hey all, first post on the 4g motor yay! i was taking it home last night and noticed a few things.

1. the cars boost gauge works, but after 0 it stutters, like its missing? it gets to about 9-10 or so at most and thats all. when i was driving behind it, and it had alittle black smoke coming out under acceleration.

2. it misses while at idle, and between 2000-3000rpm. any other time its fine. i dont mean miss like a little put, the car jerks like crazy so i downshift to get past 3000rpm then its fine.

im thinking either its spark plugs/wires/coil/turbo? the car is a 91 unmodified, has 111,500 miles, the compressor side of the turbo looks like there is alittle oil on it, its 500 miles past oil change, and i got this for 300 dollars.

any help would be sweet. peace

How much checking did you do on it when you bought it?

Does the turbo spin freely?

Also, the stock "boost" gauge is garbage. It doesn't read boost, but takes other readings and guesses the boost. Never use it, so go out and get a $50 boost gauge and install that.

Replacing the plugs, wires, and sensors would be a good idea as initial maintenance. Start with thye easy stuff. Make sure the MAF is plugged in all the way, and make sure there aren't any leaks in the piping system. I'm assuming everything is connected properly as well, but make sure all the piping and electrical connections are sound.

Also, has the timing belt been changed? If not, do that as well.

Id change plugs and wires and see if that changes anything. Sounds like its missing. Is the Check Engine Light on?? My NT used to do the same thing when the MAS plug would come off because it didnt "clip" onto the plug right.

EDIT: oops... Sorry Matt, Is there an echo in here? lol

yeah boost guage/boost leak tester is a must here

im at work right now so i cant test anything. timing belt/balance shaft plugs/wires are my first things to do. also i havent checked the turbo if it spins freely or not yet. i didnt get back till 130am last night and had to leave for work at 7am this morning so, im going off what i remember. if the turbo is out, does someone have a good one i can snag for around 100?

find yourself a 14b and get it rebuilt....wait, that's a 14b on there right now isn't it (1st gen)? In that case no, just get the 14b rebuilt. Its well worth it--great turbo.

14b's can be had all over DSMTrader. Just make sure yours is kaput before dropping change on a rebuilt one.

Originally posted by Ark
14b's can be had all over DSMTrader. Just make sure yours is kaput before dropping change on a rebuilt one.

true that. thanks guys

Sounds like a pretty major boost leak.

ill check the connections and for shaft play, but why would it say its building boost according to the gauge? i do realize its not the most reliable boost gauge, but still it says its there?

because it doesn't actually measure "boost". It takes different variables from the ECU and shows some kind of rough guess.
You WILL NEED an aftermarket guage before you do ANYTHING to that car.

Originally posted by eclipzGST
because it doesn't actually measure "boost". It takes different variables from the ECU and shows some kind of rough guess. You WILL NEED an aftermarket guage before you do ANYTHING to that car.

will do home doggy thanks. i think i might bring that biatch up here so i can check it out.

ok so ive ordered an autometer gauge, not installed yet, just ordered. i talked to some local guys about it and they think that possibly the bov could be stuck 'open/shut'? that its just releasing all the boost, or the wastegate is stuck the same? when i rev i cant hear the turbo, they are saying i should hear it. the motor has no mods, so the bov relieves into the intake pipe of the turbo it looks. i also ordered some spark plugs/wires for the miss.

Originally posted by kelvinb1
ok so ive ordered an autometer gauge, not installed yet, just ordered. i talked to some local guys about it and they think that possibly the bov could be stuck 'open/shut'? that its just releasing all the boost, or the wastegate is stuck the same? when i rev i cant hear the turbo, they are saying i should hear it. the motor has no mods, so the bov relieves into the intake pipe of the turbo it looks. i also ordered some spark plugs/wires for the miss.

You won't hear anything until you do the free mods. Hack the aircan or K&N (or both). You also have to take out the silencer. Read up on the "free mods" they'll lead you through it.

