The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support JNZ Tuning
Please Support STM Tuned

FMIC Install - Little to no boost now

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

supraguy17

10+ Year Contributor
103
0
Mar 21, 2011
Bangor, Maine
Yes, I've already researched similar topics for the past hour and no, none of them sounded like my issue and half of them were unanswered.

After my terrible service purchasing my Punishment Racing FMIC, the terrible seems to be sticking around. Finished installing the intercooler late last week and for the past week I've had nothing but issues, tearing and putting back together and headache after headache with it.

After the install I took the car out for a ride it drove alright and when I got on the highway to give it some I only could get 5 psi out of it. I'm on the stock t25 stock injectors no mbc, all stock, I was boosting at 12psi perfectly fine before the install. A few days ago my problem was that I was still at 5 psi but when I got on it in 2nd or 3rd gear I would boost a little and then its like the car hit a wall and stopped boosting until I shifted. My problem now after a 4th time of dinking around with this is that I am hardly boosting, at 1-2psi, when I get on it it hardly does anything. When on the interstate I let off the throttle and the car before the install would be at 20 on the vac gauge and now with the issues I let off the throttle and I'm at 10 on the vac. Also when going up a hill or accelerating in general my stock boost gauge will show full boost but I wont hear any air being sucked in from the intake when before it was loud. Also my stock boost gauge shows full boost and my aftermarket gauge goes from 10 to 0 on the vac. and hardly goes into boost even when getting on it.

Any more questions I'll gladly give the info, pics, etc. to help figure what is going on. Thank you for the help in advance.
 
Also forgot to mention that the check engine light came on yesterday, probably has nothing to do with it but just throwing it out there
 
Not with a boost issues check the codes though. Sensors or ecu issue with the cel, been there done that check those leaks out i hope this helps.
 
Few things:

1. Boost leak test.... and check for vacuum leaks.

.. but to get to this we need to know a few things....

A. Which FMIC kit did you get? What kind of piping did it come with, which BOV are you running... which leads to the infamous question....is this BOV vented to atmosphere with the stock MAF in the stock location? This will act as a boost leak if you have it set up this way.

B. Please note that if you are running too large of an intercooler with a stock turbo, you will probably see a drop in power. This is why I asked which kit did you buy. That turbo has to be be able to push the air through that space.

C. Get a MBC. Right now, from the sounds of it the boost control solenoid is regulating the boost.

D. Pull the codes and see what they are.

E. Check to make sure the boost gauge is hooked up correctly and/or check to make sure the tubing didn't get damaged. (if a mechanical gauge) :)
 
Instead of wasting money on an mbc you could just run boost source to wastegate for the time being....Thats eliminates the bcs and increases boost a small amount.
The code is almost definitely something electrical that you may have left unplugged or got rid of.
If you can only boost 5psi after a fmic install I think the reason is pretty obvious.....
 
This is the fmic kit that I purchased.
Punishment Racing FMIC Kit: 95-99 Eclipse/Talon

It came with 3" piping. The blow off valve that I am running is the one that came with the car that I found out was just a ebay type-rs bov. The bov is vented to the atmosphere, i know i know, buying a hose asap and yes the MAF is in the stock location. I'll buy a MBC when I purchase the recirculation hose.

The codes will be pulled Monday since I have an appointment anyways to get my alternator belt replaced.
 
This is the fmic kit that I purchased.
Punishment Racing FMIC Kit: 95-99 Eclipse/Talon

It came with 3" piping. The blow off valve that I am running is the one that came with the car that I found out was just a ebay type-rs bov. The bov is vented to the atmosphere, i know i know, buying a hose asap and yes the MAF is in the stock location. I'll buy a MBC when I purchase the recirculation hose.

The codes will be pulled Monday since I have an appointment anyways to get my alternator belt replaced.

Well there's your problem.
 
Although it surly wouldn't make the situation of a boost leak better LOL. On another note but still on topic, I got my Punishment fmic a couple of months ago and it seemed well built. Have you double checked all your couplers? and either capped or tapped the open, well, hole in the lower piping? One of my friends actually forgot it even though it's protruding from the pipe LOL.
 
Venting bov would not be the direct cause to lack of boost LOL....
There is something else wrong.

While I agree there is something else wrong, a improperly adjusted BOV or a bad BOV can leak at idle and during boost causing it to be open when it shouldn't be.

OP:
Anytime you work with the intake system (especially after putting pipes or a FMIC on), you should always perform a boost leak test. The make sure the MAF plug is fully seated.

Also for you or anyone else, never post about a boost issue prior to doing a boost leak test!
 
Hey one thing too to check is make sure you have the boost line from the turbo,J-pipe, BOV, stock ebc,hooked up properly to where its suppose to go to. when i first had switched over to my s16g i ran the boost line improperly so i was only boosting 5psi also, and looking thru the search i found out that i hooked it up wrong, so try that. pull up how it should be ran and all. I am now on a NXS MBC that i bought on ebay but im only running 16psi and its held up perfectly so thats also an alternative well goodluck.
 
Sounds like boost leak, the venting of the BOV wont cause your problem unless it is stuck open, it usually only hurts between shifts becuase you are losing metered air in the system which screws your AFR's all to hell!!! Really need to check that code and it sounds kind of like a bad MAF sensor or not hooked up, you should never really get that "hitting a wall feeling" from a leak just no balls.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions everybody.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning at 8 to get some things taken care of as well as the codes. I have not really drove the car due to the issues but yesterday I hoped in it and it started up fine then about 30 seconds in of letting it idle it started to sputter and then stalled, started it back up and kind of sputtered but didn't stall then ran like it has been. Drove it today again, no stalling on start up, but when getting onto and driving on the highway, i have to shift up when accelerating before the boost feels like it is kicking in because the car will bog down and while in 5th if I try to accelerate the car will go to full boost according to the stock gauge and the car will bog down and I can't do anything besides slow down and try to get back up to speed limit.

The part of the intake where its supposed to be recirculated is capped and clamped, tightly. I've literally gone through and reclamped and tightened every clamp and pipe five times.
 
Agreed. There are other things than just pipes and clamps that will leak vacuum or boost. Stop being stubborn and not taking the advice myself and others are telling you to do.
 
I'm usually the last to be a follower, but do yourself a favor and do a boost leak test. They're cheap to make and might seem like a PITA but they are worth it. I screwed around with a boost/idle problem for 2 weekends before I made a trip down to Home Depot and made my boost leak tester. I found 4 leaks at couplers that I "knew" were clamped down. Either way, once I fixed all the leaks, the car ran GREAT.

I'm sure most DIY DSM'ers on here can attest to the fact that a Boost leak tester is an invaluable tool.
 
I apologize everybody if it seemed like I was being stubborn! I have been taking all your advice seriously i wrote the info on a boost leak tester down! I have a daily and I drove that for the 2 days and just dropped the car off to get codes pulled and the belts replaced like planned already before the issues. After I get the car back today I will be performing a boost leak test.

On a side note, I purchased a recirculation hose and MBC last night.

RESOLVED.

got the car back today shes running GREAT! Performed boost leak test and found 2 leaks, fixed right up and its running better then ever! thanks you again everybody!!
 
This thread should have been three posts long.

You describing your problem.

iugrad92turbo telling you to do a boost leak test.

And you with problem solved. :p
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top