Can't Redline and steering radius sucks

[sirhc]

I just bought a 98 manaul kouki and I can't redline it. It would go all the way up to about 5k and bounces back forcing me to shift early. Why is it doing this and what can I do to fix it.

I also have a steering problem. I would be able bust a easy uturn with my old s14 but this new one can't do it for shit. I would have to put it in reverse in order for me to complete my uturn.
Please help me fix this.

Thanks

[sac]

my 95 ka wouldnt redline either.. it went to 5200rpm. ITS ANNOYING AS SHIT HUH!!? didnt really care cuz i just started the engine swap a little earlier than expected. But i would like to know what it was.

the steering isue. check your inner tie rods. mine were bad. and did this as well. SO I WENT TEIN! haha.

[thafriendlypimp]

the redline problem may have to do with your MAF. My maf was bad, and I was bogging down and my tach was only reaching 5200 exactly like you say. I have already gone through two MAFs from the junk yard dont have the funds lately for a new one, but get a new one if you can. about $300 usually.

[DataXUnknown]

definetly inner tie rods hahah. as for the not being able to redline, it's called a rev limiter. on my friends s13 we just unplugged the 5th gear sensor on the tranny and it took care of it. i don't know how it would be on a s14 though...but its worth a try.

[sirhc]

Originally Posted by sac

my 95 ka wouldnt redline either.. it went to 5200rpm. ITS ANNOYING AS SHIT HUH!!? didnt really care cuz i just started the engine swap a little earlier than expected. But i would like to know what it was.

the steering isue. check your inner tie rods. mine were bad. and did this as well. SO I WENT TEIN! haha.

Hell yeah that shit is annoying. So you think its the inner tie rod? How do you know if its bad? What does it look like when its bad?

Originally Posted by thafriendlypimp

the redline problem may have to do with your MAF. My maf was bad, and I was bogging down and my tach was only reaching 5200 exactly like you say. I have already gone through two MAFs from the junk yard dont have the funds lately for a new one, but get a new one if you can. about $300 usually.

$300 for maf? Is there anyway for me to tell if my maf is bad before I go out and waste my money?

Thanks guys, anyone else?

[murda-c]

u have a friend with a 240?

or i'm sure there's some test using a multimeter you can do. Check the fsm.

[KA-T_240]

MAF isnt the problem unless the car is physically bucking. MAF issues ussually make it so the car will not rev over 3k. @5k or so, it sounds more like a 4th and 5th gear sensor.

What gear is it in?

[sac]

Originally Posted by sirhc

Hell yeah that shit is annoying. So you think its the inner tie rod? How do you know if its bad? What does it look like when its bad?
well i have a hoist at my disposal so its easy. i raise it up. have someone shake the wheel, if it feels like there is excess play in the tire grab the inner tie rod. if you can play with it to get the play to stiffen up your tie rods are toast. Most service shops will diagnose light mechanical stuff like that for free. then you can change them. If ya know how. If not, get a chilton. It will walk ya through it.

$300 for maf? Is there anyway for me to tell if my maf is bad before I go out and waste my money?

Thanks guys, anyone else?

i have never priced a maf for a ka. if ya want to try buyin my maf its yours for $1. You gotta pay paypal and shipping though. But i doubt it would help ya.

[sirhc]

Originally Posted by DataXUnknown

definetly inner tie rods hahah. as for the not being able to redline, it's called a rev limiter. on my friends s13 we just unplugged the 5th gear sensor on the tranny and it took care of it. i don't know how it would be on a s14 though...but its worth a try.

Ohh, so its normal for the Ka to bounce back at 5500rpm?

Originally Posted by murda-c

u have a friend with a 240?

or i'm sure there's some test using a multimeter you can do. Check the fsm.

All my friends drive Honduhs

[sac]

Originally Posted by KA-T_240

MAF isnt the problem unless the car is physically bucking. MAF issues ussually make it so the car will not rev over 3k. @5k or so, it sounds more like a 4th and 5th gear sensor.

What gear is it in?

Mine did that shit in every gear. Made me want to rip that dam motor out and put in a sr. So. the next day i pulled it. And now i am doin the swap. haha

[Kamburrito]

ever heard of a governer ? .. it might be that .. itll stop your car from redlining.. so when u try to go really really really fast.. itll stop you .. my friend had the same problem .. go to a local (homie/connect) auto repair shop and ask to take it out .. if that isnt the problem then i dont know what it is ... good luck

[thafriendlypimp]

how can i put this the right way? But, a MAF gone bad does not always act uniform for a vehicle... does the problem occur during open-loop or closed-loop operation? Open loop is before warming up the engine when the computer only runs the essential and does not adjust for sensor readings... cuz if you have the problem in open loop it may be something else. Oscilloscopes are the only way to test a MAF... from what i have heard. The best way to know is borrow another s14 maf for the same engine. I have a ka on my s13 and my maf was causing the same problem.

