Am I Killing my Engine?

[Diameg]

I am still having problems with the LPM/80mm combo. My concern at this point is if I'm doing any damage to my engine.

Background: With my 80mm and LPM on, the idle is sometimes erratic, fluctuating between 600 and 1000 rpms. Very annoying. I have tried 4 different MAF's to no avail, plus the LPM has been reprogrammed twice. The IAC is the correct voltage and I have tried 2 cleaned IAC's and one new one. Didn't help.

Pinging?: I still don't know what pinging is. I know the description but since I haven't officially heard it on another car, I don't know if my car is doing it. There is a 'rattling' sound above 2000 rpms and below 4200 rpms at WOT in first and second. I don't hear it in any other gear. I suspect it is not pinging because I don't hear it in the other gears at all. I suspect it is perhaps a rattling heat shield on the cat, or something like that. Could I be gravely mistaken even though it is not in the other gears? It seems to be under 'violent' acceleration, hence the car shaking, hence my conclusion. I can duplicate it to a lesser degree under, say 3/4 throttle, again only in the 2 lower gears.

Real Problem: The car stalls sometimes when I'm changing gears, especially downshifting while slowing down. Example, when downshifting preparing for a turn, it may stall. Or, coming to a stop and just throwing it in neutral, it may stall. Sometimes its fine, other times the revs drop to the point of stalling. Sometimes it catches itself, sometimes it doesnt and just dies.
My concern is that the oil light comes on just as it's about to stall of course. I know that's not good but if it happens once in a blue moon, no biggie. But the revs are dropping to the 'almost stall/stall' point pretty well every other time I put the clutch in. Is this killing my engine??

Any ideas on what else I can do other than just getting a re-burn of the LPM? I'm guessing no. Would I be best to ditch the 80mm and go with a Pro Flow? If so, which one?

Sorry so long. Actually, I'm not really. I'm so fed up with this that I welcome any and all advice, even if it's Kirk suggesting that I ditch the LPM and just go with the 80mm (doesn't run really strong that way either).

Mike

 

[Mr Anonymous]

It sounds from your description that you are indeed experiencing knocking. It generally will show up most prevalently in lower gears under hard acceleration.

Have you tried pulling the LPM and MAF and returning it to a stock setup for a few days? If the problems you describe still present themselves, then the problem are probably elsewhere. If everything runs normally, then you might want to consider the Pro-Flow or C&L MAF routes and have the LPM adjusted accordingly, or perhaps try the new EEC Tuner set up everyone is talking about.

 

[Slo-Sho]

So, your ride runs fine w/o the LPM/MAF? Pinging sounds like marbles in a metal can (literally). My suggestion is, since you're having all these driveability concerns with the combo, I'd sell it on Ebay for as much as you paid for it. You know someone WILL buy it. BTW, which EEC do you have? I have the D4U1 (ATX) and haven't had any of these problems (knock on wood).

 

[Diameg]

Oh sorry guys, I should have mentioned that important part.

The sound of the rattling also occurs without the LPM/80mm in. That is another reason I suspect it is not pinging.
Would you believe I just can't get the sound of marbles rattling in a can in my head? I mean, I can imagine what it would sound like, but I'm just not convinced that is what my car is doing. If I'm wrong, it's going to be an expensive mis-judgement.

However, since it is also doing it with the LPM/80mm out, is that maybe just a small sign that it is not pinging?

Aside from the pinging, I am concerned with how many times my car has stalled or almost stalled and if that is bad. I know the saying is that if the oil light comes on, it's already too late. I imagine that means at higher rpms but I thought I better ask anyways.
Bottom line, if the car stalls at least once everytime you drive it, will that cause problems?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

It sounds like your engine needs some maintenance attention. If the 60K hasn't been done, and you're over 60K (or 100K for the Gen 2 - you didn't say which one was giving you the problem), that would be a good place to start. You should also check to see if there are any stored codes (there could be stored codes even if your CE light hasn't come on while running).

Once the engine is in good running condition, then give the MAF/LPM another try and you should see much better results.

 

[luigisho]

Mike, how does it run with the stock set up regarding keeping idle and staying within range during stop and go driving? I think whatever is going on, dipping that low in the rev range toward stalling consistently isn't particularly healthy. See if normal driving without the 80mm/lpm setup returns the car to normal operation. Just my $.02.

 

[Diameg]

I am planning on doing the 60K very shortly for sure. It has about 80K. The wires, plugs, TPS, Thermostat, Y-Pipe, Exhaust, and fuel filter were all changed within 8000 miles ago.

