Dodge Neon SRT4 Motor Principals

Dodge Neon SRT4 Motor Principals

The Dodge Neon SRT4 is tuned to fulfill specific requirements out of the factory. Their particular objective when tuning the vehicle is not really to optimize the motors power output but to average power results and fuel economy as defined in published specs. When you alter your vehicle it is best to tune your engine so that you truly gain benefit from the modification. Merely changing the wastegate or other component may result in high boost however your engine will not be performing at ideal levels.

Your motor works harder when tuned for greater power. Improved power usually decreases gas mileage. Additionally, there are several stock parts that will needs to be swapped out because they are not built to tolerate stress caused by the increase in power. After the engine is tuned it will require frequent routine maintenance and servicing that will maintain overall performance and reliability. Increased power generally lowers gas mileage.

Power output, fuel economy and reliability should be considered when tuning your car. Each of these is as important as the other. It would be a mistake to turn your car to achieve optimum power output but also reduce your fuel economy to an unacceptable level and places a great deal of stress on the components that you end up spending a great deal of money merely keeping it running. So, tune the engine to achieve a compromise between power production, fuel economy and reliability.

SRT4 Tuning

Your motor is controlled by a computer (PCM). The PCM is a sophisticated computer system used to set how you want each component to perform and monitors parameters such as air flow, air temperature, oxygen within the exhaust, throttle position and engine load. Altering your PCM tune is called remapping. When you remap your ECU you're reprogramming how the computer operates the wastegate and fueling which in turn affects the amount of fuel/air that can be burnt.

Canned remaps are available but is only going to result in moderate changes in power production, gas mileage and dependability. A custom remap is specific to the specific engine and usually accomplishes the best results. Changes to engine parts will require a custom remap to truly achieve noteworthy changes. It should be noted by using several of today’s tuners you are able to save and use various tunes for varying conditions and purposes with minimum effort and time.

Wastegate

The car’s engine exhaust spins the turbo pushing air into the intake contributing to more exhaust turning the turbo faster. Without controlling the boost level this closed loop system would likely keep generating greater pressures until the engine failed. Consequently, the wastegate lets out boost pressure each time a established pressure level is reached.

One problem using the wastegate is that it operates by a spring. When the boost pressure approaches the maximum which can be held through the spring the wastegate actually starts to open (creeps) thereby releasing pressure. As a result, there exists a slight reduction in boost before the real boost level is hit. Consequently, a boost controller is needed to combat the unwanted discharge of boost pressure normal while using wastegate.

Fueling

Components involved in fueling are the fuel pump(s), injectors, fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter. The correct air to fuel mixture is really important for maintaining power output and reliability of the engine. To rich or to lean fuel mixture will lower power production and may also cause severe troubles with dependability. The more power you are achieving the more critical the air to fuel mixture will become.

Blow Off Valve (BOV)

Whenever your turbocharged engine spools up, it pressurizes the intake system, which in turn pushes more air into the combustion chamber. After you take your foot off of the accelerator, that pressure stops instantaneously and the excessive pressure is quickly released by the BOV. Without a BOV the pressure would change direction and return back in the intake system, creating undue force on the turbocharger's components. This kind of pressure return will also lower the velocity of the compressor wheel, which means it will take much longer to spool up again when the throttle is opened.

To learn more about the Dodge Neon SRT4 visit www.srt4blog.com where you can view the latest YouTube videos and contribute to the SRT4 public forum.