How to make the 2.3 faster?

[wolverine_man]

Hi everyone. I know most people will tell me that I should have gotten a Speed. I didn't want a car that requires premium fuel, gets worse fuel mileage, and I really don't like the wagons that much. So anyway, I previously owned a '93 Corrado VR-6 manual, and it did about a 6.3 sec 0-60. I always thought that car had a nice amount of pep and it was a joy to drive. Nothing like my mother's M3 but plenty good enough.

Currently, I have an '08 Mazda3 2.3 stick (about 7.8 sec 0-60). It's pretty good for what it is. It's my daily commuter and only vehicle. However, I was just wondering what kind of mods I'd have to do to attain about a one second faster 0-60. Is it possible to do this without adding a turbo (SRI, Exhaust, weight saving options, ECU chip, etc.)? Also, how much might we be talking here (I'm guessing quite a bit)?

Thanks

[FrancoNemo]

Hi everyone. I know most people will tell me that I should have gotten a Speed. I didn't want a car that requires premium fuel, gets worse fuel mileage, and I really don't like the wagons that much. So anyway, I previously owned a '93 Corrado VR-6 manual, and it did about a 6.3 sec 0-60. I always thought that car had a nice amount of pep and it was a joy to drive. Nothing like my mother's M3 but plenty good enough.

Currently, I have an '08 Mazda3 2.3 stick (about 7.8 sec 0-60). It's pretty good for what it is. It's my daily commuter and only vehicle. However, I was just wondering what kind of mods I'd have to do to attain about a one second faster 0-60. Is it possible to do this without adding a turbo (SRI, Exhaust, weight saving options, ECU chip, etc.)? Also, how much might we be talking here (I'm guessing quite a bit)?

Thanks

Intake.
Exhaust.
Spark Plugs.

that's wat i have so far but on a hatch..

[FrancoNemo]

btw post some pics!

[wolverine_man]

I will post some pics. I have been meaning to do this but I haven't quite cleaned it up really good in a while. I'd like to clay it next weekend. NGK plugs, huh? Which ones and do you think they make that much of a difference?

[FrancoNemo]

I will post some pics. I have been meaning to do this but I haven't quite cleaned it up really good in a while. I'd like to clay it next weekend. NGK plugs, huh? Which ones and do you think they make that much of a difference?

my bad! NGK iridiums they dont make much of a difference we had dat discussion on another thread i think its just better give ur car more of a spark and a better spark! if u got the 40 bucks do it! i feel a better spark also a lil bt of a better response

[wolverine_man]

Do you think you got about a second quicker with your set up?

[FrancoNemo]

well im doing 16.5 down the 1/4 hoping to do better next time!

[jeffmsp]

cosworth.

200+ flywheel hp.

search button and google are your friends.

[mazda32008]

no, you don't got to buy a speed to make it faster. Since our ECU's can be reflashed now you will gain a lot of power from basic bolt ons and basic things. BUT i am not sure if the 2.3 ECU can be reflashed I know that the 2.0 and the mazdaspeed ECU can even though they share the same engine. You can get a CAI, Header,Exhaust, Short Shifter (reduces quarter mile time) and u will love the feel of it, advance timing, TB ground. Find the stage 1,2,3 modification list on this forum and u'll get a approx price range and will prob have some more things listed. If you want to reduce weight....take the spare wheel out, gut the trunk, take the back seats out....i wouldn't do that though. You said its a daily car not a race car. All of that should have you around 200hp or so...including the ecu reflash.

[wolverine_man]

Aren't all Mazda3 headers (Vibrant, etc) for offroad (track) use only?

[Rotary_Powered]

get a turbo kit and then tune it to 87 octane, IF done well you'll get more power and good fuel economy on low grade fuel.

[Akaveli]

Intake, Headers, Exhaust like the others mentioned. Also, light weight pulleys, advance timing mod, ground the Throttle Body, Balance shaft delete, Intake manifold and compliment it with an aftermarket clutch and flywheel.

[mazda32008]

yea most say for off road only but that's so the company isn't liable for warranty or some shit. W/e deletes a cat i guess its illegal to use on streets but which cop will say "pop your hood i need to check your engine before i write this speeding ticket".

