Booked in for a "Podie special" at Austec
Booked in for a "Podie special" at Austec
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trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
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Over the last few months I have been trying to sort out the running problems with my S, most of the problems I think are down to the fact it is running to lean...

The biggest problem is when the car is cold, every time I go to pull away it will almost stall on me before jumping back into life, you also get the feeling that its holding back when you first put your foot to the floor... I have tried various things like replacing all the vacuum pipes, various engine sensors and even a FSE power boost valve all of which have made a difference and overall, its probably 70% better than it was - but I'm still not happy !... So after reading podie's post "On the Rollers", I have spoken to Austec and I'm booked in for the day on the 26th to hopefully get my S sorted once and for all !!!

bridgdav

4,805 posts

271 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
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Well done trev...

That will make 3 of us, you won't regret it.

My car runs so much smoother and pulls better than ever.

Rather than have my injectors cleaned whilst I was there costing about 90 quid, I put a double dose of injector cleaner additive in the fuel.

For the sake of about a Fiver what harm could it do...?

We are going to have to find a place on Pies's site to host the graphs...

What exhaust have you got..? hadn't you had it painted last time we met?

I hope the treatment sorts out all you running problems, IIRC you have had them for sometime...

Dave

gemini

11,352 posts

287 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
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Didnt know Austec did nob gags!

trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
quotequote all
bridgdav said:
Well done trev...

Rather than have my injectors cleaned whilst I was there costing about 90 quid, I put a double dose of injector cleaner additive in the fuel.

For the sake of about a Fiver what harm could it do...?

What exhaust have you got..? hadn't you had it painted last time we met?

Dave


Dave,

I have just run a load of fuel injection cleaner through the engine over the last couple of weeks (my last attempt at trying to resolve the problems !!)

I have a stainless sports exhaust and I have also removed the cats and replaced them with straight through stainless pipes.

Your correct about the respray, had it the whole car sprayed to Tvr starmist blue about 5 months ago..

Hopefully I will get similar results to yourself and podie.. I shall post them up for all to see ..

Trev

bridgdav

4,805 posts

271 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
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Must see if I can make the last Sunday of the month Hants meet....?? Maybe we could meet up..

Dave

trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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Not sure if I can make the last sunday meet, will be going to the hen and chickens tomorrow evening though ...

Trev

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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Nice one...!

My S3c had problems that sound similar to what you have experienced... to be honest I just put it down to the nature of the car. As I stated in the "On the Rollers" article, generally I was quite happy with the performance.

Like Bridgdav I feel that my car has been transformed... following the work it pulls like never before and is SO much smoother (there was a thread about this recently as Slamm and I swapped cars for a bit!)... pulls right the way through the range, and IMHO it's been worth every penny - especially in the grin factor department!

Mine was often reluctant to turn over when it was very cold, and since the work that has changed. Starts on the button every time, no issue. It's easier to drive in traffic at low revs (no flat spots) - in fact I can pootle through town around 1200rpm...!

It will be very interesting to compare our graphs, as like your S3c, mine has been de-catted. Since my graphs were done I have since replaced the leaky (original) manifolds with stainless steel ones, and had the injectors cleaned. Since doing this the car has felt considerably smoother, but STILL needs about 10-15% more fuel... waiting for my bonus before I give Austec a call to try and sort that out..!

bridgdav

4,805 posts

271 months

Wednesday 26th May 2004
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WELL how did it go...?

KentishS2

1,354 posts

262 months

Wednesday 26th May 2004
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I posted a little while ago again with similar probs on my S2.

It runs rough when cold (hesitant) at low revs and when it's hot it runs fine until you start to accelerate then it is hesitant until you plant your foot in the carpet, then it pulls more smoothly.

It starts cold without any problems but when it's hot and stood for 10 mins or so it won't start without being turned over a few times.

I now have the correct plugs (asked TVR) and a new idle control valve and a new throttle pot fitted, it's certainly better to drive but still has the same problems. Prior to changing these bits it also idled at high revs until I came to a complete stop, even when coasting with my foot on the clutch which should have seen the car return to idle speed.

It's much better now but still has the hesitation and hot starting problems, I think I may need a replacement set of injectors or recon of mine. But does anyone have any other ideas or similar experiences?

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Wednesday 26th May 2004
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bridgdav said:
WELL how did it go...?


Be interesting to hear his comments...

trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Wednesday 26th May 2004
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I got on pretty well !!.. I don't think I have got as much out of the car as you guys have... however the difference it has made to the car is amazing !

It is so much easier to drive, very very smooth, and pulls a hell of a lot more than it did before.

see the graphs below for the results.

I also had the injectors cleaned whilst I was there and you could hear and feel the difference that made to the car before Paul even started mapping it..


Torque


BHP


Summary


All in all the difference to the car is amazing and I think worth the money.

Trev.



HarryW

15,833 posts

292 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Absolute figures aside, they don't actually mean a great deal and if you wnet tomorrow they would be slightly differnet again. The actual improvements there are mighty impressive and well worth the spend IMHO.
I assume it feels like a new car now too.

Harry

bridgdav

4,805 posts

271 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Totally agree with Harry..........

Who gives a damn about the gains...

Thw whole driving experiance is what matters....

Trev...Did Paul sort out or explain what the faults for the last 6 months might have been.......?

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Yep, Harry's right on the button there... "pub figures" (as he puts them) aren't quite with the highest, but as I have said before (and Bridgdav subsequently) the manner in which it's delivered is SO much smoother. It's wierd the way that you can hear it sound happier as Paul tinkers with it... but great to hear another V6 owner agreeing that it's worth every penny...

.. hope your is bigger than ever..!

trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
quotequote all
Harrys right about the fact its a new car, and like podie and bridgdav say its a much smoother drive (I think you can see that in the figures as the curves are a lot smoother).

The thing I'm most happy about is the fact that the car is now running how it should. I have spent the last 6 months tweaking this and that trying to get it to run better but none of the changes I did have transformed the car like this has.

From what I understood talking to Paul yesterday the problems with my car were simply dirty injectors, and the fact that the Ford ECU is not really up to the job or quick enough to make changes to the engine mixture when needed.

Apparently a couple of other V6 owners have also been in over the last two weeks to have the same work done to there cars and have all had similar results .. (one guy even came over from Belgium or Holland to have the work done !!).

Oh the factor is very big especially when overtaking !.. (I have though lost a lot of the popping and banging I used to get though the exhaust when taking my foot of the loud pedal !)

Trev.

The figures will be back up later once southern electric finish digging up the road outside my house !

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Increases are still quite significant in terms of %age gain though... but as you say, it's the factor that helps.

Mine didn't pop and bang as much after the chip... although some of that seems to have returned following the fitting of the stainless manifolds..

bridgdav

4,805 posts

271 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Mine done the opposite....

It pops and bangs all the time now...

HarryW

15,833 posts

292 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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At the end of the day popping and banging is just excess fuel, properly tuned there should be very little fuel where you don't want it IMHO.
Think of it this way, it is more economical now .
As podie says, the percentage gains are still impressive non the less.

Harry

pies

13,116 posts

279 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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Cant see pics

But the diving experience is what matters and if your happy with that thats all that matters

trevytrev

Original Poster:

94 posts

279 months

Thursday 27th May 2004
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The pics will be back soon once southern electric have switched my electric back on at home !