Originally posted by kelvinb1
ok so ive ordered an autometer gauge, not installed yet, just ordered. i talked to some local guys about it and they think that possibly the bov could be stuck 'open/shut'? that its just releasing all the boost, or the wastegate is stuck the same? when i rev i cant hear the turbo, they are saying i should hear it. the motor has no mods, so the bov relieves into the intake pipe of the turbo it looks. i also ordered some spark plugs/wires for the miss.

Stop listening to them and keep your noggin here and on vfaq. Jeff, Tony and Hybrid know what they're doing.

Check www.vfaq.net/DSM/mods/10faq.html for mentioned canister and silencer fix.

Don't worry about hearing the turbo. Just make sure everything is running correctly, and over time, as you mod the car more, you'll get that nice sssssssssssss of the Turbo spooling (like Tony said: Hacked air can, silencer, free mods, etc.). These cars perform too well to worry about the "ricer" things, such as vented BOV's, and making things happen that serve the purpose of hearing the turbo better. We all love the sound, but just try and keep it all about performance in the beginning.

Just do the right things for the car, and the car's performance will be the only exhilaration you'll ever need.

Now install that Boost Gauge. :thumbsup :)

Good luck dude, and let us know if there are any issues you have. We are mostly all available on IM if you need advice.

awesome! ill be getting pics of the biatch tonight, the camera also does video, very very shitty video and pics as well, but ill take some. i got the plugs today so after work ill throw them in. they are ngk v-power plugs to be gapped at .032. i didnt know wtf iridium was so i didnt get them, plus they were 4 a piece. funk that! anyways. pics tonight!

NGK BPR6ES are the best plugs arounf for lightly modded DSMs. The BPR7ES are nicest for the heavily modded DSMs.

Pics brah, pics.

got some plugs, but waiting on a spark plug socket. anyways, i took a wire off, it ran like it did, put it back in. went to the next, it missed more. it continued through the cylinders. So, 4 sounds like its not getting something. when i took it out, it was sparking, so thats telling me its getting through the wire, so its the plug or the injector. any other ideas? btw there are pics in the pits!

wow next time i go to napa im gonna ask specifically for what i need. first off i got longer 5/8ths socket, wont even fit, got a longer 13/16ths hitting walls. shit!. get a 13/16ths 'spark plug socket' working. kelvin=smart guy. haha anyways. heres why i was missing.


that electrode was dead. these are bosch plat's.


heres some other stuff i did, took out the filter piece thing on other side of intake


turbo's got no shaft play. yay!


thanks people for all your help!

Get NGK plugs. BPR6ES. They are cheap and readily available at Advance.

I wouldn't bother reinstalling those sneakers either. They won't add that much hp.

Originally posted by eclipzGST
I wouldn't bother reinstalling those sneakers either. They won't add that much hp.

Hey Tony, anything helps. 12 hp is 12 hp.

yea, get a running start everytime you can at the track, it might be that subtle advantage that lets you win. :D

lol screw you guys! it was nice out so i threw on some sandals. wow i love boost. i can actually hear the turbo now since i took that one filter shit out. should i be worried that theres oil in the intake tube between the throttle body and bov? it wasnt alot, but when i put a finger in there i had oil on it. i stuffed some newspaper in there to somewhat clean it out. i have yet to clean out the ic.

that is typical, it is part of the evap/egr system. that pipe that plugs into the valve cover and into your intake pipe, puts oil in it. it also dirties your IC. clean the IC out with gas, buy new piping(www.dejontool.com), and install a catch can all at the same time. :-) your car will be much cleaner, yet less gas "efficient".

i think i found the problem!

compression test
140-140-140-140

injector resistance
2.6-2.6-2.6-4.8

injector 1 is fucking gay. i need a new one. i hope it feels like a new car when i get one :D

Awesome mang. Congrats. Let us know how it turns out.