09 crd 3l what mods to do

[shai.dawson]

hi guys n girls, i have a 09 crd and wanting to get more out of it, i have 2.75 exusht and 3' dump pipe already and 2'lift but find it is doey off the mark and performace offroad just isnt there, i have had 4.5 gu's and 4.2td gq and enjoyed going out but fund the 3l jjust doesnt have any go. i have found the ic has oil leaking from it so i will be pulling it off and getting it welded up and a catch can, what other mods can i do to improve performance

[the evil twin]

In order of importance...
Get a better I/C or at least fix the existing one if it is leaking badly
Get a scan gauge (I know, I know but you need it for the next two)
Block the EGR (DON'T drill a hole in it to 'stop codes')
Chip or ECU remap

[Bigcol]

^^^^ what ET said ^^^^

[shai.dawson]

sweet thanks

[togenshi]

Take your intake manifold off and clean it and the intake ports. You have option to remove swirl valves as well. I must have gotten another 60NM of torque from cleaning all the soot inside mine. Its like a new car now. A good 4-5mm of carbon/oil around the intakes.

http://imgur.com/ScyecOg

[Hodge]

Take your intake manifold off and clean it and the intake ports. You have option to remove swirl valves as well. I must have gotten another 60NM of torque from cleaning all the soot inside mine. Its like a new car now. A good 4-5mm of carbon/oil around the intakes.

http://imgur.com/ScyecOg

This!!
When my intake was cleaned, the mechanic showed me the amount of shit in the box that was removed... Car definitely behaved different after that, it was more punchy!
I also had a 2009 CRD.

[Yendor]

Next performance mod should be a dawes & needle valve. After that, look at doing a chip or remap.

[Hodge]

I will add to my comment above...
My 2009 CRD was stock when I got it. First performance mod was the exhaust, 2.75 beaudesert and EGT was blocked. This gave the car a bit more go, but kept hitting limp mode. Next was Diesel Smart intercooler. Dropped EGT's, but made no performance difference.
Then... I got the dawes and needle valves fitted. And after a bit of fiddling around and with lots of help from Mudski, I found it's sweet spot.
Transformed the car!! It ran like shit of a shovel... Was kicking my self for not getting this done sooner. Boost stopped being a yoyo and was consistent.
Not long after that I had the intake etc cleaned and gave the car a bit more go, as above.
I then had a Unichip fitted and fully dyno tuned to the car. And this was the biggest performance increase I've gotten.

Throughout all this, I have had power being inconsitent, one day or week it ran so good, then ran like shit the next day or week.
Never worked out what the issue was and sold it this way.

[Yendor]

My comments to the above are...

You are chasing your tail if you do any performance mods to an engine that isn't already performing to factory specs...

[togenshi]

Not really. There are only 3 sensors that the ZD30DDti CPU uses to work out the mixture of fuel. Unless you kept on moving between altitudes, the issue would have been somewhere along the intake. Since dawes and needle valve was installed, that removes 1 sensor from the equation. So then the issue would be the MAP, MAF or a leak in the intake. This is also assuming CPU was reset.

So either MAP wasn't getting enough pressure (different intercooler/pipes) or MAP was getting too much pressure (incorrect dawes and needle valve setup) or MAF was off. Having a OBDII diagnostic tool and this forum (what values should I be looking at? post) would most likely find a working solution.

[LostBenji]

The very first mods before anything suggested above:
Get decent quality EGT and Boost Gauges!
If don't know what your boost and EGT's are doing then you flying blind. It doesn't matter if a DI or CRD.

ZD30 killers:
High EGT's, puts holes in pistons
High Revs (they pull well to 3000, not much point revving anymore)
Poor maintenance


Simple mods I have found good and well documented everywhere in a basic order:


Boost & EGT gauges (avoid petrol engine EGT gauges, get one that goes down to at least 100°C, Boost is good to have range of 0-20 or 0-25 PSI)
Zorst, 2.75 - 3" (straight through systems do and will drone, a muffler won't hurt. CAT's can be "Lost")
Oil Vapour catch-can (ProVent 200's are great and mount up near ABS unit/Vacuum lines)
Dawes Valve and/or bleed screw, 16PSI is a good level, any more is really wasting power as you are not putting in anymore fuel (Careful with CRD's, they get fussy when VNT solenoid not in control)
Block the EGR
Fit better air cleaner element, factory kill turbine whistle and is a choke point.
Induction tube replacement helps as well, smoother airflow
Better inter-cooler for sure, fan assisted for anything moving slower the 50Kph
If you are mechanically minded, pull the entire induction tract off and clean it
If after all this, then look at chip works


DON'T fit a stainless snorkel that faces the rear, forward facing @ 100Kph can see an extra free pound of intake pressure, facing backwards robs power at speed. If you don't like mud in it, undo hose-band and face to rear while in muck!

Leave the Swirl valve system alone, it helps with bottom-end torque.

[Maxhead]

Obviously you have to fix the IC but the CRD's have plenty of go standard especially with a better exhaust.
It took me a while getting used to the 3l especially after having a V8 but once learning how to drive it, I find it great.

You can certainly get it going better with mods but my last two have been standard with just a beaudesert exhaust and I love them:)

If you don't want trouble , leave it as is :)

[LostBenji]

Obviously you have to fix the IC but the CRD's have plenty of go standard especially with a better exhaust.
It took me a while getting used to the 3l especially after having a V8 but once learning how to drive it, I find it great.

Yep, I know the feeling, going form vehicles that were very capable to a heavier vehicle with a smaller donk. I have done most of the basic mods and I have better economy while having a somewhat enjoyable ride.