[Salty3Sport]

Hi everyone! Love this car, got the manual, cuz I like driving :laugh2:
Only one complaint: throttle lag. In first and second gear, hard to get a smooth shift as the throttle pedal feels numb. I have dropped a k and n filter in already. Helped lag a tiny bit, also getting better gas mileage, by a mile or 2 per gallon.Anyone have a fix idea for the lag?

 

[Rdrokit]

Welcome to the forum. A little more info might be needed like what year is your 3, size of the engine and hp as we have members all over the world and specs are different especially on the 2 liter engine.

 

[Salty3Sport]

Oh, it's a 2017 2.0 manual 6, Sport model, 4 door sedan. Mazda claims 155 hp and 150 tq.

 

[vondiesel]

What exactly is the problem? Are the revs dropping too low while you shift the gears? If so, you could try a no-lift or half-lift shift with your right foot to keep the revs up a little between gears.

Or is it something else? At what rpm are you shifting? Below about 3000 rpm the 2.0L is not into the strongest part of the torque curve. Maybe change your shift point.

I have a 2015 3sGT with the 2.5L, which has better low torque between 2k and 3k, so early upshifts are smooth. But I definitely notice the lag when trying to throttle blip to rev match a downshift. A little tap, which would be fine in a sporty car, gets almost no response. I have to remember to really hit the throttle to get it to blip.

I think if you read a lot of threads here, you'll see that changing the intake is probably the quickest way to get rid of some of the lag. Your KN filter may help a little. An aftermarket intake may make a bigger change, but it may also affect your torque curve. Some have said that the higher revs feel better, but there's a loss of low or middle power. That can make it more fun to wring the car out, but it's no good for regular getting-around-town driving.

From what I've read here, the only way to REALLY minimize the lag is to get an ECU tune. Look for posts about "Orange Virus Tune" or "OVT." Most people are very happy with it. They say they get extra power, reduced lag, and are able to keep good fuel economy if they're not driving aggressively.

 

[johnzcarz]

... But I definitely notice the lag when trying to throttle blip to rev match a downshift. A little tap, which would be fine in a sporty car, gets almost no response. I have to remember to really hit the throttle to get it to blip.

That has to be one of my biggest complaints about my M3. You would expect a 4cyl to rev up pretty quick with a blip of the throttle but this thing barely moves a few hundred rpm. I'm slowly adjusting to having to really step on it to get the revs up between downshifts, it just feels so unnatural after years of driving non drive-by-wire cars. Actually it's not just drive-by-wire, I've had other recent cars that didn't do this, it's Mazda's calibration that's doing it.

 

[GerryB]

I think it has more to do with the throttle body calibrations.. Maybe in an attempt to help with smoother launches. Not my cup of tea, mind you. But hey, if Mercedes used to do it, why not Mazda?

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[Rdrokit]

I agree with the posters who say keeping the rpms up when shifting should help in lag. I have the 2 liter 165hp engine with an automatic and there is no lag the putting the foot down as the automatic is geared just right.

 

[vondiesel]

That has to be one of my biggest complaints about my M3. You would expect a 4cyl to rev up pretty quick with a blip of the throttle but this thing barely moves a few hundred rpm. I'm slowly adjusting to having to really step on it to get the revs up between downshifts, it just feels so unnatural after years of driving non drive-by-wire cars. Actually it's not just drive-by-wire, I've had other recent cars that didn't do this, it's Mazda's calibration that's doing it.

In my experience, it's mostly the throttle blips at lower rpm that are laggy. But if I'm downshifting a couple of gears to make a highway pass and my revs are already up higher, then the blip is pretty responsive. I very rarely drive aggressively, but when I do it actually feels very good.

Maybe the computer responds to throttle input on a sort of curve. It's probably designed by Mazda to ramp up slowly with partial throttle input, but then respond more quickly when you really stomp it. Maybe it's a sort of way to force you to accelerate at a moderate pace, thus ensuring better fuel economy during acceleration. If the throttle response were really instant even at low revs, we'd all be more likely to accelerate faster and thus lose real-world fuel economy, especially in city driving. I assume the ECU tune from OVT changes the response curve and maybe makes it more linear, which is why people say the "lag" is gone.