[bl/bl droptop]

My brother recently purchased a 2003 Steeda w/ 34000 miles on it. The car came with a short throw shifter and a Vortech Supercharger (6psi) from the factory. Other than these add-ons, all that the car has is flowmasters from the factory H-pipe back.

Here is the problem... The car seems EXTREMELY sluggish, especially for a supercharged car. My '02 convertible only has cold air intake, BBK plenum, exhaust and a programmer, and is much faster than this car. Since the supercharger was installed from Steeda, one would assume that they would have the programming right and would compensate with different injectors if necessary, etc., but my brother is not a mechanic, and can't figure out what the problem is.

The car is not missing, but the check engine light comes on occasionally. He had a diagnostics run on it, and it read, igniton (Plugs, wire, or coil issues). When I drove it, the car did not hesitate at any point which would lead me to believe it is missing, but it is really slow revving and never hits a point in the RPM range where you feel any extra power. My '02 car is pretty much stock, but hit's the shift point much faster. Without any hesitation or miss, could a lack of voltage rob THAT much power from the car??? My thoughts were that it would be "cutting up" at some point if that were so.

Any Ideas on what the culprit could be?????

[Mustang Nazi]

wrong crank pully or supercharger pully.

[bl/bl droptop]

Thanks, Mustang Nazi. We will check that out...the guy that he bought it from claims it is stock but had a 8psi pulley for the charger that he'd never put on. He put it in the shop the other day, and they said it had a bad coil. They fixed it, and it ran fine for about 5 miles and the lights dimmed, and immediately after developed a dead miss....and the check enigine light came on of course. As I eased it back to the shop, I noticed right as I was shifting out of gears, I would hear a very faint clatter (don't know if it was detonation or what, but I coasted there). We haven't driven it since, but are going to trailer it to a guy in Baton Rouge that is supposed to be an expert recommended by Steeda. We are both stumped.

[Mustang Nazi]

it ran fine for about 5 miles, after putting a coil on it, What does FINE mean. that car should have at least 350 hp. and develop a dead miss? not a pulley issue. sounds like your doing the right thing in taking it to someone that knows Steeda's.

[bl/bl droptop]

Well, Mustang Nazi, so much for the Steeda guy. By running fine, I meant other than the obvious lack of power, there was no misses or hesitation, but that has gone to crap now. The car was taken to Baton Rouge to be serviced by a mechanic recommended by Steeda, but all he did was replace another coil, and speculated on the "tapping" noise at 2000 rpm that developed after the first miss--he didn't even look into the noise thoroughly, but told my brother that it cold be a rod or rocker, and that it might even need a new motor...just drive it like it was. Really did not help much. Since then, another coil has gone. I have heard that just replacing one of the eight coils on a newer ford instead of replacing them all sometimes ends up with other coils failing. I have the car now and replaced all of the coils, and plugs, and am in the process of figuring out where the tapping is coming from...I really hope it's not in the bottom end. It does strike me as odd that the tap develped after it started dead missing.