Rx-8 W/New engine, AEM CAI, Runs like crap, help!
09-12-2008, 05:12 AM
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Rx-8 W/New engine, AEM CAI, Runs like crap, help!
I'm posting for a friend of mine and I will try to give out as much info.
3 Months ago my friend bought a AEM cold air intake unit and a unichip and had the car tuned, he was running on the street/track map as was advised by the tuner.
The tuner was TAPP auto in Ottawa, Canada. He is supposedly a very reputable tuner and tunes audis, porsches and the likes.
The car was running marvelously, it never overheated and was also never low on fluids.
About a month ago my friends Rx-8 Started to run like crap and stall, so he brought it to the dealer, they checked it for 1 week before finally telling him they were changing the engine, my friend said to himself "That's great, I'll have a brand new engine"
The dealer he brought it to was Argus Mazda in Hull, Québec.
2 weeks into changing the engine they broke the intake manifold and had to order a new one, how competent is that. Then my friend basically had no news for the next 2 weeks.
Finally after spending a total of 1 month in the shop, the shop manager calls my friend and tells him :
"You know buddy your car is running like **** again even with the new engine, so I unplugged the sensor on the CAI and you'll have to re-install the stock air box"
Now 2 days ago he did put the stock air box on and now it's running great! Now my concerns are why would the dealer ask him to remove something like a CAI when they sell a similar one from mazdaspeed AT the dealer. I'm also wondering if the Unichip might be the cause, did the unichip keep it's tune and the stock ecu just didn't learn yet? or does he need to re-tune it with the CAI again are the break-in Period?
Basically My friend is fed up and wants to sell the car if it's going to be so much trouble, I told him to keep it because mazda extended the warranty anyways.
1stPic : Stock
2nd Pic: Dropped, Carbon fiber immitation rims, fender flares etc..
Thanks a LOT for your help in advance, and sorry for any typographical errors as I am a damned Frenchie.
Jean-Michel
3 Months ago my friend bought a AEM cold air intake unit and a unichip and had the car tuned, he was running on the street/track map as was advised by the tuner.
The tuner was TAPP auto in Ottawa, Canada. He is supposedly a very reputable tuner and tunes audis, porsches and the likes.
The car was running marvelously, it never overheated and was also never low on fluids.
About a month ago my friends Rx-8 Started to run like crap and stall, so he brought it to the dealer, they checked it for 1 week before finally telling him they were changing the engine, my friend said to himself "That's great, I'll have a brand new engine"
The dealer he brought it to was Argus Mazda in Hull, Québec.
2 weeks into changing the engine they broke the intake manifold and had to order a new one, how competent is that. Then my friend basically had no news for the next 2 weeks.
Finally after spending a total of 1 month in the shop, the shop manager calls my friend and tells him :
"You know buddy your car is running like **** again even with the new engine, so I unplugged the sensor on the CAI and you'll have to re-install the stock air box"
Now 2 days ago he did put the stock air box on and now it's running great! Now my concerns are why would the dealer ask him to remove something like a CAI when they sell a similar one from mazdaspeed AT the dealer. I'm also wondering if the Unichip might be the cause, did the unichip keep it's tune and the stock ecu just didn't learn yet? or does he need to re-tune it with the CAI again are the break-in Period?
Basically My friend is fed up and wants to sell the car if it's going to be so much trouble, I told him to keep it because mazda extended the warranty anyways.
1stPic : Stock
2nd Pic: Dropped, Carbon fiber immitation rims, fender flares etc..
Thanks a LOT for your help in advance, and sorry for any typographical errors as I am a damned Frenchie.
Jean-Michel
09-12-2008, 09:02 AM
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How lazy is your friend he can't post himself?
Regardless, there was heresay Mazdaspeed had halted all sales of their intake for similar reasons. I don't know if that is true or not. Either way, just because it's a similar intake, it isn't their intake. They don't know it, don't warranty it - end of story. Whether or not his ECU kept the tune would have to be checked where he got it. Whether it's the culprit is quite likely.
Regardless, there was heresay Mazdaspeed had halted all sales of their intake for similar reasons. I don't know if that is true or not. Either way, just because it's a similar intake, it isn't their intake. They don't know it, don't warranty it - end of story. Whether or not his ECU kept the tune would have to be checked where he got it. Whether it's the culprit is quite likely.
09-12-2008, 11:35 AM
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He doesn't post himself on here but I bet he's looking in other places, i'm a bit more pc savvy than him, lol. But I think it's still b.s. that he has to remove it. And they still warrantied it anyhow even with the cai, but I don't think they knew it had a unichip.
I basically wanted to know if anyone has encountered these issues before with the same setup, not just what people might think what the problem is because we came to the same conclusions. And I'd think that AEM would've done some R&D.
