Well, unfortunately fo rme, I had some problems today.

I installed Andy's VGS mod without a hitch, took about 45 minutes. Drove around for about 10 minutes testing everything out (read high rpms ) and everything was a.o.k.

In an unrelated issue, my stupid boost gauge has been acting up recently where it would dim its lights, come back to normal, flip back again, and eventually shut off and not come back on until I've let it sit for a minute.

For some reason, I tapped the gas to see if the boost gauge would respond on the highway going about 65mph and WHAMMO, my SES light came on.

DIdn't have a clue as to what caused it but I know it happened when I tapped the pedal! So I read a bit here and thought oh maybe it's the bypass valve getting stuck, maybe one of the hoses wasn't as tight as it could be....but I was very very careful with the install today and took my time.

Anyways, it's pitch black out now. Bought one the Actron scanners at Pepboys since I wanted to know wtf was causing this code right away.


P0171 - System Too Lean (Bank 1 of 2).

I had two codes, both were the same.

I had a CAI, UUC exhaust, 15%, JCW ECU, Coil Pack, Wires, IK22 plugs, 63mm TB, VGS.

On the way to Pepboys, I took my fiancee's brother with me. Had hasn't been in the car for a while (read lots of mods since then) so I floored it on a long abandoned strip of road. When I shifted from 2nd to 3rd and floored the pedal, I got ZERO response - no acceleration at all!

Do I need bigger injectors? Should I revert back to the stock TB? Perhaps I have a vacuum leak somewhere?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Check the vacuum connection underneath the fuel pressure regulator. Mine popped-off several times with the same symptom (loss of power). The fix involves putting a ziptie around the vacuum hose and pre-tensioning it before you connect it to the nipple under the FPR.

I also had the same P0171 code on my MTHed MCS JCW. It would come on when I was cruising at highway speeds under light throttle. The code would reset itself afer the normal 5 "driving cycles". I don't think the code was due to the VGS, but I'm not sure what caused it. I used the PEAKE tool to clear the code and it never came back (~3-4 months).

Theo

(See you at Yankee Candle in June?)

 

Will check it out today. Thanks for the advice. I'm not exactly sure which exact connection you are a talking about....but I guess if one of the hoses is loose, than that would be the culprit.

Is it possible that with VGS that the BPV now opens and closes with such force that it could jerk a vacuum hose loose?

Thanks again. And didn't make it to MOT last year but maybe this year I will.....

 

Hey LOTF,
When I installed the VGS on my silver car I got the same lean condition code. I had everything already on it that's in my sig, so the VGS was done with no other changes. I had the code cleared by my friend at MINI, but it came on again. I removed the VGS and had my friend clear the computer to "just installed from the factory" state and haven't had a problem since.

What did the engine do when you got zero response? was it still running?
did it bog down? did it die? How did it run on the way home?

BTW, you better be at MOT this year!

 

The Acrtron scanner I bought cleared the codes (woo hoo).

I was punching the car from 2nd to 3rd gear and when I floored the pedal in 3rd I got no response. Engine didn't stall, I just gently hit the throttle and it came back...

And on the way home from the Bronx to Brooklyn it was running kind of weird....Very weird throttle response...

So my guess is something is loose.

Off to the bronx now (space to work) to figure it out.

 

If you take the IC off, you will see the fuel rail and a squatty bronze cylinder in the center of the fuel rail...that is the fuel pressure regulator. You removed the stock hose from the nipple underneath it to install the "T". Just check to see if the hose has worked loose.

Theo

 

Actually I tee'd into the other side of that line, on the passenger side of the car where I had previously tee'd into for my boost gauge install.

Problem Solved btw. Turns out the driver side intercooler boot just popped off slightly...and the reason it did was because when I reinstalled the IC, I didn't attach the left bracket first and tighten it down, thus resulting in a bit of room for the right bracket to wiggle. This time around, I tightened down the left bracket (still on the driver side) and pushed it as far right as possible, thus squeezing the right bracket and leaving it no room to move.

Just went down a strip in the Bronx here 5 times while gunning it and everything is fine (except for the fact I still have a slight flat spot that seems to express itself only in 1st gear!)

I have some pics that I will attach to the "Operation Vacuum Gain" thread...........

Thanks for your help guys.

 

I had the same code & symptoms as Koopah. I was running a modded BPV spring & 19% - code would trip @ cruising speed. I returned the stock spring & plumbed up the VGS & have had no problems since then...