Chip / Module upgrade?

I'm likely to pick up a 5 in the next few weeks -- my main reservation is power.

The things I like best about the 5 are its fairly nimble size, tightish suspension and available 5-speed manual, making it feel (to me) sportier and less like the 6-seat grocery-getter and family-mover I know I really need. In fact I think it's the only 6-seat van-type-thing available in Canada with a stick transmission. But what about the engine?

Are you owners satisfied with the power? I've done some googling but I can find virtually no performance-oriented aftermarket parts. Lots of people seem to be turning their 5's into rolling movie theatres and making cosmetic changes, but I was surprised not to find anyone offering a CPU upgrade. I imagine myself wanting 40 more horsepower for $250 (maybe even preserving the warranty), but not necessarily 100 more horses from a $3,000 aftermarket turbo (blowing the warranty out of the water).

I'd be grateful for any links or information found by other forum members on simple, not-too-invasive performance upgrades for this car. Thanks in advance!

Dave

If you can find 40hp for $250 that is a deal of a lifetime. For an engine with 157 hp thats like a 25% increase in power. I bet since the 5 is new in the next year companys will be coming out with intake and exhaust but that will probably be around $500 for both but that will be around a 10-15hp increase. I know mazda changed the computor to give the 5 less hp to increase torque but I think it is not that much difference from the 3 that you would want to change it. I bet if you looked around for a chip for a 2.3 engine it would work for the 5 but that might void the warranty. Personally I have found my 5 with a five speed to have more than enough get up and go. The power really doesn't kick in untill 4,500 rpm and the engine seems to love reving high.

How you know mazda change the computor (as you wrote)?

If you look at the rating for horsepower compared to 2.3 engine in the 3 and 6, the 5 has 3 less hp (160 vs 157) and I just checked and I was mistaken that they actually gave the 5, 2 less torque (150 vs 148). I believe I read a moter trend or consumer reports article the said they changed the computor to give the 5 more torque but on the mazda site it seems the article was wrong. It makes me wonder why the would decrease the hp and torque on a heavier car, maybe there is no change in the computor and the loss is due to the different exhaust travel. I wonder if any one knows a difinitive answer on this.

I think the changes in horsepower and torque have more to do with backpressure in the exhaust (due to different bends) than to computer changes, but that's only a guess.

And how about the M5 weight? ---> Between M3-M5-M6

Actually, I did read in a review that the ECU programming is different for the 5. The ECU has apparently been reprogrammed to deliver more of its torque at lower RPMs. But without seeing any Dyno charts, it's hard to tell. I think an Intake would not be too hard to fab up after all it's just a tube with a cone filter on the end. You could mock it up with a pice of flex exhust hose and take it to a muffler shop and have them bend a piece of SS tube to fit and get it breathing a bit better

Pierre

quote:

ORIGINAL: Trix
And how about the M5 weight? ---> Between M3-M5-M6

Weight wouldn't impact the torque or horsepower production of an engine (I imagine the engine, with the same computer, would produce the same kind of power regardless of what it is attached to), but alterations to both might impact how well the vehicles carry their weight.

FYI:
M2 sedan curb weight = 2829 pounds (max)
M6 sedan curb weight = 3347 pounds (max)
M5 curb weight = 3389 pounds (max)
M6 wagon curb weight = 3461 pounds (max)
- according to mazdausa.com

quote:

ORIGINAL: was98strat
The ECU has apparently been reprogrammed to deliver more of its torque at lower RPMs.

That would make sence--I hadn't considered that.

quote:

ORIGINAL: was98strat

...I think an Intake would not be too hard to fab up after all it's just a tube with a cone filter on the end. You could mock it up with a pice of flex exhust hose and take it to a muffler shop and have them bend a piece of SS tube to fit and get it breathing a bit better

Pierre

Since Mazda5 and Mazda3 share the same plateform, and engine. You can use the Cold Air Intake for Mazda3 on Mazda5. It is avalible already, average around $200 each system.

quote:

ORIGINAL: was98strat

...I think an Intake would not be too hard to fab up after all it's just a tube with a cone filter on the end. You could mock it up with a pice of flex exhust hose and take it to a muffler shop and have them bend a piece of SS tube to fit and get it breathing a bit better

Pierre

Since Mazda5 and Mazda3 share the same plateform, and engine. You can use the Cold Air Intake for Mazda3 on Mazda5. It is avalible already, average around $200 each system.

quote:

ORIGINAL: king57721

quote:

ORIGINAL: was98strat

...I think an Intake would not be too hard to fab up after all it's just a tube with a cone filter on the end. You could mock it up with a pice of flex exhust hose and take it to a muffler shop and have them bend a piece of SS tube to fit and get it breathing a bit better

Pierre

Since Mazda5 and Mazda3 share the same plateform, and engine. You can use the Cold Air Intake for Mazda3 on Mazda5. It is avalible already, average around $200 each system.

Be careful with the cold air intake mods. Read this article then decide what route to go: Bob is the oil Guy!

FWIW - it has been my experience that unless you do the intake, and exhaust, and re-program the chip to breath differently, you don't get a lot of bang for the buck. If you have your heart set on the K&N style filter set-up, make sure you disconect the battery for about 15 minutes after you install it, then drive it like you stole it for at least 30 miles, so the computer re-learns the operating parameters with the new free flowing air filter and you'll get the max performance out of the tube. I would not expect anything more than a 5% change though.