[sirhc]

Originally Posted by KA-T_240

MAF isnt the problem unless the car is physically bucking. MAF issues ussually make it so the car will not rev over 3k. @5k or so, it sounds more like a 4th and 5th gear sensor.

What gear is it in?

I was in 1st shiftering to 2nd.

Originally Posted by sac

i have never priced a maf for a ka. if ya want to try buyin my maf its yours for $1. You gotta pay paypal and shipping though. But i doubt it would help ya.

Thanks! I'll see if I can figure this out first. I'll pm if its the last resort.

[IcedOutSoulja13]

...go make sure all your sensors are attached on ur transmission...if theres some or one, broken...re-connect all the wires...i had this problem and i looked down at my tranny and one of the sensors was loose...not sure which one but im 100% sure thats ur problem

[sirhc]

Originally Posted by Kamburrito

ever heard of a governer ? .. it might be that .. itll stop your car from redlining.. so when u try to go really really really fast.. itll stop you .. my friend had the same problem .. go to a local (homie/connect) auto repair shop and ask to take it out .. if that isnt the problem then i dont know what it is ... good luck

So its normal for the ka not to redline?

Originally Posted by IcedOutSoulja13

...go make sure all your sensors are attached on ur transmission...if theres some or one, broken...re-connect all the wires...i had this problem and i looked down at my tranny and one of the sensors was loose...not sure which one but im 100% sure thats ur problem

All plugs look good.

[Dream240]

Wow, I'm waiting for Russ to jump in here and start flaming all you guys for the misinformation.

No it's NOT normal for the KA not to reach redline. If you're having trouble with the engine topping out at 5200 rpms, is it in every gear? I would definitely start at the MAF.

First off sounds like you have novice experience in cars, which leads me to believe you have little to no diagnostic tools at your disposal. First thing you need to do is check your ECU for codes. You're prolly throwing a couple codes that have to with air flow and the fuel system. Also as far as MAFs being bad, that's pretty rare to begin with, most of the time they just need a good cleaning. It is after all a sensor. Get some MAF cleaner from autozone and follow the cans directions for cleaning your MAF. you also might want to download the appropriate FSM for your car and start reading.

Dropping a SR in your car is only going to prove one thing, you really have no knowledge of cars. Swapping in another motor just because you have performance problems doesn't make you cool, just lazy cause you didn't try hard enough to solve the problem. And pretty soon you'll have problems with the new motor and be trying to swap that out cause you don't know what the hell you're doing.

Do us all a favor and don't just buy a 240 to redline it until the engine blows, all the while thinking you're cool. And FYI, a stock KA engine doesn't offer much power past 5000 rpms. The only reason I can think of for you pushing it that hard is your showing off around town, trying to drift on the street.

If that's the case, you're just dumb. Keep it on the track where it belongs. And hopefully you have your car long enough to learn about how it works before you total it into a street light.

Drive smart, be safe.

[proledoriat]

Originally Posted by Dream240

Wow, I'm waiting for Russ to jump in here and start flaming all you guys for the misinformation.

No it's NOT normal for the KA not to reach redline. If you're having trouble with the engine topping out at 5200 rpms, is it in every gear? I would definitely start at the MAF.

First off sounds like you have novice experience in cars, which leads me to believe you have little to no diagnostic tools at your disposal. First thing you need to do is check your ECU for codes. You're prolly throwing a couple codes that have to with air flow and the fuel system. Also as far as MAFs being bad, that's pretty rare to begin with, most of the time they just need a good cleaning. It is after all a sensor. Get some MAF cleaner from autozone and follow the cans directions for cleaning your MAF. you also might want to download the appropriate FSM for your car and start reading.

Dropping a SR in your car is only going to prove one thing, you really have no knowledge of cars. Swapping in another motor just because you have performance problems doesn't make you cool, just lazy cause you didn't try hard enough to solve the problem. And pretty soon you'll have problems with the new motor and be trying to swap that out cause you don't know what the hell you're doing.

Do us all a favor and don't just buy a 240 to redline it until the engine blows, all the while thinking you're cool. And FYI, a stock KA engine doesn't offer much power past 5000 rpms. The only reason I can think of for you pushing it that hard is your showing off around town, trying to drift on the street.

If that's the case, you're just dumb. Keep it on the track where it belongs. And hopefully you have your car long enough to learn about how it works before you total it into a street light.

