My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Discussion of tuning specific to MAZDASPEED3/MAZDASPEED Axela/Mazda 3 MPS vehicles
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Alexey
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2nd, 2017, 1:22 am
Location: Kazakhstan, Astana

My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by Alexey »

So, I have a 2008 Mazda 3 MPS with a built engine — Gen2 pistons and Eagle rods. It's FBO with downpipe, HPFP, intake, FMIC, and so on. Stock turbo, intake manifold, and exhaust manifold also stock.

It's a pretty typical setup that should be doing 100–200 km/h in around 12–13 seconds and making about 300 whp. But unfortunately, after tuning, the car is only showing around 260 bhp on Virtual Dyno and does 100–200 in 17 seconds.

The car is tuned by Jast, and I trust him — he has many fast builds, including my Speed 6, which runs very well.

Logs look good — there's boost, timing, proper AFR, etc., but for some reason, the car just doesn't pull. I've checked the timing marks, inspected the intercooler, even removed the exhaust — still no clue what's wrong. I also swapped the turbo — took it from a friend whose 3 MPS runs 100–200 in 12.3 seconds — but nothing changed. I'm really stuck and would appreciate any fresh ideas.

Today I'm planning to try swapping the throttle body and checking the intake manifold.
Attachments
wot sp3 - 2025-07-29 22.23.07.csv
3-4 gear
(13.38 KiB) Downloaded 4 times
wot sp3 - 2025-07-29 22.19.36.csv
4 gear
(8.34 KiB) Downloaded 3 times
Red MS6 GT - Built Motor Wiseco pistons, K1 rods, 3.25 intake, manzo DP, Autotech HPFP, TR8 intercoller, CS bypass, BNR S3V4.

Black 3 MPS - Built engine, gen 2 pistons, eagle rods, FBO, Stock turbo
mituc
VersaTuner guru
Posts: 1452
Joined: December 17th, 2011, 2:47 pm
Location: Iasi/Romania

Re: My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by mituc »

What is your EBCS setup? How is it connected, where, what line size are you using and what EBCS is it?
Also, what BPV/BOV are you using?
I do not think your throttle body or intake manifold are the problem. A stock turbo flowing 250+ g/s of air at 70% WG duty is normal. Also you seem to be at a pretty good altitude/elevation, and the weather doesn't seem to be the coolest either...

P.S.: 60-100mph/96-160kmph in your log is around 6.9-7s. It's not bad, a stock 3MPS does 96-160kmph in 4th gear in about 7.8-7.9s, the slightly tunes ones go down to about 7.2s. So yours is not bad or broken, just needs a few things addressed and possibly needs re-tuning.
2008 Cosmic Blue Mazda 3MPS
Built engine + WMI + GTX3071 gen2, ~550BHP @35PSI
2008 Icy Blue Mazda CX7
Built engine and stock exhaust (YES!!), JBR3" + GTX2867 gen2 + Autotech HPFP, self-tuned to 360-ish BHP
Alexey
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2nd, 2017, 1:22 am
Location: Kazakhstan, Astana

Re: My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by Alexey »

mituc wrote: July 30th, 2025, 4:39 am What is your EBCS setup? How is it connected, where, what line size are you using and what EBCS is it?
Also, what BPV/BOV are you using?
I do not think your throttle body or intake manifold are the problem. A stock turbo flowing 250+ g/s of air at 70% WG duty is normal. Also you seem to be at a pretty good altitude/elevation, and the weather doesn't seem to be the coolest either...

P.S.: 60-100mph/96-160kmph in your log is around 6.9-7s. It's not bad, a stock 3MPS does 96-160kmph in 4th gear in about 7.8-7.9s, the slightly tunes ones go down to about 7.2s. So yours is not bad or broken, just needs a few things addressed and possibly needs re-tuning.
BPV CorkSport. MAC solenoid, line diameter is around 4mm. Сonnected like this:
VcAAAgFm_uA-1920.jpg
VcAAAgFm_uA-1920.jpg (17.02 KiB) Viewed 50 times
Regarding the weather, it was around 18°C at the time the logs were recorded. The FMIC is a CX-Racing unit.

My 6 MPS with a stock turbo did 100–200 km/h in 15 seconds, but this lightweight 3 MPS with full bolt-ons is running close to stock times (for a 3 MPS). As far as I know, a stock 3 MPS does 100–200 in around 18 seconds.
Red MS6 GT - Built Motor Wiseco pistons, K1 rods, 3.25 intake, manzo DP, Autotech HPFP, TR8 intercoller, CS bypass, BNR S3V4.

Black 3 MPS - Built engine, gen 2 pistons, eagle rods, FBO, Stock turbo
Alexey
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2nd, 2017, 1:22 am
Location: Kazakhstan, Astana

Re: My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by Alexey »

As expected, the throttle body didn't help with the issue — but I was still hoping it might :cry:
Red MS6 GT - Built Motor Wiseco pistons, K1 rods, 3.25 intake, manzo DP, Autotech HPFP, TR8 intercoller, CS bypass, BNR S3V4.

Black 3 MPS - Built engine, gen 2 pistons, eagle rods, FBO, Stock turbo
mituc
VersaTuner guru
Posts: 1452
Joined: December 17th, 2011, 2:47 pm
Location: Iasi/Romania

Re: My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by mituc »

Alexey wrote: July 30th, 2025, 7:07 am BPV CorkSport. MAC solenoid, line diameter is around 4mm. Сonnected like this:
Check the MAC valve and see if that cap it has did not fall off. If it did then replace it and on the new one use some duct tape all round to force that cap to stay in place. This is one of their weak points but it's an easy fix.
2008 Cosmic Blue Mazda 3MPS
Built engine + WMI + GTX3071 gen2, ~550BHP @35PSI
2008 Icy Blue Mazda CX7
Built engine and stock exhaust (YES!!), JBR3" + GTX2867 gen2 + Autotech HPFP, self-tuned to 360-ish BHP
Alexey
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2nd, 2017, 1:22 am
Location: Kazakhstan, Astana

Re: My Speed 3 isn't making power.

Post by Alexey »

mituc wrote: July 31st, 2025, 2:40 am
Alexey wrote: July 30th, 2025, 7:07 am BPV CorkSport. MAC solenoid, line diameter is around 4mm. Сonnected like this:
Check the MAC valve and see if that cap it has did not fall off. If it did then replace it and on the new one use some duct tape all round to force that cap to stay in place. This is one of their weak points but it's an easy fix.
I already checked the valve, even tried the one from my Speed6 — no difference. I'm thinking of disconnecting the exhaust from the downpipe in the next few days and doing a test run. Logs look fine, but the car just doesn't pull — it's like hitting a wall.
Red MS6 GT - Built Motor Wiseco pistons, K1 rods, 3.25 intake, manzo DP, Autotech HPFP, TR8 intercoller, CS bypass, BNR S3V4.

Black 3 MPS - Built engine, gen 2 pistons, eagle rods, FBO, Stock turbo
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