Mazdaspeed 3 2009 - need help fixing issues - fully built engine
 

hello fellow msf members. would like to introduce my self. my name is sebastian. i bought a mazdaspeed3 2009 back in december, from a manager at a mazda dealer, this was his personal car. this is a fully built speed3. i live in florida. and this is my first turbo car. yes big mistake buying a fully built car. i learned my lesson. so il get to the point. this car has been through two engines. the stock oem engine and the engine it currently has. the 1st engine blew on the previous owner before the manager. manager bought the car and kept it for him self to build. the car has as far as i know this is the mod list:

- new engine block (dont know what stage or w.e)
-upgraded turbo GT3076R
-FMIC (fusion motorsports)
-Port and polish head
-upgraded pistons
-cobb downpipe
-greedy catback
-CPE FP
-cobb short ram intake
-oil catch can
-denso ivtt22 sparkplugs
-tuned with AP
-aem AF gauge
-defi boost gauge
-act street clutch

and thats as far as i know. the engine was built in a shop called velocity factor ( Import, European, Car, Performance, Parts, Tuner, Tuning, Shop | Velocity Factor ) which we alot of SFLA Mazda Crew dont really like or rely on. i took my car over there as soon as i bought to have them take a look at it. they told me that the project was not complete because Adam (manager at dealer) did not want to add a meth kit and that my car needed a meth kit. they were charging me $1600 for a meth kit and tunning. that same day they charged me $261 to change my oil and replace a oil catch can hose. well now moving foward. i joined the slfa mazdacrew met alot of people who knew about my car etc. met a member by the name of cory who was willing to help me tune my car. he found out by some logs we took that " wgdc is maxed at only 22psi, ur wot afr was all over the place, u had knock over 3* during wot" which he stated wasnt normal and something was wrong with my car. he wasnt able to tune it because didnt really wanna mess with it. velocity factor. told me that when they dynoed and tune the car the car was pushing 414hp 390whp which is amaizing. but cory calculated i was only making around 300hp which is what he was running on stock engine and stock turbo and just a minor mods. so with this car having everything done to it thats not normal. like i said the car runs fine etc. i still have the logs avaible i will attacth them to this post. if anyone here with experiece on tunning or etc is willing to help me find the issues or tune the car i would highly apreciate it. :ugh2::nervous:

Welcome. Velocity Factor is known all over for being dumblefucks.

Check links 2 on in my sig.

I don't know if there's something wrong with your AP, but your logs are useless. Post some 3rd gear logs if you have them.

Edit: Datalog51 seems to be fine.

You definitely have a problem. First of all, as you know, either your tune is completely off, or your car is trying to compensate for some kind of leak. Which is why your AFR is inconsistent.

You have gigantic amounts of knock at the end of your run.

A 3076r should not run at 90%+ WGDC at 22psi.

Is this your daily driver? I ask because you will definitely need days without driving the car to diagnose why is wrong with it. Especially with that knock at low levels of boost (for a 3076)

This kid needs help, bad. Let's not be huge dicks.
@Lex @rfinkle2 @atvfreek @Bucker

First, you need to tear that motor down and figure out exactly what's in it, pistons, rods, headgasket, headbolts or arp studs. Then you need to see if it's got an upgraded MAP sensor, and if it's running a larger MAF.

A whole lot of missing info. Never buy a modded car unless you get the full, comprehensive list of EVERY mod on it. Every single detail is important.

Then we need to see the tune, and some 3rd or 4th gear WOT logs (assuming your afr's aren't dangerously lean, of course)

i heard there is a way of telling what pistons it has by removing the oil pan (?)

i dunno if you can trust what VF did tot his car so perhaps reaching to the last owner about receipts for parts and labor done might give you a clue as to what exactly did the car have installed at VF

is this Adam from lou bachrodt mazda?

Good luck with all this buddy, I truly hope nothing wrong happens. Try not to go to aggressive unless the guys at MSF ask you to, don't wanna blow something up.

Yeah that's him.

When I bought my Mazda I saw him driving it a couple times. He would tell me about all the shit he did to his car, like street race it on a constant basis. Judging from this and other factors (such as seeing him destroy his speakers), the "built" engine has definitely been abused.