Without the LPM and 80mm MAF, it idles fine and does not stall at all.
The odd sound I hear at 2000 to 4000 rpms is still there though.
I'm still not convinced it's a totally 'marble in tin can...metal rattling' sound. It sounds a little like a metal rattle but also perhaps a bit of a 'throaty' sound. (It is not the intake, it's coming from under the car somewhere). I don't know how to describe it.

Mark Nunnally and Josh Teixeira are both going to see my car on Friday so I'll ask them to take it for a quick spin and see what they think. If it's pinging, then I guess I'm out for racing on Friday

As for stored codes, I check my codes almost weekly since I put the LPM/80 on.
The codes I get are 511 (expected, due to LPM) but I also occasionally get the ACT out of range code (either 411 or 114, can't remember off hand).
Now that one confuses me too because I replaced it with a brand new one, and it still occasionally comes up. Again, only with the LPM/80mm.

Could I be causing any damage to rod bearings or anything by letting it stall every now and then, and thus (I assume) starving it for oil (since the light is coming on)? Or since it is such low rpms at that point (approx 400 and below), should I be okay?

Mike

 

[billyshoe]

Diameg:
I am still having problems with the LPM/80mm combo. My concern at this point is if I'm doing any damage to my engine.

Background: With my 80mm and LPM on, the idle is sometimes erratic, fluctuating between 600 and 1000 rpms. Very annoying. I have tried 4 different MAF's to no avail, plus the LPM has been reprogrammed twice. The IAC is the correct voltage and I have tried 2 cleaned IAC's and one new one. Didn't help.

Pinging?: I still don't know what pinging is. I know the description but since I haven't officially heard it on another car, I don't know if my car is doing it. There is a 'rattling' sound above 2000 rpms and below 4200 rpms at WOT in first and second. I don't hear it in any other gear. I suspect it is not pinging because I don't hear it in the other gears at all. I suspect it is perhaps a rattling heat shield on the cat, or something like that. Could I be gravely mistaken even though it is not in the other gears? It seems to be under 'violent' acceleration, hence the car shaking, hence my conclusion. I can duplicate it to a lesser degree under, say 3/4 throttle, again only in the 2 lower gears.

Real Problem: The car stalls sometimes when I'm changing gears, especially downshifting while slowing down. Example, when downshifting preparing for a turn, it may stall. Or, coming to a stop and just throwing it in neutral, it may stall. Sometimes its fine, other times the revs drop to the point of stalling. Sometimes it catches itself, sometimes it doesnt and just dies.
My concern is that the oil light comes on just as it's about to stall of course. I know that's not good but if it happens once in a blue moon, no biggie. But the revs are dropping to the 'almost stall/stall' point pretty well every other time I put the clutch in. Is this killing my engine??

Any ideas on what else I can do other than just getting a re-burn of the LPM? I'm guessing no. Would I be best to ditch the 80mm and go with a Pro Flow? If so, which one?

Sorry so long. Actually, I'm not really. I'm so fed up with this that I welcome any and all advice, even if it's Kirk suggesting that I ditch the LPM and just go with the 80mm (doesn't run really strong that way either).

Mike

Put back the stock MAF & pull the chip. Now what are the symtoms?

 

[olympic]

Your symptoms sound like my car when I ran the 80mm MAF for a few days without the LPM. The idle would wander all over the place and it would stall when I lifted off the throttle quickly. Once I got my LPM from TED, the car ran fine. Did you get the contacts in the ECM squeaky clean? Maybe the LPM isn't making good contact. I sprayed brake cleaner on Q tips to get all the grease off.

 

[FAST4DR]

Diameg, Your problems sound exactly like mine in referring to the idle problem, except mine does it on my stock motor. With no mods on the motor it hunts for idle every once in a while and the oil light flickers on. Sometimes it stalls other times it bounces back. I thought it was the iab also, so I replaced it. Same thing. I replaced the tps also, no change. I don't know what it is. I just recently installed the pro-m 80mm maf and the idle did not change, it still does the same thing so I don't think it is the maf. I am so used to heal and toeing the throttle that I almost forget it is doing it.

William

 

[Diameg]

The thing is, I'm pretty sure it is related to the LPM/80mm. When they are out, the car does not idle funny and it never dips into the low revs for any reason. It just acts 'normal'.

I am fairly certain that the contacts to the LPM etc are clean, as I also cleaned it with brake cleaner on a Q-tip, plus electronic cleaner on a Q-tip, etc.
I have had the LPM/80mm combo in and out at least 10 times. I've really messed around with it because it is frustrating me so much.

William, guess I better learn to heal and toe as well!

 

[betterman]

you could try resetting your idle. You probably did this already, but it's just a thought

 

[Diameg]

Thanks betterman,

However, I have reset the idle on this thing so many times that I've given it a lobotomy.

I'm checking now into getting a negative battery cable that attaches to the battery with velcro, since I take the damn thing off so often.

Mike