hey charlie. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Wangan · 05-10-2009, 09:21 AM

Sorry to disappoint but no turbo upgrades here. I did search but I'm still not finding what I need. Here goes. My car over the past few months has been running horribly. It's a stock ST185 swap. All it has done is a gutted cat and an mbc installed set at 15psi. no tuning at all and the vsv isn't blocked either. Now honestly when I first did the 15 psi it felt amazing but the performance has slowly deteriorated to now where it's still at 15 psi but it runs slower then it did at the stock 10psi. The quarter mile time was slower as well as even having a slower mph. The slower mph is telling me that something is really wrong. Also the car backfires like an srt4 on trailing throttle. I have already changed the plugs for newer oem units. I gapped them according to the power primer but it didn't make a difference with the backfiring. It felt like it did pull a lil harder after the plugs were gapped but as evidenced by it being slower on the track something is still wrong. I do have a new set of wires from toyota to put on. Anyone have any ideas whatt I can check or change to rectify this problem. Also I should mention that the car is only getting like 20 mpg. Barely. I would like to get it back running right. Any suggestions pple? Sorry if there are a lot of typos I'm posting from my phone.

Wangan · 05-10-2009, 09:31 AM

When I say the vsv isn't blocked. I mean the vacuum line on the vsv to the wastegate has been removed so it't basically just an open line.

white90dx · 05-11-2009, 02:37 PM

Do a compression test and check for vacuum leaks first. What kind of vacuum are you pulling at idle? Any other driveability issues?

-Charlie

Wangan · 05-11-2009, 10:52 PM

If I remember correctly the idle vac is like 17 or 18. I'll try to get the comp test done asap. I can't think of any other drivability issues. It pulls clean with no hiccups. The MR2 guys were telling me to check my base timing as well because if that is off it'll have horrible gas mileage. I also am gonna run a few bottles of fuel system cleaner through it over the next few weeks. I wanna seafoam it to see if that'll help too but I don't have a facility where I can rev it out to get rid of the smoke.lol

DC 2vzfe dx · 05-12-2009, 03:12 AM

go to a junk yard and just do it in the parking lot lolz

white90dx · 05-12-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wangan

If I remember correctly the idle vac is like 17 or 18. I'll try to get the comp test done asap. I can't think of any other drivability issues. It pulls clean with no hiccups. The MR2 guys were telling me to check my base timing as well because if that is off it'll have horrible gas mileage. I also am gonna run a few bottles of fuel system cleaner through it over the next few weeks. I wanna seafoam it to see if that'll help too but I don't have a facility where I can rev it out to get rid of the smoke.lol

17-18 sounds ok for vacuum. I can get up to 20 vacuum on my 3s-gte, depending on what accessories are running.

I wouldn't call 20mpg horrible unless you are cruising on the freeway. The 3s-gte is a pretty hungry motor (especially if you get on it every once in a while!). I got 20-24, depending on driving style with my 3rd gen 3s-gte motor...

There is also a chance that your AFM is going bad or you are getting knock events and the ECU is closing the TVIS or something... Have you gotten any other suggestions from the MR2/Alltrac forums?

-Charlie

Wangan · 05-12-2009, 04:56 PM

Compression check. 190 all accross. Ran the ecu codes and it was the two I'll always have. Which is speed sensor and starter signal. So I don't think the afm is bad. I'm wondering about tvis though... I am biting the bullet and putting the front mount on it asap to see if it's weak because of hot air inhalation.lol.

Wangan · 05-12-2009, 05:34 PM

There is a long straight road out by my house where I can go really rag on the car. I'll probabbly wait till about 2 in the morning and head out there. Pull over and give it a good dose of seafoam then go drive it out on the straight road. Other motorists will probably think its morning mist or something.lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC 2vzfe dx

go to a junk yard and just do it in the parking lot lolz

white90dx · 05-12-2009, 08:07 PM

Get a new cap and rotor when you do the wires. You should replace the ignition system about ever 15k miles on the 3s-gte...

-Charlie

Wangan · 05-12-2009, 08:28 PM

yeah I'll be buying the cap and rotor in the next few days as well.