[DookieShoes]

Hey everyone,

Looking for some input on a recent scary moment that I had on my long trip home. I'll start with the background. I just recently installed my DEPO catless DP, 3.5" IC, and stratified 91 and E30 OTS tunes. I have had ZERO issues with any of the parts. I though I had an exhaust leak, but it turns out this combo just sounds a little raspy and the turbo whistles super loud.

Last weekend I headed out for a long trip (1200+ miles) and flashed over to the 91 tune to avoid having to search for E85 pumps along the way. I got about 1100 miles into my trip with NO issues whatsoever, and out of nowhere, while trying to pass at WOT in 4th, the car just stumbles and falls flat on it's face. As soon as I went WOT on the pedal, the exhaust just started popping and burbling super loudly, and I went nowhere. I actually probably lost speed. I looked at my AP, and there was no negative corrections on any of the cylinders other then a few -.5 counts that had already been there. My only though was that I had received a bad tank of gas, and going from where I live at 6200 ft ASL to 1000 ft ASL caused the car to flip **** and cut boost. I got a tank of E30 and flashed back for safety, and haven't had any issues since. After reading, I am going to reset the KAM right now as well. Any thoughts?

TL;DR: Installed DP/IC/Tune, went on a long trip from high altitude to low alt. Car completely bogged out and fell on its face while trying to pass ONCE. No other issues.

 

[elyk864]

1. Bad gas
2. Signs of HPFP going.
3. Boost leak
4. BPV/BOV stuck

That's all I got. Good luck.

 

[DookieShoes]

Appreciate the response. I will have to double check my tbolt clamps and bpv.

Hopefully not the fuel pump. Car is too new. I don't have time for that lol.

 

[elyk864]

I had my HPFP replaced at 44,000 miles just recently. I'm 2013 though. I don't know if they changed the part number on them over the years though.

 

[fsae99]

Hey everyone,

Looking for some input on a recent scary moment that I had on my long trip home. I'll start with the background. I just recently installed my DEPO catless DP, 3.5" IC, and stratified 91 and E30 OTS tunes. I have had ZERO issues with any of the parts. I though I had an exhaust leak, but it turns out this combo just sounds a little raspy and the turbo whistles super loud.

Last weekend I headed out for a long trip (1200+ miles) and flashed over to the 91 tune to avoid having to search for E85 pumps along the way. I got about 1100 miles into my trip with NO issues whatsoever, and out of nowhere, while trying to pass at WOT in 4th, the car just stumbles and falls flat on it's face. As soon as I went WOT on the pedal, the exhaust just started popping and burbling super loudly, and I went nowhere. I actually probably lost speed. I looked at my AP, and there was no negative corrections on any of the cylinders other then a few -.5 counts that had already been there. My only though was that I had received a bad tank of gas, and going from where I live at 6200 ft ASL to 1000 ft ASL caused the car to flip **** and cut boost. I got a tank of E30 and flashed back for safety, and haven't had any issues since. After reading, I am going to reset the KAM right now as well. Any thoughts?

TL;DR: Installed DP/IC/Tune, went on a long trip from high altitude to low alt. Car completely bogged out and fell on its face while trying to pass ONCE. No other issues.

When this happened were you driving in wet weather for a couple of hours prior to the "event"?

 

[DookieShoes]

When this happened were you driving in wet weather for a couple of hours prior to the "event"?

I absolutely was. For about an hour it was pouring while I was driving. This was about 45 mins prior to said event.

Edit: I just looked up and saw your involvement in the thread some other person posted on his issue. I think condensation could be very plausible. I'm driving long distance, and the car is hot, driving in 90* weather. It starts raining, thus cooling the intercooler and other things off. Then you have warm engine-heated air passing through the radiator and condensing in the intercooler because it's at its dew point. 45 mins later I go WOT and ingest that puddle that formed in my IC

This makes me think of the blanking plate they put in he RS because of condensation issues in their very efficient intercooler.

Hopefully that wasn't too much of a tangent, and is what you were implying lol.

 

[fsae99]

I absolutely was. For about an hour it was pouring while I was driving. This was about 45 mins prior to said event.

Edit: I just looked up and saw your involvement in the thread some other person posted on his issue. I think condensation could be very plausible. I'm driving long distance, and the car is hot, driving in 90* weather. It starts raining, thus cooling the intercooler and other things off. Then you have warm engine-heated air passing through the radiator and condensing in the intercooler because it's at its dew point. 45 mins later I go WOT and ingest that puddle that formed in my IC

This makes me think of the blanking plate they put in he RS because of condensation issues in their very efficient intercooler.

Hopefully that wasn't too much of a tangent, and is what you were implying lol.

Yep, that is exactly what I suspect. While this is very worrisome when it happens, I have never had a lasting issues because of it. It makes a very distinctive sound and when you hear it let off the gas.

 

[Baxter]

I've had the exact same thing happen. About an hour of highway driving in rain and all off a sudden a big stumble and no power. Although it was even more scary because it killed a cylinder! I limped off to the shoulder, sure that I had melted a piston. Idle sounded like a Subaru. I turned the car off, did a quick inspection, prayed desparately, then the car started right back up and it hasn't had an issue since.

 

[DookieShoes]

Yep, that is exactly what I suspect. While this is very worrisome when it happens, I have never had a lasting issues because of it. It makes a very distinctive sound and when you hear it let off the gas.

