Hey all,
So my car feels pretty quick, but I still feel like I'm missing some performance. My self-timed 0-60 has been falling consistently around 7.2-7.5 seconds. (I have an 02 4AT), and I'm thinking that with GAB, Spacers, Block Plate, and new sticky tires I should be at least high 6's... but I'm not. I just changed my spark plugs... so what else could possibly be robbing performance? I have about 128K miles on my car, so is it possible that my precats/cat are just clogged and robbing performance? I have Cattman headers/fastcat/catback on the way, so that'll fix that problem... but what else could be decreasing my performance? Like I said, it's not BAD, but I think it should be better. Should I change the fuel filter? Any suggestions?

 

With all that cattman coming in u should be on ur way...lol

But u jus changed my fuel filter shifting wasn't on point and improved after... and it wass diiirty

 

My Gtech has recorded 6.3 0-60 times consistently,... I'm in a "03" A/T....what kinda octane do you have available up there in the far north? I run 93 octane in everything I own....everything has headers/intake and cams on 3 of 4......

 

haha, yeah, I know ... I just want as much of the stock potential as possible before I add the Cattman stuff

 

Specifically where I am, I can only get 91 octane (which I of course use all the time ) ... and what do you mean "everything has headers/intake etc...."?? Are you saying you run 6.3 0-60 times WITH headers etc.?

 

^ I'm running 6.5 sec bone stock. All I have is the GAB mod. I got my resonator taken out too, but I don't think that frees up any power. I did it for sound.
Are you gate shifting or leaving it in drive? Drive is always a little slower for me.

 

I've tried both, and just over 7 seconds is the best I can seem to get... I'm unfamiliar with what maintainence-type things might not have been done that could be decreasing my car's performance...

 

Yeah with Cattman headers, 3" exhaust, and a whole lot of mods it's quick and I'm trying to get some 1/4 mi times but too tired tonite after work to go to a track.....Possible tornado excepted tonite!!!
What I was saying in short was....I have 4 cars....all 4 run 93 octane....
1986.5 Nissan Hardbody p'up has headers/cam/exhaust/intake/ignition
1990 Maxima headers/cam/intake/ignition/JWT Ecu/etc
2003 Maxima headers/3" exhaust/intake/etc
1985 Dodge Shelby Charger (underconstruction) 93 octane for sure it's a turbo!

 

replace/clean MAF
replace/check knock sensor

New plugs did help my car's feel a bit, but after I cleaned my MAF, it was a much bigger difference. I'm now running 91+ octane in my car for 5,000k kms or so (previous owner ran reg) and I still get a pin at low RPM throttle so I'm starting to wonder if my KS needs replacing. Car pulls a million times better than it did when I first got it tho.

 

buy another car

 

Soonerfan, you would know this best im assuming. The 3.5 has the rear VC problem that needs to have the 04 VC installed. Last time i did my SP change like everyone i noticed oil in the Spark plug valley. Could the oil getting in there not let the SP fire correctly or possibly have an intermitant miss. Im just wonder this for the OP as well

 

my VCs were fine...my problem was the piston rings

 

How do you measure your 0 to 60 ?? What is your track times?

 

most of the gas companies are running athenol it decreases perfomance, not to mention that there is water build up in our gas tanks .You need to get very good fuel make sure your tank is half full (weight).Also make sure you are not putting extra weight on the car, that decreases your performance. Tire pressure, are your tires over inflated, makes a big difference in performance.

 

You all have me beat. My 0 to 60mph times are in the 8 second range 8.1 to 8.4. I have a 2000 auto. Its really slow. Hate knowing my 02 SENTRA ser would out run my max easily. It ran 0 to 60mph stock in 7 flat. Measured with window mounted G meter

 

You are comparing an auto vs manual, why are you so disappointed??? Manual vs manual and the maxima takes the sentra

 

I would definitely suspect the precats and main cat. Between replacing the precats with much lower mileage used ones (60k vs 165k miles) and the main cat with a Warpspeed test pipe, plus the NWP block plate, my 45-85 times dropped nearly 3 seconds.

 

Uhh...that is just about completely wrong. Ethanol does not decrease performance, although it will decrease fuel economy. It also does not build up water anyone's gas tank.

Since ethanol is more soluble in water than hydrocarbons, if your tank contains much water it will pull the ethanol out of solution, which occurs at 2%Vol water. This will create a water/ethanol mixture at the tank's bottom which will cause issues running; this is generally a problem with boats and thus using ethanol for the first time.

 

I can say from experience that I had been consistently running 93 octane in my '03 Maxima and then began using Lucas fuel additive (big bottle) before each fill up. After about 3 fill ups the car started pulling significantly harder and acheiving much greater fuel aconomy. I went from an average of 19 mpg to just this last tank achieving 24 mpg. No other changes have been made AND I have a leaky rear valve cover...not a bad leak, but there was oil in one plug hole when I changed the plugs a few months ago.

In short, I recommend a course of good fuel treatment. Like adding a course of Vitamin D treatment to the body!

 

Yeah but the auto ser still pulls in the high 7 second range with just a CAI.( I was part of a SER club) Now my friend has a 03 max with a 5 speed and he out runs us all

 

Wow. This is what I wanted to hear And yeah, I have a leaky rear VC... and I'll change it someday, but it's not too bad of a leak and I know that it's not hurting performance and that that plug/CP is functioning fine. I'll probably try some fuel additive for a while and change the fuel filter. Oh, and I'll probably clean the MAF sensor again. It's been quite a while.

 

Not completely. Ethanol does not burn with the same amount of energy that gasoline does. Cars that run alcohol have to double the jet size to get the same amount of power that they can with gas. Why use it then? Because it is more resistant to detonation so racers can run higher compression or more boost than they can even on race gas.

At 15% ethanol like they have here, the performance losses aren't big but probably enough to measure on a dyno. Now if our ECUs and fuel injection system could compensate for whatever the percentage of ethanol the gas contains, they could meter out a bit more fuel and timing to take advantage of the ethanol content.

 

Mine does 0-60 in 6.3 .. and I'm @ 5600' elevation .... So .. that's in the mid 5's @ least @ sea level.






Using something other than a cheap stopwatch or a gtech is the only way ....

 

So your car, with all your mods and 242whp is doing 0-60 in 6.3s? Well I don't feel so bad now. I'm sure my precats and cat are clogged. How could they not be at almost 130K miles? I think if I'm not mid 6's or lower after all my Cattman stuff is installed, I'll know something is wrong. As of now, I'm blaming my clogged precats/cat

 

We mustn't forget, that my dyno represents SAE corrected values, not actual. My car only puts down 190 @ this elevation, SAE = 242.

If it were at sea level with the same mods easily low to mid 5's.

I lose ~30% power here.

 

wow. hmm... I'm at 3000 feet elevation... how badly would that hurt my performance?

 

Depends on the DA for that day hehe, more complex tahn adding a correction factor (ambient pressure/temp/humidity, )

Get a dyno and see (compare the SAE vs UNC)

 

haha k, thanks. I'll definitely get the dyno after my upcoming mods and tune

 

It was cold as poo when I did that 6.3, so who knows what the actual DA was when I ran that 'time'.