Tricky-Ricky

Is the RPM rising more than you would expect for the road speed? where is the bite point of the clutch peddle?

Check all vacuum lines, especially if its had a catch can fitted.

Hope you get some kind of resolution to this fella, he sounds like a cowboy, why offer a service like that and then use sub std components that fail, on the subject of the condensation, all the lights i have ever seen are vented to prevent condensation, so opening them should have no effect unless the vents are covered on re sealing.

Are the pressures quoted cold or hot? cold would be perfectly normal, for hot it would be a little high, although not totally abnormal,what oil grade are you using?

Just taken a look at the website, and its seems that the maps look to be of a generalized generic format, not that this is a terrible thing as i would suspect even Abbey and Horsham will use a generic map.....however at least they will have either originated the base map themselves, and/or tweaked the maps to the individual car as its on the rollers. Personally i would stick to a known tuner as in Abbey or Horsham, who have accumulated a wealth of experience.

Very nice! that's going to be very impressive once all painted and detailed, love big scale RC tanks...just cant afford one, i do have a tiny in comparison 1/16 scale RC Tiger which is fun. That figure looks like a fugitive from the walking dead though.

TC = turbocharged, but should have read SC/TC.

You will need heat range 5 for the VQ engine, the numbers are the heat range of the plug, and should be kept at std range unless the engine is SC or TC.

S13 is really getting on these days and will undoubtedly suffer a fair bit of corrosion, as for tuneable...well they are to a degree, the CA18DET will take around 250bhp with bigger turbo etc in std form, if in good condition, otherwise you need to fully forge the engine and they can handle over 400BHP. The S14 also getting long in the tooth, has a better and more tuneable engine SR20DET which can take 350 to 400BHP in std condition with the right mods, both suffer lousy traction, especially off the line, and even with extensive suspension mods are not great, probably why they are a favorite drift toy in Japan. The S15 is basically the same car with a different body, so uses the same chassis, suspension and engine.

Well in an engine its more a case of boiling rather than evaporation, but as its a semi closed system that label tends to confuse the issue, but its why i mentioned the required 100C. Although modern synthetic oils will handle quite high temperatures compared to the older mineral based oils, The engine friction metal surfaces are not, which is why we have a cooling system to keep temps within certain boundaries, otherwise the tolerances change too much due to different expansion rates of the metals.

Most modern engines are designed to run an oil temp of 100C as below that it will not evaporate the water vapor that accumulates during lower running temps, the same applies to some of the contaminates, like acidic compounds that accumulate from the combustion process, so having too low an oil running temp is just as bad as having it too high.

Pointless trying to increase the rev range of the VQ, one reason is the valve train doesn't like it, its a week point, and secondly in order to benefit from doing so you will need to spend shite loads of money you can gain perhaps 25 bhp and i little more torque with a remap and the right supporting mods, but you will never notice a big difference, just better driveability.

One thing to remember aside from quality of the software involved...is the map is only as good as the person writing it!

Fitting decats will not screw your engine, its will not cause it to run lean, all it will do is remove a slight restriction which the ECU is perfectly capable of adjusting AFRs for via lambda feedback, not sure if the map ever goes open loop on the 370 ? i suspect not, but if so its will run things on the rich side for safety anyway. I am not convinced that decats are going to achieve anything without breathing mods and a remap anyway.

I am also curious to know just why decats would ruin your engine?

where can i get these from? and are they just like normal spacers? I am sure one of the traders here can sort you out some PCD adapter spacers, if the wheels your trying to fit are of different offset as well as PCD then you will likely need spacers anyway..

i take it your trying to fit wheels with the wrong PCD, not at all ideal, why not just buy some spacers with PCD conversion.

No point as the ECU will only relearn short term fuel and timing trim, which is there mainly to deal with different fuel grades.

Copper core (so called but all plugs have a copper core) will last 6-12K mils, Platinum will go for maybe 20-30K mls and Iridium will last up to 60K mls. So its a case of if you into doing your own maintenance, and like to fiddle, you may as well buy the copper, but if your one to fit and forget, or get someone else to do your maintenance, go for iridium. Personally i like to know whats going on with my engine....and I'm tight!

Obviously something is causing the CEL, was going to ask this before but as you didn't mention it i presumed not, however you now need to get the code/s to determine what is causing the CEL and go from there.

Wont be anything with the tank, its vented or the engine wouldn't run, it could be any number of things, i would go with a bad earth, or a bad connection on the loom for starters.

As above, have you tried your local motor factors...there is nothing special about the plugs used in the Z, and no performance advantages to be had.

Moles are nice and interesting creatures, however if your into your garden, they are your mortal enemy. But i would still rather try and get rid of them without having killing them.

I know the original engine design won awards back in the early 90s, but we have moved on with engine design, and if a 3.5 lt V6 that can only make 280-340 bhp with abysmal fuel economy can win an award these days, i think Wardsauto need to get some decent review staff.

LOL! i know the feeling, and also the first thing i thought of was the Jasper Carrot mole saga, despite the mass of hills i suspect that its down to just one or two moles...they don't mix well, i used to get some respite by pouring white spirit down the holes, they really don't like strong smells, however it wont get rid of them, you can try the humane traps, but most people end up resorting to a mole catcher who will kill them with traps, i was lucky i managed to catch mine...little bugger would keep coming up and scuttling about on the surface when i was digging in the garden, the second time i had a plastic container handy, so i caught him and he went for a little ride down to a farmers field down the road, where he could cause as much havoc as he liked.