I just got the car back from what I hope is the final tuner tweaking. Although the numbers aren't quite as good as I expected. I need other FI guys to let me know if the numbers are right. I have a 98 A4 with a forged bottom end, cam is 220/224, stage II heads, Racetronics hi flow fuel pump, PS1 running 6 - 7 pounds, LG long tubes, metal cats and B&B free flow mufflers. The bottom end is from A&A so I don't know what compression the engine is running. I am getting 410TQ and 440HP. The tuner is running 20 degrees of timing retard.

The only remaining glitch in the car is that it will not run closed loop. Running open loop, the O2 sensors look fine and the car runs smooth. When it goes closed loop, the O2 sensors go nuts and one side of the engine starts dumping tons of fuel in and the other side goes just as hard the other direction trying to lean itself out. So my tuner has locked the car into open loop.

My main questions are:

1. Do these numbers seem right for the mods I have made?
2. Is the timing too low, if so what is a more reasonable but still safe level, and would that make a big HP difference?
3. Has anyone else had these kinds of O2 problems?? BTW, "Yes" we have replaced the sensors.

Thanks for your inputs. Even though the numbers aren't what I was expecting, the car is still loads of fun. I got interested in doing all of this after reading the forum for awhile. This project has taken almost a year to complete, but Andy at A&A was great with engine help and the car is definitely worth the trouble.

Dave

 

Whoever put your headers in got your O2 wires crossed.... they are in the wrong bank.

 

It can't be that simple!!!!! We have been chasing O2 problems for ages, and my tuner has given it up as a short somewhere. We'll jack the car up this weekend and check. I guess even though it is running open loop that I could disconnect the bank 2 sensor and see if it throws the bank 1 code.

Thanks for the tip. You gave me some great advice earlier on my build, I REALLY DO appreciate the input. Love the forum. What about the numbers and the timing?? Do they seem right to you?

Dave

 

I certainly don't mind helping.. and I can tell you when I put my LG longtubes in when I had the blower still I hate to admit I did the EXACT same thing. In a hurry on a Saturday night, wanted to go for a drive.. off the lift... down the road as soon as the car got into closed loop.. it went to hell. I got home grabbed the scanner, plugged it up.. one side went right to +25 and the other right to -25. Back on the lift... had them backward. I hope it is that simple for you.

As for the numbers... they seem a very low.. but I don't have any experience on the dyno with an automatic though. I think you mean "20 degrees of timing" and not "timing retard" as well. My P1 on my stock Z bottom end made 575/475 on 7-8 psi. That was without headers, etc. But again, I don't know how much an auto gives up on the dyno.

Also IMO that is a lot of timing for that setup.. but if that works, ok... but that is a lot for a tuner to set a customer car loose with, again IMO. I would have a hard time sending someone away to flog a car with 20 degrees of timing without a way to monitor knock.

Good luck..

 

Something is wrong. A head/cam a4 with that cam should dyno close to 400rwhp, 380ish at worst.

 

Are you running an aftermarket torque converter?

 

stock converter, but I am running a FLP Level 5 tranny.

 

Seems low to me especially with a forged bottom even with the 7 psi and you should be able to crank up the boost more, but the current numbers are sure low