Thanksgiving edition 2014
DDMWorks

Black Cyber-Turkey Days Sales Event!
Solo Performance 15% off BLACK FRIDAY ONLY for Solstice and Sky
Chevy Sonic Exhaust Products 15% off Black Friday ONLY!


Tons of Items on Sale!




   




We look forward to bringing you more new product 
announcements, information and great deals in the coming months!  If you have any questions about these or other DDMWorks products do not hesitate to contact us.      






SECOND EDITION 10/5/2014:

DDMWorks

October is upon us and with that comes the official start of autumn, cooler nights and great driving weather. Time to take a trip up the mountain or down your favorite back road to enjoy the fall colors and the twisty roads. The change in season also means holidays are just around the corner and maybe you have some travel plans coming up. 


If shooting down mountain or back roads is your thing, a little extra chassis bracing can make for a better handling car that will bring a smile to your face.  Check out the braces available for the MINI, Mazda 2, Sonic and the Solstice/Sky.


If those travel plans are coming up, check out the new luggage and storage solutions we have for you with our Kappasphere products for the Solstice/Sky. This month we are introducing 2 new Kappasphere bundles to help maximize your storage while also saving you some serious cash!


Lastly, Dr. Dave has a short primer on things to know about high flow catalytic converters. Enjoy the fall colors and weather, we look forward to updating you in November!


Featured Sales and Bundles

Chevy Sonic, Rear suspension brace


Mazda 2 Rear Sway bar



Solstice and Sky Front chassis brace "Venom Brace"
Availablity: usually ships next business day
SALE! $95.00

Fits: Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky




R50/R53 Mini Rear Interior Brace, RIB

Fits: 2002-2006 Mini Cooper R50 and Mini Cooper S R53










TECH TALK with Dr. Dave

High Flow Catalytic Converters and the P0420 engine code

One of the more popular modifications that we sell and install here at DDMWorks is a high flow catalytic converter. Although newer cars produced in the last 10 years have had more efficient and better flowing catalytic converters then in the past, aftermarket catalytic converters can typically still outflow them. This better exhaust flow can yield more power from the engine and also on turbo cars, the benefit of faster response from the turbo.

As with most things, there is a trade off for this higher flowing exhaust. Typically when installing a higher flowing catalytic converter you will gain some extra exhaust volume, usually around about 15-20% louder without any other changes to the exhaust. The other issue to deal with is going to be a check engine light and a P0420 engine code - Catalyst efficiency below threshold. This code will keep the check engine light on and also cause you to fail emissions if you live in a location that checks them. Newer ECM's in cars are much smarter than they used to be and cars produced since 1996 that are OBD2 compliant, monitor the catalytic converter efficiency. All OBD2 compliant cars have 2 oxygen sensors installed in the exhaust, one sensor before the catalytic converter and one sensor after the catalytic converter. The job of the first oxygen sensor is to monitor the mixture of exhaust leaving the engine to make sure it is running the proper air/fuel ratio. This information is used by the ECM to trim fuel going to the engine to help make peak power at maximum efficiency. The output from the second oxygen sensor is compared to the reading from the first oxygen sensor by the ECM to make sure that the catalytic converter is functioning properly. If the ECM does not see the difference in the two oxygen sensors that it is programmed to see, then the ECM will cause the P0420 code to appear and a check engine light to appear on the dash.

Since the high flow catalytic converters do not cause the same readings at the secondary oxygen sensor as stock, typically the ECM will trigger the P0420 code. This code does not necessarily mean that the high flow catalytic converter is not doing its job. Typically cars with a high flow catalytic converter will pass tailpipe emission testing, but the ECM will not see the readings it is programmed to see. Since we do not want to drive around with a check engine light on, there are a couple things we can do.

One of the simplest things to do is install a oxygen sensor extender. This is a small metal tube that installs between the secondary oxygen sensor and the exhaust. It spaces the secondary oxygen sensor out of the flow of exhaust, which changes the signal it is sending to the ECM. This altered signal usually makes the ECM think that the catalytic converter is working like stock. In a very high percentage of the cases this will keep the check engine light off. We have these O2 extenders here at DDMWorks, or also a spark plug anti-fouler can be purchased from most auto part stores that will do the same thing.
The next thing that can be done is to install a Oxygen sensor signal modifier. These are small electrical boxes that splice into the wires going to the oxygen sensor and modify the signal going to the ECM. These are not as common now since we have the ability now to modify the ECM directly. If the oxygen sensor extender does not keep the check engine light off, the code can be turned off in the ECM directly. One of the way we can do this is with the Trifecta tunes we offer. These tunes not only add power to your car, but also have the capability to turn off this P0420 code directly. Although Trifecta can not turn off the P0420 code themselves for legal reasons, they have made the ability to so available to the end user. When this code is turned off, the oxygen sensor is still active and the ECM still gets signals from it, however the ECM will no longer report it as an issue and no check engine light will come on.
Adding a high flow catalytic converter is not typically one of the first engine modifications we suggest, but it can definitely be a nice way to open up the exhaust a little bit and make some more power. With the oxygen sensor extender or a ECM flash you will be able to have that extra power and response without the annoyance of a check engine light.

Have any questions about this or other topics? Send me an email directly to - [email protected] and I will be happy to answer them or include the answer in the next newsletter.



2.0L Solstice/Sky High Flow Catatylic Converter 




We look forward to bringing you more new product 
announcements, information and great deals in the coming months!  If you have any questions about these or other DDMWorks products do not hesitate to contact us.      
 - the DDMWorks Team


FIRST EDITION 9/6/2014:


DDMWorks
DDMworks is proud to launch our new monthly newsletter. Our monthly newsletters will allow us to introduce you to new products we are offering, share some of the latest tech tips and offer special discounts and sales that are not available to the general public.  

This month our focus is on short shifters. We are happy to announce our short shifter for the Solstice/Sky and Opel Gt.  We also have our short shifter for the 2012 Sonic and our simple and effective shifter for the Mazda 2. We are currently working on finishing up our short shifter for the 2013+ Sonic, so look for a product announcement soon!


Kappa Short Shifter by DDMWorks


1.4L Ecotec Short Shifter Lever

Mazda 2 Short Shifter

R52/R53 Silicone Intake tube


As a thank you for reading, please use coupon code "news1" on your next purchase at www.ddmworks.com and save 10% on almost everything in our store! Coupon code expires 10/6/2014.


TECH TIPS:

This summer we have been seeing a lot of water pump failures on the Solstice and Sky's. So if you are tackling doing the water pump swap, here is a little video that will help you get the cooling system bled and the car running again.

 LNF Coolant Refill on Ecotec Engines



We look forward to bringing you more new product 
announcements, information and great deals in the coming months!  If you have any questions about these or other DDMWorks products do not hesitate to contact us.      
 - the DDMWorks Team

0 Items