Lean out

[ryu77us]

Hey everyone,

Havn't posted in quite a long time. I was looking for possibly a type of ECU upgrade that will allow me to change my fuel table, like do a lean out on bottem end. I find the car to be a little rich, and with the price of gas now it would help performance and my gas mileage. I know at the bike shop that I work at we sell such things like Power Commanders, that allow you to change all that, even stuff like your fuel injector flow rate.

I have a 1994 Grand Am SE 2Door with a 3100 Series engine. I don't have any performance work done to the car. I thought that this would be a good start, I don't think though I will see any significant increase until I get a full exhaust. I guess my other question would be is do you recommend a cold air intake on this vehicle?

Thanks in advance!

[gt00]

There is no 'chip' or way to reflash your year computer . If your running rich do you have a check engine light on , the computer will go into a safe rich mode ( limp home) if it sees an issue . A CAI can't hurt either , but if you value low end torque for everyday driving you may not like it ... ;)

[ryu77us]

Thanks for the tip man, I notice that there isn't a whole lot of performance tweaks for the 3.1L, not a very popular tuner choice I guess lol. I'm just looking at ways to improve my gas mileage more so, I can't afford a new car, and this car has been in my family since day one, my father gave it to me so it has a bit of sentimental value to it if anything.

I heard that EGR valves actually give you worse fuel mileage, and I made the mistake of unclogging my EGR port to the intake to get rid of that annoying CEL from decelerating on the highway. If I blocked that port off with a homemade "gasket" think that would improve on anything? I can live with the light if it gets my some better mileage.

Truth is that I am going to be driving back and forth to Toronto daily (about 100 km from where I live), if I could even pinch out a few extra clicks it will help in the long run!

The car rolls over to 200000 KM in a few more kilometers :( It is a very sad time lol

Any thoughts?

Forgot to add - What the hell type of scanner will read my car. I used to work at Cambridge Kia, and Cambridge Mitsubishi, we had a Snap On Solaris (I think thats the name of it), and even with the OBD port converter hooked up to my GA's diag slot, the scanner would not pick my car up! Anyone else with this year 94-95 have had this problem?

[TA^Guy]

Your EGR valve will make you car run smoother in cold weather especially before the engine warms up. I personally would not block it off if you are looking for fuel economy.

[gt00]

Your year computer needs a special connector to read it , most scanners don't have that capability unless it's a high buck unit like some shops have . Don't bother blocking off the EGR , mileage will only get worse :eek: and it will likely ping unless you use premium fuel , not to mention the nifty light on the dash . Replacing the O2 sensor could help with the mileage , it can be 'slow' and not set a DTC . There are actually lots of possible mods for the 3.1 , just not the computer .... ;)

[ryu77us]

Your EGR valve will make you car run smoother in cold weather especially before the engine warms up. I personally would not block it off if you are looking for fuel economy.

Good Point, acts like a carburetor heater port for "deicing" almost? It's coming up to summer time so I mean the cold weather isn't a factor right now, but the nights get pretty cold where I am. Best not go that route, never looked at it that way, thanks :)

[ryu77us]

Your year computer needs a special connector to read it , most scanners don't have that capability unless it's a high buck unit like some shops have . Don't bother blocking off the EGR , mileage will only get worse :eek: and it will likely ping unless you use premium fuel , not to mention the nifty light on the dash . Replacing the O2 sensor could help with the mileage , it can be 'slow' and not set a DTC . There are actually lots of possible mods for the 3.1 , just not the computer .... ;)

K so the comp is scratched off my list, anything you guys recommend that I should chop away at first? I've never really given much thought into modifying this car until now. I mean most of my buds have their dads buying them quick cars like BMWs and what not, I'm the guy that rolls up in my Grand Am so I'm definately no where near quick. I just hate having to turn down a track day because they are taking fast ass cars and my is running like 19s (if not more) in the quarter (I've never actually done a quarter run) lol.

[TA^Guy]

If you are worried about fuel economy there are minimal things you can do. A better flowing exhaust. A nice 2.5" exhaust, new catalytic conveter, new O2 sensors. Replace or clean all filters. Synthetic oil like AMSoil can gain up to 8hp, I have seen it in publication on a engine dyno and recently on a TV program with a vehicle on a chassis dyno. Maybe flush and change the coolant, etc. A complete tune up is the best way to get improved performance and economy.

[ryu77us]

If you are worried about fuel economy there are minimal things you can do. A better flowing exhaust. A nice 2.5" exhaust, new catalytic conveter, new O2 sensors. Replace or clean all filters. Synthetic oil like AMSoil can gain up to 8hp, I have seen it in publication on a engine dyno and recently on a TV program with a vehicle on a chassis dyno. Maybe flush and change the coolant, etc. A complete tune up is the best way to get improved performance and economy.


hmm we sell AMSoil at work, pretty expensive shit, but if you recommend it then I guess its worth the money. I'll probably do a complete tune up on the car this weekend then, change plugs and etc. Thanks again for the advice

[gt00]

hmm we sell AMSoil at work, pretty expensive shitYeah .... But you won't have to change it so often . I'll let John chime in here . ;)

[TA^Guy]

Thanks. lol

ryu77us do a search on AMSoil in the forums you'll find a ton of positive feed back.
AMSoil is completely worth it. Not only the first in automotive synthetics but in most independant testing AMSoil ranks #1 for synthetic motor oil.

It may seem like alot of money up frnt but you end up saving money in the long run. Unlike typical motor oil that needs to be changed every 3000 miles under normal wear, AMSoil doesn't have to be changed for 25,000 miles. They used to say to change just the filter at the half way point (about 12,000 miles) but now they have new filters that they claim will go the entire 25,000 miles.

