Critical SC’d Vibe Update

[tbm34]

THIS THING PHUCKING ROCKS!!!!!!!!!Now that I’ve had a chance to drive the car around a bit and start pushing it, the difference is amazing. It is not like the kick in the pants you get once a turbo kicks in, or the high pitched wail of hitting lift, it is so smooth, steady and stealthy. It is more like someone dropped a nice torquey V-6 in there when I wasn’t looking. I can be just putzin’ around town, start from a stoplight and before I know it I’m going 45mph and all the other cars are a half block behind. That’s without even trying, if I rev it up a bit and launch, I’m reduced to a pile of smoking rubber with whiplash. The extra low-end torque sure is nice. I can be loafing along on the highway at 2400 rpm in 4th gear, hit the gas and the car immediately starts pulling.I’m still working on scanning my dyno’s, but surprisingly, it looks like I picked up just about equal amounts of wheel HP and torque, 30 of each. The a/f ratio is just under 12:1, and max torque dropped from 4100 rpm, to 3000 rpm, which is very nice . I wonder if the Unichip is doing a better job with optimizing the torque.

[Mavrik]

Sounds awsome, I am JEALOUS!yeah go with the chip.

[AKLGT]

that's great news! i have the gt, so no s/c for me. have a cai and unichip, but hope to add an exhaust possibly next spring. then will look to get teh chip retuned. too bad there's not anywhere here that can custom tune it.

[MadBill]

Once you add the exhaust, Hope, I think you will have the same setup as someone on a recent thread who had his 2ZZ unichip tuned by an experienced shop. They likely kept a record of what they did and could load the same cal in yours, if you mailed it to them. (I'm sure any minor difference in exhaust backpressure from one performance exhaust to another will not require a different tune, as the base Vibe calibration has a lot a self-adjustment capability built in.)

[Flip-Side]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »it looks like I picked up just about equal amounts of wheel HP and torque, 30 of each. Makes you wonder what the SC is capable of with the right tweeks.... I know theres gotta be more in there than GM is allowing. Anyone know if a boost increase is possible? Shift-Kit probly a must though if it can be done.

[kostby]

tbm34,This is GREAT! I'm very interested in your TRD/Unichip solution. Is your car still in warranty? Just wondering what happens if you happen to get 'Mr. Goodwrench' under the hood phucking around.As I understand it, with your setup, the custom Unichip has entirely replaced the GM ECU. Does the Unichip still provide any ECU diagnostic codes that a GM mechanic can understand, or do you have to go back to the Unichip tuner? One of the reasons I bought the Vibe was because I wanted to be able to go to my local dealer for service, rather than drive 30 miles to a Toyota dealer.My Vibe will be out of warranty in June 05 or sooner, so I suppose I can wait that long to have the TRD s/c and Unichip installed and not worry about Mr. Goodwrench.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by MadBill »Once you add the exhaust, Hope, I think you will have the same setup as someone on a recent thread who had his 2ZZ unichip tuned by an experienced shop. They likely kept a record of what they did and could load the same cal in yours, if you mailed it to them. (I'm sure any minor difference in exhaust backpressure from one performance exhaust to another will not require a different tune, as the base Vibe calibration has a lot a self-adjustment capability built in.)yes, that's what i'm hoping for! i saw his numbers and they were quite impressive!

[Mavrik]

My warranty isn't up till 2006... by then I might be able to afford this thing! lol.

[MadBill]

If anything untoward were to occur, you could always peel the SC off in 1/2 a day before having the vehicle dragged in to you dealer...

[tbm34]

Quote, originally posted by kostby »tbm34,As I understand it, with your setup, the custom Unichip has entirely replaced the GM ECU. Does the Unichip still provide any ECU diagnostic codes that a GM mechanic can understand, or do you have to go back to the Unichip tuner? The UniChip does nothing to the GM ECU, it piggy-backs it. What it does do is completely replace the non-tunable piggyback ECU that would come with the GM version of the supercharger. Therefore, all diagnostic codes would not change.

[goodvibe]

I bet yours with correct tune would take a GT with same. A proper tune on the SC should do wonders.

