I see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Yes, another car entry, but WAIT. This might be the last in, I hope, a good while. After MONTHS of constant tweaking, diagnosing, and repairing, I think....No, I'm SURE I've come to the final solution. Firstly, a weekend update:

1. O2 sensors; passenger side - 18 minutes, driver's side - 5 hours of total lower back agony, busted knuckles, and sweat. It's done though. Scanned the ECU and for the first time in THREE YEARS....NO ERRORS!!!!!!! The journey to get here was certainly long and expensive enough!



2. Pressure tested the motor. Borrowed theCraftsman's Porter Cable 165 PSI air-compressor and hose.



Connected it to my AWE Tuning intake pressure tester.



Slowly increased the pressure to 25 PSI (the guide said 3 PSI is fine, but I wanted to blast it out! and my pressure tester rocks)...and VIOLA, using a stethoscope I found an 8 PSI leak!



You have to understand, that is simply MASSIVE as leaks are concerned. I determined the leak was coming out of the driver's side hard plastic up-pipe into the throttle body, the LAST place I thought I might find a leak. I plugged it with my thumb and pressure built to 25 psi and held. Looks like the leak had been there for some time too. Crazy that my mechanic and I had missed something so obvious.

I'll need to get a new up-pipe and swap it out, but for now I've sealed it as best I could with some metal tape, then heat tape, then several feet of good-ole duct tape. Should hold until I get a new APR ALL ALUMINUM BI-PIPE!



...it is the MOAB of up-pipes, the Wave-Motion-Cannon of up-pipes, the Black-Hole Bomb of up-pipes,...well you get the picture. But EIGHT PSI!...I'm surprised my car even ran at all! EIGHT PSI is over 100HP!!! I want my 120 horsepower NOW NOW NOW!!

So the car is running supremely smooth, even with the duct-tape fix. Hasn't ran this smooth since I got the car with 8000 miles on it...actually, it runs better now! Even then it pinged an error code here and there; a tiny misfire, a catalytic converter warm-up issue, etc. Now though....None. I'm crossing my fingers cause I'm tired of all the work...and I'm sure you're tired of all the car blog entries.

Later....

An excerpt from my comment to Steve's blog:

In response to his blog entry "Eco Craziness.....":

"There are a cohort of politicians and eco-activists who want nothing else than to make Americans feel uber guilty about our lifestyle. The Left is really good at it...in fact they're quite adept at making men feel guilty about being men, and white people feel guilty about being white, the blue-collar class feel guilty about having money, etc. etc. And so we have a growing demographic of folks who do as they're told with the selling point being that they feel "good" about saving the planet in the process.

YES, it's true that Americans have a horrid track record re. wasteful policies/lifestyles as it relates to all forms of limited resources.
YES, we've had entire industries throughout our history that operated with a philosophy that prioritized profit over environment.
YES, we have politicians, legislators, government, and policies that throughout our history succumb, at times willingly, to the practice of de-regulation; an attitude of expansion and growth at the expense of our natural resources and clean environment.

But it can also be said that Americans are, incrementally but steadily, moving toward change; a change in leadership that values conservation, a change in policy that regulate industry and pollution, a change in our daily lifestyle that reflects the morality in caring for our environment and a stewardship of resources of every kind.

However, our vision is soo utterly near-sighted, and speaks to the narcissism of most Americans. As the largest and oldest industrialized nation on the planet, we certainly still have problems related to the amount of trash we produce, the amount of food we eat, the amount of fuel we consume, the amount of resources we waste, the amount of pollution we cause. But here's the gist: we're coming around to making changes.

Just one example; for 2 consecutive years, we've been using less fuel..."but how come oil prices are going up!?". The answer is that we aren't the only ones on the frickin planet! Somehow we soo love to blame ourselves for everything, we've come to think we're the only ones who are at fault AND have something to lose. We can't even mention the rest of the world and how emerging nations are rapidly increasing and far outpacing the US in the amount of fuel they burn, the amount of resources they use, the amount of pollution they spew, etc.etc.

It could be said that each nation/culture must undergo the same evolution ALL industrialized countries undergo...and through this deal with all the pitfalls associated with this process that OUR country have had to deal with: pollution, lack of regard for conservation, no-checks on expanding industry, and pollution. Unfortunately, with time as a factor, we don't have the luxury nor does our environment have the patience to see each nation through this evolution.