I told him to bring it back to the tuner with the cai once the break-in's done.
But it's so damn expensive, I guess we'll wait and see, unless someone here can assure me that this is either the problem or something else.
thanks!
I basically wanted to know if anyone has encountered these issues before with the same setup, not just what people might think what the problem is because we came to the same conclusions. And I'd think that AEM would've done some R&D.
I told him to bring it back to the tuner with the cai once the break-in's done.
But it's so damn expensive, I guess we'll wait and see, unless someone here can assure me that this is either the problem or something else.
thanks!
09-12-2008, 11:46 AM
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Thanks shaunv74, that's what I suspected!
Would you re-install the AEM CAI afterwards or do you mean re-tune with stock airbox?
My friend is the kind of guy to get very anxious when things don't work like they should.
So I guess the unichip reset itself or something.
My buddy still has the CD with 3 maps on it will they work?
Or is every engine made slightly different in a way that a only a new tune would work.
He has a street/track and a drag tune and a drift map, but he never drifts.
Would you re-install the AEM CAI afterwards or do you mean re-tune with stock airbox?
My friend is the kind of guy to get very anxious when things don't work like they should.
So I guess the unichip reset itself or something.
My buddy still has the CD with 3 maps on it will they work?
Or is every engine made slightly different in a way that a only a new tune would work.
He has a street/track and a drag tune and a drift map, but he never drifts.
Last edited by jimmybrite; 09-12-2008 at 11:51 AM.
09-12-2008, 11:59 AM
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nycgps, you should read my initial post, I though I made it clear. He got the CAI and the unichip at the same time.
UPDATE UPDATE
**** i'm on the phone with him and he tells me that yesterday the throttle GOT STUCK it wasnt even WOT, wow im shocked!!!!
It was in traffic he could've hurt someone!
UPDATE UPDATE
**** i'm on the phone with him and he tells me that yesterday the throttle GOT STUCK it wasnt even WOT, wow im shocked!!!!
It was in traffic he could've hurt someone!
09-12-2008, 12:10 PM
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Like I said earlier, he's looking on his side, but now not so much, they did a half-assed job over at mazda, they didnt bother putting back his inner fenders! imagine that.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
09-12-2008, 12:37 PM
#14
Power!!
Thanks shaunv74, that's what I suspected!
Would you re-install the AEM CAI afterwards or do you mean re-tune with stock airbox?
My friend is the kind of guy to get very anxious when things don't work like they should.
So I guess the unichip reset itself or something.
My buddy still has the CD with 3 maps on it will they work?
Or is every engine made slightly different in a way that a only a new tune would work.
He has a street/track and a drag tune and a drift map, but he never drifts.
Would you re-install the AEM CAI afterwards or do you mean re-tune with stock airbox?
My friend is the kind of guy to get very anxious when things don't work like they should.
So I guess the unichip reset itself or something.
My buddy still has the CD with 3 maps on it will they work?
Or is every engine made slightly different in a way that a only a new tune would work.
He has a street/track and a drag tune and a drift map, but he never drifts.
I dont' think the Unichip reset itself. You tune a piggyback to the specific engine. In this case the Unichip was tuned to a crappy dying engine. Now you have a new one so it needs to be tuned to that engine.
Also why would you expect the Dealer to re-install the piggyback unit? It's an aftermarket part that could have blown up your engine. You're actually lucky they didn't deny warranty coverage because of the Unichip on your friend's car.
09-12-2008, 02:18 PM
#15
Like I said earlier, he's looking on his side, but now not so much, they did a half-assed job over at mazda, they didnt bother putting back his inner fenders! imagine that.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
09-12-2008, 02:54 PM
#17
With friends like you, I dont really expect anything good out of the guy himself. Dont worry man, u guys will lose for SURE. Unichip = gg
cry more u whinny little bitch !
Like I said earlier, he's looking on his side, but now not so much, they did a half-assed job over at mazda, they didnt bother putting back his inner fenders! imagine that.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
SO he's getting rid of it me thinks, he's fed up, he never had that that many problems with his previous cars, and it's kinda funny how his 99 SiR (type R internals) made more power! haha.
oooo made more power ? rofl with a fart can + tons of stickers sure u should be able to get another 2000 whp.
He tried to tune his car with just AEM ? that **** already made my day ! and with which EMS again? Unichip? OH COME ON !!!! I'll have more respect if u told me u use something like F-Con V-Pro or something. Muhahahahaha !
ahh, too bad I never had much problem with my car, and I think the only different between me and ur buddy is, ur buddy is a moron just like you, and Im ahh, nothing , just an average guy thats all, better than a moron tho
For some reason,when I hear someone said the word "jimmy", the word "retard" shows in my mind.
Last edited by nycgps; 09-12-2008 at 03:01 PM.
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