Team3S: 3000GT & Stealth Wednesday, February 25 2004 Volume 02 : Number 379
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:33:04 -0500
From: "Ken Lovell" <wklovell@yahoo.com>
Subject: Team3S: Stock Alarm Advice
 
My stock alarm has gone nuts.  It is going off about 5 times a day and the usual fix (bent bracket on the hood sensor) is not the culprit.  Though goes off randomly through the day, but is consistent in that after I deactivate it with the remote it goes off as soon as I open the driver side door.  I think that it is related to either the driver side door sensor or there is some kind of malfunction in the "brain."
 
I have also noticed that after the alarm goes off and I use the key in the door to deactivate it, the doors automatically lock regardless of which way I turn the key.  I can then unlock the door with the key, but given the number of posts I've seen float by about power locks I'm wondering if they are going south as well or if the two are related.
 
I have considered just having a new after market alarm installed because it will probably cost about the same as troubleshooting the stock alarm but be higher quality.  But I am concerned that if I do that it will not solve the potential problem with the locks.  Can anyone offer a suggestion?
 
Thanks,
Ken
'97 VR4
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 14:38:41 -0500
From: "Mihai Raicu" <mraicu@wayne.edu>
Subject: Team3S: RE: Drag numbers
 
Jeff,
 
I respectfully have to disagree on this topic with you Jeff.  I always think you are right, but this time your conclusion is based on a car magazine that did not test our cars the proper way.  Sport Car International must be wrong in their top speed.  There is some inconsistency in what they wrote.  I have some data from a 2nd gen TT, and while I know it has different gear ratios than a 1st gen, I know enough info to disprove what they said.
 
A second gen TT in 5th gear at 6750 RPM goes with 178 mph, or in 4th gear it goes 140 mph.  The 2nd gen achieves it's top speed in 5th gear because 6th would be too tall (by my calculations it's geared to go 240 mph @ 7000 RPM). The above graphs were obtained based on data in all the 6 gears of a 2nd gen from 10-100 mph.  If people think our speedometers are inaccurate at high speeds, they are at least accurate up to 100.  However, I have seen a 2nd gen speedometer compared next to a GPS and it was accurate up to 169 mph, what I think is the top speed (6400RPM in 5th gear).  One other person on this list with a 2nd gen has reported a top speed of 171 mph, which is in the same ballpark.
 
>From my data, I know the top speed test was not done in 5th gear because the car would have gone much faster than 153 mph @ 6750 RPM, because 1st gen gears are taller than 2nd's.  If the magazine's test was done in 4th gear, I may believe what they said, but then we have to ask some 1st gen owners if their cars achieve top speed in 4th or 5th gear.  If the answer is 5th gear, we have just discredited this magazine.  What they forgot is that it takes these cars 4-5 miles to reach top speed, and I doubt they had that much straightaway.
 
So, I am asking all 1st gen owners:
 
IN WHAT GEAR DOES YOUR 1ST GEN TT/VR4 ACHIEVE TOP SPEED?  You can also report the dashboard speed and RPM if you remember.
 
MIKE
 
95 3000GT VR4
 
PS - Jeff - I have some Excell charts and graphs that I can send your way on some experimental data of a 2nd gen.  They have everything logged (speed, RPM, boost, throttle, time, G's, gear...  Let me know if you want them, and I'll even let you post them on your site if you think the experiments were done scientifically.
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 15:06:54 -0500
From: "Bob G" <Rguirlinger@cfl.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Team3S: RE: Drag numbers
 
I've often wondered what the top speed is for my car, but there's not enough road in my area to safely go for a top speed run.  That coupled with my total lack of nads in that regard will keep me from reporting on the top speed issue.  I am, however, interested in others' results.
 
Bob Guirlinger
92 VR-4
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:00:23 -0600
From: "Alex Pedenko" <alex@kolosy.com>
Subject: RE: Team3S: RE: Drag numbers
 
Top speed stock should be around 155 mph. I hit 145 once, and she could do more... (in my vr4)
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:59:43 -0800
From: "Gross, Erik" <erik.gross@intel.com>
Subject: Team3S: Electrical/Starting Problems Resolved
 
Some of you may remember that I've been having some intermittent issues with starting my VR-4.  These problems began last summer and got progressively worse, to the point where I couldn't start my car earlier this month without a 75A charger/booster "helping."  If you want to read the details of the symptoms as I discovered them, you can search through the archives for the following posts:
 
"Battery Draining While Parked" 12-15-2003
"Starter Fun" - 06-18-2003
"Battery Wire Routing (OEM Positive)" - 06/16/2003
 
The quick summary:  I originally thought that the problem was the result of my soldering a new end (toward the battery) on the OEM starter wire to lengthen it.  I checked out the starter and the wire and found nothing obvious.  The problem was intermittent, and after a few tries, the car always started.  Other things were more important to fix, so I just dealt with it until it became critical :-)  In the end, the battery would discharge down to 11.9X volts overnight with a 35mA draw.
 
This weekend, I finally completed my winter maintenance and put the car back on the road.  Since my Dynabatt is now a 13lb doorstop, Brian Geddes was nice enough to let me borrow his Odyssey battery.  I installed it and everything works fine now; there have been no issues starting the car.  My new battery (*not* a ridiculously-expensive Dynabatt) is on the way, and I'll send out another post if there are any further issues.  I don't expect any, as the car has started perfectly every time since Sunday :-)
 
- --Erik
'95 VR-4  www.team3s.com/~egross
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 12:55:58 -0800
From: "Bob Forrest" <bf@bobforrest.com>
Subject: Team3S: OT:  Bay Area - Last call for NASA HPDE at Thunderhill Raceway this weekend!
 
NASA sent out a notice that there is still room in all HPDE groups for this
weekend--
 
There are only 3  Team3S members with 3S's signed up so far for the NASA HPDE - Michael Gerhard, Bill Ashurst, and me.  Geoff will be racing his Pro-7 (1st gen Spec RX7), and "E.T." will be racing her Spec Miata on Sunday, so we won't be running the Stealth.  Rick and Lori Pierce are slated to stop by with his VR-4 (or her Stealth TT), but he's not going to use that on the track anymore, and his DSM isn't ready yet.  David Mosher and Vern Roberts may come by, but Ann Koch can't make it (new puppy!).  Speaking of which, ET and I will have our new Golden Retriever pup "Turbo" there (12 weeks).  Adorable little eating machine...
 
Come sign up for the school groups, or join us to watch or passenger.  There are always spare helmets around if you want to do a ride-along...  The weather is clearing on Friday so it should be a great weekend at he track!  And don't forget the free NASA BBQ on Saturday at 5PM!
 
Email me privately before Friday afternoon, or call my cell if you are trying to reach me at the track -- 415 205-1938.
 
Over and out,
 
Forrest
 
***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***
 
------------------------------
 
End of Team3S: 3000GT & Stealth V2 #379
***************************************