I have a huge problem and looking for advise. I have an 09 RA with AMS intercooler and piping, AMS boost pill and ECU flash, a turboxs down pipe and turboxs high flow cat. Ever since putting in the downpipe and high flow cat at full throttle and at about 3G rpm's I am getting a bad popping or almost backfire sound coming from the motor. I assume I need a tune but dont know if I should get a Cobb accessport and do it myself or have it professionally done. Should I wait to install my intake and cat back and manual boost controller or get it done first? Or is there anything I can do to help with it? Don't know if it's fuel cut or not? Anyone with advise?

 

Does it pop under acceleration or after you let off the gas/shift gears? If it's popping under acceleration, there's a problem. If it's when you're off the gas or shifting, it's just because you're running rich, which is normal. Mine does that when I let off the gas from time to time. A tune is never a bad idea, however. Spend the money at a reputable tuning shop in your area, and put on the rest of your mods at that time.

 

Yeah it happens under full throttle not when I back off, I'm ordering the cat back tonight and the intake soon after, then taking it to EFI logics in Danbury Connecticut. I heard rumors that the popping could be fuel cut or boost cut bit I have no idea, it happened after I installed the downpipe and high flow cat

 

I'd speculate that the engine is dumping a TON of fuel trying to compensate for your mods (still stock tune yes?). As such, once it leans out a bit all the un-burnt fuel sticking to the HFC is finally undergoing combustion....in your exhaust....
Get a tune. You live in NY? Plenty of good shops on the East Coast.

 

FYI, fuel cut is when you hit your RPM limit and the ECU cuts off fuel (hence the name).

 

Thanks I'll get the tune once I install the intake and exhaust, I'll update after hopefully the problem goes away

 

I have the same exhaust, but a CP-E intercooler and at one point an AMS boost pill which I ultimately didn't use once I had a tune. Yes that is backfire your getting, normal for me after the tune. I got the tune right away so I wasn't running around with the mods without a tune.

My recommendation for a shop hands down is to go to Krazy House Customs in northern NJ, Petey Turbo is the man you want to do the tune.

 

Are u losing power and car bucking while boosted? If so I had that problem after my turbo swap. It was my spark plugs

 

I checked my plugs they are fine, I even looked up the E3 plugs but he don't make it for this motor yet. I'm losing power but its not bucking

 

I wouldn't bother with plugs other than the NGK ones specified for the RA or Evo X (depending on the turbo you're running). E3 plugs are a bit of a gimmick imho.

 

BTW - Plugs for RA and EVO X are the same, so don't matter which turbo.

 

True for 2009MY Ralliarts, built up to and including November 2008. All RAs built after November 2008 use plugs one step hotter, heat range 7 (as opposed to Evo X plugs, heat range 8).

 

Not true. Thought the same thing. I checked part numbers they are different. I guess Evo are colder. Both NHL iridium tho.

 

Pulled a plug from a 2008 EVO X GSR and my 2009 RA, same stock plugs including the part number. I've been running the plugs for at least 20k miles now, no issues.

I ordered these plugs at one point but was given the ones on the left in the photo below. I used the ones on the right.

LEFT - 1822A063 NGK ILKR7E6
RIGHT - 1822A021 NGK ILKR8E6

 

Looks like Mitsu provided you with the 'new' sparkplug that they switched to for the RA. I have no idea why they decided to go to a hotter plug.