A Few Notes on Troubleshooting Basics
First and foremost, it’s very important that you have a good experience with your redblockpowered purchase. A lot of resources have been utilized to design, engineer, and manufacture what I think is the best available off-the-shelf tuning for your LH2.4/2.2 controlled vehicle. That said, there are rare occasions when your immediate results aren’t as hoped, leading to frustration and discouragement. Neither one of us wants this! Here’s how you can help me, help you. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the root cause is a mechanical one: a vacuum leak, collapsing turbo inlet hose, camshaft off a tooth (or more!), boost leak, exhaust leak pre-O2 sensor, etc. The best place to start is at the beginning: a thorough check of all systems to confirm proper functioning. These tunes are all made for modified engines; even the Stage 1 tune for B230FT assumes you’ve increased your boost level. Stage 2 tunes assume a whole raft of mechanical changes. While nowhere near a comprehensive list, here are some of the most common faults you may find helpful:
Are all the factory components in place? As redblockpowered tunes are based on factory hardware, all your components need to be in place and working correctly. Don’t delete the idle air control valve!
Check for air leaks: vacuum, exhaust, boost, etc. A small leak makes a big difference, particularly at light throttle.
Confirm the integrity of any components you may have changed. Knock-off injectors of dubious quality and random flow rates are a well-known issue. Aftermarket camshafts ground with 10* retarded, or more. You can’t assume that these things are correct out of the box, you have to check.
Increased output places additional strain on 35 year old components; fuel pumps are a great example of that.
What about your mass air flow sensor? Is it a real Bosch unit or an aftermarket one? I don’t support “homemade” mass air flow sensors. Even
Did you solder in your own daughterboard? It’s not easy! I use advanced tools not normally in a DIYer’s tool box to provide an OEM-quality solder joint.
Additionally, there are a number of online resources available where a bit of research can help point you in the right direction. I understand that your first instinct may be to shoot me an email and say “these chips don’t work” or “it’s acting like it has a misfire under boost”, and as much as I may want to, I just don’t have the time available to troubleshoot from the ground floor. I have had some chains go as many as 70 emails! If you’ve been through all the steps and still are having trouble, by all means, write to me. The more detailed information you provide, the quicker I’ll be able to reply and the more accurate the solution will be.
I’ve made every effort to make sure the product you buy is absolutely the best there is. I’ve invested in manufacturing hardware, designed and re-designed components as they’ve become obsolete, and searched the ends of the Earth to make sure what you receive is an OEM-quality component. At times, it’s created extended lead times, well beyond what anyone would expect. I apologize for that, but my goal is to provide you with a product as solid as the car it’s going in that you can enjoy for years to come!