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FinalLast
11-15-2002, 02:26 AM
got a 99 I4 ES
When I got it I noticed that is was not as powerful/quick as my friends 99 I4 ES.
Didn't know what was wrong with it so I search and the forum on common things to check for and replace.
Check the plugs (I gapped them to factory specs 1.0 - 1.1 mm i think)
Check the TB
Oil changed to Mobile1 5-30W changed Oil filter also
Now the car is still weak..
I am getting worried.. what else can be wrong?
I hope none of the engine is damaged.
How can I check?
My friend said something about not enough compression can be a possibility.
If that is the problem is that cover under the powertrain warrenty?

Please help

I only have 24k on it.. I hope its not a big problem.

TJC
11-15-2002, 02:57 AM
Yep, could be tranny fluid too. Change ATF and filter, if electrodes are rounded off on plugs, change those too, change air filter, use good gas and perhaps go higher octane, use FI cleaner if your pump gas does not contain the additives for cleaning injectors.

Of course you can always start getting mods to get more performance out of your car. At 24k, you shouldn't have to worry about cylinder compression levels yet.

pinoyesv6
11-15-2002, 06:33 AM
yea regular maintenance might be the key to your problem or maybe u just need some mods.

or hell, their both 99's so your friend could have a fed. and if equally modded, the fed spec will always be more powerful than a cali spec

FinalLast
11-15-2002, 10:29 AM
Yep, could be tranny fluid too. Change ATF and filter, if electrodes are rounded off on plugs, change those too, change air filter, use good gas and perhaps go higher octane, use FI cleaner if your pump gas does not contain the additives for cleaning injectors.

Of course you can always start getting mods to get more performance out of your car. At 24k, you shouldn't have to worry about cylinder compression levels yet.

Ok the next step for me the complete tranny service at the dealer. Going to cost me an arm and a leg. About $200 but I want to do it right.
I just changed the plugs. I am using Autolite Plat plugs. Tell me if that is a good idea. Or please give me some suggestions. I really don't feel like spending $10 for each plug. All I want is decent plug I don't need the best.
Yes I also changed the air filter already.
still weak.... I always use super when I fill up the gas tank.

Is there a way I can get the mits dealer to look at my car and do some advance diag to see what is wrong with it??
I tried but they just wanted me get $$ from me
they wanted me to change the
air filter = $46
oil = $20
emission system clean/flush = $200

I just said no and changed the oil and air filter myself and saved quite a bit of money.

Do you guys think I need to do the emission system clean/flush??
He said it is to get the carbon out of the engine and emission system.
It that true??

Thank for any comments or ideas.
I really want my g-ride to last for a long time.
Because I want to mod it like crazy.

btw

I got a 99 ES I4
my friend has the same car just different color
and my gf has a 99 ES V6

We are all stock.

How do you find out if one is cali spec or fed spec??
Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Xavier22
11-15-2002, 12:05 PM
to find out if it is fed or cali, look at the post-------->throttle body upgrade 2.4l by 99DE - its an active post right now, so chck it out!!

FinalLast
11-15-2002, 07:20 PM
hrm.. those pics...
I don't have a heat shield is that a problem???
Anyways.. my headers look pretty crappy.
It very straight and narrow. Hrm I probly got a cali spec..
DAMN!!
What is the difference btw cali and fed?
From what I've read the fed spec galants are faster..
blah

still no power.
need to find a way to come up $200 for tranny service.

I probly can do it myself..

There is a guide here somewhere right???

How much are the oils and filters?

The guide on this site is that for 99 I4 ?

toc8g
11-16-2002, 01:04 AM
I used to have this problem as well,...but what made it worse was I had mods and he didn't and he was beating me. You know what it was? My car was out of timing. Also tighten up you throttle body cable. After my car was re-timed I was kicking his ass all the fucking time,..hard core!!!

TJC
11-16-2002, 02:40 AM
timing affects the air and fuel so it will of course directly affect performance. it used to be easy doing the timing. just get a timing gun and point it on the belt to see the marks and with the distributor a little loose, torque left or right to advance or retard. I'm not sure about these cars though. too much electronics, lol.

