Like the title says, my car has recently developed a power problem. I drive a 1999 miata with an MP62 supercharger (please don't hate, I bought the car like that).

Here is my problem: A week ago I went shopping and when I came back and started the car, a new rattle started. It sounded like rocks in the exhaust. Then, after the engine was hot, I tried a WOT pull and i noticed it lacked power considerably and I could hear what sounded like a boost leak... when I arrived at my house, the rattle had disappear but the engine still lacked a lot of power.

Since then I've checked all vacuums for leaks, I took off the s/c and it was in perfect condition as was the bypass valve, checked the timing, the engine compression, took off the intake manifold to make sure there really was no vacuum leak and checked the piggyback, still for leaks. I have just taken my exhaust off to see if my catalytic converter was broken but I can only see the intake side of it and it is not clogged and the exhaust doesn't rattle when I gently hit it with a rubber mallet.

Tomorrow i'll try to run it straight pipe after the down pipe to make sure that the catalytic converter is not clogged.

Does anyone have a clue what i could be? Cause I don't....
Any help would be very very appreciated!

 

nhot great if true but rattle of rocks sound could be serious detonation problem.....

 

What AFR does it run at at full throttle?

 

2 questions, whats the boost gauge say and what does the AFR gauge say during boost?

If you cant answer those 2 questions, then FIX those 2 issues and then worry about your wot power.

 

What was the compression and did you do a leak down test?

 

Compression on hot engine was 1-200 2-200 3-200 4-201
Don't have a boost gauge...
Don't have AFR gauge...
Didn't do a leak test...

But I do have OBD2 and on such detonation levels I am pretty shure a CEL would have appered. I also heard the rattle at idle and now that it has disappeared the engine has the same power issues.

 

Wait, how is this tuned...

 

Buy a wideband O2 sensor and gauge before you drive the car again. There is absolutely no excuse for you not to have one. I am guessing you are going lean and detonating.

 

Guys,

I have a car. It has problems. I don't want to do anything to monitor its vitals, I just know that recently it started making a noise.

Please help me.

Thanks

 

or when the SC goes...

 

Well the stock computer has no idea what the hell boost is nor does it know what to do with the timing at all. Don't be so shure that it would toss a cell especially since you're running tons of bandaids to confuse the sensors in the first place. While i was tunning my turbo with the xede before i finally got the ***** to go standalone i heard it ping because of lean more than once and it never popped a cell. Speaking of lean it has no clue how much fuel to add...worst yet the narrow band will not show what afr you're running. Hell you could be at 13.5 afr at 8 or 10 psi, 22 some degrees of spark and the stock computer dont give a ---- and since you have no gauges you have no clue either.

 

Guise!

Car!!!

HALP!!!!

 

Does the car have a cat converter on it?
nvm it does
Take it off and test if you have a straight pipe or with it off

 

The DET sensor will pick up on the knock and ping. It will tell the computer to change your timming around. Becareful, this will cause you to be late everywhere you go.

 

welcome to miataturbo bro! it's like totally sweet. Don't worry bro we drive *** cars it's supposed to not have any power bro.

 

I bet the cat is clogged, most of the time if the cat is clogged it will turn cherry red ofter a good drive. Take it around the block (around a big block) and take a look under the car.

 

Another way to test is put your hand at the tail pipe and check for exhaust flow.

 

/\ Listen to this guy. He's a professional. If you can't feel it with your hand, stick your ***** in there

 

Now only if you can do that while going 30-50 mph at wot.

 

It helps if you have floppy *****.