It would be a problem if you ingested enough I bet. Since water isn't compressible, it's got to put a ton of stress on the rotating assembly. Not to mention possible damage that might not make itself evident until much later.

 

[davesST]

So, is there any way to avoid this, other than not driving in the rain?

 

[DookieShoes]

So, is there any way to avoid this, other than not driving in the rain?

I would think to avoid WOT for a period after driving in the rain, or avoid a very efficient intercooler lol. Sucks, but not a lot could be done I don't think.

 

[Duelies]

I'm taking a shot in the dark here but I'm thinking if you have a green filter then moisture in the engine bay is getting sucked into the intake through the open end of the filter. I had a similar thing happen to me recently when I was driving to work after rained at night. My drive to work is highway and I decided to go WOT out of the toll booth. It was sluggish and then it just cut power. Car still worked fine but made me nervous. I just capped the open end of the filter and hoping that helps.

 

[davesST]

Is this happening on stock STs' or those that have mods?

 

[DookieShoes]

I'm taking a shot in the dark here but I'm thinking if you have a green filter then moisture in the engine bay is getting sucked into the intake through the open end of the filter. I had a similar thing happen to me recently when I was driving to work after rained at night. My drive to work is highway and I decided to go WOT out of the toll booth. It was sluggish and then it just cut power. Car still worked fine but made me nervous. I just capped the open end of the filter and hoping that helps.

I don't think it's getting in the filter, but i do think that there is condensation within the intake tract. Apparently the 3.5 ecoboost has had the problem, and they designed the RS with an intercooler blanking plate to help combat the problem.

 

[Soden82]

That's scary. Is there more of a chance of it happening with a larger intercooler? I'm thinking the 5.5" variety


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[fsae99]

It would be a problem if you ingested enough I bet. Since water isn't compressible, it's got to put a ton of stress on the rotating assembly. Not to mention possible damage that might not make itself evident until much later.

I think it is more likely that it is big droplets than a stream of water causing sever spark blow out. So I think the total amount of water getting into a cylinder per intake cycle is very low. However, yes if enough gets in the cylinder big problems can happen.
I certainly let off the gas when it happens.

This is why I think what I do.

First, the amount of water accumulating from condensation could only be so much. I never have the problem if cruising less than 2 hours in the wet and the few times it has happened it was closer to 3 hrs.

Next the pipe from the IC to intake is fairly large and the last section is vertical so moving water up that is not trivial, the pipe would have to be completely full or will suck air.

Just cruising even at 80MPH there is a vacuum and all the water molecules have plenty of space to not to form larger droplets. Hit the gas and go to 20PSI pressure suddenly there is far less room for each water molecule to avoid becoming a large droplet.

 

[fsae99]

So, is there any way to avoid this, other than not driving in the rain?

I think the best way to avoid it is to go WFO once every hour or so. On my car this only happens after 2+ hours of cruise control in wet weather.

My next trip in the wet I will test this out.

 

[DookieShoes]

@fsae99 I just got back from my trip and once again I got into some heavy rain for about an hour or 2. I tried your method and went WOT once every 15 mins or so in 4th. Well about the third WOT pull I got the stuttering and what I assume to be spark blowout due to condensation again. I think your method might work, but I was having some spark plug issues I think. I just installed NGK one step colder plugs before my trip. I gapped them at .028 using a feeler gauge. During the last 400 miles of my trip my care wouldn't boost more than 3-4 PSI with out breaking up and losing a cylinder for a minute or two or until I pulled over and turned the car off and on. It really had me pretty nerve wracked. I made it all the way back home and immediately checked my plugs thinking one came loose. None loose, but one was gapped at about .035 (cylinder 4). I regapped them all the way back down to .027. I think that the cooler weather and the plug gap issue was giving me some major spark blowout. As for the rain, I think that the IC condenses water really fast.

In conclusion, I think that keeping your spark plug gaps in check, if not a little tighter than .028 might help combat this issue.

 

[fsae99]

@fsae99 I just got back from my trip and once again I got into some heavy rain for about an hour or 2. I tried your method and went WOT once every 15 mins or so in 4th. Well about the third WOT pull I got the stuttering and what I assume to be spark blowout due to condensation again. I think your method might work, but I was having some spark plug issues I think. I just installed NGK one step colder plugs before my trip. I gapped them at .028 using a feeler gauge. During the last 400 miles of my trip my care wouldn't boost more than 3-4 PSI with out breaking up and losing a cylinder for a minute or two or until I pulled over and turned the car off and on. It really had me pretty nerve wracked. I made it all the way back home and immediately checked my plugs thinking one came loose. None loose, but one was gapped at about .035 (cylinder 4). I regapped them all the way back down to .027. I think that the cooler weather and the plug gap issue was giving me some major spark blowout. As for the rain, I think that the IC condenses water really fast.

In conclusion, I think that keeping your spark plug gaps in check, if not a little tighter than .028 might help combat this issue.

I gap my plugs at .026 to start with. I was thinking that going wide ope would keep the accumulated condensation down and combat the issue. I still have not made a trip in the rain to try in my car, but will try when I do. I have the Steed 3.5" IC so we should have similar condensation rates.

We need to log this event and get it to our respective tuners to see if they can help.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Predatorbird]

I have this same problem every time I drive a decent distance on the interstate, rain or shine. When I give it some gas, the car stutters and a puff of smoke comes out the exhaust. Once it clears, the car drives smooth again. This problem started to occur after I installed an OCC. That is the only thing I can think of that might be causing my problem.


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