Still don't have linear power...rant inside

[TitaniumSpeed]

To all those that have worked so hard to get the reflash in motion: you did a fantastic job (a voluntary one at that). I am not getting the hesitation like I used to but after a couple hunderd miles with the flash, the power just isn't as linear as I would have wanted. When its on its on PERFECTLY. There are times, however, that I still get surges at WOT. It is not consistent. I just feel like Mazda needs to rewrite this whole thing from the ground up. I don't know that much about tuning but I have driven in cars where power is linear AND consistent. Maybe its something wrong with my car or the climate I'm in. I am really glad there are those who have the flash with no hitch in performance whatsoever (as such I hope I am in the minority with this problem because its a blast to drive when its driving right;))! Oh well...still love this car:D ..hate the engine management.

Mods if this needs to be moved to the ECU thread: so be it. Just wanted to express a new idea before got lost in one big thread...so no hard feelings.

[boostisgood]

What you are feeling now is the heat soak. Also, pop your hood, and have someone rev your engine to redline. Watch the IC pipes, and how much they expand. That is why after the 20-30 mins of driving, youll feel the slight less responce in throttle response, and a slight power drop off.

Also, this new recalibration, is as close to the Callaway's maps as possible, without compromising emiisions. :D

[TitaniumSpeed]

Thanks boostisgood. This makes me feel a lot better about starting to upgrade the rest of my components! I hope it is just a matter of fine tuning some of the inefficient components now (pipes, ic, exhaust). Better start saving for some mods!!(thumb)

[MazdaDryvr]

I'm definately getting an FMIC with hard pipes and a full size Rad. I got a JoeP MBC and I'm gonna go to 8psi. That's it! I'll be happy then , really. :D

[Glowmunkey]

Originally posted by MazdaDryvr
I'm definately getting an FMIC with hard pipes and a full size Rad. I got a JoeP MBC and I'm gonna go to 8psi. That's it! I'll be happy then , really. :D

Yeah right... power is addictive. Can you ever really have enough?

[girth]

Titanium, as I've posted in the ECU thread I have the same problem. The power still is not linear -- it pulses some times under acceleration and stumbles 1 time at 1.7k RPM. It's not heat soak for me because it does it right when I start it up in the morning as well as after a long drive. It's still MUCH better than it was pre-flash, but Lord only knows why Mazda isn't capable of tuning the engine for semi-linear power delivery. I wouldn't think it would be that difficult but apparently it is because they've tried twice and failed twice. But at least they're making progress in the right direction.

[TitaniumSpeed]

Yeah Girth. I think some of it is heat soak related but there are times when this pulse, stumble happens right in the middle of very good hard acceleration...i thought that heat soak would be just a lag in the OVERALL acceleration. I've though about saving up for emanage or something like that but there is no too many mods that I want to do right now (married, have a house,...need to keep warranty intact if i can). Its prolly just about Callaway writing an awesome fuel map and then emissions just raping it!

[CustomMSP]

I get the stumble as well anywhere from 2k-3k rpm, usually at 2.5k though. I'm not flashed yet. I did have a CAI on though. Now it's off because I'm going to the dealer tommorow to get flashed and I didn't feel the stumble anymore. Maybe because it was colder out? I don't really know for sure, but I do know for sure that the car is a lot smoother with the stock intake and not much if any power was lost by going back to stock. I think I'm gonna keep it like that. These car engineers do everything for a reason :)

[DistantTea]

What are you people doing driving your car under 3k rpms? Nothing good happens until 4k even after the flash.

At 2k rpms you have something like 70HP and less torque than your lug nuts. No car is going to feel linear and powerful under 3k unless its got a big ass V8, V10 or is made by Audi.

[TitaniumSpeed]

Well, you gotta get up to 4K and if the car stumbles on the way up then that stinks...plus, if your daily driving sometimes I definitely don't stay in the "race range" rpm's:D

[ping]

There ARE times when I long for my chipped VW 1.8T 20V torque monster mini motor... then I turn a corner and watch rubber dust being ground off the sidewalls of that lumbering SUV that was on my tail... those suburban poseur mudder tires making huge woooting noise as they're pushed well beyond their limit... could even hear them with the stereo turned up...