[Faultline]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »THIS THING PHUCKING ROCKS!!!!!!!!!Now that I’ve had a chance to drive the car around a bit and start pushing it, the difference is amazing. It is not like the kick in the pants you get once a turbo kicks in, or the high pitched wail of hitting lift, it is so smooth, steady and stealthy. It is more like someone dropped a nice torquey V-6 in there when I wasn’t looking. I can be just putzin’ around town, start from a stoplight and before I know it I’m going 45mph and all the other cars are a half block behind. That’s without even trying, if I rev it up a bit and launch, I’m reduced to a pile of smoking rubber with whiplash. The extra low-end torque sure is nice. I can be loafing along on the highway at 2400 rpm in 4th gear, hit the gas and the car immediately starts pulling.I’m still working on scanning my dyno’s, but surprisingly, it looks like I picked up just about equal amounts of wheel HP and torque, 30 of each. The a/f ratio is just under 12:1, and max torque dropped from 4100 rpm, to 3000 rpm, which is very nice . I wonder if the Unichip is doing a better job with optimizing the torque. welcome to the world of F/I ....I have yet to be in an SC'd Vibe...I like the whine they make, and I kknow that the power delivery is much more smooth than the turbo. I must admit that the throwing into warp speed effect of the turbo, is way fun though!!..I find it interesting that your peak torque moved down to 3k rpms....My turbos power curves follow the N/a one...just seems to multiply the them where they sit. Interestingly enough, my A/F ratios are just under 12:1 themselves..Its a safe place...some people want to tune leaner for mor power, but with our high compression, who wants to blow ther motor for a few more horsies ( ...I definately can relate to the v-6 thing.Its like driving a whole new car...Its a new day in the Vibe

[kostby]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »The UniChip does nothing to the GM ECU, it piggy-backs it. What it does do is completely replace the non-tunable piggyback ECU that would come with the GM version of the supercharger. Therefore, all diagnostic codes would not change. That's great news!

[tbm34]

Quote, originally posted by Faultline » welcome to the world of F/I ....I have yet to be in an SC'd Vibe...I like the whine they make, and I kknow that the power delivery is much more smooth than the turbo. I must admit that the throwing into warp speed effect of the turbo, is way fun though!!..I find it interesting that your peak torque moved down to 3k rpms....My turbos power curves follow the N/a one...just seems to multiply the them where they sit. Interestingly enough, my A/F ratios are just under 12:1 themselves..Its a safe place...some people want to tune leaner for mor power, but with our high compression, who wants to blow ther motor for a few more horsies ( ...I definately can relate to the v-6 thing.Its like driving a whole new car...Its a new day in the Vibe Thanks turbo guy. I’d love to try your turbo out. You are right about the supercharger, it is so smooth, steady and stealthy that there is no big bang effect like when the turbo kicks in or hitting lift, but it does indeed drive like a whole new car. I totally agree with you on the A/F fuel ratio’s, especially come summer when things heat up. I do have a leaner program in my Unichip Map B, if I ever get water/meth injection to keep things cooler. Well, we have a couple of good FI options for our Vibes now, so it is time to stop whining about GM and start catching up with all those supercharged and turboed Matrixs.PS How long have you been running with your turbo?

[chargedvibe]

Yeah the supercharger rocks...cardomain.com feelthevibe2004

Attached files

[tbm34]

Quote, originally posted by chargedvibe »Yeah the supercharger rocks...cardomain.com feelthevibe2004Very nice, congratulations, and welcome to Genvibe. There are more supercharged Vibes popping up by the day. How long have you had the supercharger installed? Is your Vibe automatic, 5-speed, or AWD?

[ebslopp]

Does the supercharger come with a blow off valve? If not, can you put one in? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to forced induction. But I love the sound of a blow-off valve when I'm driving. I've driven my buddy's Integra with a turbo and the blow-off valve sounds AWESOME! Plus everybody around you knows you're running FI.

[AKLGT]

oh yes, welcome to genvibe! sorry, i usually don't miss the welcome wagon! (or hatchback to some )seems that we're getting more and more s/c and turbo'd vibes! gotta keep up w/ our matrix bros somehow!

[tbm34]

I had my first official wheel-hop experience today. We are having a nice cold front pass through today and it was only 37 degrees on my drive home. The Vibe was just loving the extra cold supercharged air. I hit it pretty hard from a stop light and the front wheels started hopping. Much different than the general peel-outs and torque steer I’ve been enjoying. I have also burned through my first tank of gas and the mileage difference is not to bad at all, especially considering all the fun I’ve been having with the new toy. That Unichip and tune must be helping off-set the difference.