To tell you the truth, I'm actually glad to see corporations making a buck AND going green. It certainly beats the HELL out of making a buck AND poisoning our rivers and lakes with acid rain. As the Supertechnician in Germany put it; "there are BILLIONS to be made by going green. The resistance is related to our industries and our politicians who are ill-positioned to take economic advantage." But Americans know how to make a buck (there's that cliche again), and you can see our economy moving in a different direction, one that can turn a profit while being good to our planet.

I happen to think the opposite relative to the extreme left's world view...I happen to think many Americans are quite mindful about waste, pollutions, resources, et.al. My wife and I certainly are and go to extreme lengths to make sure that we care for our planet. And given the opportunity, most Americans, if given good choices will choose green or eco-friendly alternatives if the cost differential is equivalent, and certainly will if the cost is favorable to their pocketbooks. We simply need better choices, and that's where leadership in politics and industry come into play."

Sensors, a completely uninteresting entry but a good primer non-the-less.

So, when one increases the volume of air into a motor, concomitant modifications must be made to the rest of the motor to achieve air/fuel balance. Increasing air induction without simultaneously increasing the capacity to inhale (intake) more air as well as exhale (exhaust) more air ruins engines (meaning you need larger and more robust: intake, intake manifold, MAF housing, intake piping, intercooler piping, hoses to which I have 13, diverter valves, downpipes, headers, cats, and cat-back).

Also, on the fuel side of the equation, increasing boost by nearly 180% above stock configuration necessitates an increase in the capacity to feed the motor even more fuel (meaning, typically, larger injectors, fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator, and fuel pump). Furthermore, a new ECU or program must be written to manage all the new changes.

What I've recently run into are sensor problems. In a nutshell, a myriad number of sensors (of which I truly believe I have more of then any car in existence) monitor, measure, and transmit data to the ECU. This data is electronically digested with the ECU deciding exactly how much fuel or boost pressure or timing retardation or timing advancement etc. required with regard to optimum engine performance...of course, all of it is done in milliseconds. The bottom line with sensors is when you have bad readings, it's not just an issue of poor performance...we're talking about detonation, major MPG loss, throttle cut, bucking on acceleration, all with the possibility of breaking hardware.

When an S4 undergoes a Stage III upgrade, the existing sensors often times can't cope with all the new crazy readings. The sensors might have had no problems with readings within the standard bell-curve, but we're talking outrageous outliers here. After hours and hours of research, online forum chatting, and logging and scanning of my ECU with thePerfectline's laptop VAG-COM controller, I've narrowed all the problems down to the following sensors which I've slowly over the past weeks worked on finding the best and cheapest alternatives to.

MAF: Mass Airflow Meter: measures the amount of air entering the intake. Easy to replace.



N75: Wastegate actuator control unit. Interprets boost pressure and controls when the wastegates open or stay closed. Each of those nubs connects to THREE vacuum lines EACH...yuck. Not to bad replacing, a couple of hours.



EGT Sensors (2): Exhaust Gas Temp sensor. These bad boys are a pretty penny, but are integral to optimal if not normal engine functioning. A pain in the ASS to get to. Mechanics will charge you 6.5 hours of labor for the driver and 2.5 for the passenger side...you're talking 1000 bucks if you have it done by a shop. It took me pretty much the whole weekend but I banged it out in I'd say about 6 hours total.



Coolant Temp Sensor, green top: Why? Because the motor is actually running too cool. Crazy.



And finally, O2 sensors (2) Primary: Also quite an expensive part. Dealers will AGAIN charge you 1 grand to do this job...I'm tackling it this weekend. Damn, look at all the wires.



AND I'll also be pressure testing ALL MY VACUUM LINES. You don't want to know how many the S4 has. Borrowed theCraftsman 150 PSI air compressor for the job and put together a bad-ass pressure tester for this project.

Will let you know how it all goes.


EGT Sensor.

4/19 weekend roundup:

My wife went crazy and blasted out the entire side yard. 19 different plants, spaced appropriately, mindful of the limited sunlight, soil properly amended, and a nice layer of mulch to clean it all up. Here are some before and after.




Visited The Craftsman's new son Max in the hospital. The story is long and I don't have all the details, but somehow I feel that retelling the story focuses on the unfortunate circumstances that led to this medical situation...I'd rather focus on the hopeful and would like to say he looks strong and is super cute. I am blown away by the medical support he's receiving and how much the little guy is fighting to survive...I'm definitely rooting for him and I hope and pray that all goes well.

