I've been racing my 2000 5spd Prelude with my friends alot from the past when it was stock. I was able to tweak out my driving skills enough to beat most racers out there. I've raced my friend's 2k 5spd lude also and we were always dead even on perfect runs. That was also the same result with my friend's mid 90 GSR but I'm able to pull on him on 4th gear.

Here is my problem guys, after I installed my intake I felt that I was running a little slower then usual. I met up with my friend's lude again but the results were different. He was beating me by 1-1.5 cars on perfect runs. I only told myself that my car was probably tired so I just ignored the fact that I lost. Well then, just last week I raced my friend's GSR again. He was pulling on me on third gear and especially on 4th! 4th is the only gear I knew that I was going to pull on but he kept pulling on me at that gear.

Just to make sure that this is just not me, I took it to the track. Normally I would run 15.2-3 stock but once I put that AEM CAI in I was running 15.5s. I was dissapointed. The time of the month and the weather was the pretty much the same.

Guys, I've tried looking at the "search" on this topic but I didn't find anything about a powerloss like I have. I had all my friends check out my installation and they said that it's one of the most cleanest ones they've ever seen. I can't think of any other factors why my car feels significantly slower.

Please help me.

My car:
-2000 Prelude
-5 speed
-15k miles

 

I know your solution.

Reset your ECU, you car is only allowing a certain amount of oxygen in - like when it was stock setup.

To reset ECU:

Remove neg. battery cable for at least 5 minutes. Or ECU fuse.
Then crank key - NOT to start, wait until' the beeping stops, then start car, let idle for about 3 minutes, don't rev or drive. Then shut car off. Now your ECU is configured to sucking more air.

Something you might want to try, to simulate driving while car is on after resetting ECU - have bag of ice under filter. This cools the air going into piping allowing more oxygen. It can't help much, but from my logic at least it should trick your ECU in allowing more incraments of oxygen to flow. Just a thought.

Also, your clocks and radio will reset once you reset your ECU, so if you're using a stock honda head unit you might need the code to have it work agian, if you are then ask honda stealership for it. They will want money from you, just tell them to **** off.

I am pretty sure this should fix your problem. Let us know! Good luck!


[Modified by prsi, 8:23 AM 7/23/2001]


[Modified by prsi, 8:23 AM 7/23/2001]


[Modified by prsi, 8:24 AM 7/23/2001]

 

Boy, that's an involved ritual... According to the Helm manual, all you need to do is remove the 7.5 amp Clock/Radio fuse from your underhood fuse box for about 15 seconds. ECM reset.

Paul

 

I would reset the ecu for at least 1 minute or longer. I used to reset ecu's for 10-30 seconds but that sometimes didn't work.

 

I did reset my ECU like that but for 15 minutes. I think I'll try that ice idea though.

 

I think you should try to advance your timing through the dist. Everyone may tell you that it doesn't help, or you can't because the hole at the bottom isn't adjustable. Get a dremel and practice porting on your distributor bottom mount. Advance it a couple of degrees and you'll be happy.

On another note, did you notice that the aem's pipe is smaller than the stock's. I put a k&n filter and adjusted the dist, and I pulled on another 2k lude from a rolling start in 1st up. Not much skill involved in a rolling start, so driving isn't a factor. It is all, just a suggestion, but a little timing advance goes a long way.....

 

tec-9-7: The helms manuel is wrong then. The ECU (not ECM) cannot be erased in 15, it cannot! I have tired. Takes at least 1 minute. If you read, you will see I already told about the fuse. Sorry, just trying to clear my name! Don't try to make me sound like an moron, thanks.


[Modified by prsi, 6:30 PM 7/23/2001]

 

Well how do you know the ecu dosent reset after just 15 seconds? Whenever I get a CEL I pull the fuse for like 2 seconds and its gone, so something is happening there. And the ecu does not control air flow, your throttle does.

And you cannot advance your timing on a 5th gen without reprogramming your ecu. you can turn the distributor all you want, the timing is controlled by the ecu and only the ecu.

The only advice I can give is to change your air intake back to stock and see if that fixes the problem. If it does then at least you can be sure there's something screwy with your cai.

 

Good stuff...

BTW does anyone know if we are too consitantly reset the ECU say...every week? Or should one time after installing a new mod be good enough?

