What about aftermarket air Intake tuning options? - Cold Air Intake Tuning
There are currently 11 aftermarket air intake options to choose from in the Mazda Sport programmer. The programmer asks if you have installed an aftermarket air intake, and then show you a list of intakes to choose from.
· AEM Cold Air Intake System
· BEGi Cool Air System
· Cobb Tuning SF Intake
· CorkSport Short Ram Intake
· Custom Performance Engineering Xcel Nano Air Intake
· Custom Performance Engineering Xcel Cold Air Intake
· HKS Racing Suction Intake System
· Injen Cold Air Intake System
· K&N Typhoon Intake System
· MAZDASPEED Cold Air Intake
· Takeda Attack Intake
If you install an aftermarket air intake on the car, the changes to the intake tract can cause errors in the ECU calculations for the quantity of air entering the engine. The ECU uses this calculation to control many aspects of the engine, so a small error here can compound itself quickly. With no changes to the tune to account for these errors the EGTs will get hotter, boost will go too high, and AFR will lean out. By correcting these errors, the ECU will properly control the engine. The JPG goes into much more detail.
How do cold air intakes help? - Cold Air Intake Help
Obviously cold air intakes are popular mods because they make good power, but have you ever wondered why? We did. So, while we were testing we measured the pressure in the intake tract before the turbo with the stock intake and an aftermarket intake to see what happens. It turns out that an aftermarket air intake can reduce the inlet restriction by 5%, and because that's a direct restriction to the turbo, the output boost jumps up by that same 5%. And with more air comes more power. The Hypertech tune provides that same 5% increase in power you'd expect when an air intake is added on. The tune is absolutely set to respond to additional mods.
What about exhaust mods? - Exhaust Help
Exhaust systems are also very popular mods for these cars, and after testing our tuning with aftermarket exhaust systems on the dyno we can see why they make such an improvement in power. We measured the back pressure in the exhaust system after the catalyst during our dyno pulls and saw that an aftermarket exhaust system dramatically reduces the back pressure. Testing with an aftermarket air intake with our Hypertech tuning, we saw exhaust back pressure drop from just over 6 psi with the stock exhaust to 5psi with the aftermarket exhaust. This is roughly a 15% drop in back pressure, which resulted in additional +12HP to the ground. The additional fresh air getting into the engine was accounted for by the mass air calculations and the tuning was automatically adjusted to maintain the proper controls with the additional power. We did spend the time to adjust the tuning to see if more could be gained, but in the end, the tune is still optimized the best it can be. The additional modifications are already accounted for, so there is no need for an additional feature to adjust the tuning to account for an aftermarket exhaust system. You can see this is the case by the power gains measured at all points in the curve when the aftermarket exhaust is installed when compared to the same tune with the factory exhaust system.
What does the 0-60 throttle restriction option in the programmer do?
Power is slightly restricted by the factory at low speeds which keeps the traction issues for the front wheel drive MAZDASPEED3 in check, for the most part. With Hypertech's tuning the performance gains can be felt at just about every point in the driving range. In fact, when the turbocharger boost ramps up in the lower RPMs, the performance gains are quite dramatic. Despite the limited slip differential in the MAZDASPEED3, tire slip is very likely at low speeds. While this is very exciting initially, it may not be acceptable to some in the long run. Hypertech offers the option to keep the low speed power more restricted like the factory does with the "0-60mph Throttle Restriction" option. Removing this restriction removes the boost restriction in each gear. This option offers maximum power, but may result in severe tire spin. With practice, wider tires, or even a sticky race track this additional power may provide substantial better acceleration. But that may not be the best option in all circumstances, so the option is left adjustable by the user.
Will the Sport tunes work with an aftermarket TMIC/FMIC (Top Mounted/Front Mounted Intercooler)?