FinalLast
11-17-2002, 10:03 AM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(toc8g)</div><div class='quotemain'>I used to have this problem as well,...but what made it worse was I had mods and he didn't and he was beating me. You know what it was? My car was out of timing. Also tighten up you throttle body cable. After my car was re-timed I was kicking his ass all the fucking time,..hard core!!!</div>

Hrm.. where did you re-timed it?
How much?
I already did the TB cable.
I think FINALLY this might be the REAL reason why my car is SLUGISH!
YEAH!
I hope the re-timing is not too expensive.
https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif

pinoyesv6
11-17-2002, 10:42 AM
easy way to find out if you have a cali. cali's have a lil wire going into them. the feds don't. also, the fed spec headers look actually kinda lil headers, not a dome header that looked like u threw it into the trash conpactor

toc8g
11-17-2002, 01:11 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FinalLast)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(toc8g)</div><div class='quotemain'>I used to have this problem as well,...but what made it worse was I had mods and he didn't and he was beating me. You know what it was? My car was out of timing. Also tighten up you throttle body cable. After my car was re-timed I was kicking his ass all the fucking time,..hard core!!!</div>

Hrm.. where did you re-timed it?
How much?
I already did the TB cable.
I think FINALLY this might be the REAL reason why my car is SLUGISH!
YEAH!
I hope the re-timing is not too expensive.
https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif</div>

I don't exactly remember because my uncle did it at his shop(FireStone) for free but I know its kinda expensive. The guy who did it said he wouldn't want to do it again. But I tell you this it ran like a champ after that!

FinalLast
11-17-2002, 04:08 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PinoyESV6)</div><div class='quotemain'>easy way to find out if you have a cali. cali's have a lil wire going into them. the feds don't. also, the fed spec headers look actually kinda lil headers, not a dome header that looked like u threw it into the trash conpactor</div>

My worst fears has come true.
I got the crappy cali... d'oh

FinalLast
11-17-2002, 04:08 PM
does anyone here know more about adjusting timing...

?

pinoyesv6
11-17-2002, 04:12 PM
i believe TOC's timing was off cuz of his aftermarket adjustable cam gear that he had. it was set @ the wrong setting.

manybrews
11-17-2002, 09:44 PM
timing is NOT adjustable on the 97.
the only galants with adjustable timing are pre-96.


and changing it is a stupid idea. its already optimally timed from the engineering staff. anything you do to it will either
1)cause pinging
2)raise emmisions
3)lower fuel economy.


and the big one.. if someone actually altered the cam timing in relation to the crank, they are REAL idiots. this is NOT a race car, and changing the cam timing is garanteed to have nothing but negative effects on the engine.

pinoyesv6
11-17-2002, 10:51 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(manybrews)</div><div class='quotemain'>timing is NOT adjustable on the 97. Â*
the only galants with adjustable timing are pre-96.


and changing it is a stupid idea. Â* its already optimally timed from the engineering staff. Â*anything you do to it will either
1)cause pinging
2)raise emmisions
3)lower fuel economy.


and the big one.. if someone actually altered the cam timing in relation to the crank, they are REAL idiots. Â*this is NOT a race car, and changing the cam timing is garanteed to have nothing but negative effects on the engine.</div>

first of all, let me start with TOC has an adjustable timing gear that allows him to change his timing. at first, his timing gear was on the wrong setting thus causing his decreased peformance. uhm the manufacturer should supply some kinda suggestions for setting the timing gear but, they shouldn't be used to say what setting your car should be on. with proper tuning, like with a dyno and a couple runs should help to find out which kind of setting is for your car.

as for changing the timing being a stupid idea, it all depends on how you look at things. for example, increased emissions. many of us don't really care that much about emissions. they only time we do is when it comes to inspection time. and many of us would pass anyways. and if we were really scared, just slap the timing cam gear back to oem setting and u just got something in ur bay that looks pretty and is most likely lighter than oem. also with the decreased fuel economy. yea that might probably happen since the intake and exhaust valves will be opened at the same time for a longer interval but then again, peformance. its not gonna cut your fuel economy in half. and yea decreased fuel economy is a little price to pay for peformance. i mean many of the peformance mods we put on kill gas anyways.

to sum things up, many auto manufacturers are a little bit conservative with the timing. i mean they have meet strict emissions testing and the fuel econmy etc is what sells the car. i mean not every1 buys a car for low emissions and good gas mileage. some people just buy the car just because. and well, out there, there are people who actually want to modify their cars and gain peformance, who want to go fast, who want to make their cars different. i mean you can't get everythign u want in life but a compromise is pretty good.

for me for example. im a peformance kinda guy. i like power, and i like to have it now. i mean fuel economy is good sometimes and yea if im drivign somewhere far or low on cash i might drive less agressive or even remove a mod or two to save up on cash. but yea a small sacrifice for waht u want the most. i mean even with my rental, wheen i first got it it was a slow lil fucker. but after messing around in the engine bay, i got more peformance out of it. i mean it drinks gas like a drunk bitch but hell i got that power.

