind you, I'm running a line straight from the intake manifold to the FPR. No T fittings or extra vaccum lines because those have been eliminated. Boost gauge shows I'm only running 11psi of boost (down from the 16-17psi I was running) so it's not because I don't have enough fuel. MAS is stock and unhacked. It cut-out like that about three times on the way to about 7k before I let off. Not sure if it's an injector failing to fire or not, but it could explain a lean condition if that's the case. Of course, my logger isn't working either so I can't tell if it is or not.

[BudmannG]

Did you do a couple of 'wot' before you desided to take on this car? Th ECU was probably trying to set the air/fuel ratios while you where trying to run her. I have noticed that when mine reset or adjust it stutters and sounds like I'm out of fuel.
Try to tighten all your ic piping. You might have to break down and do a boost leak test.
As for your over heating problem I am out of ideas. Did you double check the fan plug in?

[turbohcar]

HG is exactly the same one that Slowboy sells on their site. I used the same exact part number that they list on their site when I ordered it. So, I'm confident it's the right one. ARP's are tourqued to the specs that they suggest.

I'm thinking maybe you might be right Budmann. Or at least I'm hoping so.

BTW, the stock boost controller is still being used so that may account for the low boost.

[turbohcar]

This one

http://www.slowboyracing.com/more.php?id=1079&

[turbohcar]

Don't know. It was decked anyway though, so that rules out warpage.

[AWD DSM 1]

It's not loosing coolant anymore, right? Just running warm and cycling too often? I'd swap that stat out, and get some sort of logger on it. I'm thinking it's runing lean for some reason, causing it to run warm. Sounds like it's definately better than it was when we started.

[BudmannG]

And the logger and wires should be there today. Dumb blondes are not so dumb I guess Brett. Because you really do need it now, Huh?
Just so everyone knows, My girlfriend, AKA The dumb blonde, Had my logger shipped for Saturday delivery. And then has the nerve to come out and bitch because it cost so much, ! I couldn't help but laugh at her. And Brett don't worry about the shipping cost. It's on her.

[turbohcar]

No, it's not loosing coolant anymore, just running warm and not cycling soon enough. I changed the t-stat out and I'm waiting to start it up this morning. I'll be into town here in a little bit to get the logger cable.

[turbohcar]

Well, everything started out great. I started the car up, let it run. It was actually running cooler than straight up and down. I was soooo excited to find that it was running cooler. I took a pic, and then was on my way into town to return some parts and head for LeRoy. I got about three miles into town and it started getting hot and cycling again. Needless to say, I was a bit pissed. I did find out that it is making more boost than the 11psi I stated before. It makes 11psi very quick at about 3.5k or so. Full boost doesn't come on till later so I'm thinking I may have a small boost leak. Either way, it no longer bucks and spits, I believe it was just the ECU creating it's fuel map. This cooling thing has got me puzzled though. It doesn't matter if I'm running hard or not, while cruising at 3k, 55-65mph it keeps cycling.

[turbohcar]

Quick question, when I tried burping the car, it always just seems to start overflowing before it gets hot. Am I supposed to let it overflow like this until it gets to regular operating temp? It never lets air bubbles out, just overflows. Though, I haven't left the cap off till it got up to regular operating temp yet. Seemed to me that the T-stat was letting a little bit of water out and never any air.

[BudmannG]

Yes it well flow over and just let it run through like that about two or three times.and then top it off and cap it.
That's how I burp my car. And then I rub it's belly and tell her how good she was.

[AWD DSM 1]

Yes it well flow over and just let it run through like that about two or three times.and then top it off and cap it.
That's how I burp my car. And then I rub it's belly and tell her how good she was.

Oh, you're supposed to do that to the car?!?! No wonder my wife's been pissed lately.

[turbohcar]

I'll try that tomorrow then. Thanks

[turbohcar]

Well, now that I've got a logger that's working properly (I think the settings were just screwed up on mine) I got a chance to log the car. With the OE thermostat in it it's staying at a constant 203-206*. I think the gauge isn't working properly because that's what I read the whole time no matter what the gauge was doing.

I am knocking quite a bit though. Up to 31 counts once and usual peak was 20 counts. Not sure what's going on with that. It's mostly at cruising speeds (around 2500 rpm) and the high, low, and mid trims are all reading a constant 81.2% and the O2 sensor is CONSTANTLY reading 2.03V. Don't ask me why, the O2 sensor is brand new.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[black92_tsi_awd]

Temp sounds a little high but not too bad. Mine runs about 185-190. If it remains constant, it's probably OK.

O2 voltage shouldn't be over 1V, I didn't think it was possible to generate a 2 volt reading. 2V is probably giving the ECM fits trying to correct for a WAY rich condition, explained by the 81 fuel trims.

The knock could be Rich knock...

I'm no expert, just some thoughts.

[90GSX]

what program are you logging with? if your using the MMcd, it has 2 reading for o2, one is o2f, the other is o2r, on mine constantly reads that, you go by what it says for o2f i believe. thats what it does on mine, not sure why it even gives another reading, that doesnt even change at all

[turbohcar]

And the 02voltage is as it's read off of the Front 02 reading. This is correct right?

[BudmannG]

I'm glad to see you have it working. Was it just the cord or did you have to use my logger also?

[turbohcar]

Well, last night it was just the cord but, this morning it was reading really slow on the values. The graph was working correctly but the values were really slow to change. Especially the RPM. Don't know what that's all about but I'll try to play with it more today.

[BudmannG]

Try shutting down the graph while you log. You are probably trying to log to many parameters at the same time, This will slow the logger down.
And was it left in the car to get cold? Cold weather will slow it down also.