Hi guys, I apologize in advance if you have hard time reading my post because english is not my first language .
Past weekend, I just installed CAI + HFPC + V3 Jpipe. The power gain was great, the car pushed me back to the seat when I floored it. It's worth every penny and minutes of 15 hours I spent for the installation (many of the bolts and nuts were seized, and I had to soak several times with PB blaster for couple hours). However, there are still some problems that need to resolve.

Prior installing HFPC + Jpipe (and AEM v2 CAI), I had CEL which was P0420 and P0430, so I assumed my 2 pre cats were defective, and they are the main source of power loss as well as low mpg since the car already has over 140000 miles on it. I average 13-15 mpg in city and 30-32 mpg on freeway but after installing these 3 parts I got 11-12 city and 28-29 freeway. What should I do to improve my gas mileage? I have try seafoam twice (first time back in July, second time in August). I also changed all the spark plugs with OEM parts. I intend to clean my throttle body, egr port and intake manifold but I doubt it will do any good

Second problem is the pull at start. My roommate has an accord 03, and I believe it's not v6. However, when shifting from P to D, without stepping on the gas pedal, his car already pulls really hard. We share a same big parking lot, so sometimes in order for my car to get out, I have to back up his car. I can tell there's a obvious difference. There's a high bump right at our parking lot, my TL need a little of throttle to climb over it; otherwise it will roll backward but his car can climb over it like nothing, it wouldn't even roll backward when sitting on the bump as my car does. I don't know if it's the tranny problem or not but I recently did my 3rd + 4th pressure switches along with 3x3 redline atf (I mixed the regular atf with racing one so that it has 65% of racing fluid and viscosity around 7.2). Again, I thought it was because of my 2 defective cats, but it really wasnt. I'm so envious of his pulling power

Third problem is the fitment of the Jpipe. It touched and burnt my skid plate as showed in the picture. Should I just leave the melt plastic there so it would be washed away as my jpipe continue to burn them or I have to lift the car and peel them off the jpipe. It has produced a very annoying smell, the smell of burnt plastic mixed with oil, atf etc


Last but not least, look like my rack + pinion and my passenger side cv joint are broken, can I drive without trouble while saving up? I'm a broke college student and just quitted my part time job...

I appreciate any help

 

I trimmed the plastic splash shield on the bottom when I installed my V3 J-Pipe, can't really help with the other problems but I'd peel it off and trim what is left of it to prevent it from melting any further.

Those fumes are probably toxic.

 

I also trimmed my plastic shield, so that it wouldnt melt.

your 02 sensors could be lazy or going bad.
the cats were probably good, just the 02 sensors thought that the cats were going bad.
this could be a possibility to your gas mileage problem.

and lastly, about the speed bump thing; they are two different cars.
the idle could be set differently on each.

 

Try going back to stock intake, you could be pulling a little timing there.

 

I'll try to trim the plastic piece next time I do the transmission fluid then.
About the O2 sensor, are you referring the the upstream ones. I read a post from IHC in which he said to go to dealership and have both upstream sensors from bank 1 and bank 2 diagnosed. If the reading is vastly different from one another then I probably have a problem with them, is that correct?
About the pulling power at start. I thought accord and tl share a same engine compartment, dont they?

 

broke college students should take care of their maintenance items long before modding. and certainly do not quit their jobs.

 

you believe the Accord is an i4.
the TL has a V6.
the cars could be idling differently from the factory.
different cars. different motors. different tuning. different transmission. different everything.
a real comparison would be if you tested out the same year and same transmission as your TL.

 

The CAI and the HFPC or Delete along with the J-Pipe can give a ton of power up high, but you end up loosing low end torque, a common issue once you delete all the cats and add in a J-Pipe.

Also the instructions should have said to trim back the plastic shield.

 

Didn't I say my car was throwing 2 codes P0420 and P0430? I did email both XLR8 and Richie to find out if the HFPC would continue to throw these codes. 2 HFPCs are like 500ish while oem parts can easily cost up to 700$. I was actually maintaining my car (in a cheaper way) while modding. Also, look at what I've done to for it (3x3 redlines, brand new oem spark plugs, 3rd+4th pressure switches, seafoam, ps fluid fush, cleaned throttle body, egr port etc), isn't it maintaining? I only found out about my broken rack when I had my car lifted up to put on my HFPCs and Jpipe.
About me quitting my part time job, it was really personal issue which I couldn't resist. You just don't know my story, if you have that much of free time to go mocking around, go contribute more to azine

@csmeance: apparently I must have left the instruction somewhere..
About the low end power, a review from heeltoe revealed that the rv6 Jpipe indeed increases more of the low end power. Are you saying that the low end gain from Jpipe couldn't compensate the loss from the HFPCs and CAI combine?

 

Perhaps you should have tested the O sensors that actually throw those codes before replacing hard parts and you would have saved money and got your mileage back.

I have two in college so I am sensitive to extraneous purchases and an inordinate amount of time spent doing anything other than studying or working to pay for the studying.

This is not a very cost effective car to mod. $ per HP gained is very low. It is a beautiful sport/LUXURY car. enjoy what your blessed to have, but do not try to make it what it is not. save your money now and put in the time and effort for your schooling and you will be able to have something even better later in life.

what CS was saying is that all of the mods you have done have a greater benefit on the top end, not the low end where the car is already lacking. The low end is what your complaining about

 

I have all my cats removed with an added jpipe.
no low end loss here.

in all actuality, I gained lots of low end torque.