Spark Breakdown! Help Please

[bbenny]

Hey Guys,

Ive done some research but haven't had too much luck... Here is my dilemma:

My S1 Stagea has severe problems from 4000rpm and above. It pings really badly and the plugs seem to be breaking down too. You can hear it ping pretty badly and the power surges up an down from there to redline.

Mods to the car are very basic - full exhuast inc dump and a front mount cooler and pod filter. The boost is mechanically controlled and peaks at 0.8bar.

Ive had it with my mechanic now several times and he cant work out whats causing it, but reckons that a set of splitfire coils will fix the problem...

Ive read of other people having breakdown issues that splitfires fixed, but if anyone has any idea or advice It would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Ben.

[ssshonky]

yeah sounds like coils to me.. this is a very common problem with the stageas ( and I beleive the RB25DET motors in general )

you COULD try pulling the plugs out and gap them a bit smaller.. but I am fairly confident the splitfire coilpacks will help you out.

so if my calculations are correct.. 0.8 Bar = 11.6030 PSI ( or there abouts )

does lowering the boost help at all ? I have heard of excess boost causing incorrectly gapped plugs to " blow the spark out " ie does not spark correctly.

I would go the coilpack replacement and go from there.

PS make sure you have an air compressor or shop vac handy to clean out the sparkplug wells BEFORE you take the plugs out.. as when I did it the cover had bits that were brittle due to heat.

hope that helps! OH AND! what octane fuel you running? if you put BP ULTIMATE 98 in that might give you a bit of releif from the pinging

[Tangles]

dont go splitfires

two things:

a) get pregapped NGK vgruve .8mm copper plugs ($3 each), install those and then use Industrial strength #401? silicone sealant all around the coil packs that you currently have. Costs under $20 for the silicone and a application gun. OK, so thats $40 spent and most likely problem solv'd.

b) get SAFC, install and tune.

these two solutions would cost no more then the Splitfires themselves, and Id say this would fix the problem, give you aan increase in power via the tune, and better fuel economy.

smart think'n #99

[Max_daddy]

Brycey has the same problem

[petrolfix]

  Max_daddy said:

Brycey has the same problem

bryce hasn't upped boost.

theres your prob yes spit fires willl fix it but expenisve.

buy new plugs and gap them down to .7 to .6 of a millimeter.

problem solved

[bbenny]

Thanks for the input guys.

Im pretty confident that the plugs have been gapped correctly by the mechanic, even used platinum plugs this time.

Lowering the boost helps a little, im running at 0.5bar at the moment and it still has problems, but doesnt ping as bad.

Fuel is always a 98ron.

I have an SAFC II sitting at home. I havent installed it yet as i want to solve this pinging problem first, i dont think that its A/F...

[Mr_RS4]

I can understand that the missing could be caused by the coils (am having the same prob atm but haven't been botherd to fix it yet as its not too bad). But don't see this being the cause of the pinging. And yeah high boost has been known to cause issues with spark but I wouldn't think at only 11psi (unless the spark was really weak I guess but even then....?) Have you got your mechanic to check your base timing at the crank angle sensor? Checked fuel pressure (dodgy pump maybe)?

My bet would be to try the silicon fix on your coils with a set of properly gapped plugs first and see if that fixes your spark break down and if not try a new set of coils (either another second hand set if you by chance have access to some or splitfires). And then get the safc installed and tuned on the dyno and see how you go from there.

The surging in power could be R&R (but this should stop the pinging as its retarding timing) or could be fuel supply issues too which would explain the surge in power and the pinging I guess.

Just suggestions anyway, good luck!

[Tangles]

  Mr_RS4 said:

My bet would be to try the silicon fix on your coils with a set of properly gapped plugs first and see if that fixes your spark break down and if not try a new set of coils (either another second hand set if you by chance have access to some or splitfires). And then get the safc installed and tuned on the dyno and see how you go from there.

bingo

[AMS]

I had the same problem at one stage, gapped the plugs down and bingo - gone. But beware, mine had not enough gap after that causing me to lose power, took my mechanic several visits to figure out as well. But yeah, if that doenst work, then go your SAFC aswel

[Brycey]

  Max_daddy said:

Brycey has the same problem

ABKI :sorcerer:

yeah its the worst i plan to get splitfires and SAFC NEO soon.. feels like im killing the car when it happens, not good at all

[jippa]

my 2 cents says its r&r issues as i have had splitfires installed and new plugs gapped at .8mm .all went well untill i fited my dump and high flow cat and now under hard revs i hit retard. even more noticeable when cold. i have not touched boost levels except for the boost mod where u earth the solenoid to be open. also have no boost gauge so not sure what its runing at wit my mods. just ewaiting on someone to trial emanage ultimate and if it works im next

[Mr_RS4]

I was also thinking R&R as a possibility but doesn't explain the pinging....hmmm? thats why I said to maybe check CAS base timing and fuel pessure / pump or maybe even injectors?

[bbenny]

Yeah all that was checked and double checked, even fitted new pump to see, but no difference

Its killing me that we arent getting anywhere with it.

[jippa]

are u still runing stock cpu

[japhearse]

I had the same problem with mine when i got it. At work i was playing with gas falcon denso iridium plugs in the xr6 turbo to stop a similar problem on a smaller scale, so i gapped a set to 0.8mm and banged them in the stagea. The stuttering totally dissappered.

It was a cheap experiement for me, but irridium plugs are expensive so maybe try using a standard plug 1 heat range colder gapped to 0.7 -0.8 mm