Looking back at the data from our recent air intake tune(s) development; there is a pressure drop of ~2psi at peak horsepower (5500RPM). That 2psi drop across the factory TMIC holds pretty steady even as the boost pressure decreases. This shows that at these power levels the factory TMIC is somewhat restrictive. That's not to say it's ineffective, because temps are dropped quite dramatically. The turbo outlet temps are in the 250F range (stock, and with our tune and the aftermarket air intake) and the outlet temps are peaking at around 110F during the dyno pull (4th gear to 7200RPM). Remember though, we had a 1200cfm fan bolted and sealed to the top of the intercooler while on the dyno so that we could get repeatable results with just a few minutes separation. When the car came off the dyno there were a few necessary tweaks to make on the road.
With a better top mount intercooler, or even a front mount intercooler, you can expect the outlet temps and pressure drop across the intercooler to improve. You probably won't suffer from the heat soaking as much either. Because the intercooler sits on top of the engine and is surrounded by mass quantities of hot air in the engine bay it can definitely heat soak, and the stocker is pretty bad about it. You can tell a big difference in power when you sit in traffic for a while because the intercooler is so warm it takes a bit of airflow (aka speed) to cool it back off.
The tuning will respond very well to the increased airflow (aka power) gained by having a better intercooler. The time we spent to develop this tune and ensure that all air mass and torque calculations are correct at the higher power levels create a perfect platform for bolt-on mods. Because these cars use a Mass Airflow Sensor to measure the incoming air, any additional air will be accurately measured and the spark and fueling will be adjusted appropriately for the best, safe power we have already tuned for. Cooler intake air temps from the more efficient intercooler will also be measured by the boosted air temp sensor which will also correct the spark and fueling correctly. That part is no different than the correction made when the outside air temp changes.
Does the Hypertech tune eliminate the factory boost and load cut limits?
With the Hypertech tuning the boost cut and load cut limiters are tuned to allow for mods, but are left in place to protect the engine from a mechanical failure that may cause destruction if these limiters are removed. With the air mass calculations correctly measured, these limits can be used just like the factory tuning uses them.
Will the Hypertech tune work at high altitudes?
As far as mapping for specific altitudes, the factory tune automatically compensates for altitude changes using a barometer reading, and our tune uses the same logic too. The major concern for higher altitudes is a condition that pushes the turbocharger too hard. In essence, a higher altitude has a lower barometric pressure which is similar to a restricted air intake at low altitudes from the turbocharger's point of view. For the turbocharger to maintain the same boost level at high altitudes (or with a restricted air intake), the compressor would have to work much harder. To prevent overworking the turbocharger we studied the affects of increasing boost at each RPM point to determine the turbocharger efficiency at higher and lower boost levels. The final boost curve we developed takes advantage of the turbocharger's flow capacity without pushing past its efficiency limits. As you can see in the attachment, our final boost curve follows a shape similar to the factory boost curve which focuses on maintaining turbocharger efficiency, rather than a steady boost level. As seen in our test run with a steady boost level, there is only slightly more power gained by holding boost steady, and testing showed much less repeatable, dependable power. This was a result of pushing the turbocharger past its optimal efficiency range. With our boost curve, the turbocharger still has room to provide optimal boost without working past its efficiency range.
The factory computer also decreases the maximum desired power output at higher altitudes to prevent overworking the turbocharger. By maintaining an accurate model of the engine performance with our tune, this accurately maintains this same safety mechanism. Not all of the aftermarket tunes available for the Mazdaspeed3 and 6 do this.
Will the Hypertech tuning work with aftermarket inlet pipes and downpipes?
While we don't advertise our tunes to work with non-emission legal bolt-ons, we did take these popular mods into account when developing our tune. The additional power provided by the inlet pipe and exhaust system is immediately accounted for by the ECU, and because our tuning maintains an accurate engine model in the calibration, the gains are optimized with the addition of the aftermarket exhaust systems.
Replacing the factory downpipe with a catless downpipe may cause some issues with it's capability to maintain accurate O2 sensor readings which the ECU expects to react a certain way while in closed loop operation. Replacing the factory catalyst is typically not EPA and CARB certified authorized, so we would not typically accommodate these modifications. In reality, as long as the replacement downpipe does not cause check engine lights due to poor O2 sensor readings, the Hypertech tuning will work great with any bolt-on exhaust modifications.