This car still makes me smile, little hiccups and all.

[nrcooled]

That is what forced induction is all about. Taking a small engine and making bigger power numbers.

At anything below 3500rpm my car feels dirt slow..but stand the hell by when you pass 3500 and that bad boy just keeps pulling!:eek:

If you want power from idle your best bet is to sell you MSP and buy a Z28. Their 325 lb/ft of torque starts at 2200 and peaks at 3500.

[mazdadan]

Originally posted by nrcooled
That is what forced induction is all about. Taking a small engine and making bigger power numbers.

At anything below 3500rpm my car feels dirt slow..but stand the hell by when you pass 3500 and that bad boy just keeps pulling!:eek:

If you want power from idle your best bet is to sell you MSP and buy a Z28. Their 325 lb/ft of torque starts at 2200 and peaks at 3500.

LOL...or get a Diesel. Then you can have all the torque you want. I've got 555 lb/ft of torque on tap from 1400 rpm up to 2900 rpm. My 305 HP is at 2900 rpm. How's that for linear? haha

[DistantTea]

I'm just a firm believer that the only time you should be below 2k is when taking off slowly in first gear.

For fuel economy during my commute I'll usually shift around 3200 but even that makes me cringe in any gear above 2nd.

The car become much smoother if you use 4k rpms as your shift point in all your gears. Its not much harder on the car than bogging the engine with those low revs...

[TitaniumSpeed]

I am referring to stumble in the 4k to 5k rev range...even after the flash. It doesn't happen often but it jolts in the upper rev ranges like you went over a speed bump.

[NEED4SPEED]

Before the flash i was shifting at 3000 RPM, and now after the flash im shifting at 4000 RPM. This is for daily driving. I dont know if i like it. I wish mazda would get off its ass and fix the real hesitation problem rather than put out a half-ass quick fix by advancing the timing. Now when im on the freeway and i want to juice it the car just doesnt pull. No upper range power.

:(

[yashooa]

No offense but I loved my car before the flash. I was running 12 PSI all the time spiking to 13 and I had good power all over the place. Yes it was uncivilized but damn it had personality and was a great car to drive my 100+ miles a day.
I was even getting upwards of 36 MPG ;if I drove for it 1,3,5 under 3k etc.
Now It is butter smooth and is a bit faster but the only real complaint I have is I miss my wild vroom SLAM, vroom SLAM, car.
I know it is faster now but it simply lacks the Dramatic flair it had before. I am up to about 11PSI post flash and it makes good power but just in an entirely different way than it use to.
All in all it is still a very competent little road car with (in my case)linear power, silky smooth operation, cheap insurance, good looks, and good milage.
I am sorry to hear yours isnt as mine. It does have a bit of "chunk" to the 1st-2cnd shift but that is the only issue I can come up with and it really doesn't bother me as long as I keep that in mind when I am trying to shift quickly. I have heard rumour that some synthetic gear lube will cure this ill.

Well peace out holmes...

[TitaniumSpeed]

Yeah...I LOVE this car even with all of its little quirks.:cool:

[funnylittlman]

Originally posted by boostisgood
What you are feeling now is the heat soak. Also, pop your hood, and have someone rev your engine to redline. Watch the IC pipes, and how much they expand. That is why after the 20-30 mins of driving, youll feel the slight less responce in throttle response, and a slight power drop off.

Also, this new recalibration, is as close to the Callaway's maps as possible, without compromising emiisions. :D

HRM this explains alot Mr. Boost :D

Thanks for the clarification.

[CustomMSP]

This is exactly why I'm not gonna get my MSP flashed just yet. I'm gonna up the boost and get the fuel controller from Joe. Also gonna get a downpipe, which maybe will lean out the A/F mixture even more. Maybe by then, Mazda will release another ecu fix done right. Thanks to all the people who worked so hard for this fix though.

Later.