[Faultline]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »I had my first official wheel-hop experience today. We are having a nice cold front pass through today and it was only 37 degrees on my drive home. The Vibe was just loving the extra cold supercharged air. I hit it pretty hard from a stop light and the front wheels started hopping. Much different than the general peel-outs and torque steer I’ve been enjoying. I have also burned through my first tank of gas and the mileage difference is not to bad at all, especially considering all the fun I’ve been having with the new toy. That Unichip and tune must be helping off-set the difference.I have been thiking about new motor mounts for all the wheel hopping issues I am still using my stock clutch and have been running the turbo since a year from last January. I have some 20k miles with the turbo on ....When I change the clutch, I may try the Phanotm Grip Limited Slip diferential , maybe a lighter flywheel, and new motor mounts ...all to help with traction issues

[bellwilliam]

I just got my Vibe supercharged today !!! Great but it isn't as powerful as I had hoped, so it is now a/f controller next.

[Faultline]

Quote, originally posted by bellwilliam »I just got my Vibe supercharged today !!! Great but it isn't as powerful as I had hoped, so it is now a/f controller next. There is a saying "hope deferred makes the heart sick"....Hopefully you will get the kind of power you are hoping for...anyway welcome to the world of "Boost"...... the 1zz luvs it!!!

[tbm34]

Quote, originally posted by bellwilliam »I just got my Vibe supercharged today !!! Great but it isn't as powerful as I had hoped, so it is now a/f controller next.Hang in there bellwilliam, and remember, the GM supercharger set-up is only advertising a 30% gain, so it won’t turn your Vibe into an instant rocketship, and your auto transmission isn’t helping either. Also, the supercharger won’t give you the kick in the pants warp drive effect of a Turbo, it is much more steady across the board, and therefore a more subtle feeling. Looking at your bio, your yardstick is set pretty high with a Porsche 550 Spyder, and a 2003 BMW Z4. Why are you even bothering with the Vibe?. Remember, it’s a high sitting econo wagon, it will never be a sports car. With that said, give your car time to adjust, the stock ECU needs some time to adjust to all the increased air and fuel. The good news is that there is definitely room for safe improvement of the supercharger. GM didn’t want to stick their neck out with their generous warranty, so they tuned it conservative to work on all cars in all parts of the country. The word on the Matrix side is that they set the A/F ratio “pig rich” because during testing under prolonged induction they saw some cases of burning of the first cat, but under typical daily driving conditions I’m not to worried about this. So the split second fuel controller for leaning this out and a cat-back exhaust for letting the extra gases escape more easily should help things quite a bit. I think the TRD or K&N high flow air filters are a good idea as well, and relatively cheap and completely reusable. Did you replace the spark plugs (1 heat range colder) with the SC install? With these additions you should have a pretty peppy auto wagon, but it still won’t be a Porsche or Beemer.

[BaseVibeDriver]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »I’m still working on scanning my dyno’s, but surprisingly, it looks like I picked up just about equal amounts of wheel HP and torque, 30 of each. I'm very curious to see the dyno chart.

[wicked1981]

I have 1 question if the 1zz engine (base Vibe) is really 140HP not 130 like advertissed does that mean that we will be making 182HP?? 30% increse in HP right? so thats 42hp gain 140+42=182???? more than te GT?? Just a question.

[Fialchar]

Easiest way to find out is to check a dyno chart of a s/c base Vibe. For us automatic basers, the problem is the computer not shifting at the optimal times, so we'll have to rely on good ol air shifting, or install a paddle shifter (Paddle shifter should only be about 3 more months for me ^^)

[wicked1981]

Quote, originally posted by Fialchar » or install a paddle shifter (Paddle shifter should only be about 3 more months for me ^^)Whats a paddle shifter? How does it work?

[Fialchar]

A paddle shifter is an aftermarket item for a/t cars/trucks. When you tap it it shifts, letting you decide when it shifts instead of the computer (Letting you hit the RPM's properly).

[wicked1981]

Quote, originally posted by Fialchar »A paddle shifter is an aftermarket item for a/t cars/trucks. When you tap it it shifts, letting you decide when it shifts instead of the computer (Letting you hit the RPM's properly).Hhhmmm is it available for the Vibe? Where could I find it?

[Fialchar]

They're available for any car I believe, you just have to buy the kit and have it installed. I'm getting the kit for $125 through a friend of mine, but I'm pretty sure they're more expensive than that. I'll try to get some more information for you man.