Being the manager, he also drove 2011 MS3 given from the dealer. They offered to sell me this car with 2000miles on it. I sat on it, it looked like a 3 year old car. Turn the key and the radio was on max volume on a station along the lines of Power96. I walked out of the car. Adam is not the type of guy who would have taken care of his car.

@adlpb it is my daily driver, and alejo yeah adam. il try and contact him to see if he has a full list of the mods. or try contacting VF. as for a shop that can help me tear down the engine i dont know where.. :sad:

If you can't do any of this work yourself bro, honestly, you need to sell it. Dealing with a shop is going to give you headaches and cost a LOT of money.

oh man.. maybe i should just go back and trade it in ? for a stock? :sad:

You're going to take a huge loss trading it in - granted you paid more than a brand new MS3 for this 4 year old car. But as stated previously you probably will spend a lot more fixing it at a shop if you are not willing to do it yourself.

im willing to do it myself. but i dont know how. like i said im just learning alot my self. but taking an engine part thats way out of my league..:sad:

That's what I'm saying.

We have a bunch of guys at FL willing to help, but mostly on weekends. Taking an engine apart is not something we can do on a day. Especially since none of us do it on a regular basis.

Taking it to a shop like VF is going to cost you $100/hr labor, plus overnight fees, etc.

Hell, even getting and posting pics will hep us confirm the outside.

I would also confirm the fuel pump, as if that is not CPE you will be getting a new motor.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...74066179_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...19435114_n.jpg

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...66239118_n.jpg

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...64092636_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...40240241_n.jpg

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Agreed on almost all points above.

1) Get rid of all the logs except # 51 ... that will allow people who can help you to get right to the point.

2) the car is lean @ wot, so I would take it easy until you get that sorted (could be a cause for your kr)

The best thing to do at this point is take it easy on the car until you can be sure it is mechanically sound and then you will want to be sure it has a decent tune.

From what I can see, the only immediate issue in the tune is that your trims are off substantially, but not to the point that you cannot drive the car (will be fine @ anything less than wot).

As far as the KR, built motors may have a tendency to throw more kr due to piston slap, tolerances that aren't as tight as oem, different harmonic resonance etc... so the KR that you are experiencing is definitely concerning, but not necessarily KR.

In summary,

-find out what pistons, rods are in the car
-who the engine builder was
-who tuned the car


AND in the meantime, ask Cory to add some fuel for you.

Those OEM pistons?

Do this: drain the oil, take off the oil pan. See if the balance shaft is in there. If it is, remove it, try to shine a flashlight into the cylinders to see the rods and bottom of the pistons. You should be able to tell if they are aftermarket or stock just looking at them. That's first.

But I haz racecar?:banana:

Another thing we need to know is what is being used for boost control? Is it a 2 port solenoid, or 3 port and how is it hooked up.

The maf cal is way off, which is making calc load very low, and in turn running way too much timing for the boost you are at. Dial in the maf cal, lower the ign timing and figure out your boost control set up. That will get you going safely until you can get the rest of the internal engine details from the previous owner

If he brings the car to any of us we can identify the BCS and fuel pump.

As far as identifying the internals...that's another issue

If the car is hitting 21 psi by 4,000 rpm's, but is also @ 99% wgdc @ redline and 21-22 psi, he is on a 2 port with a restrictor (especially with head work).

Figures.

Velocity factor demanded he get meth, but left him on a 2-port setup. lol

Also, $1600 for meth and a tune. Yeah.

another note: unkink the valve cover to tip vent hose. LOL

@chimmike and @atvfreek... $10.00 says that oem valve is leaking the remaining boost that should be hitting the motor.

One of you guys can tune it I'm not touching it.

Just add 15% fuel to the whole curve.

I'm sure he'll relieve you of all responsibility. HAHA!

TBH, it looks as if someone who knows what they are doing tuned it, and somehow, the trims came out of whack.

Hell I hace ny weekends off. Uf you guyd are willing yo help me take a look at all this I highly appreciate it , il buy beer for everyone.

Where do you live? Do you have a place to do it?

I live in coralsprings fl. I live in apartments so i dont hace a place and all friends live in apt also :/

He lives near my neck of the woods in Coral Springs.

