My car is spazzing

[h0rsies]

I have every bolt on with gt2871r and devils own stage 2 setup. I havent had my car up at college all winter. I recently got it back and scheuled a tune with Akuma today but my car has been acting weird. I took it up to a shop to get water temp and gauge and forgot the other one.(already have boost,wideband,oil pressure) , and out of nowhere the shop tells me my cars driving like shit. I also had meth installed by them recently and I noticed that my break light turns on and off, my turn signals dont flash on the dash, and I cant lock my car when the turbo timer is running. But the car was running fine and I took it to the shop again to get gauges installed and now he says the car is stuttering, there is no boost at all, and running rich making. That does not make any sense to me because he was just putting in gauges, he said he's never seen anything like this before. The only code thats coming up is p2006 from the ported intake manifold without the butterfly flaps. He also cleaned my spark plugs,checked for boost leak, monitored my trims on my accesport, and disconnected the power wire for the meth. After all this inspection ,he says it hasnt changed anything. He also said He didnt tap into the ecu at all for the meth. Im so frustrated because I was so close to finally being done and its my daily driver. I would really appreciate any help thanks

[anthony8488]

I have far less work then you do; however, I to had a similar problem with the car stuttering and running rich and such. Ended up for me, after lots of the same checks your shop did, was my top O2 sensor was clogged with some carbon build-up. I cleaned the O2's (lower one was pretty good but cleaned it also) with some no residue cleaner (brake-leen) re-installed. Cars been happy for the last 1k miles.

The lights issue could be a wire grounding out. Had a similar problem on my older car, was a tail light wire chaffing on the frame, when it would hit it just right lights would act weird and sometimes blow a fuse. Not sure any of this helps but, best of luck, keep us posted.

[mroclimbr]

Originally Posted by anthony8488 I have far less work then you do; however, I to had a similar problem with the car stuttering and running rich and such. Ended up for me, after lots of the same checks your shop did, was my top O2 sensor was clogged with some carbon build-up. I cleaned the O2's (lower one was pretty good but cleaned it also) with some no residue cleaner (brake-leen) re-installed. Cars been happy for the last 1k miles. The lights issue could be a wire grounding out. Had a similar problem on my older car, was a tail light wire chaffing on the frame, when it would hit it just right lights would act weird and sometimes blow a fuse. Not sure any of this helps but, best of luck, keep us posted.

answers like this, are why I'm here learning. The rest of the guys are comic relief.

[Metal409]

It honestly sounds like a wiring issue to me. Maybe there is a short or they tapped into something they shouldn't have. Maybe missing a ground or blew a fuse or relay out on you.

[SJP0tato]

Originally Posted by h0rsies I also had meth installed by them recently and I noticed that my break light turns on and off, my turn signals dont flash on the dash, and I cant lock my car when the turbo timer is running.

Sounds like an electrical problem from the install if it wasn't doing these things before they touched the car.
As Metal409 says, it sounds like they might have tapped the wrong wire, grounded something that shouldn't be, or otherwise made some mistake with the wiring harness.

[h0rsies]

Thanks for the advice. Im guessing it is an electrical issue if it was the 02 sensors I think it would of threw of the trims on the accesport? I am going to pick up the car soon and check the fuses. Do you think I only need to check the fuses in the engine bay or do I need to check the ones in the glove department? I already had a few fuses blown out such as my reverse light and my cigarette lighter source didnt work. Also do you guys think it could be a coil pack that has fouled out?

[dougefresh_]

I'm hoping it's just dirty 02 sensors. Wiring problems can be a F'ing nightmare as anyone knows. That's why when I wired my meth kit w/ FS & BCS FS, I wired the 5 grounds directly to the battery w/ one of these three prong rings (w/m wasn't finished at time):



I hope it's quick, cheap, simple fix. GL

[h0rsies]

Wow now I have no idea what's going on. My meth kit power source is disconnedted right now but I also noticed that the nozzle is spinning isn't it supposed to be completely sealed and stationary. Anyhow I just tried to drive it again and it wouldn't rev past 2 k rpm and 0 boost it seems like a vaccuum leak maybe from the nozzle? It also vibrates n leans out a lot at idel almost stalling.I also thre more codes which I will post up along with a log. Wtf

[bmylez]

The way your car went from running fine to freaking out points to what is most likely a very simple solution, but yeah, sounds electrical. That's real sucky man, sorry, but real hard to diagnose over the internet.