[bellwilliam]

Quote, originally posted by tbm34 »Hang in there bellwilliam, and remember, the GM supercharger set-up is only advertising a 30% gain, so it won’t turn your Vibe into an instant rocketship, and your auto transmission isn’t helping either. Also, the supercharger won’t give you the kick in the pants warp drive effect of a Turbo, it is much more steady across the board, and therefore a more subtle feeling. Looking at your bio, your yardstick is set pretty high with a Porsche 550 Spyder, and a 2003 BMW Z4. Why are you even bothering with the Vibe?. Remember, it’s a high sitting econo wagon, it will never be a sports car. With that said, give your car time to adjust, the stock ECU needs some time to adjust to all the increased air and fuel. The good news is that there is definitely room for safe improvement of the supercharger. GM didn’t want to stick their neck out with their generous warranty, so they tuned it conservative to work on all cars in all parts of the country. The word on the Matrix side is that they set the A/F ratio “pig rich” because during testing under prolonged induction they saw some cases of burning of the first cat, but under typical daily driving conditions I’m not to worried about this. So the split second fuel controller for leaning this out and a cat-back exhaust for letting the extra gases escape more easily should help things quite a bit. I think the TRD or K&N high flow air filters are a good idea as well, and relatively cheap and completely reusable. Did you replace the spark plugs (1 heat range colder) with the SC install? With these additions you should have a pretty peppy auto wagon, but it still won’t be a Porsche or Beemer. you are right, ECU does take time to adjust. there is considerably more power after 2 gas fills. I did change the spark plug.I am not looking for a sports car in the Vibe, just a little more speed, so grandmas won't blow me away (they don't even know they are racing me) in their Camry, Altima and Accord (both number 1, 2 and 3 selling cars), no, I didn't mean 6 cylinder ones, I meant 4 cylinder Camry and Accord. I have a G-Tech PRO, before S/C, 0-60 was high 9s. after S/C, it is 8.3 seconds. I think I can now keep up with most 4 cylinder sedan.one of the problem is the automatic transmission. it upshifts at about 6400rpm. but from all the posts I have seen, there is about 10 more hp to be had by going up to 6800rpm (which is the new fuel cut off). Plus the automatic gears are spaced too wide, so upshifts often drop me out of the power band. so if the automatic can be made to shift at 6800rpm, that would help it to stay in power band during upshift.I will put in the A/F controller this weekend, will report how well it worked. I am a little worried about burning out the pre-cat, so I will probably run a little rich just to be safe.

[bellwilliam]

okay, I just got my car back from SS for the a/f controller install and dyno tune. I don't have a scanner, so can't upload my dyno graph. good news/bad news good news: 1. I gained between 8-15hp / 10wtq across the rpm range. 2. a/f ratio was just under 10 before and 12 after. SS did tune it a little richer after the dyno run . so I guess my dyno number is a little higher than what I have now. 3. I have a g-tech pro: here is the results for 0-60 time for 2 way average. before S/C, 9.7 sec after S/C, 8.4 sec after S/C and A/F, 8.1 sec (I did have 1 fluke run at 7.7sec) bad news: 1. I found out that I was losing power (about 5hp) between 5.3-6k rpm. then the power picks up again after 6k rpm. power increased by 30hp from 6k to 6.5k rpm. I am definetely having serious problems here. 2. the hp curve is very jagged between 5-6k rpm. SS said it looked like the spark plugs are miss firing. I did use the cold spark plug, so we don't know what the problem might be. SS also said it is not detonation. 3. My max hp was only 143hp and 130tq. one explanation was that my dyno run was done at 97F degree weather. my car was ran at 2nd gear (SS said) rpm hp/before hp/after 4.5k 100 110 5k 110 117 5.2k 114 123 5.5k 108 115 6k 107 115 6.5k 132 142 rpm tq/before tq/after 4.5k 115 128 5k 115 125 5.2k 114 125 5.5k 105 110 6k 95 103 6.5k 103 113

[HCguy]

Quote, originally posted by wicked1981 » 30% increse in HP right? so thats 42hp gain 140+42=182???? Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it isn't a 30% gain overall but in the lower rpm only and the total Hp gain in the end is in the 170's. again correct me if I'm wrong.

[AKLGT]

no, i believe that's correct.