Ok, here's what's up. When I'm in 2nd (which is a lot of the time) and I'm accelerating I notice that the car starts to bounce. It's hard to describe.
It mostly happens in 2nd (occasionally in 3rd), between 2500-3500 RPM and it's most noticable when I'm trying to do hard acceleration (foot to the floor- like when I'm trying to get dyno numbers). Is this a clutch problem (maybe not fully engaging)? Maybe the clutch is slipping as I'm entering the torque band?

Maybe it's an air problem (SRI with HUGE K&N filer) and the car isn't combusting properly in this RPM range?

The rest of the facts:
* It's a manual (in case that wasn't clear )
*I don't do hard launches (drop the clutch from 4K+ RPM). I've done this maybe four times in the 17 months I've owned the car, and that was in 2002.
* I DO sometimes bring the car up to about 2.5K RPM and feather the clutch to get going from a light/stop sign/ whatever.
*I DO keep the car in gear into the higher RPM range (my wife thinks I should shift at exactly 3K RPM, I think driving at 5500 is ok for short distances)
*I'm at 21,500 mi and haven't changed the tranny fluid.
*Currently no CEL
*eManage is currently turned off while I'm looking for places to use my PDA dyno (in case you're thinking it IS an AFR problem)

Any thoughts/ additonal questions/ suggestions are greatly appreciated! I'd like to avoid taking it to the dealer**** because the service I've received from them hasn't been the best and they're S-L-O-W to get things done.

 

since i know you got the pocketlogger, log in the list mode the o2 b1 s1, rpm, MAF, and timing advance. then post it here. either as an excel graph or as the pdb that comes off the pocketlogger during hotsync. does it happen in any other gear?

 

I didn't get pocketlogger, it's the Auterra unit that TSwift is selling. I'll take a look at the documentation to see if I can post the graphs or any of the data. If not, what should I be looking for?

I should also add that the problem occurs about 90% of the time when I'm starting in a not- 1st gear (it'll happen rarely if I'm in 2nd to 3rd shifting normally). So when I'm in 2nd, slowing to a yield (down to where you could reasonably shift to first) and then accelerating it hapens. I also experimented some tonight and could make it happen in 3rd and 4th. It feels like the clutch is re engaging- you know that sorta rough "bounce" you'll get if you don't shift smooth. . .

 

oh yeah, i remember. i kinda meant pocketlogger in a generic sense. sorry. when you hotsync, the file will be in something like c:\program files\palm\palm name\backup and be like filename-SD.pdb. then you use the pdbexport program from auterra to convert the file into csv file (comma separated values)to use in excel. dunno how to make a graph yet. or you could just use the pdb file with a palm emulator to look at the graph.

i find it weird that the problem is repeatable at the same rpm. usually i've found mechanical problems are either always happening, while turning, idle, or high rpm. not really in the middle.

what i was looking for was strange MAS activity. if timing is pulled, then the ecu is something from another sensor. o2 might give a peek if it has to do with combustion (sparkplugs, intake leak, etc.). long term fuel trim might also show overall lean-ness or rich-ness, though i don't think it would apply to your situation at the moment. just really anything since i don't have an idea. just trying to help. i've been taking an auto class a semester for the past year or so, so i do have a little in-shop experience on how engines work, though i'm no mechanic quite yet.

 

I didn't see anything that looked abnormal. Although, it didnt start happeneing until I turned off the eManage. . . . . .
I'll look in my directories and see what I can post up for you. . .
actually not. there are over 3500 excel entries bcause of the duration of the testing (about ten minutes drive including some freeway) so I won't be posting that. I CAN email you the excel file if you want to take a look. I'll need your email addy

 

rhyzer149@earthlink.net you can just send me the pdb file and i'll take a look at it through the pda or convert it myself.

 

My car was like that too. Jerky accel, and if you rest your hand on the shift knob I bet you feel it moving as well. It's not a tranny problem to the best of my knowledge (still hasn't presented itself as a problem in my car whereas just about everything else has).

I posted on this when I was brandy-new here and I believe the response was that it was typical of MT FWD cars. I never experienced it so badly as in my Lancer, but no problem ever arose from it so I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill either. If I ever find out anything more conclusive I'll be sure to let you know.

EDIT: Assuming we're talking about the same thing here, mine got jumpy esp when I accel and then came off the gas pedal, or basically any time in 2nd when I entered decel. I'm guessing it has to do with the decel settings in the ECU because it didn't do it when I ran my EMS.

 

I've experienced that too. But, this is actually during acceleration, which is what has me concerned. It almost feels the same, like I'm pulsing the pedal, but I'm not.
I'm starting to think it has more to do with fuel management than transmission problems, but you can see why I'd start here (I was thinking slippy clutch)

The bucking the Lancer does when you take your foot off the gas makes a 5-point harness sound like a good idea

 

at least Hobie's case is similar and didnt come with costly repairs. thats good. i tried to replicate the situation but my experience came up nada. i only felt the humps on the power curve, but no real pedal modulation.

 

Rereading Hobie's post- I'll try putting my hand on the shifter and I'll see if I feel anything.
Rhyzin- get the car rolling in 1st, shift to 2nd and floor it. If I do this, most of the time (it's almost too bad that it's not 100% repeatable) I'll get the problem. Like there's intermittent power failure or some such. I'll also email you the .pdb file tonight, thanks for taking a look.

 

If you're having power loss in spurts when you're flooring it then yeah...it could very well be the clutch slipping and then gripping. You never know though...until you get some loggin' goin' on it could easily turn out to be ECU related.

 

Never thought I'd be glad to see a CEL Here's the code: P0441 which translates to: Evap Emission Control system: Incorrect purge flow. So what does that mean? And is this my holy Grail?
Rhyzin, if this isn't it, expect the .pdb file in your email

 

Oh ****. It was my header wrap I was reading this article: http://www.acdelcotechconnect.com/pdf/imtn_V10I203.PDF
and read the box in the middle of pp2. It hit me like a 2ton heavy thing... the day I put the header wrap on I got a CEL. Figured it was the #2 O2 sensor acting up and didn't think about it. When I got the Auterra unit I just cleared it without looking. What I DID look at was the intake air temp- it was getting up around 100 deg WHILE DRIVING!!! I didn't think about it though.
Then I read that box and realized that while driving I was getting coolant temps around 175 and intake temps around 100. And I didn't get hte bogging problem until the car was warm.
What if the Mitsu ECU has a broader than 57degree band where it thinks something's wrong (and 100deg intake temps ought to do it).
I unwrapped the headers and checked the OBDII codes. Nothing was showing. I turned off the light and drove. and drove. freeway at WOT, around the block. 2nd gear starts, the works. No bogging.
I checked the volts coming from the primary O2 sensor at WOT (don't worry, it was a quiet road and I did the WOT in 4th so I wasn't really going anywhere). A constant 0.900v (well, a couple of .902 spikes) so it was MUCH better than what I'd sent to Rhyzin.
I would have sent you the pdb file, and still can, but there are only a couple of places where I have WOT vs O2v readings because the roads and freeways were crowded tonight.

Thanks a million guys!

 

You coulda tried reflective wrapping the intake too, but that could be even more tedious. Anyway, glad you found the solution.