car - KJ Verada series 1..

mods - K&N filter with mitsu adaptor (one of those 'mitsubishi garunteed to not affect your MAF' from RPW), 2.5" mandril cat back exhaust, serviced every 5000 with Penrite HPR15 (i use this in my old TH also)

symptoms - sluggish overall.. doesn't miss or hesatate.. just feels slow.. and laggy..

it's been getting gradually worse.. i've reset the computer a few times (battery off) just doing normal things like stereo and the like.. most recently a week ago..

i always run it on the 98 RON variants, but am getting a bit annoyed at the 14.1/100km on the trip computer i reset this most times i fill up.. freeway/city driving.. the lowest i've seen it go in a few weeks is 13.8.. still awful.. my TH used to get 10.8 - 11.0 flogging it's pants off.. and it would hands down kill the verada in a straight line..

yes the verada does have 20's.. honestly there not 1000000000kg's as some may belive.. they are heavier than the stock alloys ofcourse.. but not what i would call excessive..

every now and then i've been throwing in a bit of injector cleaner and give it a good bounce off the limiter here and there.. see if that made a difference on the next tank.. nope.. nothing.. changed fuel filter ofcourse.. and sparkies (iridiums in both banks)..

is there ment to be a code or engine warning light when the O2 sensor fails? i'm yet to find out my price.. but a mate told me they retail for around $220 genuine..

i might pull the injectors out and have them ultrasonicly cleaned (much cheaper than the O2 sensor doesn't come down with trade price :) ), i've had a quick check around and the FPR is working fine.

i know the air filter just sitting there in the engine bay sucking all that wonderful hot air.. is not the only culprut behind the massive increase in fuel economy..

help?
cheers,
Mat

a mate of mine had a pod like you in his engine bay and when it gets hot the car fells slugish (2000 TJ exec). when i put the origanl filter back on the car went back to normal.

try putting your original bits back on and give that a go

i don't have it.. it was all broken and F$$$ed.. easy to get one from the wreckers.. or i can just fabricate some nice ally sheilding and do some ducting..

i'm more concerned with the fuel economy.. i'm bearly getting 450km to a tank.. vs my 3.5 TH which was getting close to 600km...

you should be able to get one from the wreckers anything from a TE-TJ will fit, or you could use some 100mm ag pipe and put the pod down in your front bumper

when did this start hapening, did it happen before/during/after the mods were put on

Oxygen sensor, just get a universal 4 wire from an ebay seller named enginesensorsandsystems, they have a 4 wire universal for $54 that you solder in yourself to the old wires (use heatshrink please) or get a genuine mitsu one off ebay for $115 (no soldering, full loom). 4 wire universal has the same wiring colours as genuine.

Hot air induction is bad for fuel economy, do your plugs, if your O2 sensor is gone, its probably also taken out the catalytic converter as well (it did on mine, waiting for a new one).

short answer no.. i hate dodgey things like aggy pipe air intakes.. i know that they all fit from TE to TJ.. thanks for pointing that out :)

it's never been as good as my TH.. it's just been getting worse gradually.. i think it's safe to say the HAI setup is not going to cause a 3.4L/100km jump in fuel economy.. keep in mind i ran just an ordinary pod in my TH..

ahh sweet.. cheers, i was hoping not to spend that much on a O2 sensor..

broom stick the cat.. new O2 sensor...

problem should be solved!! (joking about the broom stick)

Yeah people get excited about cat desecration. You can get a 2.5" highflow magnaflow for about $200 off fleabay.

Check yours is indeed dead, have a look through it. Mine had melted (eep!) It also developed a very quiet exhaust note as it muffled it a lot.

a mate can get those magic cats pretty cheap.. might throw one of those in the mix..

i have a set of those thermal gasket things from Barry i should throw in while i have the manifold off..

I've got the exact same problem with my TH mate - may as well have been castrated because power wise it just has no balls at all anymore. Fuel economy has gone up a tad for me, but nothing major. I tried running injector cleaner and tanks of premium through it with no change.

Have just ordered a replacement o2 sensor. Cheers to Heath for the ebay heads up - scored a brand new genuine Mitsi one for $55 posted. Mitsi quoted me $178 trade ($220 retail) so happy with that. As soon as that comes in I will swap it over and let you know how I go. Not sure what condition my cat is in will have to check that out. Again, as Heath suggested, ebay is your friend. Saw a few Magnaflow Hi-Flows for under $200 inc postage.

AFAIK the 02 sensor is only used in closed loop operation, ie at idle to partial fuel throttle openings, then goes to open loop after that, where it just squirts in fuel according to the fuel map.