[mazda32008]

the slightest bolt ons make a big diff on our cars compared to others. I have thunder header, TWM SS, Fujita CAI, Advance timing, TB ground and its pretty quick and i have a 2.0 not a 2.3. So i think u will have a bit better results with yours.....recently raced a infinity q45 and beet it and i never got out of 4th. I was on its ass in 3rd and in 4th is when i passed it. It wasn't really a race there was a merge and the q45 was being a bitch...any how try advance timing first u'll like it only prob is you might want to move up to 89 octane then.

[tsunami]

wait what...?? our ecu's can be flashed??? since when? unless i see proof of this i am pretty sure that its BS.

if you want your car to be faster you bought the wrong car. sorry man

if you want your car to feel better and give you a smile when you drive it i suggest doing a couple searches but i would recomend a nice intake and catback exhaust some lowering springs and a rear sway bar and new wheels and tires. your car will handle better/sound better and yes have a bit more power but bolt ons on this engine and most 4cyl for that matter are in reality pretty miniscule as far as power output goes.

[jeffmsp]

200+ flywheel horsepower n/a is not miniscule... look up cosworth...open wallet.. drive fast :)

[cridgit001]

What can i do to get 200 to the wheels without voiding my warrantee or putting on a turbo. I just got an 04 2.3 Hatch.

[cridgit001]

Also anyone heard of a site called, moda car auto accessories? Thanks

[cmedrive]

What can i do to get 200 to the wheels without voiding my warrantee or putting on a turbo. I just got an 04 2.3 Hatch.

nothing

[Falango]

nothing

Lol, so true.

[ehidle]

*sigh*

It would be cheaper for you to sell your S and get a Speed than it would be to get any meaningful performance increases out of the S, especially when you consider that anything you do to the S is going to cause warranty problems for you down the road.

[Akaveli]

you guys are killing me. No Way you can reach 200whp without voiding your warranty. Not happening!

As far as power goes 180whp to 200whp is possible but money is a factor.

[jeffmsp]

buy a nitrous system and a good ems and you are there. just take it all off whenever your going into the dealer. you can have regular shops perform all maintenance anyways to keep your warranty. just dont have the n20 kit in when u go.

[mazdathree2.3s]

can't they tell if you've had something like that in your car though? or that it was running on something like n2o?

[jeffmsp]

hells no. there is several ways to mount the n20. one way is a "dry" system where you put a needle into your air intake. to provide additional fuel you use an ems or a fuel pressure device that raises fuel pressure to all injectors based on how much nitrous is being injected.

start with the smallest needle possible and see if thats all you need to be happy. With a small injection you should be able to hit 200 flywheel easily and you are still within the ability of the stock fuel system and clutch. If you want to inject more than 40hp worth of n20 you are going to need a better clutch and a way to retard timing if you are using pump gas.

The key to n20 is understanding whats going on in the chamber. Say you start off with a 40 shot. this means you are injecting 40HP worth of additional air into the engine. You therefore have to add 40HP worth of additional fuel via an ems or the nitrous activated rising rate fuel pressure regulator to go along with the nitrous.

To be safe only run the n20 when you have 93+ octane in the tank. Run a step or 2 colder range spark plugs and if you are really creative, make a contraption to change the voltage of your IAT so that it will retard timing a few degrees when you are spraying the n20 if you doint have the coin for a good ems.

Do your first runs on a dynojet with a wideband 02 sensor hooked up to make sure you are not leaning out and causing damage. The dyno shop will let you use their wb02 and odds are they will have good knowledge on setting everything up.

After a pull on the dyno remove the plugs for inspection to make sure combustion seems even between the 4 cylinders as there is always a chance one cylinder may be receiving a little more n20 than the others.


Whenever you need to have the car inspected just remove your air intake and anything nitrous related in the engine bay. Shouldnt take more than an hour at most.

[FrancoNemo]

i Got the solution!!!!!!!!!!! and im doing it sometime in Dec.08!
TURBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hi boost kit with the big turbo!!!!

[wolverine_man]

Here's a pic, finally:

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd233/dwsanche/CIMG1398.jpg

[jeffmsp]

ya cause that wont effect your warranty..