o yea for more about cam gears, here's a lil decent article on them click click ('http://www.importtuner.com/insidetechnology/0208it_insidetechnology/')

toc8g
11-17-2002, 11:13 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(manybrews)</div><div class='quotemain'>timing is NOT adjustable on the 97. Â*
the only galants with adjustable timing are pre-96.


and changing it is a stupid idea. Â* its already optimally timed from the engineering staff. Â*anything you do to it will either
1)cause pinging
2)raise emmisions
3)lower fuel economy.


and the big one.. if someone actually altered the cam timing in relation to the crank, they are REAL idiots. Â*this is NOT a race car, and changing the cam timing is garanteed to have nothing but negative effects on the engine.</div>

You know Mitsu would be proud to hear you talk like that,...just like a Mitsu Tech is supposed to sound true till the end. Yeah the Galant is a, "Family Sedan" and the I-4 is a 4G64 but lets see the Eclipse is a, "Sports CAR" with the same engine!!??? Hmm,...yeah....and the Galant VR4 yeah thats not a race car either??? Oh yeah a Mitsu Tech told me that the belt I was using was bigger then the OEM belt and the Aftermarket cam gear was bigger,..well,...I guess he was the idiot and so was the Service Manager who obviously did't know what they were talking about. And what was even worse if they took the time to actually compare the belt and gear would have found out they were the exact same size!!!! Now they were fuckin idiots. Yeah and your right on the newer Galants the ignition timing is controlled by the ECU and the cam timing is still controlled with the cam gear. I mean the Cars are optimized for fuel economy not performance but that’s not to say we cannot have it optimized for more performance. A aftermarket cam gear is used to re arrange the power band and does not create hp mitsu has it set for the best fuel economy and performance all wrapped into one on the other hand I would tweak it to a little less on the fuel and more on the power. I can do that in the lower or higher power band but you would need a dyno for that. Also you would definitely need a adj cam gear when using a aftermarket cam shaft. Manybrews your job is to keep Mitsu cars running like they were made from the factory,. its not your fault you are used to doing a certain thing for so long,....I don't fault you but don't be coming here calling people <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>REAL idiots</div> we are doing things to our cars that have been done for generations. Our cars are what we make them not what you are anybody says they are. I have made my mistakes and have learned from them thru trial and error,. I have paid for some and cheered from some. I know this the end product of my 2000 moded Galant was alot more performance oriented then when it was oem and that’s what I was striving for. So for those of us who don't subscribe to your mitsu tech way of thinking,we don't appreciate the names https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif

FinalLast
11-23-2002, 01:38 PM
How about that!!

I resetted the ECU
now everything is fine!!
WHAT??
WHat is simple thing to do ..
I should have done this in the beginning.

From now on I will reset my ECU more often!!

https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif

99DE
11-23-2002, 07:08 PM
I am still wandering what kind of gains could be had by getting the RPW headers on the Cali car. I know it gets rid of the pre-cat but no-one here seems to have the RPW for the 4cyl just a couple of V6 guys. That will probably be my next major mod, but I'm worried hidden extra $$ that might have to buy just to get the headers to work properly with our car.

manybrews
11-23-2002, 09:30 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(toc8g)</div><div class='quotemain'>. So for those of us who don't subscribe to your mitsu tech way of thinking,we don't appreciate the names https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif</div>
hey, didnt mean to offend anyone.

heres the thing, though. as a tech, im also a gearhead. i drive fast, and have owned a lot of fast cars.
but a 4 cylinder galant is not a fast car. and i have seen what happens a LOT of the time when people try to make them fast using things like adjustable cam gears. 9 times out of 10, it not only runs worse and gets worse mileage, the performance actually suffers due to the drop in torque or the change in the powerband.
Im all for hot rodding cars, but you outta see how these things screw up the car as a whole.
sure, things like adjustable timing gears have there place. but squeezing another 7 hp out of a car (and losing 5 lb-feet of torque in the process) isnt usually worth the headaches they cause.. i mean, lookat this thread.
hes got a problem.

I know better than most the compromises manufacturers make when doint things like calibrating the fuel mixture, timing, shift points, etc.etc.
but trust me, they DO try to get as much power as possible out of each combination.. if the power level must be lowered, its usually for a really good reason.