Right...but the issue is finding a place to do it, since it might require overnight work.

Pj from the sfla crew has his own shop. The owner of cartek in davie, his going to install my rmm so i will speak to him about using his shop

Let the NATOR FL guys in South Florida put the RMM on for you, that way they can also look at your car. Any family friends, storage units, someone who knows someone with a place?

I don't know what's up with you SFLA guys handing out cash to this PJ guy for simple fucking jobs like a RMM installation. We can do that shit in 10 minutes.

And you're telling me that you're on a full BT turbo setup on a built engine and you don't have a RMM? Holy fuck. Your car was built backwards.

Damn it must be something about florida and shitty vendors. Raider has his work cut out over there.

Cause I honestly dont have the tools or place. Like I said uf we can gather up and help me im more willing to help and learn and no I dont. :/

@S3BAZ1091 first of all welcome! As probably you already found out, you came to the right place!

Hey guys, lets set up another install day and help him out to find out what is under the hood! However, it is best if you can get all the info from previous owner!
@speeed may be your warehouse and will get your coilovers in the same day!

I have EBCS brand new laying around. So, if it turns out you need one quick, I can give you mine.

And DON'T go to VF.... Charging around $300 for oil and OCC house change, besides other things is ridiculous!! It is max an 1 hour job!

EDIT: Pay for installing RMM!!! I remember my first NATOR install day when guys through in JBR trilogy in like two hours :) Anyhow, come by Fort Lauderdale after work, we'll install it in like 10 min, like @adlpb said!

you sir are in a pickle for now. drive easy till one of these MSF elves can at least look a the tune.
reduce boost and add fuel and or reduce timing till the mechnicals can be sorted. certainly drop boost target at wot. I hope you get the help, it may not be that bad if you can source someone who is worth a fuck with laptop. Hang in there and no rash decisions.
it seems some of those knowledgable guys are here already.

@constatin thanks and that sounds great yes all of you guysi really appreciate the quick response the support and effort in willing to help me. Loor I said in willing todo w.e beer ir me and foodw.e it is. And thanks @erricapp0507 there is alot of great help here !

Btw it has cpe rmm bit as we all know they suck so i Bree it replaced

Shit...your cell phone typing sucks!

Try looking for a place where we can all meet (besides the RMM install). You can even try to negotiate a rend of a warehouse somewhere for a weekend...

The place for the next install/research day is crucial aspect at this time...
@dereeek you back home yet?

Lol yeah im sorry stupid auto correct. Im at work. And hmm ima see who can lend me thier house, bc money wise im extremly broke..

No sir, I will be for Thanksgiving though.

Yeah ima check around were we could do this. Just dont know anyone with a house or anything like that..

What did you pay for the car, if you don't mind me asking...

BTW, make detailed pics!

Just find a public parking garage (as in free) and work on it there. Or look in craigslist for a storage place to work on it. And get a rental car. $200 a week.
Where are you located?
I would think first thing is to do a compression test. Then find the vacuume leak that is fucking up your tune. Actully Ive no idea as I didnt even look at the data log and wouldnt know how to read it anyways.

Detailed pics of what and $23k and rental car? Im broke. I dont have any money

Jubus.

Sorry to put it to you this way, but you don't buy a 425whp (or whatever he told you) fully built car when you are broke. Especially a car that you didn't build yourself. I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but any repair of a car at this stage will probably cost you. We can help you out, but an engine simply cannot be taken apart and put together in one day - not by us. So you have to realize that you won't be able to drive your car while this is being done. And like I said, we are available on sporadic hours on weekends.

We should start by setting a typical "install day" to try and diagnose surface-level issues. Then take it from there.

so i took a small log right now omw home. il upload it. i did it in 3rd gear stayed til 6k rpm for about 10sec then went into 4th

well how many days are we talking about not being able to drive my car? if its just a weekend then i can use my moms in the mean time. i attached a data log i just took idk if it might be usefull. and yeah i understand that now. trust me i learned my lesson. idk if its just better off trading it in then..

I have no way to look at the log on my phone but you really need to search and get these guys @rfinkle2 and @atvfreek a solid log so they can see what's up. Otherwise its just big pile of crap for them to go through.