Does the Hypertech tune require custom MAPS for basic bolt-on mods?
The time we spent to develop this tune and ensure that all air mass and torque calculations are correct at the higher power levels create a perfect platform for bolt-on mods. Because these cars use a Mass Airflow Sensor to measure the incoming air, any additional air (power) provided by bolt-on mods will be accurately measured and immediately accounted for by the ECU, which will adjust the spark and fueling appropriately for the best, safe power we have already tuned for. Because our tuning maintains an accurate engine model in the calibration, there is no need for custom "maps".
We correct the MAF calculations based on the type of air intake you have, and adjust the boost and load cut limits to work with the intake and exhaust mods, but leave them in place to protect the engine from mechanical failure.
Not all of the aftermarket tunes for the Mazdaspeed3/6 do this.
Will the Hypertech tune significantly increase the risk of engine failure under racing conditions?
Our tune was specifically tested and tuned to maintain optimal efficiency of the engine and turbocharger even while providing more power output. In short, we made the best power possible without pushing the engine or turbocharger beyond what either is capable.
That being said, the power increase in the higher RPMs is quite substantial after the stock horsepower peak around 5500RPM. I do worry that this substantial increase in power between 5500RPM and redline would cause some issues during some condition. With a stock tune, you would probably shift just after 5500RPM when power dramatically falls off, but with the Hypertech tune it's likely that you would maintain the higher RPMs longer, and at higher horsepower levels. I believe the engine and turbocharger would be fine here, but I do worry that the coolant system and catalytic converter could be in danger of overheating if these high powered, high RPMs are maintained for extended periods, especially in the summer heat. Throw on a short ram air intake with the filter in the engine bay, and I suspect the hot intake air would add to the increased heat in the coolant and exhaust systems.
For most people and driving conditions I wouldn't worry about this at all, but this is a very extreme condition and I'm imagining the worst case possible. If the course was pushing you to drive at these higher RPMs quite a bit I would probably lower the rev limiter 500RPM and use that as a way to lower my shift points. Because the Hypertech tune has such a broad power curve, and tons of low RPM torque, this strategy should not hinder the performance of the car noticeably.
All of the protection strategies that the factory tune uses are still in place. The Hypertech tune accurately models the engine power output which allows the ECU to precisely implement the protection strategies to prevent overboosting, overloading, and overheating the engine and catalyst. Even though these systems are in place to protect the powertrain, it is always much easier to prevent a problem than to stop one that is already occurring. We put a lot of time and effort into developing and testing this tune to ensure that it is not out of control, but prevention is still the best option.
Why am I seeing less boost after selecting my air intake option in the Hypertech programmer than I was before?
It is definitely possible for you to see less boost now that your MAF is correctly calibrated. Using the stock MAF calculation would make the ECU "think" the airflow is less than it really is. The ECU uses measured airflow at a given RPM to determine what boost level to maintain. Boost levels higher than those that we have tuned for, are unsafe at higher RPMs, and can cause damage to the turbo, and increased exhaust gas temperatures. With the MAF calibrated correctly, the ECU is properly controlling the engine to maintain a safe boost level at the higher RPM ranges. Your AFR's should be a bit richer, EGT's cooler, and you will experience less knock retard.
We tune the boost to taper off at the higher RPM ranges. Our tune with the MAF properly calibrated should have peak boost between 18-19 PSI and taper off as the RPM's increase to keep from overworking the turbo.
You may not see 18-19 psi all the time. The ECU will adjust the boost levels based on lots of parameters. More boost doesn't always equal more power. If you increase the amount of air moving in and out of the engine, it doesn't require as much boost to maintain the same power levels. Think about airing up a tire; 30 PSI in a motorcycle tire vs. 30 PSI in your car tire. Which one has more air in it? So 15 psi with the bigger intake and exhaust is going to be more airflow than 15 psi with the stock intake and exhaust.