HELP!! Losing Power
 

I've notice my Z has some power loss. When I step on the gas it don't pick up like it use to. My car is a sport with manual transmission. You guys think it might be the spark plugs? Whats the first step I should take on finding the problem? Also notice my exhaust system sounds different when I step on the gas....maybe cause of the power loss. someone help! Thanks!!!

I think there might not be enough information in your post for someone who really knows about this stuff to help. For example, when did you last have the car tuned? Have you checked the air filter? (A really dirty filter can cause loss of power--even complete cut out.) A plug wire could be loose or cracked. Did the problem start with a new tank of gas (water in the fuel)? Etc. etc.

Good luck, and please let us know what you find.

the car only has 10k on it. How would i know if water is in the gas tank? I never got it tuned. Maybe its hot outside? Maybe I need a oil cooler? It could be anything...im not sure what it is. I'm going to drive it in the morning when its cool out to see if it picks up.

Take it to a dealer, it's under warranty still.

:iagree:

i'm gonna take her in and see what the dealer finds. I will keep you guys posted.

Just out of curiosity what type (grade) of gas are you using (premium, medium, or regular)? The fuel maybe could have an impact, or maybe you need to clean the injectors....MAYBE.

premium only with Chevron With Techron

Do you have an aftermarket exhaust? Is it louder than before?
-You may have an exhaust leak.. get it up on a hoist and search for cracks/leaks..

yes i have an aftermarket exhaust. The dealer won't cover that right?

nope, get an exhaust shop to go over it for leaks and have them properly torque all the bolts. Cost you about $50 if they are nice.

you sure you jsut haven't grown accustomed to it?

thanks bro! I will look into this!

maybe?
i drove it this morning and seem fine. It still don't seem as fast as it was when I first got it. Maybe in the afternoon when its hot out the car seem to lose power?

im still gonna to get the car check out.

Let me know how it turns out. I know for myself my car does not as feel as fast as when it was brand new. I think it is a change in me though. I got used to the increased power and torque from my old honda

Would performance be lost if one would constantly dog, or drive their car really hard?

If you don't break in your motor well.. absolutely

Well he has a 350, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Oh I missed that part

I'm curious to hear what the actual cause is of the power lose is.

how warm did you get the oil temp to? Also how much fuel did you have in the car? I notice with my car that under 1/2 to 3/8 of a tank my car is a beast. Its a difference of 60.bs of fuel in the tank. In regueards to the temp if its over 240 it does change the timing to prevent limp mode on the car.

sounds like a loss in low end torque from the aftermarket exhaust. probably just needs a tune.

op, what other mods have you done?

oil temp is around 230

Full berk exhaust with Berk high flow cats

seem like Im having throttle lag when oil temp gets up to 230. Anyone having same issues? What can i do to fix this? The car lag even more when its hot outside.

how much is your power loss. The dealer is going to tell you all is fine if it is just slightly less than when it was new. Not all cars are built the same, Nissans imparticular are bad about. After working in a dealer for a couple years, I drove alot of differnent cars. So comparing same make and model side-by-side there are differences. They had a self-learning ECU that also greatly affects it. The people that aggressively drove, not beat the crap out of it, their carhas were faster with worse gas miliage averages (even when driving with the cruise on down the highway). Those that babied and didn't hit high revs often had slower cars with better gas miliage. I don't know if things have changed but it stored in solid state memory that couldn't be erased by disconnecting the battery. It had to be done on the Consult (Nissan scan tool). If you drive a car 1 way for long enough it was eventual take that into account and modify the injector and timing settings. It isn't going to affect much by taking out and romping on it for 5 minutes once it is used to easy driving.

For example my friend who is still a Nissan tech had a Titan. He drove it pretty hard everywhere he went. It was faster than most but even driving down the highway at 70 for 100+ miles the most it ever got was 12.5 mpg. Another similar Titan I know gets 17. That is36% increase. If average 11 droving 60miles round trip to work with 6 stop signs total. Mostly highway.

It's the heat, mine does the same. Could also be a little of missing tune with the exhaust. The car get heat soak bad when temps are in the upper 90s, and in the 100s. CAI will help. Seems like this car was designed for a cooler climate.

Same thing happened with my RX7 R1, RSX S, and Sky. Get a CAI.

What need to be done is like my RX7 we need a plate under the car that blocks the heat from the exhaust from the tranny. That heat soaks the trans, the motor being all bundled up under the hood without proper ventilation heats soaks the motor. When I come home from my 30 mile trip home through stop and go the whole car is radiating heat. Even my trans tunnel is hot, if I touch my carpet near the inside of the seats either side on top of the carpet it's about 105 degrees. I measured with my laser thermometer.

The intake temps in the car have to be off the scale until you get moving, but stop and sit in that heat in traffic and the temps explode under that hood in Houston heat the car is like a slug.

I suggest a trans cooler, oil,cooler and CAI. I even want to modify my bumper so I can get cool air straight to the CAI and brakes. Then modify a heat reflective plate under the trans to block the heat from the exhaust like most sports cars have standard.

I have a Gen 3 cold air intake. I think i need an oil cooler and fan mod. whats the best oil cooler for this car?

its not power loss, its throttle lag.

http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivet...irst-gear.html

Read this thread. Mine was doing the same thing (ie throttle lag in 1st gear). I just added the 34 row Z1 Motorsports cooler (and deleted the factory cooler). Eliminated ~80% of the bogging problem, its still there but greatly diminished. Next step will be to add the UpRev tune (with cooling fan tune).

Its an ECU programming issue. Apparently Nissan hot weather tests near the Arctic circle... :rolleyes:

In the winter my car is a beast. The oil cooler has helped just put mine on about 2 months ago. I never get above 200 oil temps now. But it does not help the bogging once the car is hot. First few miles are great but when sitting in stop and go. Of is there