As for plugs, OEM is fine. NGKs are ideal for the VQ, believe me on this one. Do not, I repeat do not run Bosch (ie German plugs) in the VQ. You'll get nothing but bad results and shakey performance. Lots of us Maxima guys have tried Bosch plugs and we experienced diminished performance. I would have never thought something as simple as a plug would cause such poor driveability. If you want a better performing plug plus a super low price, find the replacement copper NGK plug. Copper is the best conducter of spark out there. The only problem is it requires you to replace them every 15-20K miles. If you wrench on cars yourself then it's not big deal and who can argue with the $1.30 a piece price? Platnium/Iridium plugs are rice mods and offer no gains. The big boys run copper. Believe me.

I'd also recommend against UDPs for a multitude of reasons and it has nothing to do with crank failures.


Dave

96 Maxima SE
14.40@97mph, 2.20 60 foot. Best mph 99mph.

JDM intake manifold, JWT ECU, Y-pipe, CAI, 2K Maxima muffler

 

Never mind. Here y'all go for the poop on plugs. I don't see them helping out with my G in any measurable way. I'll stick with the Platinum.

http://www.bullittarchive.com/Mainte...kplugoverview/

2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but front spoiler/Nismo CAI/Crawford V5

 

At the last oil change service, I had the dealer install Bosch platinum 4's. I have not experienced any problems at all. In fact, immediately after I noticed a 2-3 MPG increase and it is very smooth under all throttle conditions. Coincidence? Maybe, but I'll take the increase in MPG. As far as the plenum and cats, I had the first Crawford version and took it off. I didnt feel any improvement and the dyno showed a loss when combined with the Typhoon intake I had. Plus I couldnt stand the tapping racket from the plenum. 9HP is not worth my car sounding like it had valve lifter trouble. And from what I hear, running RT or Crawford cats with a Stillen X-Pipe is LOUD. Stillen is loud enough for me already. I'm happy with my setup including the UR pulleys, no problems at all after 10K miles. Just sharing what has worked for me.

 

gurgen, I like your explaination of how you think the ecu works.

I really can't figure out this statement though: "and you are right back to the most optimum map."

Where the heck do you get off saying that? (no offense)

If it's optimum, I don't want it to change. right? And if it does, Nissan engineers are morons again? And we're talking 6MT here, no transmission tomfoolery.

Another thing (not to you gurg) Nissan engineers are geniuses at designing intakes, but they suck at plenums and exhausts? Come on.

Orlando dyno day tomorrow. Maybe we can get some good info at the same same conditions with many setups.


I wish someone had all the answers.


And told us what they were.

2004 G35C 6MT Black. I stare. And I am content.

 

DED,

Here it is again, for "special" people like you...

The ECU picks the most optimum map after an ECU reset and sees if the conditions present (gas octane, coolant temerature, oil temperature, AT/MT fluid/gear oil temperature, MAF voltage that shows amount of air coming in - as this parameter is greatly varied based on elevation above sea level, incoming air temperature, etc.) meet the criteria to operate under those circumstances... How do I know this (to answer your question)? After a reset you can easily look to see how much of a timing advance the ECU is signaling - you can do this with a specialized scanner connected to the OBD-II port. The optimized map will naturally have more degrees of advance than normal or safe maps... and that's how you know... You can see less timing advance (possibly along with a different fuel map being used) - and hence less power being produced when the car heats up. Over a long period of time, weeks to months, based on the persistent conditions, the ECU makes more lasting changes to the timing/fuel maps, as I have described before...

Why one may ask, why not keep the ECU in optimum form... Because power output is by far NOT the only consideration that the engineers have to consider... There is emissions... and this they care about - as it improves the whole "fleet" emission record... There is also safety, it is NOT safe to advance timing to the max when your coolant temperature is 220 degF, for example; this will cause detonation, not to mention increased oil temp and thermal breakdown - leading to ring, piston, bearing wear... Lowering the power output also lowers the temperture produced.. thus the car protects itself - that's why they can go 200,000 miles with very few problems...

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

gurgen, I like your explaination of how you think the ecu works.

I really can't figure out this statement though: "and you are right back to the most optimum map."

Where the heck do you get off saying that? (no offense)

<hr></blockquote>

On a side note, I generally do not argue with people like you... you disrespect me and then turn around and say "no offense" - that's classy. Also, anyone that knows me knows that I report facts and evidence; thus, I was not reporting how "I think the ECU works", only the results of my own research, what people who have cracked the ECU have reported and showed to me in person, and what's written in the G35 Shop manual by Nissan. The correct thing to do for anyone with a brain is to present some substantiation to why one thinks I am wrong... and not just say "how do you get off saying that". I have scanned some of your posts, especially those in the Tech/Mods forum - you are very consistent.

Gurgen

 

I will say from my personal experience that the Stillen/Hi flo has worked well for me. According to my service advisor they disconnect the battery - then drive the car aggressively. I have a 5AT as well. My commute is 140 miles roundtrip (via the Fla. turnpike) each day. There is not a day that this car doesn't see a 100mph. This is also the way the car was broken in. I know it's stronger. As far as the noise I would say it's subjective. I like the sound especially, in a tunnel or driving under an overpass - can't think of a better reason to turn the radio off. I am not an adolescent either . What I like is that you control the sound - for instance when carrying passengers who don't share the same sporting intentions as you - the car can be driven in such a manner to where they wouldn't have a clue of anything different, the noise levels are totally acceptable. In other words the volume control is the throttle pedal.

