benro2

Yes, all good points, thanks for the tips! My car does reach 80C by about 5 mins of normal driving, faster in summer. One thing that is weird is the water temp gauge. About midway is pretty much 82C, but you can see it drop noticeably by 70C, yet by 90C it's still midway?? Is this correct? It may just be calibrated like that so it doesn't worry people on a summer day or something. Just seems weird it's sensitive one way and not the other! Another "mod" I was considering this summer is where you can tell the thermo fan to come on with the A/C compressor. This would double as keeping the engine cooler all the time, as well as giving me cooler air, faster, just after I've started the car and am rolling around a stinking hot carpark at 1km/h for a few mins. The only reservation I have with this mod is whether or not it will stop the thermo fan from still cutting in at 92C, even if the A/C is off? Realistically, I would have the A/C on for the car to reach those temps, but I'd prefer not to chance it. Also, is it possible for it to make the water temp *too* cool, or would the thermostat take care of that? If there's any way to do this mod *and* have the thermo fan cut in at 92C regardless of whether or not the A/C compressor is on, that would be the ultimate setup! Kinda weird they didn't program it that way in the first place - I know a lot of other cars do this...?

Thanks for the the advice. I think mine sounds about right then, so I think I'll just leave it unless I notice it getting *really* hot on a 40C day or something. So far I haven't had any problems. Pretty sure as soon as the thermo fan cuts in at 92C it doesn't go any/much higher.

The thing is, my car isn't lowered (I don't think) and I don't really want to modify the suspension. I think if I go with 18's I'll need to lower it a bit, whereas with 17's it *should* look OK. So if I leave the car at stock height will the GTR rims still rip the crap out of my guards? The other issue is, unless there are some quality JDM 17's around that are nice and lightweight, I don't want to go with a cheap Tempe Tyre style wheel as all that will do is add weight and significantly reduce traction, handling and ride quality. AFAIK the GTR rims are forged and *should* be decent quality...?

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but not much point in creating my own about the same thing! I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my car. I've just measured the ride height and it's about 360mm from centre of wheel to guard all around. Is that stock ride height? My car is charcoal and I was just going to go with the stock coloured GTR rims with 245 tyres, which is the same width the GTR uses from factory, and I assume that lines up exactly with the width of the wheel? Do you think mine would still look half decent in that colour at my ride height? Kinks, just wondering why you went with 2 different tyre widths? I'd ideally like to stick with the same tyre widths all around so I can still rotate, and by my calculations, a 245/40R17 should be within a couple of mm of the radius of the stock GTS-T tyres. Would 245's scrape on the front with 40 profile tyres? Also, Kinks or anyone else, did you notice any improvement in handling when you went to the GTR rims? What about ride quality - significantly worse? Tyre noise? Much difference? Rear end grip under acceleration improved by any reasonable margin?

I've already got a bleed valve on there (supposedly the best) and it doesn't hold the boost at the preset level because of the variations of ambient temp. So for instance on a cold night, at say 10C, it will run around 10 psi instead of the 7.5 psi I set it to at 20C. This is a big problem because the ECU goes into R&R as *soon* as it sees anything over about 8 psi! Or, say on a 30+C day, it won't run 7.5 unless I give it a fair bit more throttle. I did have the IEBC running briefly and it used to hold a rock solid 10 psi, but then it started frying components so I gave it and the DFA to another forum member on here. That was probably 2-3 years ago now... He says he can't fix it because he doesn't have the full test instructions. I've looked in the Silicon Chip mag and in the instructions that came with the kit and can't find what he's talking about, so I'm kinda stuck I don't really want to do any other mods to the car as it's my daily. Plus, since it's an auto, an exhaust is out of the question - don't ask me why, but I just have a thing about autos with aftermarket exhausts on them Plus, not worth getting an FMIC if I'm not doing an exhaust, so it's basically just these 2 kits and that'll be it!