It doesn't feel like 02 sensor to me if foot down power is missing. My guess is its the pod. When I had mine I noticed a lack of power down low, but a willingness to rev up high. This didn't gel with me so I went back to the standard filter.

I used to only get 14.5L/100km given the driving I was doing, now its down to mid 11's as I spend a lot more time on level stretches at high speed. Put your trip computer to instant fuel economy, and set cruise at 90km/h on a flat stretch of road. I get around 7L/100km or 8.5L/100km with aircon on.

It may not be much, but with the Verada + rims, it would be equivalent to carrying 2 extra people. Also was the TH manual? or a 3L? that would make a massive difference.

Also was the TH manual? or a 3L? that would make a massive difference.

TH Sports Manual 3.5L - NO Pod either

how many oxygen sensors does the car have? one?

car serviced 2 weeks ago (new spark plugs, new air+oil filters, changed engine oil). still feels very sluggish from the lights and extremely bad economy, 230-260km per tank, granny driving!! I guess it's time to replace the sensor.

i would be cautious using a generic o2 sensor as they don't all have the same resistance, etc. so you might put a generic one in and get worse economy than what you had. i would either get a mitsu one or an NGK one from autobarn/repco that is designed for a magna. it might cost you more but atleast you know it is going to give the right readings.

something else that may be dicky is the water temp sensor, so it is causing the car to run on cold start enrichment all the time. the same goes for the thermostat. if it isn't closing properly then the car will take longer to warm up and you will be using extra fuel as well.

Well my new, genuine o2 sensor rocked up about 30mins ago so I will fit that on the weekend and see how we go

i would be cautious using a generic o2 sensor as they don't all have the same resistance, etc. so you might put a generic one in and get worse economy than what you had. i would either get a mitsu one or an NGK one from autobarn/repco that is designed for a magna. it might cost you more but atleast you know it is going to give the right readings.

something else that may be dicky is the water temp sensor, so it is causing the car to run on cold start enrichment all the time. the same goes for the thermostat. if it isn't closing properly then the car will take longer to warm up and you will be using extra fuel as well.

Nope, they are all the same materials, with the same voltage curves. Its a bit like a battery - you use the same materials, you get exactly the same voltage.

Coolant temp sensors are easy to test as well.

Nope, they are all the same materials, with the same voltage curves. Its a bit like a battery - you use the same materials, you get exactly the same voltage.

Coolant temp sensors are easy to test as well.


Ohh thats nice to know, I was thinking along the same lines as mad082 magna. Save getting ripped of by Mitsubishi. Do these things wear out or change over time, or do they suddenly just get bad? My car seems to run fine, though considering the condition of the engine economy is only average (13.4L per 100km), and doesnt drop much on highway runs. everyone here seems to be replacing them, I feel like I should be doing the same :badgrin:

Ollie

They wear out over time, end up getting poisoned by fuel additives, oil leaks and just plain old age - I read in an auto-leccies trade rag that they need changing much more regularly than the manufacturer lets on. They do still work, but they are so slow to respond to changing conditions (mixtures/oxygen content) that they are basically useless - the response speed is the key.

No difference between OEM and aftermarket except the price. OEM suppliers will tell you different, but your average auto-leccie/mechanic will be happy to sell you either (they don't have a barrow to push - so to speak)

Thanks HeathYoung,

I think im going to do some experimenting. As I'm pretty sure the O2 sensor would have never been changed, and you can get them quite cheap, im going to try. If it works, the better power and economy will pay off in no time. If it doesnt, work, I had some fun and learnt something lol

What leads me to believe it may need replacing is, considering the slow start and stop peak hour traffic I do, and usually give it some stick wherever the chance, I think my economy is pretty good. However when I do the odd country run, sure the economy is better, but i would have expected better. Since on country runs the engine is always in open mode/loop or whatever using the O2 sensor, as opposed to closed loop at high revs, this makes me suspect a new O2 sensor could be needed.

Ollie

I'm having the same problem! **** I thought I was just over reacting.
I've got a spare new O2 sensor, how hard are they to replace?


Thanks HeathYoung,

I think im going to do some experimenting. As I'm pretty sure the O2 sensor would have never been changed, and you can get them quite cheap, im going to try. If it works, the better power and economy will pay off in no time. If it doesnt, work, I had some fun and learnt something lol

What leads me to believe it may need replacing is, considering the slow start and stop peak hour traffic I do, and usually give it some stick wherever the chance, I think my economy is pretty good. However when I do the odd country run, sure the economy is better, but i would have expected better. Since on country runs the engine is always in open mode/loop or whatever using the O2 sensor, as opposed to closed loop at high revs, this makes me suspect a new O2 sensor could be needed.

Ollie