Butt Dyno, internal "G" meter, and any other sensory items the human body has attached - say positive gains!

ISO - "04" TL or 330zhp (sedan,coupe or convertible) for further evaluation

"03.5" G35-S Ivory Pearl Sport/Prem/Aerodyn-RS
"02" MBZ C-320 Sport Wagon Brilliant Silv/C-2 pac

 

Well I might as well add my Stillen Air Box experience.

Make a long story short, my g buddy rugratcoupe and I at one time had about the same setup in our g's. We go to the drag strip quite often and rug pulls on me pretty good when we go head to head. We have dynoed back to back and were within 2 hp of each other, so why does he pull on me so hard?

The only difference in the two cars was the intake, I had the Stillen Air Box and he has the Injen CAI. So I broke down and bought an injen CAI.

I went back to the drag strip and beat my best time on street tires by 0.25 secs and nearly 2 mph faster trap speed.

My conclusion was that the dyno was not showing a real world situation.

All I'm saying is that my car performs better now, and all I have done is swap out the Stillen Air Box for the Injen CAI.

Chops

 

Well I might as well add my Stillen Air Box experience.

Make a long story short, my g buddy rugratcoupe and I at one time had about the same setup in our g's. We go to the drag strip quite often and rug pulls on me pretty good when we go head to head. We have dynoed back to back and were within 2 hp of each other, so why does he pull on me so hard?

The only difference in the two cars was the intake, I had the Stillen Air Box and he has the Injen CAI. So I broke down and bought an injen CAI.

I went back to the drag strip and beat my best time on street tires by 0.25 secs and nearly 2 mph faster trap speed.

My conclusion was that the dyno was not showing a real world situation.

All I'm saying is that my car performs better now, and all I have done is swap out the Stillen Air Box for the Injen CAI.

Chops

 

Thanks gurgenpb.

That explaination was a little more thorough than the one you had above.

There have been many many posts about ecu's, resetting, and it's supposed benefits.

I appreciate your input.

Why, after a reset, would the ecu go to a map for the maximum OEM performance, rather than the best setting for safety or emissions? That's what I was so rudely trying to get at. If I was designing an engine, I would not program max performance after a reset. I'd go for safety first, and increase timing for performance as long as it was still safe.

Does this not make sense?

And to put this into perspective, for a simple intake mod, that is very close to stock, how much does an ecu reset increase the timing? Enough to show a performance difference that you could feel? How much will the timing change over a few weeks of driving? Will driving it longer lower performance again? Why would it?

Again, I apologize for being rude, but special people need more time.



2004 G35C 6MT Black. I stare. And I am content.

 

DED,

Ok, lets bury the hatchet... It's just that rudeness gets under my skin, that's why i came back with less than kind comments...

As for the ECU, I guess it doesn't make a difference either way, with respect to why it chooses the best map, becuase the ECU will settle with a safe setting at the end. This way, I would think you get the highest performance safe setting... Again this is just a guess as to WHY they do it this way ... BUT they certainly DO. What you are saying does make sense, but so does this.

As fas the amount of timing that is regressed in the process of learning, it is not that much. Again, aside from 2-3 people outside of Nissan, noone really knows exactly how much HP is sacrificed, but I really do not see it being more than 7-10whp, so it's not like it is going to make your car really slow... Also, as to how much timing is advanced - whatever your ECU map says ... an updated ECU (TS) wil have more advanced timing than the stock ECU. Either way, the amount of advance is NOT dependent on your mods. You will feel the difference if your timing was retarded a little before the reset. And then, it depends on how you drive your car... use it or lose it. The performance is decrease is set in the ECU - it's a finite value, one that is lowered when you get an ECU upgrade...

Gurgen

 

Thread back to life, lets have a update please.

2004 Infiniti G35S, 6MT, Premium, Sport, DP
Mods: JDM Clears, 20% tint, Z-tube, K&N Drop In
Track: 14.32 at 97.6 mph 2.196 60ft (1900 miles bone stock, with bogging)

 

I did some back to back comparisons (no ECU resets or anything) and really can't make my mind up. I even bought the K&N panel filter for the stock airbox just so I could compare the airbox in all of its justice.

SIDE NOTE: I felt NO change, performance wise or sound wise from going to the K&N panel filter in the stock air box.

I was in NYC for a week so I really have only driven the car a handful of times, but it's had the Stillen on for the majority of the time. I'm now so good at swapping the intakes that it's not a big deal.

I only drove on the Stillen intake initially for about 15 miles, then switched back to the airbox for about 30 miles. I then put the Stillen back on and have racked up about 100 miles on the Stillen.

To my dismay putting the stock airbox on didn't seem to increase power at all, which would void my earlier comments of it causing a loss of power. However, it didn't seem much slower, and it had slightly better throttle response.

The Stillen is considerably louder and I've grown to prefer the sound of the intake below 3500 RPM. It's still a tad louder then I'd prefer up top, but it's been so hot lately that I've been keeping the windows closed. There's a huge difference in sound with the windows closed. Open it's overbearingly loud, closed it really isn't too bad. I'm sure other people hear it as loud.

As far as performance; I stand by my initial statement of more power up top (~5000). Bottom end doesn't seem as dramatic as I made it out to seem.

Thus, at this point I will continue use of the Stillen as my preferred intake of choice. I will not hesitate to further test other intakes that may yield better results, but all in all the fit/finish of the Stillen is hard to beat (other then OEM).

04 6MT Sedan - Z Tube, 04 Z Suspension