First weekend in 6 weeks that I didn't work on my car...for more than 1 hour, I should say. Scanned the ECU for codes, pinging the usual O2 codes which I'm getting swapped once and for frickin all this upcoming weekend...purchased some Zoldman Primary O2 sensors from a connection of mine on Audizine. This weekend should be an extravaganza of car work. I'll post pics of the whole process.

7:25!!!

I repeat, 7:25....

7:25....

7:25....

It refers to a lap time. And a lap time soo utterly astonishing, it bears repeating....7:25. It is the latest recorded lap time of the new Nissan GT-R V-Spec at the Nurburgring.

Let me give you some history:

The Nurburgring in Germany is comprised of several configurations, most famously the Grand Prix F-1 circuit, and the legendary Nordschleife, a 20.8 kilometer loop. This loop represents the "benchmark test" which every car company on the planet measures it's flagship sports car against. Every major manufacturer tests on this track and it's lap times are compared against that manufacturer's competitors. Countless magazines from all over the world report these results and lap times have as much to do with bragging rights as international sales figures. How you do here means more than any ad, any endorsement, any editorial, and any column.

For YEARS the 8:00 lap time was tantamount to landing on the moon. Production cars couldn't even come close. Then in 1994 (I believe) a Nissan Skyline was said to have broke the 8:00 mark and all hell broke lose. Claims of engine modifications and the use of race-rubber were made, but the word got out that it might/could be done and the literal "race" was on.

Today, some 29 cars have been documented to have broken 8 minutes. The scrutiny is enormous. Their are timing standards to be met, press to record the event, and bystandards to witness the lap time. Here are some times to put 8 minutes into perspective:

Acura NSX 8:38
Porsche Cayman S 8:25
E46 M3 8:22
Audi RS4 8:09
WRX STI Spec C 8:06
Viper GTS 7:59
Ferrari 360 Challenge 7:56

As you can see, we're looking at Supercars now. And more:

Ferrari F430 7:55
Gallardo Supperlaggera 7:46
Murcielago 7:43
C6 Z06 7:42
Ford GT and 997 GT-3 7:42
McClaren SLR 7:41
Koeniggesgg 7:34
997 GT-2 7:32
Carrera GT 7:28
Pagini Zonda F Clubsport 7:27

The later list comprise some expensive machinery, some with plus $500,000 price tag.

So here is the clincher:

Nissan GT-R V-Spec: 7.25

AND, the GT-R is HEAVIER and has LESS HORSEPOWER and cost LESS than any sub 8 minute car!

How the HELL is this possible. It boggles the mind.

No other car in recent memory has stirred such outrage, awe, and incredulity. This past month alone, the GTR has been on the cover of no less than 12 car magazines. All the articles claim utter shock at it's track capabilities. The standard base car (and NOT the V-Spec) has recently been tested by American Road and Track at Buttonwillor Raceway. They pit it against a ZO6 and a 997 TT, ludicrously fast cars with MORE horsepower and, in the case of the Z06, some 600lbs less in weight! No chance you say? Exactly, the GT-R destroyed both cars by over 5 seconds a lap...which in a racing situation might as well be a light year. Needless to say, car enthusiasts the world round have yet to fully digest the car's utter brilliance...as I have. It has so humiliated even the most hallowed names in the Supercar Realm that it will take months for the rest of the world to catch it's breath.

Who knows, with a sports car arms race brewing on the horizon, 7 minutes just might be possible.

Weekend Summary, 4/14/08

1. It's pretty much over for the Warriors. They will be the winningest NBA team that has FAILED to make the playoffs. Good grief. I was hoping Denver would lose to Houston but the Nuggets won. That was their one chance. Now, the Warriors have to win against Shaq and Nash at Phoenix and then win their final game...meantime, Denver has to lose against the lowly Clips...argh!...pretty much impossible.

2. Finished with the taxes over the weekend. Irritating.

3. Backyard work: Mowed the lawn and basic trimming and cleanup. The grass is growing like mad. Over the winter, I mowed it twice over 3 months...now I should be doing it once a week! It's growing crazy fast.

4. Helped the wife with amending the soil in the front lawn. She's gone insane and purchased half the nursery. I should add that it all looks fantastic.

5. Worked out. Still doing my new circuit training routine. Lifting more weight than I've lifted in about 10 years...but I need abit more rest in between.