My car is pretty much dead stock, meaning stock turbo, SMIC, all that stuff, and I don't want to spend too much on it, so I was wondering if there is a single unit that controls both boost electronically and AFR's? Or, maybe there is a piggyback ECU for around the same cost that does both these things? I'm planning on just running 10 psi and leaning out the AFR's a bit. I'd like to be able to switch back to the original ECU map / AFR's and dial back the boost just in case I'm on a long trip and can't get 98 RON, or maybe change the boost curve a bit for the rain, etc., so I only need 2 preset boost levels and basically and on/off switch for the AFR. I've already had the Jaycar IECB and DFA's but I never got them working so figured I should just go with a pre-built unit Alternatively, if there is no combined unit, what's the best (cheap, maybe 2nd hand) EBC and AFR units? I've found a Blitz Dual SBC on ebay for ~$250 shipped but haven't looked up fuel cut defenders because I'm not sure which is the best to go for. Are these units OK 2nd hand and how much should I be paying for both? Edit: I just remembered, the EBC will need to hold a rock solid 10 psi no matter whether it's 0C or 40C! As you know, the stock turbo / SMIC combo isn't real reliable over 10 psi And I'm sick of manual BC's having wildly fluctuating boost!!

Thanks for the suggestion SECURITY - but I have just replaced the cam angle sensor today and it has FINALLY fixed the remainder of my problems! Very happy Edit: now that I think of it, what's the correct operating temp for my car? It seems to hover around 80C on a relatively cool day, but can go up to >90C on a hot day, especially when idling (the thermo fan apparently turns on at 92C and off again at 87C, which I have tested for myself). However, even when cruising along the highway, on a cool day it's say 82-83C but if I hit a decent hill it will go up to 87C, maybe even higher. Just wondering why it runs around 80C for starters - seems a little cool to me - and why it fluctuates so much? For comparison, my Supra is rock steady on 92C, no matter the temp, no matter how hard I flog it. Just a little worried that maybe my radiator is blocked or something?

Hi guys, I've had a couple of threads before with these issues but I have since fixed a couple of other problems and just wanted to get your opinions on what could be wrong here. My old threads are here and here but you probably don't need to read those as I'll be describing the problems again, plus new things that I've been noticing since then. I have since replaced all the coilpacks with new Splitfires and my misfiring at idle problem has disappeared. I have also replaced the O2 sensor but that didn't make any difference at all, both to the engine or the readouts on my ECUtalk Consult Display. I have even replaced the ECU (as the old one supposedly had a fried part - the part which controls the valve timing) and the VVT solenoid! This made a small difference at low rpm - not as laggy and builds boost quicker below 2500 rpm. Problem 1: between 30C and 60-70C, my engine is down on power big time, and my ignition timing is retarded by 15-20 deg or so from normal. When the engine is at these temps I would expect to be running 30-35 deg BDC on say 10-20% throttle but I'm running maybe 10-15 deg. It happens very suddenly, as soon as it hits 30C and the car feels *very* sluggish. Also, when I say "down on power", I mean just driving around normally, not WOT! Even to accelerate keeping up with traffic I would need to run a few psi boost, or 0 psi to maintain 60km/h in top gear! Problem 2: once the car is up to temp, under high loads, such as a long hill in top gear in boost, the car "surges" like it is in R&R. It is definitely not R&R because the boost is < 5 psi. I have also noticed the timing can be down to as little as 10-15 deg BDC with ~ 5 psi boost @ 3000 rpm in top gear! Problem 3: at high rpm the car also loses a lot of power just before it changes up (it's an auto). Sometimes it will hesitate a couple of times just before the gear change. Problem 4: this is the most dangerous and annoying problem - after driving for say 20+ mins, the car randomly loses 50% power and runs 0 deg timing! I need to use 50+% throttle / 3-5 psi boost to even pull away normally in traffic from a stop! As revs build, say 3-4k rpm where it shifts, it's just starting to get to say 70% normal power, probably because the ignition timing is gradually building. It *seems* to be a heat issue but I cannot be sure about this. I highly doubt it was my old coilpacks because I can't see how this would affect the output of the ECU. Problem 5: sometimes when the car is 60 - 80C the ignition timing at idle in neutral is all over the place. However, is this normal? It seems to range anywhere from 0-10 deg but if I put it in D it will settle on 20 deg. Normally in N it's settled on 15 deg. Is this just an issue with warming up? I have also noticed that occasionally, while up to temp (80+C) it will decide to do this random timing in N and when I pull away from the lights, the car feels much more responsive, ie: running the timing it should be running all the time, however this is quite rare and I'm not sure if it's related to the idling at all. I have also noticed that my idle speed is quite high, say 1000-1100rpm in N when it's normally 750 rpm, but I'm not sure if this is only when the timing is running haywire. Possible solution: replace the cam timing sensor (or CAS / Crank Angle Sensor). One of my friends said to go for a new one however I don't think he knew they are $650 new!! I have just bid for a second hand one for $150 but won't know if I've won that until later tonight. Is it worth risking a 2nd hand one? Is it possible to open them and see any obvious problems? I don't want to do this to mine just now as it's my daily and need it to get to work It's probably best if I buy a 2nd hand one and look at that before putting it on the car! Could it be anything else? Thanks in advance for all the help and sorry for the long post!