[mazda32008]

....fuck warranty....from the way this car is i don't think you will have problems unless you are stupid. just my opinion....i already voided my warranty and its only about 2k miles.

[jeffmsp]

not really what the thread is about, but ya turbo is the way to go if you dont care about your warranty. pretty sure the reason most people buy a new car in the first place is to have a warranty though lol

[wolverine_man]

Sure is! Thanks guys, seriously. I guess I should wait the warranty out. That is precisely why I did not buy used. When the time comes, I'll probably just do some Wedsport SA70s (if I could still get the grey painted ones) CAI/SRI (K&N Typhoon or Fujita), an ARK exhaust, and vibrant headers. I would also consider removing the spare, but I swear as soon as I do that, I'll get a flat and be stranded. lol

[jeffmsp]

what you need to remember is that a dealership cannot void your warranty unless they can prove that what you did caused the problems. With an intake header and exhaust there really isnt much they could say aside from voiding the warranty on your cats and 02 sensors. if they say otherwise ask them to print it on a dealership letterhead so you can send it to mazda.

[wolverine_man]

Yeah, I am familiar with that. I got my last vehicle bought back under the Lemon Law, and I was very good at documenting everything and and such. I guess I just don't wanna chance any reliability issues, CELs, etc. right now. For the time being, she's my only ride.

I did seriously open her up last night, though. For the first time I hit 100 mph. (drive). Probably won't do that again any time soon. Just had to do it once.

[Joe90usa]

Yeah, I am familiar with that. I got my last vehicle bought back under the Lemon Law, and I was very good at documenting everything and and such. I guess I just don't wanna chance any reliability issues, CELs, etc. right now. For the time being, she's my only ride.

I did seriously open her up last night, though. For the first time I hit 100 mph. (drive). Probably won't do that again any time soon. Just had to do it once.

28th Street will never be the same. :-)

[wolverine_man]

I was on 131 N, actually.

[cridgit001]

Would putting on a better ignition coil improve hp. My friend has a mini and he said that by putting a better one on his that it improves his 0-60 by .5-1.0 sec. I am not saying thats true but only as a point of reference.

[cmedrive]

no it wouldn't help much. our motors come with coils that are more than powerful enough. ignition wise there really isn't anything you can do to improve power in our cars. look for the typical I/H/E mods.

[SRH_3GT]

Ok. I'm new to having a Mazda. I've had two G35 sedans and I'm tired of driving a 6 speed here in the hill area of San Antonio, TX. I have a Mazda in route to one of the dealers here in San Antonio. It will be a Mazda 3s 5 door GT w/ auto trans.

The 1st thing I would like to do is place a new muffler onto the vehicle. My fear is, will a new muffler make the car sound like a ricer? It didn't on either of the two G35 Coupes I had. Also, I will need to get a new air intake as well.

Any assistance would help. Thanks

[cmedrive]

Just like with your G35 it kind of depends on what you buy. I think the magnaflow mufflers seem to be popular. The F2 intake is nice, AEM/Mazdaspeed seem to be the most popular. If you go with trusted brands you should be fine.

[SRH_3GT]

How much HP do you think a muffler will add? I'm sure it's not much. :confused: All I know is that it will take a great deal of money to hang with the G35's.

Are there any good air intakes to let the car flow air thru to add more HP?

At this time, I'm not sure when I will get the 5 door since they have to dealer locate one. The 5 door GT's are not very easy to find.

[cmedrive]

I think you misunderstood. I'm not saying a muffler will add power. What I was saying was that if you buy a quality, name brand part, you'll be happy. Mazdaspeed, AEM, Fujita, Injen, Borla, Magnaflow are all available for our cars and most likely through a site sponsor.
This is a popular topic, btw, a quick search will probably bring up a number of threads with more info.

[SRH_3GT]

Thanks. My 3 GT is suppose to arrive Thursday afternoon. I can't wait for it. (dance)(bowdown)(drive2) This weekend, or next week, I will have to get the windows tinted and put the XM Sat. into my vehicle.

All I have to do now is fine Mazda clubs in the San Antonio area.

[sp23mayhem]

hey im getting my Mazda 3 sp23 stock ecu flashed on the weekend here in Oz. ill post up results when i have them.