Power loss problems, Solutions?

V

Vord

Member
:
99 Emerald Mica Miata LS
So, I just got some new tires today (same as stock). I have been driving my car pretty conservatively for the last few months. So I decided to go ****** around today and well my car dissappointed me for the first time ever.

I can't spin through 1st or 2nd anymore. Its purely traction, I have been noticing lately that my car doesn't pull as hard sometimes on the highway, but thats something I can say "I just got used to". I clearly remember my car being able to smoke 1st and part of the top half of 2nd.

My ECU has been reset multiple times during my period of conservative driving (due to a bit of battery work and a battery maintance period).
do you guys think my ECU has "learned" to drive conservativly or what the **** is happening to my car?
 
Well, there are lots of threads on this on many forums. It seems everyone has this issue, and everyone seems to have an opinion as to why. In short, the MS3 ECU is very finicky. You'll feel quite substantial differences in performance at times, lots of which are temp/weather related. There have been TSB's for poor performing fuel pumps along with a ECU reflash from Mazda for this very issue. Its improved/fixed it for some, some not so much. Personally, I started noticing much less to almost no fluctuation in performance when I added my HKS SSQV along with my lilguy fuel pump. Right now my car seems very consistent and feels the same every day. But before when my car was stock or only with a MS CAI I experienced exactly the same issues.
 
probably a couple things that can cause this

-leaky bpv ... just replace with a better one
-hot weather ... can't really do s*** about that
-new tires ... probably why you can't spin your tires as easily
-heat soak .... get a fmic or don't stop
-fuel pump/ecu update ... there is a tsb for that
 
Also cars run how you drive them, if youve been farting around being conservative the ecu learns that and makes the car run like that, if you run it pretty good and keep the car your b**** then it should continue to perform. Just a theory. Along with the things that MicaSp33d mentioned.
 
^^Exactly right , the harder you drive them the more consistantly they will perform.
 
ok, just reset the ECU today, car slightly broke out in 1st, still nothing in 2nd. I will post back in after 200 miles of driving. if its still not performing as I remember, I am going to check into the TSBs & ECU reflash. anyone got a link to something about what those TSBs and flashes do? that way I can tell my dealership that I am having problems with it.
 
Vord said:
ok, just reset the ECU today, car slightly broke out in 1st, still nothing in 2nd. I will post back in after 200 miles of driving. if its still not performing as I remember, I am going to check into the TSBs & ECU reflash. anyone got a link to something about what those TSBs and flashes do? that way I can tell my dealership that I am having problems with it.
Click to expand...

my car felt like a dog the other day when i went to rip it. i'm in the same boat as you. i've been driving very conservatively because of the ******* gas prices.

i might reset my ECU and just rip the s*** out of it for a week. (drive2)
 
Vord said:
ok, just reset the ECU today, car slightly broke out in 1st, still nothing in 2nd. I will post back in after 200 miles of driving. if its still not performing as I remember, I am going to check into the TSBs & ECU reflash. anyone got a link to something about what those TSBs and flashes do? that way I can tell my dealership that I am having problems with it.
Click to expand...

also. a week or so after i got my CAI, i got a check engine light. i think i sucked up a little oil onto the MAF or something. anyway... the service manager reset my ECU and he even warned me, it's going to be slow for like a day. after that, it ripped harder than ever. every time the dealer re-flashes my car, it runs amazingly.
 
Does anyone know if removing the battery cables for a minute then reconnecting automatically resets the ecu?
 
do it for a couple of minutes ... like 5-10

let it fully discharge of power. LOL reminds me of work when say that. I tell it to customers all the time haha.
 
VermZ06 said:
Does anyone know if removing the battery cables for a minute then reconnecting automatically resets the ecu?
Click to expand...

press the break until the lights dont work anymore and then wait another 5 minutes after that probably. :)
 
Do you have a boost gauge? Are you hitting 15-16 psi? If you don't have a gauge I would check the intercooler hoses to make sure they are tight. Also check all the vacuum hoses that go to the wastegate/bpv and stock boost controller. You may have a boost leak somewhere.

I just got my fuel pump and ECU flashed yesterday. I drove it pretty hard yesterday and was laying rubber patches all over the place. I was breaking 2nd pretty easy at 50-75% throttle which surprised me so I think the pump and/or flash made a significant difference.
 
I've never noticed someone to complain about having traction. If you don't have one get a motor mount, that's all I can come up with.
 
I would say its definately the change in weather that is causing you to have less power. The ecu does not adapt to your driving style. The reason I say this no matter how I drive the reading from my car's ecu are exactly the same. I will hit the same boost and fuel targets every time. When you reset the ecu and you have an intake the car will run much leaner until the ecu learns to adjust your fuel trims. It is not a good idea to go WOT until your car has established these fuel trims by adding fuel at different throttle engagements. If you are on stock rubber it is much stickier in warm weather which will make it a lot more difficult to spin the tires even if you were achieving the same power, which you are not. Those two things together equal your car feeling a lot slower.
 
dread said:
I would say its definately the change in weather that is causing you to have less power. The ecu does not adapt to your driving style. The reason I say this no matter how I drive the reading from my car's ecu are exactly the same. I will hit the same boost and fuel targets every time. When you reset the ecu and you have an intake the car will run much leaner until the ecu learns to adjust your fuel trims. It is not a good idea to go WOT until your car has established these fuel trims by adding fuel at different throttle engagements. If you are on stock rubber it is much stickier in warm weather which will make it a lot more difficult to spin the tires even if you were achieving the same power, which you are not. Those two things together equal your car feeling a lot slower.
Click to expand...

hmm. well i know the ECU adapts after a dealer reflash. not too sure about if you disconnect the battery.
 
reseting the battery does the same thing as flashing the ecu. All data is zero'd out and the ecu has to relearn.
 
dread said:
reseting the battery does the same thing as flashing the ecu. All data is zero'd out and the ecu has to relearn.
Click to expand...

i want to agree because i have no idea but experience tells me this isn't true. i've reset the battery a few times and power felt roughly the same but got a little better. when i went to the dealer for a re-flash/ CEL clear, it felt like it had about 75 whp less. there's no perception here. it was slow. then after a day or so, it ripped even harder than when i brought it in. then a couple days later, it was back to normal. so i don't know what's going on exactly... (shrug)
 
Trust me, I have the ability to monitor the ecu with my ap and everything gets zero'd out when the battery is pulled.
 
Vord said:
So, I just got some new tires today (same as stock). I have been driving my car pretty conservatively for the last few months. So I decided to go ****** around today and well my car disappointed me for the first time ever.

I can't spin through 1st or 2nd anymore. Its purely traction, I have been noticing lately that my car doesn't pull as hard sometimes on the highway, but thats something I can say "I just got used to". I clearly remember my car being able to smoke 1st and part of the top half of 2nd.

My ECU has been reset multiple times during my period of conservative driving (due to a bit of battery work and a battery maintance period).
do you guys think my ECU has "learned" to drive conservatively or what the **** is happening to my car?
Click to expand...
Yeah, i put bigger sticky tires on the car and no more second gear smoke shows. boo. but the car gets the speedo moving. Feels smoother but I think it is deceptive. the sixty foot times are better as are 1/8 mile. You do have to pay more attention to shift points and the powerband now. It is less fun in a straight line, but when the turns come up i am in and out much quicker with less drama and alot more confidence. Your car did not change it's tuning for your tires honest.
 
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