[dougefresh_]

Just for shits check your battery + alternator. A sick alternator will cause all kinds of crazy shit, including misfires + worse. To check, use a multimeter (duh), and with the key off should be in the 12.6v range (someone correct me if I'm wrong), and with the car on, the multi should read in the 14.2-14.4 volt range, iirc. I'm going off memory here from like a year ago, so someone please chime in on the correct voltages. But I'd def check your battery & alternator, esp since the car has been sitting.

Really sounds like a sick alternator now that I think about it.....

[taf0422]

^^^ Try this above or take it to an advanced auto to test everything. I had the same problem with my truck a few years back ended up being a shitty alternator. I would also tighten up your meth nozzle.

[h0rsies]

I cant even drive it anymore it only revs up to 2k rpm when I floor it and goes like 20 mph max. it also sounds like I have cams and about to stall when idling. Im going to check o2 sensors,fuses, and alternator. Do you guys think it could be the injector seals or coil pack? Didnt get any misfire codes though.

[dougefresh_]

Rule out your alternator + battery first. That will eliminate a lot of guessing at the multitude of symptoms it can cause.

Post the 3 codes you already have.

[Metal409]

First thing I can recommend is stop beating on it, don't be flooring it or try getting it into boost. You've already confirmed it has a problem, don't want to make it any worse. Do as stated above and try and get your hands on a meter to test the voltage of the battery and the alternator. It's a very quick test and it atleast rules that out. I personally think you have a short, lost ground or blown fuse(s), but i've never had to deal with a bad alternator before. After you got the car back the first time and things were electrically wrong, I would have taken it back and had it corrected and not had more stuff done to it. Now things are much worse. With how cars are nowadays and how sensitive electronics are, I always play it safe. I'd also pull the manual out and start going down the line on all the fuses and check the ones that tie into some of the problems you are having. Let us know if you find anything out.

[h0rsies]

I havnt been driving it, just havnt had time to work on it at all. But I think its the maf. I disconnected it and reset ecu and its reving now so Im guessing that was the cause. Im going to clean it later see if that helps. The shop said the checked the maf but the probably got it more dirty.

[h0rsies]

This is so frustrating. Its still shitting on me. I changed spark plugs strtched coil pack spring, cleaned maf.checked fuses. After resetting the ecu the only vcel I got was p0091 fuel pressure regulator circuit low. And had zero boost. I also had to give it gas from cold start or it would turn off. Can one of the selenoids in the fuse box be bad? Or a messed up fuel pressur regulator I have no idea where that is.what should I do next?

[yearzero]

not to be a twat but you didn't say anything about checking the alternator and battery. do that if you haven't. i had a '90 GSX that showed similar symptoms and it turned out to be a faulty alternator.

[h0rsies]

I just replaced the battery. I also have a volt gauge which read 14 at idle which is normal. How else can I tell if its the alternator. I did notice that my headunit is dim at cold start. I also heard. A lot of clicking from the stock boost controller which has both nipples capped off

[R.MS3]

Tow it to a performance shop and let them take care of it...

[7mileshome]

Do you have a dashhawk, or some way to monitor the cars sensors? If so, what is your fuel pressure at idle? What about air to fuel ratio?

Try turning the car on, then unplugging the MAF, if it starts to idle smoother, then your MAF needs to be replaced.

Try cleaning/replacing your O2 sensor.

Just a couple suggestions, if you get more info on what your sensors are saying it will help you diagnose the issues. Try to rule out one thing at a time.

[dougefresh_]

fail

[taf0422]

i dont think your cars likes you...especially after leaving it for so long..