 

I am sorry to disappoint the doubters, but I have successfully advanced the timing in my 00 lude and in a 97 SS. All it needed was some grinding in the bottom bolt mount on the dist. But if you insist that changing the angle of the tdc sensor and points in the dist housing by moving it doesn't affect the timing, then to each his own.... The timing is solely dependant on the tdc, ckp and another crank related sensor, the ecu interprets the signals and sends the correct amount of timing per rpm. If you adjust any one of these sensors, you'll affect the signal the ecu recieves in turn affecting the timing. The helms says you can't adjust the timing by the dist because it is not made adjustable, but the dremel can make it happen. After 20k miles in Ca and through Az in the summer and the car is still running strong, I have no doubts. It is not reccomended by the dealer because of the higher operating engine temps of the h22a and its compression and different grades of gas that some may be using, but the timing light and a little research don't lie.....

Secondly, the trouble codes are erased after a few seconds, but the engine operating parameters are not. It is operating off of a bigger power reserve, so the memory doesn't erase as quickly as the trouble codes do, that is in the design.

And lastly, the tb controls the air flow, but the ecu sends the corrected fuel and timing. Without fuel and timing, you can open the tb all you like. If your ecu has memorized the operating conditions of your engine before a mod, it will not readily reccognize the altered condition until after another self learn period, which can be many 100s of miles later.


[Modified by G, 7:20 PM 7/24/2001]


[Modified by G, 7:20 PM 7/24/2001]

 

'But if you insist that changing the angle of the tdc sensor and points in the dist housing by moving it doesn't affect the timing, then to each his own.... '

The tdc sensor isn't in the distributor of an OBD2 Prelude. Its near the crank. That's why you can't advance timing by turning the crank.

Maybe there are bigger capacitors for the fuel maps of the ecu, I dunno, I've never seen a schematic for it on the web. You're stating as fact that 'its in the design', please feel free to show us 'the design'.

I only mentioned that the ecu dosen't control oxygen flow because someone else mentioned it as truth. I'm not trying to flame anyone, but just reading this post I came across so many 'facts' that either are untrue or just speculation. I think its only fair to say IMO if its just that.

 

Too... much... info... aHHH!! I'm too newbieish to even understand what yall are talking about heheh.

I think I'll probably end up doing what my friend suggested me to do. I'll try to get my hands on a scanner to check the engine codes to see if there are any errors. From there, I hope it'll narrow it down enough to see what the real problem is.

 

You win, I guess I am just imagining the advance I got by adjusting the distributor. I guess that isn't a TDC sensor in the dist, off of memory it could have been another ignition related cylinder position sensor or some other, but the timing is not adjustable. I've lost.......... I was only trying to help.

 

Here's how you get error codes from the ecu, but the check engine light should have gone off to warn you if a code was thrown:
http://www.hondaprelude.to/articles/mil_check.html

 

You guys can reset your ECU's all you like- IT doesn't matter during WOT- it runs open loop.

 

From what I have learned, esp. from honda designed engines and ECU's, that is when throttle is at wide open the ECU has involvement by allowing more to burn at the speed of spark and all that jazz. Yeah, thats kind of confusing, what I am trying to say is that once you reset ECU after you install from stock, then engine responds to the more oxygen present. Maybe not in a way of allowing more air, but making the engine burn more rich.

My advice to Fusion is to get a FPR (fuel pressure regulator) and up the amount of fuel. I have heard great things about B&M, plus it is pretty cost effective!

 

Cool, I'm gonna check out that link.
And about the FPR, I'll ask my friend about it. I'm not exactly sure what that is.

 

I'm interested about that FPR. Could you explain more about it? How much gain can you get with it?

 

Ok, FPR stand for Fuel pressure regulator. It replaces your stock regulator with a little modification. A gauge is then hooked up to it which tells the psi of fuel coming/going though. With an FPR you can adjust it easily with a wrench while reading the gauge.

So, why does this apply to you, well, you now have more oxygen into engine than fuel. Your car is running a little lean, rich is always good. To make it more rich use a FPR to increase the amount of fuel combusting with oxygen. A FPR is best done by rasing psi in small incriments, or until car runs best/fastest. If you know someone with a dyno, use it and find perfect performance from adding or decreasing fuel psi level.

Mostly people install bolt on parts, such as intake, header, exhaust. They have good flow, but need more fuel in the mix. With only intake you won't really see dramatic gains with increasing fuel.

Just as a side note, most honda engines run from 30-36 psi I believe. It might just be a good idea to ask others what they felt from rasing or lowing fuel psi with your same car...