Drive smart, be safe.

SERIOUSLY... if you know anyone with another 240, ask to use there maf to see if it revs correctly. Maf (at the end of your intake before your ebay intake filter)

[bbejj123]

Originally Posted by Kamburrito

ever heard of a governer ? .. it might be that .. itll stop your car from redlining.. so when u try to go really really really fast.. itll stop you .. my friend had the same problem .. go to a local (homie/connect) auto repair shop and ask to take it out .. if that isnt the problem then i dont know what it is ... good luck

or just go down to the junkyard and get a automatic ecu... that is if the junkyard has an s14 down there but the auto ecu would over ride the limiter and governor and at a fraction of the cost that it would to take out the governor

[sac]

Originally Posted by Dream240

No it's NOT normal for the KA not to reach redline. If you're having trouble with the engine topping out at 5200 rpms, is it in every gear? I would definitely start at the MAF.

First off sounds like you have novice experience in cars, which leads me to believe you have little to no diagnostic tools at your disposal. First thing you need to do is check your ECU for codes. You're prolly throwing a couple codes that have to with air flow and the fuel system. Also as far as MAFs being bad, that's pretty rare to begin with, most of the time they just need a good cleaning.

Dropping a SR in your car is only going to prove one thing, you really have no knowledge of cars. Swapping in another motor just because you have performance problems doesn't make you cool, just lazy cause you didn't try hard enough to solve the problem. And pretty soon you'll have problems with the new motor and be trying to swap that out cause you don't know what the hell you're doing.

The only reason I can think of for you pushing it that hard is your showing off around town, trying to drift on the street.

Drive smart, be safe.

I have posted a couple times on this thread so i dont know if some of that was directed at me. but here is my reply if ya care. But ya probably dont. i knew that it not going past 5200 rpms was NOT normal. I took a look at the maf after i pulled it out. yup. sure was dirty..

I was doing the swap anyways, didnt want to dick around with fixing a motor i was going to yank out. That idea sounded pointless to me. Sure there is some stuff i am not a expert at. If i have problems with the new motor, i will fix them. Not swap it out. I dont want to do pointless work. That is not being lazy

I just bought the car. You cant tell me you dont push a car to see how it performs right after you buy it.

I agree, Be safe. DONT put innocent people in danger. THATS FUCKING STUPID!

[sirhc]

Originally Posted by Dream240

Wow, I'm waiting for Russ to jump in here and start flaming all you guys for the misinformation.

No it's NOT normal for the KA not to reach redline. If you're having trouble with the engine topping out at 5200 rpms, is it in every gear? I would definitely start at the MAF.

First off sounds like you have novice experience in cars, which leads me to believe you have little to no diagnostic tools at your disposal. First thing you need to do is check your ECU for codes. You're prolly throwing a couple codes that have to with air flow and the fuel system. Also as far as MAFs being bad, that's pretty rare to begin with, most of the time they just need a good cleaning. It is after all a sensor. Get some MAF cleaner from autozone and follow the cans directions for cleaning your MAF. you also might want to download the appropriate FSM for your car and start reading.

Dropping a SR in your car is only going to prove one thing, you really have no knowledge of cars. Swapping in another motor just because you have performance problems doesn't make you cool, just lazy cause you didn't try hard enough to solve the problem. And pretty soon you'll have problems with the new motor and be trying to swap that out cause you don't know what the hell you're doing.

Do us all a favor and don't just buy a 240 to redline it until the engine blows, all the while thinking you're cool. And FYI, a stock KA engine doesn't offer much power past 5000 rpms. The only reason I can think of for you pushing it that hard is your showing off around town, trying to drift on the street.

If that's the case, you're just dumb. Keep it on the track where it belongs. And hopefully you have your car long enough to learn about how it works before you total it into a street light.

Drive smart, be safe.

Uhh.... I'm not trying drift, race, be cool or be stupid. I'm just trying to see if my new purchase is working properly. But yeah, I'll clean my maf and download the fsm. Thanks anyway.

[DataXUnknown]

I'm pretty sure it's the governer. The car thinks it's in 5th gear the entire time. Have you tryed the whole unplugging the 5th gear sensor thing?

and as for Dream240, a KA does offer a shitload of power after 5,000rpms.

I had a SOHC and my friend had a DOHC, we raced (at willow) and he had to shift at 5,000 because we didn't know how to get it past it either. I was pulling on him coming into 3rd gear. I was shifting at 6,200.

Don't start flaming just because he wants his car to be able to rev to where it's supposed to be able to.

