DawgPoUnd

hey guys i just put a greddy turbo kit on my acura EL (canadian)..basically a civic ex...sohc d16y8 AUTO

my setup is gredddy turbo with spearco FMIC and greddy BOV and vortech FMU..zex colder spark plugs and i use 94 octane

i did not use the black box as i did not have to fool the map sensor (no engine light or codes throw)

my questions are...my car started to ping around 6 psi at around 5500 rpm 40% throttle...i lowwered it so im doing around 3-4 psi sumtimes it jumps to 5 psi
i had actuator problems and i was boosting 7-8 psi and pinging and had to make a ghetto rig thing to fix it so im at around 3-4 usually..anyone know why i ping at 6psi?

also me and my buddy were coming back from hockey...he was driving his mom stock LS auto..i wanted to see if i could easily puul on him..so we gassed it on the highway and his moms car basically kept up to me...i was like half a car infront of him for a while....wasnt a full blown race but ya if it was like a stock civic manual im pretty sure i woulda lost eh

ne who i know its a auto and all but i thought id be able to take cars like that for dinner?
maybe i was wrong? the car isnt tuned tuned which i know is very important..i run rich all the time also

any help would be great..sorry ifs not clear

dirtySOHC's

do you have anything to tune it. i see you are running an FMU, do you have VAFC at least?

and in the little race were you running 3-4psi? dump the FMU and get something for fuel management and get the car on a dyno so you can put it up to at least 7 or 8 psi. it will be a world of difference

and yes your auto tranny is killing you.

lazerus

are you running an intercooler?

with 94 octane, you should be able to get away with a few extra lbs of boost. Try resetting your timing a degree or two down, and try boosting 6 psi again..

Definately see if you can't get setup on a dyno with a wideband or something. What rising rate is the fmu? Did you add in an inline pump for higher pressures ?

Brad

Tomek

ditch that fmu, and run the afc hack tuned on a wideband. My automagic pulls quite nicely for what it is.

ion_four

It seems fishy that you don't need to use the black-box...are you running a missing link or check-valves?
Also, 3-4psi will barely make up for the restriction on your exhaust/intake caused by the turbine and compressor wheels. So, up the boost a few psi.

How do you know you are "pinging"? I bet you are mistaken or hallucinating. Unless it's really bad you won't hear it from inside the car.
::EDIT:: Also, just my opinion, but alot of people have had problems with the zex plugs. Although it probably isn't your issue here, I would just use some 1-2 step colder NGKs.

Joseph Davis

I notice a good difference off of low boost (4-5 psi) but I have an LS engine and my car weights 1000 lbs less than I'm guessing yours to (EL = loaded with options = 2700 lbs).

ion_four is right about the low boost not offsetting the turbo restriction + how it kills exhaust dynamics - do what you have to do in order to turn that boost up safely, with good fuel management. 7-8 psi and you'll be much happier.

Infinity_Racer

i had the same situation...i was running 3-4psi because of a leak in my charge pipe...it dyno'd at like 120 to the wheels with the same amount of torque...

DawgPoUnd

im running a FMIC....no check valves or missing link..the map sensor reacted to boost fine..we got no codes or chck engine lights...the ABS light came on but we fixed that with a check valve

well me any buddy (installer) and another freind hav all heard it pinging i think....sounds like a bunch or marbles getting throw around againt metal?

i have not upgraged fuel pump or inejctors...nothing really for fuel managment other then the vortech 12:1 FMU

wat u guys think my next step shoud be? sell the FMU and buy a AFC? or do i need to keep the FMU

ya i was running around 3-4 psi..sumtimes it peaks to 5 psi...but i forgot if it hit 5 psi when we raced...have to get a pump to it and see wat its realling pushing out

i want to run 6 psi daily

also being automatic...wat gear is better to drive in..im talking in the sense of the tranny

D3 or D4...D4 = slower IMO on highways....as D3 keeps the revs up and u just tap the gas and the car goes pretty good

but is D3 good for daily driving/city or is that a NO-NO
sorry for all t he questions

madman604

Mickey?

Daniel

if you want an AFC, do the hack or do the traditional AFC/FMU/310s/missing link. it's a little weird that you wouldn't need a missing link. Never heard of a stock civic ecu being able to read boost.

b16ahybrid

You have several options for fuel delivery, it all depends on how much money you have to spend.
Obviously the best route is to go stand-alone, or hondata.
Otherwise you can do one of several configurations. If you keep the fmu you will want to run a larger high pressure pump, The stock pump is only good for about 3-4psi with a 12:1 fmu.Even thats pushing it.
you can keep the stock injectors and 12:1 fmu along with *a high pressure* intank pump the pump is necessary if you want to run 5-6psi max,
If you want to run more i highly recomend that you upgrade your injectors.
You can run 310cc injectors and a 8:1 fmu along with the pump. That will be good for about 7-8 psi max.
Your best option short of runing a programable computer is doing the v-afc hack, or something simular to it like what i'm doing.
That includes runing larger injectors (450cc or so) high flow fuel pump and a v-afc to tune the fuel curve. with any of those options I recomend that you get a btm to take care of your ignition timing. If you don't you will have to retard your base timing about 2-3 degrees, but doing so will effect your power production, so That $100 spent on the btm is worth every penny, esp if your runing 7+psi. You can be losing anywhere from 5-30hp depending o how much timing you have pulled out.

2 last things, the detonation is probably due to runing to much timing, you will either need a btm or for the time being retard your base timing via the distributor. and secondly, I know everybody curses fmu's but they are a great tool for getting more fuel under boost if they are used responsibly, (meaning NOT runing 10psi with stock injectors and a 12:1 fmu)...
I've been using one for almost 3 years and it works great for me...
I'm runing a 255lph intank pump with 310cc injectors,4:1 fmu, and a sfc to lean out the top end a little...it's gotten me my 12.0 air/fuel ratio....whatever you do I highly recomend that you get it tuned on a dyno with a wideband o2, that way you know how the engine is doing.....