How to restore your car’s performance (and spend $ 25 in a process)

**Igor** · 05-30-2007, 06:52 PM

Some of you might remember my thread “How to ruin your car’s performance (and spend $ 4,000 in a process)”.

For those of you who didn’t read it: after adding Airhammer, Jet TBS, JBA shorties, HHP high-flow cats, and Pro-Torque Converter to the Zoomers cat-back and Superchips with 91 octane tune, the car became much slower from the line and I had disappointing 0-60 mph results (went from 5,50 to 6,40), the transmission became limp, no wheel spin at all, (at the same time the quarter mile improved significantly but that’s another story).

I received numerous sound ideas and advices from fellow members, and some of them were right on spot and did the trick.

THE GOOD NEWS IS: CAR FINALLY STARTED PERFORMING LIKE IT SHOULD!!!

Even with 275/40/20 tires I got my 0-60 mph run back to 5,50 (¼ mile is still around 13,80).

What’s even more important, the car feels light, quick of the line, shifting is quick and powerful + much more power and better acceleration from 100 to 140 mph … Finally I can say I did not spend all that $$$ and all those hours on the internet in vain.

The steps that cured the problem:

removed TBS – car immediately became more responsive
had TCM flashed with a Star Scan at the dealership ($ 25)
applied Superchips 91 octane tune, custom settings

Another benefit – no more power surges in idle with 91 octane tune.

I would like to thank once again all of you guys who shared your thoughts and experience and supported me in this struggle, especially: Cool Vanilla, Formerice, Bandit, Matt Robertson, Lafrad, Rev Hammer, and finally PowerWagon896 who suggested flashing TCM. One of the best things with owning an LX car is being a part of this great community and getting to know you guys.

**CoolVanilla** · 05-30-2007, 07:26 PM

Excellent news! Very glad to hear you're loving your ride again.

**Todd RT** · 05-30-2007, 08:31 PM

Glad to hear it... but I have to ask... what is TBS?

**Super T** · 05-30-2007, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by Todd RT

Glad to hear it... but I have to ask... what is TBS?

Throttle Body Spacer.

Congrats on getting things worked out!!!!

**Scoobydoo** · 05-30-2007, 08:59 PM

Very cool indeed! Something to think about for sure!

How did you get the dealer to flash the TCM? I certainly wouldn't mind having that done.

Guest · 05-30-2007, 09:04 PM

Yeah, those TBS's are pure BS through and through.

By having your car flashed you effectively did what the fuse 11 pull would have done, so keep that in mind for future mods... a simple pull of the fuse will always make you smile!

Enjoy the ride, glad it's all good now!

**GotMe-N-R/T** · 05-30-2007, 09:23 PM

How did you get the dealer to flash the TCM? I certainly wouldn't mind having that done

**Hemissary** · 05-31-2007, 01:15 AM

Agreed on the TBS's, but if he is refering to flashing the TCM with the SRT8 TSB (or another similar flash), no fuse 11 pull will ever match the driveability improvements.

Originally Posted by Bandit

Yeah, those TBS's are pure BS through and through.

By having your car flashed you effectively did what the fuse 11 pull would have done, so keep that in mind for future mods... a simple pull of the fuse will always make you smile!

Enjoy the ride, glad it's all good now!

**LowGo** · 05-31-2007, 01:54 AM

I remember your other thread. I'm glad to hear you got the issues resolved. You got a good deal on that flash. It cost me $80 to have that done!

**Igor** · 05-31-2007, 04:59 AM

A guy who works there installed my performance parts in his private garage, otherwise they wouldn't do it.

**Igor** · 05-31-2007, 05:03 AM

I have pulled fuse 11 three times, with no or minimal results. Flash is completely a different story, it seems like the car now recognises Pro torque converter, shifting is completely different than before.

**formerice** · 05-31-2007, 09:37 AM

Igor, thats great news! Now be careful, don't lose your licence for speeding like I did. I got a ticket 2 years ago for a 100 mph in a 65mph zone. $1000 fine, but the worst part was not being able to drive for a month, also I was lucky not to go to prison.

**Hemissary** · 05-31-2007, 10:52 AM

Given what pulling fuse #11 actually does, it's no wonder. It "is" a crap-shoot and depends directly on where the short term fuel tables sat prior to erasing them. The default values that are instituted "might" cause more power to be present for a "very" short period of time, but that is all.

It's getting a little long in the tooth this wive's tale regarding performance gains associated with pulling a (any) fuse...

Originally Posted by Igor

I have pulled fuse 11 three times, with no or minimal results. Flash is completely a different story, it seems like the car now recognises Pro torque converter, shifting is completely different than before.

**CoolVanilla** · 05-31-2007, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Moebius

It's getting a little long in the tooth this wive's tale regarding performance gains associated with pulling a (any) fuse...

Its not a wive's tale... rather its a story with two different beginnings and endings.

LOTS of testing has shown two very different behaviors, given two different levels of mods. The simplest way I can think of it (and therefore explain) is to classify a particular car into two categories: (1) none to lightly modded and (2) medium to heavy modded.

We've seen many times that pulling fuse in situation 1 has two effects: (a) it resets the throttle learning, or comfort tune as its been called. This has the effect of feeling like the car is pulling harder for the same throttle position. There is logic built into these things that essentially tries to learn how you work the throttle, and provide you a comfortable ride based on it; essentially it learns how not to snap your neck. If you lightly accelerate all the time, and only occasionally hammer home, that hammer home wont be as aggressive on a learned module vs a reset module. So gross power doesn't change at all, but partial throttles can have different torque and power curves for a given RPM.

(b) mods like CAIs, cat backs, even Superchips and headers... these introduce conditions to the PCM that are so close to stock that there is very little, if any, learning that must happen by the PCM in order for the power they might offer to be seen.

Now situation (2) is very different. If you change thing so dramatically that the PCM's default tables are so far off, you bet your power numbers will suffer. Things like heads, cams, stroke, bore ect... you're so dramatically changing the air fuel mixture, ignition timing ect... that it takes time for the PCM to learn those new inputs, and adjust for them (both at partial and wide open throttles; two different tables, both of which are adaptive!). We've seen it over and over... install new heads and a cam and the car flat out won't idle... throw it on the dyno and get a power reading. Keep at it for a 1/2 hour and all the sudden it will idle just fine... throw it back on the dyno after a few hundred miles and watch the power numbers increase by as much as 10%.

It was only after some serious testing and analysis (by far smarter people than me) the two above situations were realized as fact. In some cases pulling 11 makes zero difference in gross numbers. In some cases pulling it brings the feel 'back to life'. In other cases still pulling fuse 11 will result in a total dog that wont even idle...

Lots of variants. One statement that says 'pulling 11 does nothing' doesn't take them all into account. Hope that helps.

**lafrad** · 05-31-2007, 12:02 PM

Igor, something to keep in mind:
Whenever you change settings in your Superchips... you should pull fuse 11 or disconnect the battery to reset the computer.. *after* the superchips is done doing its work and you verify that the car starts.

This will allow the now modified computers to adjust, starting with the modified values.. as opposed to try and react to changes made....