Maybe they can explain a bit what the hell is going on with your wastegate. I'm guessing it's just a bad tune. It goes from 99% to 0 and still holds 18-20psi. But the log is looking a lot better knock-wise. And you're not running as lean as you were in the previous one.

My recommendation is to get with one of the guys here and have them give you a proper base map for a tune. If you are still having problems with any of the parameters let us know and we'll help you out.

who would be able to help me out with that?

With the tune? Like above, @rfinkle2, @atvfreek, @Bucker, @Lex and many others.

As for local help goes with parts, any of the NATOR FL guys around the area including myself.

dude, your shit is so fucked. here's the situation:

1) your car has problems. and you don't know a lot of details about your car. that means that whoever fixes your car is going to first do all sorts of fact finding. that means a lot of time spent without your car. if it's in a shop or in a storage unit, you're going to need alternative transportation for an indefinite time period.

2) your car has a lot of expensive aftermarket parts on it. those frequently require expensive aftermarket parts when making repairs.

3) this is advanced level stuff here. you need to be able to do the majority of the work yourself (requiring knowledge, tools, and a place to do the work) or you need to be able to pay someone lots of money to do it all for you.

4) you sound like you are lacking alternative transportation, the knowledge to repair it, the tools to repair it, the space to repair it, and the funds to pay someone to do it for you.

my advice is this: you need to find a way to acquire what you're missing, or you need a different car.

good luck.

<edit>
did it ever occur to you that the guy sold it b/c it was a big fucking headache and he had no idea what he was doing?

would you be willing to help and just take a glance at the car etc? and maybe help me with my rmm?

well thanks and yeah i learned my lesson but as for being my first turbo car didnt really think it would need so much attention to it.

and not really. car seems fine. runs good. no lags etc. and he was always being supportive when i asked him for help. ima see how much i could trade in for and maybe just get a stock speed or sti or evo.. idk... =/

If you're willing to drive to Boca, yes. I can help you this Saturday, I work on weekdays.

And if you do plan on trading in, I'd reconsider your financial situation first. If you want a high performance car you have to be ready to spend money. Especially if you plan on modding it.

well this saturday i gotta go back to Alejos house to give him back his rear wheels since he lend them to me cause i was in a car accident which caused my tire to pop and my spare went out on me this sat so he lend me his protege tires. he lives in miami gardens i used to work in boca so i dont mind. what would be a good time?

and as for car payment. i mean im already paying an arm and a leg. for this car. and il get a new one without any issues while i get a better job so i can start modding it

So part out? or trade with the mods on it?

I have a stock k04 and some other stock parts. I can sell you if you really need them, or we can trade turbo's plus money.

Stock it out and trade it in and be prepared to take a loss.

well trade in with mods, cause like i said money wise right now not too good. trying to find a better job. KBB value is 16k

Saturday anytime from 11-7ish is good for me

Trading it in with mods you'll get maybe $14k. Stock it out, probably $16k. Plus you'll get $$ for selling the goodies. You won't be coming out ahead, but you won't be as far behind.

You're going to take at the least a $8000 loss since you will never get KBB value on a trade in. Might as well part out as much as you can and get some money back. NATOR FL is an expert entity when it comes to partouts.

sounds good. il PM my fb , and well thing is i dont have any stock parts. so in order to stock it out i would have to spend money. which like ive stated i have none.. ima go later on see what offers i can get or w.e if not then guess find the issue with the car and fix it. you never know it might just be a bad tune or a small dumb issue. gotta be positive lol

Nonono do not do that.
I'll give you some of my stock parts just so you can get some cash back. I have everything from the turbo to the motor mounts. That is, if you decided to part out.

really appreciate. id have to go see first, see if any of the guys here can help me with a tune and etc see if thats the issue or w.e then il just decide from on there. =/

KBB does not apply in this case. Stocking it out as much as can be and getting rid of it would be ur best bet. And then STAYING away from cars such as used evos/stis needs to happen.

Don't even be thinking about modding until you learn how turbo cars work. Matter of fact, with the hit you will probably take on this one, you should be looking at used aveos.

Its not only the tune, we have no idea if the motor was even built correctly.

Btw, Adam was really helpful because he finally found someone to unload his pos on.

