# Need help car is breaking up when it enters boost



## JamaicanTT (May 30, 2011)

I've read through the past posts and I know my problem could be from a bad maf, coils, and or plugs with wrong gap. My coils are fine and I installed new plugs yesterday and gapped them to .28. When I run a diagnostic I get no codes except for a 02 sensor reading low but nothing about the maf. it doesn't even throw a code if I unplug it. Installed on my car now are as follows:

Frankenturbo F-23
forge 007
550cc injectors(ev14)
eurodyne maestro 7 (awp frankenturbo550ccvr6maf base file)
TIP
FMIC
CAI
3"MAF
3" DP and exhaust

also the car is originally a ATC car but I have a AWP ecu now. Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

Try the usual suspect first, gap the plug at 0.025" and see if the problem goes away. If the break-up under load shifts higher in the rpm range, then you know that it's ignition related and can start looking into the coils and possibly the coil harness (they deteriorate badly with age and the extreme environment). 

Next step is to look at your AFR under load. Too rich and it'll break-up because of the fatness of the mixture. Too lean, and you could be experiencing knock and heavy timing pull that makes your WOT not clean. 

If you get passed the ignition system tests I mentioned above, get some log of your lambda, boost (request/actual), IDC, timing correction and report (obviously all under load). :beer:


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

95% chance its ignition related. Is the misfire counter disabled at WOT in your software? I've seen this before and that's why you don't get any misfire codes. Block 014 is misfire counter, 015 and 016 show misfire by cylinder.


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## JamaicanTT (May 30, 2011)

I haven't thought about trying those things im gonna get right on that in the morning thanks


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## Vstone2262 (Mar 4, 2010)

Possibly and Arc issue?

I know when my car is cold, it has a bad problem. I didn't grease the coils when I put them in. I heard a "tapping" type noise and once everything got warm and settled it would go away.

Random suggestion but it's a start.


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## TheDeckMan (Sep 26, 2004)

1. Plugs should be as Max says, .025-.026" for for the gap.
2. Throttle body has not been adapted in a while can cause random break ups. 
3. Coil pack harness? This was mine way back. Random break up every once in a while.


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

Since when are we supposed to be gapping 25-26? I thought it was .28?


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## JamaicanTT (May 30, 2011)

I thought .28 was the proper gap also


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## Chickenman35 (Jul 28, 2006)

warranty225cpe said:


> Since when are we supposed to be gapping 25-26? I thought it was .28?


That is only a starting point and is for mildly boosted engines. IE: Stage 1 tunes, generally up to 14 - 15lbs. Above that boost level and you may have to start gapping down further. Aging coils or other weakness in the ignition system will require gapping down as well. That is why Max suggested the .025" gap. It is a test to diagnose the issue. If the misfire goes away or lessons as you reduce the spark gap, then you have an ignition issue.

BTW, OP need to list his boost levels.


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

warranty225cpe said:


> Since when are we supposed to be gapping 25-26? I thought it was .28?





JamaicanTT said:


> I thought .28 was the proper gap also


As Richard pointed out, the recommended gap numbers passed around are only gross starting points. There is no magic number that works for every setup. People have to find the optimal plug gap based on their boost levels and timing advance (which are the main factors for cylinder pressure, temperature and overall conditions). 

On top of that, other variables like coil strength, and harness health, make the 'one-size-fit-all' practice of sharing gap numbers a dumb move that should only be trendy with the uneducated. I have posted this so many times in these forums that it's shocking that some seasoned enthusiasts are still using the "magic gap" numbers instead of optimizing for their specific setup. (See below)



Marcus_Aurelius said:


> However, the problem is that most people reading this thread are looking for a magic number and there is none. It all depend on your particular setup. People with less technical knowledge will read into your statement as if .038"-0.40" gap is the "goldilock range" and applicable to every 1.8t. The truth is that every setup calls for a different gap based on many factors. And since the maximum spark energy that the coils will produce is constant (providing that everything else is running optimally), the pressure seen in-cylinder is what dictates the proper gap. For example, my car at 35+ psi and aggressive timing will be in spark blowout land at .038"-.040" gap. Due to the pressure I'm subjecting the combustion chamber while on-boost, I have to run these very same MK5 coils at


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

... And the proper procedure to optimize your gap:




Marcus_Aurelius said:


> How about testing to find the ideal gap for your specific setup?
> 
> Start with a tight gap (say 0.022") and with the car fully warmed and heat soaked go for a series of high gear pulls (important to do this in the highest possible gear because the higher loads seen will make the engine more prone to spark blowout). After two clean, and solid pulls, increase the gap and go for some more until you start blowing the spark, and then back it down a notch to give you a little safety net.


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## JamaicanTT (May 30, 2011)

Coil wires are ok. Gonna di a throttle adaptation and reduce plug gaps some more. Also been reading how to use the logging system in the maestro so I can share the afr etc. I'm just not familiar with the program at all so I'm working slowly


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