6. And you guessed it, CAR WORK. Washed, vacuumed, and waxed the car. Looks soo sweet. I absolutely luv my car. Installed a new N75 Wastegate Actuator Sensor...little details.

Thats it for now.

The Party is over....almost.

The Golden State Warriors lost tonight against the Denver Nuggets. It was as close to a MUST WIN game as it can get. Both teams are tied for 8th place in the division with 4 games remaining. Unfortunately, Denver has the tiebreaker in their favor so the Warriors not only needed to win this game but win their remaining games in order to ensure a playoff spot. With the loss, they're one game back with three to play, and even if they were to run the table, Denver would have to lose two of the next three... and when you look at their remaining games, all against sub .500 teams, it really looks quite dismal for the Warriors.

What an incredible year in the West...It will be the first time in the modern playoff system that a 50 win team FAILS to qualify advancement into the post-season. The level of play in the West is completely absurd. Think about it; a 50 win NON-playoff team in the West could conceivably be a THIRD SEED with home-court advantage in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference! It's positively heartbreaking for the Warriors. NEVER NEVER NEVER has a 50 win team FAIL to make it in...It's like when the Giants failed to make it into the post season with 103 wins in 92...103 frickin wins and you DON'T make it into the post-season!

I'm bummed and will sign-off for now.

Weekend report.

FRIDAY: Visited San Ramon.

My lord, you have to see this town folks. New San Ramon is a sight to behold. Get off at Crow Canyon Exit off of 680 and head east past the green (it's Spring) rolling hills, archetypal California geography. Past old Black Hawk (I believe) you will enter into a brand new city...a completely new planned community. I'd say it was about two to three times the size of Foster City. The streets, and I'm not kidding, are wide enough to land a jumbo jet...it's crazy given they're only using 2 lanes. The perfectly manicured grass, pure black asphalt, and snow white and extra wide sidewalks look more at home at a movie set. They must have several dozen brand spanking new subdivisions, all with pleasant sounding soothing names like Windermeer, Peach Grove, Aubrey Glen, etc. The homes are just gorgeous to look at, all hearkening back to several classic architectural styles; Mission, California Bungalow, Spanish, Southwestern. I estimate that each are no less than 4000 sq.ft. It's so big that they built several new schools and shopping areas to accommodate the several thousand new residents. I'm telling you, the city is soo new, the local High School, which is positively HUGE BTW, have filled only their 9th and 10th grades.

The thing with the city though is that it's scale seemed designed for the SUV generation where Bigger is Better. The streets and sidewalks and homes and malls and parking spaces and driveways and garages and fountains and bus stops....ALL over sized and unnecessarily big...and they're still building. It's as if the engineers and developers deny the fact that we're in a housing/mortgage mess, that Global Warming has demanded that we be more mindful about the cost of development, heating, and cooling. You see this place and you wouldn't think that we (Californians and Americans alike) have any issues regarding conservation of resources...I mean my goodness, do they really need all that grass in the median the size of a football field! and that ludicrous oversized fountain! I'm kinda torn because the developers have really tapped into my subliminal desire to live in a town with these set of elements. It really feels safe and clean and wealthy and cozy. I suppose they've done a good sales job.

SATURDAY: TheDiscourser's B-day and gaming.

We really pulled one on theDiscourser. He had NO frickin clue about his surprise B-day Party. His wife did a fantastic job putting it together without him getting even the slightest whiff of the subterfuge. Afterwards, the GoG goobers headed over to theDiscourser's homestead and gamed into the night. Fun times.

SUNDAY: Car Work...what did you expect?

Disassembled the intake just so that I can access the EGT, exhaust gas temp sensor, Bank 1, driver's side. Had some problems, yet again. It's safe to say that every problem I've run into when I've done car work have ALWAYS been related to NOT having the right tools. Again, thanks to thePerfectLine for his six foot tall tool chest, but even he didn't have an 18mm Crow's foot. Had to buy the whole set at my local Autozone. After slapping the Crow's foot onto the end of a wobble head and two long extenders for my 1/4 in ratchet, viola, what I couldn't do in two hours of knuckle breaking work was done in 3.5 seconds. The new EGT is in and the car runs crazy strong, like a new car actually. I'm holding the requested 24 PSI boost but DAMMIT, I'm still seeing boost oscillation. I guess it is the N75 wastegate controller module. At least the part is cheap and even easier to get to. Will fill you in later.