You would be able to make some money back selling the turbo, and other parts on it (ap/intake fuel pump etc etc). And get the stock parts back on, and hopefully no one at carmax would know about the motor.

But, as you said lets see if a tune will help it out.

Ok, just let me know what time saturday

I'll throw my 2 cents in here with the most important thing being 1st..

STOP DOING WOT LOGS (PLEASE) until you are sure your tune and hardware are sound.

If you think that you may have jumped the gun and made an expensive mistake by buying the car, think ahead 10 seconds as to what position you will be in if the motor pops.

I think Bronco and the guys make a good point when they say that it will be a struggle to keep this car if it is a DD, you don't have the tools or place to work on it, and would have to aquire the knowledge to fix things on the fly.

I don't think stocking out is the answer either though. I have to think that someone would buy this car with a built motor who realizes the value of it and has the means to work on it, etc. It is just an opinion, but I don't know anyone who would buy the car without the hardware that is on it now after knowing it has a built motor. It needs much of what is installed to function, be driven.

DJ bought a very similar car from another member in this situation not too long ago. If the car is in good working order, you may be able to strike a deal with someone on here who'd be willing to take a look @ it and be interested in buying it.

If you want, send me the map to rfinkle2.atr@comcast.net and I'll make sure you have a map you can drive on until you can figure out what route you want to take.

^Listen to Finkle.

I think telling the guy to sell the car is not the right answer. However, I think the OP should be VIP to get free tuning help from a vendor.

I'll take a look at the car and condition when I do the RMM this weekend.

Velocity Factor is known for installing parts incorrectly, especially on MS3's. So far I have seen 3 cases directly linked to installer error on their part. One of them caused the car to be stranded in the highway. So the possibility of something going wrong in an engine build is not impossible, especially considering they only have one certified mechanic who is part-time. The rest are high school grads trying to get some experience. Hell, even the owner Felipe has left a BPV hose lying under the intercooler - blaming the owner/car when it was brought back.

You are a saint Alvaro... very nice of you and I hope the OP realizes that is a huge help to him.

I think it would be great if the OP could track down the name of the engine builder and get some of the info as to what is inside the motor.

You guys don't have a reputable shop in FL?

If the engine was builit by a reputable builder, the OP may be able to slide by using an evo / subaru / performance shop etc. if they would be willing to do minor repairs etc.

Velocity Factor unfortunately was the one who built the engine. He is trying to get a hold of Adam (previous owner) to see what internals were installed exactly. I highly doubt VF will give him any reliable info, especially since he declined paying $1600 for meth and a tune.

It's a shame that the only reputable shops around here are muscle car shops. There's a couple very well-known shops in my area who work on Mustangs, like Blow By Racing. AWD Motorsports does great work on evos, but I don't think they have much knowledge on MS3's. IMO, if I was making an engine build with a Mazda and had no time to do it myself, I would make the drive to Cobb in TX. I wouldn't trust anyone else around here.

@S3BAZ1091 IMO you shouldn't jump the gun and trade it in or part out....we had to many part outs here recently...in any case you will loose more money.

As you are saying, the car seem to be fine now. So, listen you @rfinkle2 and DON'T go WOT....just take it easy....

I am by far not expert, but I seems like most of issues can be fixed here with help of NATOR remembers, including myself. At lest making sure the car is OF for DD, and then you can take your time and fixing anything that is needed to be able to use 100% of its capacity.
@adlpb, I think I can come by this Saturday as well. Bring my tools if needed. We can write down what OP has installed on the car.

However, why don't we do a Install Day: http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...delete-123594/

We have @speeed with coilovers, that might be able to lend his warehouse.... @lobito08speed with valve cleaning + seems to have space for install day. @Ms3_Miami with OCC....

I say we do it in one shot ether at @speeed's warehouse, if available or at @lobito08speed house.

no, No, NO, NO!! if that car was fine and ran good, you wouldn't have this thread. also, you wouldn't have put this in the OP.


i hope it's mostly a mechanical / install error type of problem. but don't kid yourself here... your car has problems and needs help.

and when your car has problems and needs help, if you must drive it, go EXTREMELY easy on it. you seem like you are pretty clueless, so let me be sure you're clear on something. you can easily fuck up and put a connecting rod through your block. that would require you purchase a new block and rebuilding the engine. so you definitely don't want to do that.

so, until someone looks at it and give you the clearance, you are best served to stay out of the throttle.

also, like raider said, scrounge up a few bucks and donate.

