Mods to improve responsiveness?

[kai-wun]

Hi all,

I understand most performance mods improve power ( a few ponies here and there ... or more like fractions of ponies =))

However - due to a recent speeding ticket I'm not too power hungry anymore. I would, like to improve "responsiveness" of the car though, if that's even possible. Do mods exist to do this?

I understand we are DBW therefore there is always a limit of how much throttle feedback we can achieve... and there's always that teeny tiny bit of lag. But other than that, what mods will make my car more responsive, I just want to touch and go...!

Intake? Headers? Catback? Pulleys? (I've briefly heard that these are actually bad for the car?)

I'm definitely gonna put in a short shifter and rear-sway bar... dunno if I/H/E is worth the effort/cash...

(These would be for a 2.3L 5spd)

TIA!
-k

[Kevin@nextmod]

Definitely not a CAI. spark plug wires, spark plugs will help, an intake ice box like comptech has for the hondas.

[KenYork]

throttle body grounding helps a bit... until the ecu adapts.

[Skarbro]

Get the Street Unit mount.

[CanadaGTO]

Get the Street Unit mount.

Good call, that will help quite a bit :)

[theurgy]

Engine mount, throttle body grounding, full grounding kit (like the BuddyClub Grounding Condenser), Spark plugs and wires...these things will increase what is typically known as "responsiveness".

Intake, Header, Exhaust... this will increase HP... but before investing.. think of your long-term goals with your car, what are you typically trying to acheive with it?

[doughboyr6]

flywheel might help liven things up...

[Xerox]

I thought the 2.3 didn't have plug wires. Aren't the ignition coils pretty much directly attached to the plugs (and therefore no wires involved). A common technique to improve spark efficiency.

[mogul_pro]

Clutch
Flywheel
Swaybars
Springs
Motor Mount

...If you don't want HP adders but want your car to be more 'responcive' thats your path.

[2007mazda3boy]

everybody forgot the most important thing .........
u need the performance tire!

[HappyJappy]

Don't forget the chip that adds 20hp :chuckle

[Flagrum_3]

Don't forget to remove the Air Conditioning system :chuckle


_3


.

[garboui]

any after market intake manifold thats currently available. This is solely due to the plenum and intake runner length being significantly shorter/smaller than stock. This creates a much smaller volume of air therefore less momentum for the air to gain when the TB is slammed open or shut as well as less pressure differential when the TB is modulated.

[Hives]

Dont forget aftermarket stickers all over your car. That ads 25+hp. They work for 240s and Civics. ha ha

[Niteshade]

any after market intake manifold thats currently available. This is solely due to the plenum and intake runner length being significantly shorter/smaller than stock. This creates a much smaller volume of air therefore less momentum for the air to gain when the TB is slammed open or shut as well as less pressure differential when the TB is modulated.

Garboui, am I confused here or does your advice apply only turbos ie.MS3s?

[theurgy]

No.. it applies to NA cars as well..

[Noisy Crow]

I know that there is a hack out there to prevent the car from turning the A/C on by itself. This was done by hacking a circuit board in the climate control unit.

Has anyone tried adding a manual override for the A/C clutch? All that would needed is add a switch in the wire that activates the relay....


Don't forget to remove the Air Conditioning system :chuckle


_3


.

[mogul_pro]

I know that there is a hack out there to prevent the car from turning the A/C on by itself. This was done by hacking a circuit board in the climate control unit.

Has anyone tried adding a manual override for the A/C clutch? All that would needed is add a switch in the wire that activates the relay....


wouldnt want to mess with that when car is under waranty...

[garboui]

Garboui, am I confused here or does your advice apply only turbos ie.MS3s?

well it applies to both. its the same reason that keeping less pipe between turbo and engine is better for response.

it basically comes down to air being a compressible fluid. if theres less of it to expand or catch up to respond to demand time to reach steady state will be less.

http://www.grapeaperacing.com/GrapeApeRacing/tech/inductionsystems.pdf

i found this article to help explain it in a more through manner if you are inclined to investigate further. For some the article may be a bit too technical but its decently written as not to confuse.

[Noisy Crow]

wouldnt want to mess with that when car is under waranty...

If you can live without A/C (say, in the winter), just pull the A/C relay

[mogul_pro]

but why do u need to have that very small bit more power in the winter? lol so u can drive fast on icey roads with snow tires?

[RX9]

i was thinking the same, mod my mz3. but if i put in header, CAI, test pipe, CBE, sways, springs, performance tires plus my mz3, i will spend more compare to if i just buy a MS3. thats your call, i knew that its fun to mod a car anyway.

[ghostdog]

i was thinking the same, mod my mz3. but if i put in header, CAI, test pipe, CBE, sways, springs, performance tires plus my mz3, i will spend more compare to if i just buy a MS3. thats your call, i knew that its fun to mod a car anyway.

even then your car won't be anywhere near a MS3 in terms of performance but at least you are not sipping or rather gulping premium fuel at $1.26 ($1.14 regular now) a liter...!

[freddymak18]

I wear heavier shoes to increase responsiveness.