2008 Cobalt SS Turbo First Drive and Review by CobaltSS.net
#301
The Turbo Cobalt kinda scares me. It seems like without a Tune your just sitting dead in the water.
Afew points of Concern-
PCM Limits Boost in 1st and Second Gear to reduce wheelspin? Thats a little much dont you think? Those are your two most important gears for getting a good lead in a race, youd want full power getting put down
PCM Limits Boost to whatever is needed to reach 260HP? I read that if you live at sea level you might only see like 12-14PSI but if you live up high that it might create all 20PSI in order to get the power or "Torque numbers" that its looking for, what the hell is this?
It almost seems like it is OVERLY controlled by the PCM and you cant do much to it without setting a Check Engine Light. IT also seems that no matter what you do youll still be around the same power because the PCM will limit boost just to reach its preset number it wants to have.
Kinda seems like if you cant tune it your just sitting dead in the water with stock performance no matter what you try and do, also seems like a real b!tch to tune cause of the Direct Injection and it not even wanting to have a Intake on it without throwing a CEL
So if you try and Mod it by doing something like an Exhaust it wont do much good because that just means the PCM will reach its given Torque Value faster, and therefor Limit boost to even lower levels because it deems all boost above that point to be "unnecessary" because its already as fast as it wants to be.
Afew points of Concern-
PCM Limits Boost in 1st and Second Gear to reduce wheelspin? Thats a little much dont you think? Those are your two most important gears for getting a good lead in a race, youd want full power getting put down
PCM Limits Boost to whatever is needed to reach 260HP? I read that if you live at sea level you might only see like 12-14PSI but if you live up high that it might create all 20PSI in order to get the power or "Torque numbers" that its looking for, what the hell is this?
It almost seems like it is OVERLY controlled by the PCM and you cant do much to it without setting a Check Engine Light. IT also seems that no matter what you do youll still be around the same power because the PCM will limit boost just to reach its preset number it wants to have.
Kinda seems like if you cant tune it your just sitting dead in the water with stock performance no matter what you try and do, also seems like a real b!tch to tune cause of the Direct Injection and it not even wanting to have a Intake on it without throwing a CEL
So if you try and Mod it by doing something like an Exhaust it wont do much good because that just means the PCM will reach its given Torque Value faster, and therefor Limit boost to even lower levels because it deems all boost above that point to be "unnecessary" because its already as fast as it wants to be.
#303
#304
Things ide look to change PCM wise would be
Ability to run 20Psi no matter what your altitude is, meaning if your car makes its full power @ 16psi due to your environment, your already ahead of the game if you still defaultly boost 20 regardless
Full boost available in first and second gear, theres no reason to limit it, if your a good driver you can keep traction and launch yourself without too many problems
Basically just beating the Torque Managament Nanny with a stick until she goes away a little bit and lets you control your own boost levels
chances are you wont even be able to have the simple enjoyment of adding a louder aftermarket Blowoff Valve without setting a check engine light
Last edited by Astyl; 03-13-2008 at 07:38 AM.
#305
Yeah but thats not fast enough for some people, they supposidly only run 14.1 stock. If your serious about performance and wanna turn your Balt into a low 13 / high 12 car its gonna be quite a task with one of these due to them being stubborn and not wanting to go any faster, just getting them into the high 13s is probobly gonna be a task and a half unless you can break the PCM
Things ide look to change PCM wise would be
Ability to run 20Psi no matter what your altitude is, meaning if your car makes its full power @ 16psi due to your environment, your already ahead of the game if you still defaultly boost 20 regardless
Full boost available in first and second gear, theres no reason to limit it, if your a good driver you can keep traction and launch yourself without too many problems
Basically just beating the Torque Managament Nanny with a stick until she goes away a little bit and lets you control your own boost levels
chances are you wont even be able to have the simple enjoyment of adding a louder aftermarket Blowoff Valve without setting a check engine light
Things ide look to change PCM wise would be
Ability to run 20Psi no matter what your altitude is, meaning if your car makes its full power @ 16psi due to your environment, your already ahead of the game if you still defaultly boost 20 regardless
Full boost available in first and second gear, theres no reason to limit it, if your a good driver you can keep traction and launch yourself without too many problems
Basically just beating the Torque Managament Nanny with a stick until she goes away a little bit and lets you control your own boost levels
chances are you wont even be able to have the simple enjoyment of adding a louder aftermarket Blowoff Valve without setting a check engine light
An aftermarket BOV, would be kind of difficult, but definately possible. Some people have already put one on (atmospheric of course).
#306
There is a BSR Tune out for the Solstice GXP & Sky Redline, that ups the boost (but of course it overworks the turbo), but it creates more boost.
An aftermarket BOV, would be kind of difficult, but definately possible. Some people have already put one on (atmospheric of course).