NATOR FL, you guys are awesome. I am really impressed with how helpful you are all being! I contacted OP and am going to look over the tune portion of the car to see if there is anything that I can do from there to keep it going!

yeah well ofcourse id learn before modding, but rather have a brand new stock car , learn and then start modding but lets see if anyone can find the issue hopefully.

well thing is im still financing this car, and i just got it back in december, and what i still owe theyre better off buying a new ms3 stock. so idk. =/. and ok il send it over right now! thank you!

thank you, that would be amaizing!

yes alvaro i really appreciate his help and ALL of you here for the great help. cant thank you guys enough with the support and effort in willing to help me out! :friday:

yeah i went over AWD about 3 months ago but i asked if they tunned MS3s they said no.

@S3BAZ1091, click link #3 in my sig and go VIP for $25 a year, ok?

yes im down for the install day, im free on the weekends just shoot me a PM with the details and il give you guys my contact info! beer on me!

how did you finance $23000 for a $16000 car?

yes they are, cant thank them enough and everyone here for the great help and support! and thank you for willing to help!

car is under my name and my moms, i only gave a 1k downpayment.

Save the beer money and use it for donation mod. It goes a long way here.

oh forgot to mention , i was in a minor car accident, nothing big. just bumper fender and headlight are messed up. im sueing the lady who hit me. right now im running on 2 racing harts from alejo as my rear tires. due to accident my tire blew out and my spare blew out on me last weekened, i might have my car being fixed maybe this week i have to contact my lawyer, also lawyer says things are going well so what ever money i win from the case il just use it to fix w.e issue i may have. hopefully! btw for anyone that wants to look at my tune here it is! and again thanks everyone for the great help!!!

adambasemap2.ptm - download now for free. File sharing. Software file sharing. Free file hosting. File upload. FileFactory.com

if i had the $$ i would =/ broke af. as soon as i can i will. thanks

yea, but banks usually a limit on how much you can finance, like say 110% of the value. i was wondering if the nice man who sold it to you, who also works at a dealership, helped. and you should punch your mom in crotch for helping you finance $23k for a $16k car.

anyway, good luck.

Lol sebastian they don't want beer, they want your asshole in here muahahahahah

Green name = free help

Yeah, not digging the non-donating guy getting a shit-ton of help free. SO much advice given already that would not have been given on any other forum, and @rfinkle2's tuning help is worth the $25 VIP.

im sorry but i honestly dont have any $$ , havent gotten paid yet. my back acct is on $3.67 if im willing to pay a guy to install a rmm. im willing to pay 25$ for all the help you guys have given me, donating is not an issue. just dont have it to donate.

Once you get $25 throw it here, and you will get a shit ton of free help/advice. Sheet Adam might even have the msf gods on his ass for taking advantage of someone.

Jesus, this guy is more clueless than me. :(

I see no reason turing the browny down until he goes VIP... Our help will just motivate hime more and more..

And lets face it, he didn't ask what BOV sounds louder :)

EDIT: My 1,000's post!!! :Banane09: inb4ADDderail...

exactly, im more willing to donate just dont have the $$ right now. like i said if im willing to pay someone todo my RMM (which is easy af, just dont have the space or tools to do it) then im more willing to help here to keep my engine in one piece.

I'll help him out granted he's in a financial situation right now and he donates in the near future.

Blah blah blah.... you just want a reach around :)

Well you don't have to uncover me like that. Not my fault none of you guys want to have install days or meet at towers anymore

What do you mean no istall days.... have you been to NATOR section lately:

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...delete-123594/

lol thanks alvaro. i am going to donate. dont worry. this sat would be perf.

So I contacted Adam, the previous owner of the car, I'm going to head over there this week or give him a call and let him know what's going on with the car. I'll keep you guys informed also im going to make new logs today as one of the tuners here is going to help ne and post the new ones here as well. Thanks everyone for your help. Il donate asap.