[h0rsies]

got it towed to the shop. I changed the maf sensor with my friends and still acted the same. Im almost positive its an electrical issue. I think the shop tapped into the throttle body sensor for my meth kit. Sometimes it fires up and revs normally with a little stuttering but with no boost and other times it just stalls out or barely revs up at all. It doesnt make any sense I hope my ecu isn't damaged.

[dougefresh_]

Originally Posted by h0rsies Wow now I have no idea what's going on. My meth kit power source is disconnedted right now but I also noticed that the nozzle is spinning isn't it supposed to be completely sealed and stationary....

I added a toggle switch to mine, which at first didn't work because I added the switch to the negative, and it was jumping to ground somewhere. So, I just ran the negative to the battery, and added the toggle to the main power positive, and toggle it off that way, and it works great. I have no idea how they wired your shit tho. You should go to the "user CP" and add all your mods to your sig. It helps people out when you have questions, and many people won't bother looking if you don't have your mods listed. Makes people's lives easier

Originally Posted by h0rsies This is so frustrating. Its still shitting on me. I changed spark plugs strtched coil pack spring, cleaned maf.checked fuses. After resetting the ecu the only vcel I got was p0091 fuel pressure regulator circuit low. And had zero boost. I also had to give it gas from cold start or it would turn off. Can one of the selenoids in the fuse box be bad? Or a messed up fuel pressur regulator I have no idea where that is.what should I do next?

I had a shitload of fueling problems last year. IIRC, the fuel pressure regulator is located at the in tank pump. The tank pump runs on two voltages... low/high.

Originally Posted by h0rsies got it towed to the shop. I changed the maf sensor with my friends and still acted the same. Im almost positive its an electrical issue. I think the shop tapped into the throttle body sensor for my meth kit. Sometimes it fires up and revs normally with a little stuttering but with no boost and other times it just stalls out or barely revs up at all. It doesnt make any sense I hope my ecu isn't damaged.

At least you got the maf ruled out (or the sensor anyways). I was going to tell you to check the red clip on that holds the throttle body to the wire harness. Last year I changed my fuel rail, and attached that harness, but didn't push the clip all the way back and I threw 2 cels and car ran like shit (like barely ran). I called a buddy and it was "APP correlation error, No 1, No2" APP = accel pedal position. I went to that clip, and realized it wasn't fully clipped. Clipped it and NP. That's bad that they tapped into that... wtf. Are you bringing it to the same shop? I'd say stay the hell away, but at least they know how they wired it. Sorry about the electrical problems... if a shop did that to my car, I'd burn the place to the ground. I'm glad I wired my own shit.

So all the relays and fuses are okay? Also check your body control module... it's in the driver's side fuse box inside on the MS6 and I think it's on the passenger side inside the car on the MS3. A buddy had his fry and it wreaked some havoc. It definitely sounds like a short somewhere. I'd say remove the w/m kit altogether, and fix whatever they ruined when they installed it AFU.

GL

[h0rsies]

Okay so i've been real busy, just finished my finals. But I got it back from the shop and it was running fine and all he did was move the ecu around? So I drove the car around 12 hours that weekend and on about halfway into the trip i starting having all kind of electrical problems, my gauges changed colors I lost all boost and random other shit. So I was freaking out opened my bay and moved the ecu around, and by moving it I could stall the car or make it run fine again. So I managed to make my way back home after stopping like 10 times to wiggle the ecu. Then out of nowhere no matter how much I wiggled it, the car wouldnt run right again had the same exact issues as before. So I got it towed to an electrical shop and I even told them I think it was the ecu. They kept saying the couldnt find the problem and last time I talked to them my bill was at 300 but they havnt done shit yet just diagnosed the problem. Isnt that ridiculous should I refuse to pay that much? They told me it could be anything and saying it might be my fulepump and other bullshit when it was clearly the ecu. They said it was an internal problem and that it wasn't giving the right amouont of volts to a sensor that regulates fuel pressure. so as of now its at the shop in Virginia and Im still at school. There telling me its going to cost over a grand for the ecu and then after programming and everything else gave me an estimate of 2 grand. I'm not sure what to do where is the best place to buy one and can I easily install it myself? In addition how do you guys think this happened I never touched the ecu, there were 2 wires that looked like its been tapped but the wire itself was fine just the rubber coating was cut. The meth seemd to only have a ground wire and a power wire tapped into my maf wire, is this correct?Could the shop have messed something up after the meth install or the accesport have caused this?