[Kamburrito]

fuuuck mman ... negative rep up the ass just for an opinion that i gave? fuckin bull.. i only gave this guy an idea on what MIGHT be the fuckin problem .. and yes.. the governer does stop you from reaching high speeds .. and what better way to do that than by limiting the car from redlining lets say at...around 5000 rpm ? shows how much respect you guys have for drivers helping other drivers out ..

[Dream240]

Originally Posted by sirhc

Uhh.... I'm not trying drift, race, be cool or be stupid. I'm just trying to see if my new purchase is working properly. But yeah, I'll clean my maf and download the fsm. Thanks anyway.

I dont know how many cars you've owned but, you never go buy a used car, and then redline it to see how it performs. A story of a cars performance isn't how high you can get the little red needle to go. If this is what you think you're supposed to be doing then you've got alot to learn.

Originally Posted by DataXUnknown

I'm pretty sure it's the governer. The car thinks it's in 5th gear the entire time. Have you tryed the whole unplugging the 5th gear sensor thing?

and as for Dream240, a KA does offer a shitload of power after 5,000rpms.

I had a SOHC and my friend had a DOHC, we raced (at willow) and he had to shift at 5,000 because we didn't know how to get it past it either. I was pulling on him coming into 3rd gear. I was shifting at 6,200.

Don't start flaming just because he wants his car to be able to rev to where it's supposed to be able to.

Okay kimosabe', here's a pic of a baseline 95'. Where's the shitloads of power you're referring to?



The KA engine is designed for torque, it's not a B16. Since the torque tops out at around 4300, you're better off shifting earlier rather than later. Of course there can be mods done to boost the HP output and make the engine more rev friendly, but in stock form, there's not much left after 5000. So how about you get YOUR facts straight before you come back.

Originally Posted by Kamburrito

fuuuck mman ... negative rep up the ass just for an opinion that i gave? fuckin bull.. i only gave this guy an idea on what MIGHT be the fuckin problem .. and yes.. the governer does stop you from reaching high speeds .. and what better way to do that than by limiting the car from redlining lets say at...around 5000 rpm ? shows how much respect you guys have for drivers helping other drivers out ..

Well most likely the reason you got negged was because you offered nothing of value in your posts. It doesn't help anyone when you give them crap info.

Going to your local shop and have them remove the governor? Where did you hear this? Your grandpa? Modern import cars that have speed governors are regulated by the ECU. To remove the governor you will need to swap out the ECU with either the auto ECU or an aftermarket (Jim Wolf) ECU. The rev limiter is different from the speed governor, Rev limiting is usually achieved by cutting the fuel supply to the injectors, also controlled by the ECU.

I would have negged repped you too if I even bothered to read your post in the first place.

[DataXUnknown]

The power after 5,000rpm still is enough to make a good difference. Race 2 KA's, one shifting at 5,000 and the other shifting at 6,500 and see who wins and by how much.

...and it's spelled "kemosabe".

[Dream240]

Originally Posted by DataXUnknown

The power after 5,000rpm still is enough to make a good difference. Race 2 KA's, one shifting at 5,000 and the other shifting at 6,500 and see who wins and by how much.

...and it's spelled "kemosabe".

Kimosabe -> Kemosabe.... I sometimes misspell words when I'm flaming someone....I just get too excited.

Oh okay so now it's only "a good difference" of power? Now you're backpedaling. Earlier you said it makes shitloads more power past 5000 rpms.....

....yeah that 5 hp after 5000 is HUGE!!! Hell you can see by the graph that the power only falls after 5500. Really 5500 is as far as I would push a stock KA. So where's this turbo boost you are talking about? Yeah 'shitloads' alright.

The only benefit to shifting at 6500 as opposed to 5000 is that your next gear engages at a higher rpm. But not necessarily in the "sweet spot". According to the graph your optimal range is from around 3300 all the way to right where they crossover, about 5250 rpms. Keeping your car in this range is the key.

It has nothing to do with, "Hey I can rev my car to 7000!!! Can you?" The 240sx doesn't have a B16 with V-TEC under the hood. It's not a rev happy motor right out of the box. And frankly this is common knowledge among the 240 community, you need to do your research more before you go blabbing your mouth like you know what you're talking about.

But since you seem to think you have the right answer since you and your friend race at Button Willow, by all means, keep driving your car like that but, don't expect to get faster lap times.

When you're ready to get serious about speed, power, and the relation between the two, start reading up. There's TONS of threads on Zilvia alone dating back since before I started on this forum that have so much feedback from so many guys. Use it.

This thread has gone off topic so I'm done with this. To the OP, hope you find the problem.