Saw a black R34 GTR in North Sydney turning left from the Pacific Hwy into Miller St. Sounds awesome! What exhaust is that and it is de-catted?

Wow, that dyno curve is really flat! That would be about maxing out the turbo, right? Is that why the boost tapers off at the top of the rev range? Also, forgot to ask, what's the clutch like? BTW, 94dB is quite good methinks. I think the legal limit is 90dB, right? It's doubtful a cop would be able to discern the difference between 90 and 94db? The fuel economy is quite impressive too. Mine is a stock auto and I don't do as well on the highway (high 9's, maybe low 10's) and around Penrith (semi-"city" driving) I'm getting around 13.5.

Hi, I have a few questions: 1. Could you please provide a dyno sheet? 2. Do you know if the eng cert is valid in NSW? 3. How much louder is the big bore exhaust? 4. What's the fuel economy like, and what kind of driving do you do mostly? Thanks!

Hey mate, is the car still available? Any pics? Also, I presume this is a coupe and not the 4-door?

The part no. is 23710 13U10 (#G9):

Yes, you are correct in saying that keeping the engine in its highest efficiency range is the key to good fuel consumption, but generally the more revs, the more fuel. This is why they have cars with 8 speed autos these days - so they can still run really low ratios for good acceleration, still keep the gaps between gears small so they shift smoothly, and can run really high ratios for highway cruising. I remember reading about the new BMW 7 Series being geared so that it was running at something like 1500rpm @ 170km/h!! Generally, with turbocharged cars, you're better off running more boost in a lower gear than less boost in a higher gear. However, at pretty much any legal speed on the flat, you're never going to need to be in boost to just maintain speed anyway, so just select the highest gear available! If you hit a hill, assuming your clutch can take it, leave it in the highest gear possible and let the boost do the work. Also, I don't know the technicalities of it all, but turbos are there to get essentially "free" energy out of the exhaust and to aid the engine in overcoming the pumping losses associated with intake piping and a throttle. In other words, you've hit your hill @ 110km/h and you stay in top gear. You start piling on boost so that at 10 psi you're able to get up the hill, vs. 5 psi in 4th vs. 0 psi in 3rd (all made up numbers ), all at say 30% throttle. In 5th, you're getting "free" energy out of the exhaust to spin the turbo which is then forced into the engine to make more power. In 4th you're only making use of half of the potential "free" energy, plus you've now got increased friction from the extra revs, so you use more fuel. In 3rd you've got a lot more fricition again plus you're not making any use of the free exhaust energy, so this will use the most fuel, and so on. Yes, there is also the issue of the increasingly enriched mixture at higher boost levels and less timing at the lower revs, but I think you will find that this still uses a fair bit less than going down a gear with less boost. I have one of the Consult port things which gives instantaneous fuel economy and going down a gear uses a LOT more fuel. It's actually quite amazing the difference that just 1-2000rpm makes! So basically, I think you will find that it will be the opposite of what you said in terms of efficiency - using less revs and more boost = better fuel economy.

The reason why the engine uses more fuel at higher rpms is increased friction. Simple as that. With more throttle, the ignition timing is retarded. This is also affected by your revs. Generally you will run more timing with more revs, but this is offset partially by throttle opening.

Part of my ECU has been fried so am looking for a stock replacement. As I understand, it *must* be an auto and must be series 2. Please quote me for prices including shipping to 2773. Alternatively, can drive to anywhere around Sydney area to pickup if you prefer.

Would you be able to tell us what sort of fuel consumption you're seeing? If possible, in L/100km... and what type of driving you mostly do - like city/highway, drive hard or like a granny, etc. Also, does it run fine on 95 octane? I wouldn't run my car on that normally but sometimes on a long cruise, say from Melb to Syd, you don't have a choice! The reason why I ask is because I've seen some people getting woeful fuel economy from these aftermarket ECU's, as they supposedly actually richen the mixture!! I would have thought they'd lean it out a bit but anyways... My ECU has been partially fried and I'm considering getting an Impul one. This is for a S2 R33 GTS-T auto though.