[h0rsies]

my connector for the negative on my battery was somewhat warped and had a pretty loose connection to the battery. I think my ecu might have fried when he was driving my car and the negative connector lost connection for a moment

[bmylez]

Kinda hard to fry an ECU if it has a bad ground. Frying something usually means something shorts out and overheats. Granted, with a loose connection that comes and goes, voltage spikes could occur, but I've driven with bad battery connections before and it didn't kill the ECU.

If it's just a battery connection, everything should be fine when you fix it.

[h0rsies]

how else could tbhis have happened I'm trying to make the shop liable for this. Where can I also get a used ecu

[bmylez]

Are you positive your ECU is dead? Don't start buying parts before verifying.

[dougefresh_]

Originally Posted by bmylez Are you positive your ECU is dead? Don't start buying parts before verifying.

And I don't trust this shop. Is this the same place that did the meth install?

[h0rsies]

No its a different shop that specializes in auto electrical . Before my car completly shitted on me, I would wiggle the ecu and the car would run fine.doesn't that sound like an ecu issue? If it was anything else I don't know how the car would run fine just from wiggling the wires. Where can I buy a used ecu because they quoted me around 2 grand after everything whihc is complete bullshit. But my cars stuck at the shop not running so I'm not sure what I can do.

[dougefresh_]

It sounds like a fucking nightmare. Your ecu could be fine, and you could have a wire harness issue just about anywhere. I don't know shit about electrical. ECUs aren't cheap, but I wouldn't buy one used, but that's just me. I don't know what to tell you dude. Best of luck...

[darksi08]

If moving the ECU around fixed the problem, it's probably not the ECU, but a connection on the wiring harness. Have you, or the shop, spliced into the wiring harness at all? There could be a pin that's pushed out of the harness, or something like that, too.

Either way, I highly doubt it's the ECU, they don't run on kinetic energy.

[h0rsies]

They said they have checked everything they could and the next move is to replace the ecu. How could you tell if its a loose wire? would the whole wire assembly need to be taken apart? I dont know what to do since my cars at the shop and not working. I am buying a used 07 ecu to replace mine with as of now

[darksi08]

Originally Posted by h0rsies They said they have checked everything they could and the next move is to replace the ecu. How could you tell if its a loose wire? would the whole wire assembly need to be taken apart? I dont know what to do since my cars at the shop and not working. I am buying a used 07 ecu to replace mine with as of now

Hours of close visual inspection with a flashlight, if you're lucky. You can throw the ECU in there if you want, heck, it could even be a broken pin on the ECU or something... I just don't think that'll be the case.

You can inspect pretty easily for a broken pin. Unplug harness, remove ECU, visually inspect to make sure all of the pins are there. It really doesn't sound like a typical blown cap, etc issue, since wiggling the ECU fixed it for a while.

As for inspecting the wires, you can go through and (gently) tug on each wire at the connector. It could be a loose thingy in the connector, it could be a cut wire, etc. Next, start inspecting the wiring harness up the line as far as you can see. If there's not something right at the connector, though, I would inspect the areas they spliced into wires for your gauges, etc. I would definitely tend to agree with everyone else that they screwed up a splice, something is grounding out, etc.

Good luck!

[Nitr0EngiE]

did they remove all the shit that was installed yet gauges and turbo timer set it to factory wiring.

put the wiring back to factory and tow it to mazda dealership act dumb and they might find the issue.

[turd burglar]

FYecuN

[WeaponX_Perf]

Hmm if I were you I would start removing non essential fuses and relays one by one until things sort itself out. Hopefully that will isolate the bad circuit and it's something electrical connected in your vehicle causing a problem.

If that doesn't work, an air leak, loose hose after the MAF will also cause erratic running like you are suggesting. If a meth kit was installed I would suspect that (causing an air leak) as another culprit. Good luck.