Running Rich Getting worse daily.

[inspire]

Ok so I got a FMIC from my girlfriend for Christmas early. I don't have many mods, I understand a t25 and a fmic dont really do much other than lose you some pony power, but I plan in the next month to upgrade the manifold, the 02 housing and to a T28 turbo.

Basically the issue I have is the FMIC is the lower part has all the lower piping and bolts right up. I am stuck using the stock UPIC piping for right now, ordering that next week when my check comes in. So onto the problem. The car has a misfire at idle. I smell gas pretty bad at times. When I hit the gas and try to get up to resonable speeds it seems that the car drops power at about 5psi. The blow off just doesnt sound the same, and when I was driving the car home from work for lunch on the interstate all the sudden the car seemed to run like a tractor.

My valve cover has recently developed a crack and oil is getting into were the spark plugs sit in the valve cover. Plan on fixing this with a new valve cover as well next week.

What I am trying to figure out is why is the car falling on its face, and not building boost like normal. It ran good with the stock SMIC and as soon as I swap to a front mount, it has been running like garbage as far as get up and go is concerned. What can I check to try and remedy this problem.

It is my daily driver, so I am kind of hoping for a quick fix. Have not checked my plugs yet, and was wondering if there was anything else that I can check to solve my issue. All feedback is greatly appreciated.

I will also add that when I hooked up to a datalogger my o2 sensor is throwing bad readings. I know this will cause for rich conditions, but with the SMIC it was not really affecting the power-band as bad as what is going on with the FMIC now. I just want it to run normal, with the FMIC.

 

[gophishy10]

Do a boost leak test. Especially after installing the new fmic.

 

[inspire]

I just can't see a boost leak causing this kind of thing, it feels like there is more involved that a boost leak. Plus with the FMIC shouldn't my psi of dropped from the 13lbs I was running before. It was running at 13psi with fmic blowing off piping, but now only spools 5, runs like shit, and sounds like a tractor. Im stumped. Ill be sure to check it out though.

It feels like my Civic when it dropped tune and went into limp mode. Except it blows off after it starts limping. Embarrassing. Anything after 3k and it is flipping me the bird and acting a fool.

 

[gophishy10]

This sounds almost the same as what was happening with me when I put on my fmic. Turned out to be a boost leak. Also, do you have dsmlink? A fmic will have more airflow than the stock smic. I'm not sure how much more it really is, but it's a possibility that it's affecting afr's.

And the only thing you did was install a fmic? Nothing else?

 

[n0de]

really sounds like boost leak, BLT should be the first thing you do with your symptoms, especially since you obviously just removed and replaced charge piping.

 

[PotatoFlakeSTi]

Boost leak test...
If your MAF is metering air that isn't reaching the combustion chamber, you run..... RICH!

 

[StephensToySpyder]

boost leak,

 

[Total Eclipse]

Any pressure loss itself from switching to a larger intercooler should not change afr's, as the same Volume of air is in the system, just different velocity. If there were a leak in the system, then at pressure air is bleeding out and THAT is what will change afr's, causing you to run rich-which in turn causes misfires and performance losses. Do a Boost Leak Test, I am sure you will find a leak somewhere. And if you run it too long with that problem, you should replace the plugs as well, because they may be fouled up.

 

[KewlWinter]

The oil leaking into your spark plug wells can cause them to ground out. A plug not firing will give you power loss.

 

[WES_393]

Do a boost leak test. Especially after installing the new fmic.

I just can't see a boost leak causing this kind of thing, it feels like there is more involved that a boost leak.

I love when people ask for advice and then just blow it off like they know everything.

 

[gophishy10]

I love when people ask for advice and then just blow it off like they know everything.

And guess what? He made two other threads asking the same question! And also..."it turned out to be a boost leak."