Ah, I was simply asking because the price of their 95 octane E10 was something like 15c/L cheaper than non-ethanol blend 95 octane fuel! However, after speaking to a mechanic, I've decided to steer clear because there have been reports of it eating rubber seals and things. Probably not worth the risk for a few dollars...

Hey guys, I've just discovered that the St Marys United up the road from me has Boost 98 (didn't see it last time I was there... must have missed it), however I'm wondering about the effects of E10 on an "old" car? My car is pretty much dead stock however I will be running 10 psi soon. It'll be fine for that without anything done to the ECU, etc.? I've done some searching in these forums and it seems that generally E10 is safe to use in the Skylines, but has anyone been running it for a few years? All good? Fuel consumption? Also, would I be OK in running this using a PowerFC on a Supra running 18 psi boost? I know this is an SAU forum I'm asking more as a general PFC/high boost question - any problems with knock increase? Or should I just stick with a non-Ethanol fuel?

Yes, I would like to do this mod on my S2 R33 for this summer! Does anyone know if the fuse layout is the same as the R32's? Also, does it actually make much difference to the air temps (inside the car) when you've just started the car and it's ultra hot outside, but you're sitting still? I'm finding that for the first few mins it never really cools down much inside if it's >35C outside and I'm not doing >40-50km/h. On the flip side, once I'm doing >40km/h would I really need this 2nd fan going whenever the A/C is on? Oh, and what happens if the car reaches 91C but the A/C is off? Does the overheat fan stay off? Or, in other words, is the overheat fan now solely controlled by the A/C?

OK, I currently have an Eclipse E3310CMT (old double-DIN CD/MD deck) in there now. Is there any reason why I wouldn't have the factory bracket? (You can probably tell by now that I've never done this before ) The thing I want to mount underneath the single-DIN unit is one of these. They are 144mm wide, 48mm high and 33mm deep, which will leave some room around the edges. How would I get that to stay in place, and what should I put around the edges that won't look dodgy?

Meh, I know it's a POS but I don't wanna spend any money on this car. It's basically to get me a pile of functionality cos I like playing around with gadgets and stuff If it's REALLY bad and starts really annoying me, then I'll go brand name but I want to see what I can get for the absolute minimum before spending a packet. AFAIK, DIN only specifies the front face dimensions, not the mounting depth? That's what I've found on google so far.

I would have thought I would find this info easily but apparently not - I've searched all through these forums and cannot find this info for the life of me!! I'm looking at buying one of these (or something similar). As you can see in the specs, it has a mounting depth of 175mm. I want to put this in the top DIN slot in my car - will it fit or is it too deep? One other thing that has me concerned is the width - 185mm. Although it does say it is a single DIN-sized unit, AFAIK the standard depth for a DIN unit is only 180mm. Could this just be how they measured it or something? Maybe they're including the plastic surround at the front that shouldn't (?) count?

But that's the thing, it *appears* that it's set to "fresh" (ie: recirc light is off), but just from the feel of the temp of the incoming air, plus from experiences with other cars, they always go into recirc mode when it's really hot. I know I could just push the recirc button twice to force it onto fresh air, but just interested in *why* they do this, when it's logical that fresh air would be the go while it's hotter inside the car than out!

Was just wondering, is it possible to have the factory thermo fan come on when the A/C compressor kicks in? I've never seen it turn on before as I understand it's only for emergencies - but is it very loud? I wouldn't bother attempting this if it's going to make a racket... The reason why I ask is only because when the car has been sitting in the heat for a while and you're trapped in traffic or a carpark or whatever, the A/C doesn't cool down as much as when I start driving. I only have to be doing about 40km/h and it cools right down, so I'm thinking that this second fan would greatly help in bringing down the interior temps while stopped. Also BTW, does anyone know if the climate control automatically puts the recirculating air on when the car is boiling hot? I've never seen that light turn on by itself so I don't know if it actually ever does recirc the air, but in every other car I've been in that has climate control, it recircs the air straight away if it's boiling hot outside! Kinda seems a bit stupid considering it could be like 60-70C+ inside the car when it's "only" 40C outside... so wouldn't it be smarter to have it recirc only after the interior temp has reached below what it is outside? Then once the car is close to the set temp, turn the fresh air back on? Edit: forgot to ask, why exactly did Nissan go for a clutch fan? Is it because it's more powerful than an electric fan? Surely there are electric fans around that can match the CFM of the clutch fan? Could it be something to do with cost or weight?