I always ran a PF52 oil filter instead of the PF47. Same sized filter but it's longer for added capacity, filtering media, and more surface area. Using a AMSoil replacement filter for the PF52 should have no problem going the entire 25,000 miles.

[ryu77us]

Jeez are you kidding me 25000 KM?? Has anyone here actually gone that long without changing it?

[Matt95GT]

94 = OBD 1.5. That means no chips, no way to reprogram the PCM. You don't want to lean it out anyway... a new engine is more expensive than fuel.

[ryu77us]

I didn't want to do a major lean out, the last thing I want to do is gernade the motor. I just always thought that manufacturers set the car a little rich as a preventative measure for engine failure (was thinking there was a little room to move).

Does that IAT resister overide really make a difference in performance ? From what they say it richens the mixture, but I always thought that too rich of a mixture will make you lose power?

I guess the first thing I should look at then is a CAI, this year though has been really rainy, and wet conditions in my area though, how common is hydro locking with a properly ran CAI in one of these cars?

[gt00]

The IAT mod is a scam , don't bother to attempt it :roll2: Yes , a rich mixture is detrimental to performance . CAI hydrolocking can occur if the filter is submerged in water , which won't happen in normal use if you're even remotely careful . You could go to a cold airbox type setup , if you don't want the filter in the fender well .... ;)

[TA^Guy]

Jeez are you kidding me 25000 KM?? Has anyone here actually gone that long without changing it?
Not 25,000 km, 25,000 miles. And yes I have done it many times, and my friend who sells AMSoil also does it with all his vehicles.

Does that IAT resister overide really make a difference in performance ? From what they say it richens the mixture, but I always thought that too rich of a mixture will make you lose power?

I guess the first thing I should look at then is a CAI, this year though has been really rainy, and wet conditions in my area though, how common is hydro locking with a properly ran CAI in one of these cars?
IAT will make your engine run rich, which in turn will burn more fuel, fouled plugs, cause carbon build up which down the road will lead to mild denotation, also could cause premature cataylitic converter failure, etc.

As for the CAI I would suggest synthetic fluids first, then maybe an exhaust. CAI will breath cooler air, the cooler ore dense the air is, the more fuel your motor will require. Think of how poor fuel economy is in the winter time when the air is colder.


The IAT mod is a scam , don't bother to attempt it :roll2: Yes , a rich mixture is detrimental to performance . CAI hydrolocking can occur if the filter is submerged in water , which won't happen in normal use if you're even remotely careful . You could go to a cold airbox type setup , if you don't want the filter in the fender well .... ;)
I was never careful and never had a problem with hydrolocking the motor due to our CAI and I had it on there for about 5 years or so.
Practically have to drive through a small pond to suck water up into it.

[ryu77us]

Thanks alot guys,

Yeah I really don't like the filter in the fender well, I looked it up and I'm not to partial to that setup, I do however really like that cold air intake box idea.

TA^Guy I am going to order a case of AMSOil today (Don't stock car oil at work, only 2 stroke stuff) I went onto the AMSOil website and there is like a million options, any specific type you suggest to run? I'm running like Castrol 5w30 right now.

Any one type of exhaust setup you guys prefer over another? Cat back etc.. Brand? I just don't want to put a fart can on it, alot of the Civic guys do that here and I can't stand it, if I am going to do this, I want to do it right.

Have any of you ran Octane boost in your cars? I have a bottle of this stuff I bought a month or to ago, never used it yet. It's called Klotz Octane Boost, we run it in our race bikes at work. I don't want to put it into my car and cause any damage, I just want to clean out the system and take it for a good boot on the highway. Here is a link to the product.

http://www.solomotoparts.com/catalog/Klotz-Octane-Booster-p-21915.html
(I didn't no way buy it for 98 bucks, I scooped it for 10 at work lol)

[Blackhawk]

I'm running a custom cat-back with a Cherry Bomb Vortex, sounds great but it's not obnoxious.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n134/sudden_impulse/Exhaust/th_Exhaust.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n134/sudden_impulse/Exhaust/?action=view&current=Exhaust.flv)

[gt00]

Have any of you ran Octane boost in your cars? I have a bottle of this stuff I bought a month or to ago, never used it yet. It's called Klotz Octane Boost, we run it in our race bikes at work.While Klotz is great stuff , the GA is around 9.5:1 comp , so you won't need any higher octane than what is available at the pump . ( Regular 87 octane is recommended by GM ) A bottle of name brand fuel injector cleaner may be a better idea here ..... ;)

[TA^Guy]

TA^Guy I am going to order a case of AMSOil today (Don't stock car oil at work, only 2 stroke stuff) I went onto the AMSOil website and there is like a million options, any specific type you suggest to run? I'm running like Castrol 5w30 right now.

Have any of you ran Octane boost in your cars? I have a bottle of this stuff I bought a month or to ago, never used it yet. It's called Klotz Octane Boost, we run it in our race bikes at work. I don't want to put it into my car and cause any damage, I just want to clean out the system and take it for a good boot on the highway. Here is a link to the product.


I run the AmSoil 100% Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil (ASL).
https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/asl.aspx

As for the Octane booster, dont expect it to do anything except maybe lower your power and economy. If you want to clean the fuel system check ot some Lucas fuel system treatment, and/or SeaFoam.

Searching the forum you'll read why higher octane on a engine not designed for it is a waste of money. You can also find info on how ot properly use SeaFoam.

[ryu77us]

Thanks for the info guys, I almost used the stuff in my tank today! I really apprecaite all the help you guys have provided. Unfortuately though, although I absolutely love my Grand Am I might have to trade it in on a Golf TDI :(