Hey everybody, im new on here and im hoping your combined minds can help me out. Here is the set up: T3 turbo running 8lbs, vortech FMU, RC 310 injectors, Blox missing link, VAFC, NGK cold plugs. So, heres the deal. After a few minutes of driving if i let my foot off the gas and press it again my fuel/air guage goes completely blank, no reading at all. After that, it starts to sputter, jerk, and pour smoke out of the exhaust. The thing is, as soon as the check engine light comes on, it runs fine. No jerking, no smoking, and just a little sputtering if you hold out a gear instead of shifting. Its really getting on my nerves, and really embarassing if im lining up against somebody and my car just sputters and spits out smoke. Now, i will say i can pinpoint the exact date that this started, about 5 months ago i was broke and put some gas in from one of the Walmart gas stations. Since that day, the air/fuel has gone blank. But, could the gas problem still be there after 5 months, or is it somthing else. Maybe an injector staying open to long, or not long enough? I just dont know. Please help!

 

Its been 5 months eh. Thats a long time. Maybe your O2 sencor is faulty. Pull your plugs and check them. Do you have a wideband or a narrow?

 

I actually just pulled the plugs right before i made the post earlier today. They look fine, normal wear, nothing significant. Its a Honda OEM O2 sensor, pretty new. But its like i said, it dident start until i put that gas in, and now i cant get rid of it, so it makes me not think its the O2. But what does it mean that the jerking and smoking stop when the check engine light comes on? What is being corrected to make it not do that anymore?

 

I would say new plugs and wires now matter how they look they can do funny things. How have you been tunning your car? i wouldnt worry about the a/f gauge falling off the gauge mine does that every time i let off to. Im assuming you have a narrow band a/f gauge conciddering you said it goes off the gauge, NOT bo be an *** but all they are is a blinking light show they are so inaccurate you cant believe dont tune by it and dont trust it with anything. You need to get a wideband spend themoney they are well worth it (cost about $225+) otherwise get it to a dyno and get it tuned on it. I would also change the fuel filter. My guess you may have a bad injector which you can sometimes tell by using a volt meter and oming (spelling) them out. Your O2 sensor could be shot but they usually dont make the car run really bad they just give you bad gas millage. Try this and get back to us as soon as possable. Also where are all your points set on your vafc as far as % and where do you have you low and high throttle set at. Thanks and good luck.

 

Ok, here is VAFC settings. Most of these were implemented by the guy who finished up my turbo install.
All wide throttle setting are at 0%
Narrow throttle: 1000=-10, 2000=-5, 3000=0, 4000=+2, 5000=+3, 5500=+4, 6000=+5
VT unmt: H<<L=+2, L<<H=-1
Throttle: Lo=10%, Hi=50%

Please let me know if anything looks su****ious. Im not an idiot when it comes to cars, but i certainly dont claim to know everything. So that being said, what is the VT unmt, and on the throtttle what do those figures mean?

Like my earlier post said, anybody have an explanation why the problem is corrected when the check engine light comes on. If i can isolate what is being corrected, i might be able to fix the problem without having to wait for the check engine to come on.

 

The throttle is Lo-10% means that when you are between 10% and 49% you use the low throttle or narrow as you called it and anything above50% it uses your wide throttle settings. basicly at idle you are pulling 10% fuel I would switch that to 0 and same with the 2000RPM why pull fuel at idle let the ECU decide what to run at idle the rest is fine for the low throttle now as for the wide or high throttle that should be adding %'s sence you have your low adding but its hard to say with out a wideband a/f gauge. Id sigguest getting a wideband or finding a dyno soon and putting it on it to get the a/f right im guessing that is your problem but first change plugs and wires with the proper gap just before going to the dyno and/or tunning. Sorry the VT unmt is the VT unit measurement basicly changes where your vtec engages at and how hard.

 

Appreciate your reply, just wanted to point out that at 1000rpms, the setting is -10, not +10, same for 2000rpms, its -5, not +5.
Do you have any idea why the problem is corrected when the check engine light comes on?

 

Anyhow the 1000 PRM really isnt a big deal because you have the low throttle at 10% you will never have the throttle above 10% at 1000RPMs so it will never really do any corrections at that point or enough to make a difference and you ECU will probably override it anyhow but i would sent the 2000 at 0 . any how wiht the problem being corrected after the light comes on is my guess is that the computer is retarding the timing then throws the light on to indicat a problem. Do you knodus any los of power when the light is on.

 

Give this a whorl tonight go out to the car say 8;00pm so its cooling down. now on the high throttle settings starting at 3000 put +2 on 4000 +3, 5000 +5, 6000 +6, 7000 +7. see if that gets any better for you. run a few pulls out in the country if the problem arises oris the same give up and come back to the sight and let us know whats going on and if it stops great but if it just gets better try adding some more fuel. If you have money and time first replace the plugs and wires and if $ & time permit do a fuel filter. give it a shot.

PS> use stock plugs. NGK and what ever the part number is.

 

Did not work. Same thing as always. Ill stomp on it, it shows nice and rich for about 4 seconds, then it just drops 1 bar into lean, and finally goes completely blank, starts sputtering, smoking, the works. When i put the turbo in, i changed everything(NGK cold plugs, NGK wires, new fuel filter) Do you really think they went out that fast? I checked plugs and wires about 4 days ago and they look ok, i guess it could be fuel filter. Let me know if you guys think of anything else, and ill keep updating. Thanks for the help so far.