***Brand New 2.5L IMAGINE AUTO (IA) Supercharger HELP!***

[jrdiesel01]

Forum,

I have a brand new 2.5L Imagine Auto Supercharger Kit but have lots of questions and concerns. Please Help! :dance:

All experiences, help, tips, advise is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

A friend (Porsche Technician) is doing the install which we think will go well but have concerns about remapping, reflashing and/or tuning:

Please comment (experiences, help, tips, advise) on the following:

1. Install; PDF Instructions (anything & everything)
2. Tuning/ECU; Necessary? Price? Can I drive without it? How much better with it? Pros & Cons? Where to buy? (Evolution Motorsports, CA preffered; VF Engineering, GIAC USA, GMG)
3. Flash Program; Available? Price? Where to buy?
4. Injectors; Pros & Cons upgrading, required/necessary. Price? Part #s or Models? Where to buy?
5. Maintainance; SC Oil Changes? Replacement Belts/Parts?



Please post responses here, private message me or email socalcitizen@aol.com as you prefer.

Thanks again!

[JFP in PA]

Three words: Don’t do it.

These engines have enough longevity problems, particularly the 2.5L, without taking them under pressure from a blower.

[Johnny Danger]

I would wait until the 4th of July to start it up !

[kabel]

A few past threads on the subject you might find useful:

Supercharger Installation! > Supercharger Installation!

1998 2.5L Boxster FORCED INDUCTION? > 1998 2.5L Boxster FORCED INDUCTION?

IA Forced Induction Friday Sale! > IA Forced Induction Friday Sale!

[insite]

your car will run fine /w the supercharger. the car can handle the 4.5psi boost fairly well in the 2.5L. just do NOT go to a smaller SC pulley; overboost WILL kill the motor. also, get the car ALL the way up to operating temp before you drop the hammer.

that having been said:

1. Install; PDF Instructions (anything & everything)

#can't help you there


2. Tuning/ECU; Necessary? Price? Can I drive without it? How much better with it? Pros & Cons? Where to buy? (Evolution Motorsports, CA preffered; VF Engineering, GIAC USA, GMG)

#the car can actually adapt to the supercharger fairly well.




3. Flash Program; Available? Price? Where to buy?

#see #2 above



4. Injectors; Pros & Cons upgrading, required/necessary. Price? Part #s or Models? Where to buy?

#not necessary. the injectors on the 2.5L are the EXACT same part as those in the 3.4L carrera. plenty of flow.


5. Maintainance; SC Oil Changes? Replacement Belts/Parts?

#i'd go w/ the manufacturer's recommendations

[JAAY]

You need to get the car tuned. Period

[JAAY]

You need to get the car tuned. Period. The car will try and adapt. Been there done that. Hole in a piston was the end result.

[thstone]

My limited understanding of the fuel injection system is that it will detect the add'l intake air from the super charger immediately upon startup and begin to adjust the injector and engine timing to balance the inputs from the MAF and the O2 sensors. Additionally, I thought that it took about 10 mins of running for the Motronics to "learn" and store an updated map in the ECU.

If you experienced a hole in a piston, this seems to imply an extreme detonation (knocking) condition which shouldn't normally happen with knock sensor and O2 feedback into the ECU. However, it seems like it might happen when running with a new supercharger (more air) with the stock injector maps (same fuel) which could create a super-lean mixture and thus, create an extreme detonation condition.

Based on this, it would seem most prudent to start with a proven and tested ECU map that is customized for your supercharger and the 2.5L engine. This way the ECU injector and ignition timing will be very close to optimal from the start and the risk of detonation and engine damage would be reasonably low.

However, if you don't want to do this or can't, then it would seem prudent to start up the engine with the SC installed and drive it gingerly (less than 2,500 RPM with minimal load) for about 20-30 mins to let the engine warm up and once warm, allow time for the ECU to adjust the mixture/timing for low speed operation with the new supercharger. Seems like the worst thing to do would be to jump on the gas hard at this point or the engine might instantly go very lean, knock severely, and possibly damage something (which could all happen in just one hard run up to the redline).

Then stop and let the engine cool to ambient temp (it doesn't have to be cold) and then repeat while driving around at low and medium engine RPM's and loads (up to 3,500) for about 20 mins to let the ECU re-map to mid-level operation.

And repeat once again for higher RPM operation (5,000 rpm). Then one might want to attempt a run up to near redline (6,000 rpm).

Of course, you would have to re-perform this learning sequence again anytime that the battery was disconnected (which clears the learned ECU maps).

I cannot say that this procedure is proven but it makes sense based on my understanding of the Motronic fuel injection system. I welcome any thoughts or inputs where I may have missed something or got it wrong.

[blue2000s]

The big issue with forced induction and the DME isn't air flow, as has been noted, the computer compensates by itself. It's ignition timing. The mixture is more volitile at forced induction pressure. The DME isn't programmed to compensate if it's set up for a NA engine. It can only react to the knock sensor, which is reactive, not predictive, and probably has limited abilities there. That's why you want a correctly programmed DME.

[Brucelee]

Given my many years on the board here, my take is: Don't touch that motor unless you have a large cash reserve.

Save you dough, buy some Red Line Oil and enjoy what you have, which is a car that handles like a dream and is a bit underpowered.

What's wrong with that?

[The Radium King]

i think maf location with respect to blower, and whether there is a blow-off valve, will affect whether a tune is needed. if the blower is after the maf and there is no bov then it is a closed system and the computer sees all the air going to the engine. if the maf is after the blower, then the air is pressurised at the maf and the maf will not provide a proper reading (it measures flow, not pressure, so more air will be getting to the engine than the computer knows, resulting in higher combustion temps and holes in pistons). or, if there is a bov after the maf then readings tend to be inaccurate as air will be leaving the system that the computer doesn't realise.

most aftermarket turbo applications i've seen for the boxster have the maf before the turbo, while most s/c kits have the maf after the blower. uncertain why, perhaps to address reverse flow past the maf in s/c idle conditions.

another issue is how your kit approaches fuel. some systems work with the existing computer/injectors, while others use a piggy-back computer with a 7th injector. more room for error in the second application.

some research on Imagine Auto might be in order; from what i saw, their kits were not on the market very long ...

[jrdiesel01]

Thank you all for your feedback.

I've made a decision to continue SC install but do have a plan for my approach. :dance:

I'm not going to spare any expense in tuning/reflash procedures to ensure proper ratios. Although this may take a while, I will rest asure knowing I've covered all bases for success and didn't leave margin for error.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy the Boxster to the fullest and hopefully continue to due so afterward.

I will keep you all posted.

Wish me luck!

And if you have any advise, it's not too late and still very welcomed.

[Frodo]

Well, then, Go for it.

May the force be with you...

Give us updates--that's mandatory.

[xtremecc]

good luck with your supercharger project JR. I do agree, keep us posted and updated. take lots of pics!!

[chris97boxster]

If its not too late
dyno car before s/c
then when done
dyno it again with s/c
lots of pics needed
we r picture wh@res

Chris