An aftermarket BOV, would be kind of difficult, but definately possible. Some people have already put one on (atmospheric of course).
Dont they come with Blowoff Valves Stock? Is it just a really quiet atmospheric one or is it recirculating? is it simply a matter of swapping the stock for a Aftermarket or is the Stock BOV Computer Controlled or something like that so it'll throw a code when you mess with it?
#307
Yeah man thats what im saying, not a Recirculating valve but a Atmospheric Blowoff Valve like a HKS or a Greddy, just something to get the sound and i bet running 20 pounds itd be pretty loud.
Dont they come with Blowoff Valves Stock? Is it just a really quiet atmospheric one or is it recirculating? is it simply a matter of swapping the stock for a Aftermarket or is the Stock BOV Computer Controlled or something like that so it'll throw a code when you mess with it?
Dont they come with Blowoff Valves Stock? Is it just a really quiet atmospheric one or is it recirculating? is it simply a matter of swapping the stock for a Aftermarket or is the Stock BOV Computer Controlled or something like that so it'll throw a code when you mess with it?
#308
But there is a couple owners that have atmospheric BOV's... I think that it's off the intercooler piping, & it's on the cold side... Let me check....
#309
Yeah man thats what im saying, not a Recirculating valve but a Atmospheric Blowoff Valve like a HKS or a Greddy, just something to get the sound and i bet running 20 pounds itd be pretty loud.
Dont they come with Blowoff Valves Stock? Is it just a really quiet atmospheric one or is it recirculating? is it simply a matter of swapping the stock for a Aftermarket or is the Stock BOV Computer Controlled or something like that so it'll throw a code when you mess with it?
Dont they come with Blowoff Valves Stock? Is it just a really quiet atmospheric one or is it recirculating? is it simply a matter of swapping the stock for a Aftermarket or is the Stock BOV Computer Controlled or something like that so it'll throw a code when you mess with it?
There is a BSR Tune out for the Solstice GXP & Sky Redline, that ups the boost (but of course it overworks the turbo), but it creates more boost.
An aftermarket BOV, would be kind of difficult, but definately possible. Some people have already put one on (atmospheric of course).
An aftermarket BOV, would be kind of difficult, but definately possible. Some people have already put one on (atmospheric of course).
It seems like the only way for someone to get increased power without the computer relearning, is to get an aftermarket intercooler. This drops the boost psi. Since the computer only reads MAP and boost. The obvious exception to this is tuning by HPT (it is the full program now) or BSR.
Once you have the I/C, you can then add intake and exhaust to bring the boost back up to the stock readings of the mid teens with the increased hp.
At least this is what I have gathered from the GXP and Solstice forums.
#311
they come with air to air intercoolers stock.. are they front mounts? If so itd be easier just to throw in a bigger one in its place
and yeah ide wanna swap in a Atmospheric BOV just to have one, love the sound
and yeah ide wanna swap in a Atmospheric BOV just to have one, love the sound
#312
Yea, I believe they are air-to-air, I also believe they are front-mounted, & you could always throw a bigger one in there, but then again, you have to worry about the CEL.
I love the sound of atmos. BOV's too....
I love the sound of atmos. BOV's too....
#314
honestly with all the nanny PCM issues this thing seems to have almost makes me want to just get a Supercharged Model instead cause then i dont have "The Man" Always looking over my shoulder and can do whatever
#315
#316
I would suggest getting the intercooler and the intake and exhaust first, and then seeing how you like it. Aparently with the I/C and intake the stock BOV is hella loud, and is a completely different sound, more like a whistle than a whoosh.
Right. That's what I've seen too. They use both because the BOV is built into the turbo housing.
Right. That's what I've seen too. They use both because the BOV is built into the turbo housing.
#320
The main problem here as stated in another thread with what happened to some Solstice Guys is the PCM Constantly Monitors Engine Torque Output to make sure its getting the right amount of power to the ground, which in this case would be that of stock levels.
Once you start modding it more Torque is being outputted by the engine, it works for a day or two but slowly the PCM relearns this and decreases boost / performance to bring it back down to the stock levels that its suppost to be at originally
so basically no matter what you do to it, the PCM will fight you and bring power back down to stock levels no matter how mod'd it is, the only way to get around this is to keep unhooking the battery everytime you wanna go fast so the PCM has to relearn everything and it takes awile.
Once you start modding it more Torque is being outputted by the engine, it works for a day or two but slowly the PCM relearns this and decreases boost / performance to bring it back down to the stock levels that its suppost to be at originally
so basically no matter what you do to it, the PCM will fight you and bring power back down to stock levels no matter how mod'd it is, the only way to get around this is to keep unhooking the battery everytime you wanna go fast so the PCM has to relearn everything and it takes awile.
#324