Honda Civic, Stream, Edix (all around 2004, which have the handbag-shaped element, which is bony in structure and impossible to replicate with rubber), Mazda 2 and 3 (their elements have a narrow groove which fits the filter box, but this groove's stiffness is very hard to duplicate with rubber, and Toyotas VVTi Corolla, Altis, Vios, Ist, Wish and '07 Camry for the same reason. There may be some other models with such groove designs, not listed here. For elements that are totally flat at the seals, and which aftermarket filter makers can satisfactorily duplicate in size, thickness and compressibility, compare the way the clips close. If they close less tightly, that filter will not seal the filter box properly. Even if they can be closed tightly, sometimes joints or mould cavities make them leak. If they close too tightly, indicating that the element is too thick or hard, the clip mounts on the box can break later. It is best if you keep the original filter element just in case it is needed.
Note: For cars like the Chery QQ from China, the filter element must be marked before removal and replaced the same way, because the original box groove is not uniform.
2. Any air device such as Ecotek, Air Injector, E68 etc that allows air into the engine via a connection on the manifold (or parts of the engine, after throttle) or any air tube that is connected to the manifold, such as the brake vacuum tube. Such devices will let air bypass the main air filter, so causing Surbo failure. On their own, these air openings also take away suction power from the air filter especially at higher rpm, and cause the brake master pump to be less effective as that must be run on a full vacuum with no opening. Before Surbo, some customers with these devices have crashed, some nearly crashed and most have complained of poor emergency braking power after installing such devices. If these are already present on your vehicle, we will remove them and restore the full vacuum to your engine, and your brakes and air filter will be in proper working condition. After that, and only then, can the Surbo have a sealed chamber to put its compressed air in.
Note: If any person selling the Surbo also sells such devices, please report the matter to us.
Also incompatible are nitrous systems which together with the Surbo have been known to result in ignition before the cylinders, as nitrous mixtures on their own are very combustible and dangerous.
If you need advice on other add-ons, do not hesistate to call us, especially when presented with product claims to the contrary. This will help you avoid wasting money on unhelpful items.
If for some reason the Surbo fails to make a difference for your car, there will be no sale. The reasons why the Surbo may not work satisfactorily even if tightly installed in the air intake may be:
1. Engine is out of tune or some air tubes that are not easily seen are not in order.
Solution: We will check the engine and assess its condition before installation. Then we'll recommend that tuning or repairs be carried out before the Surbo is put on. Sometimes these can occur due to irresponsible servicing or cutting done by accessory shop dealers. If the repairs are easy we will do it on the spot.
2. Oversized tyres that increase the engine load, often due to changing to bigger rims. This is one of the most common causes of no fuel saving, as the Surbo system's energy is all used to counter overgearing, providing only more speed. Sometimes the customers do not know the correct size and can take only what's available from the tyre shops. Oversized tyres, even at just 3%, are on their own known to reduce acceleration, fuel economy, and top speed meaning that cruising is affected too. If the rims are of the original size, please follow the tyre sticker at the driver's door. If the rims have been upsized, the tyres must be of a lower profile. For example, tyre sizes 175/70R13=185/60R14=195/50R15 are identical in overall size. The overall size of the type 195/50R15 is 15 inches of the rim plus 2 times the height of the tyre= 15x25.4mm + 2x 195x 0.5mm. If you do not know how to calculate this, you can ask us. We can check on the spot and recommend the correct size for the next tyre change, to ensure both increased power and fuel saving.
3. There is an air leak between the Surbo and the engine so no compression is possible.
a. Note: for modified air intake pipes or elbows, the original oil breather U must be reconnected, and no small additional filter used in place of it or there will be a leak from this, via the lower oil breather L. The Surbo has to be fitted 2" at least before U.
b. The air in the oil chamber is also being charged up, so the oil cap must be tightly closed, and the dipstick tightened by taping the O-ring on it so that it can be refitted tightly. This is the most common fault, occuring after oil servicing, so please take note and tighten it on your own.
For European cars, especially those which are older, all oil connecting tubes U to the oil sump must be checked and renewed if cracked or broken. This is because the oil may not be poured directly through a cap on the engine head and dripped down, but via a separate cup connected by a tube U or tubes U to the oil sump down at the lowest part of the engine. The heat from the hot oil at the oil sump connection will result in plasticizing and breakage of the connecting tubes there, so these have to be changed if broken. The oil cap may sometimes have no seal on the cup so a soft seal must be made separately. Some manifold air connections are loose by design, being able to twist or shake so sealant can be applied at these joints. The same goes for certain dipsticks with rotatable handles. Some Japanese makes have a poke-in connection on the engine side of L, so sealant must also be applied there.
Solution: 100% checking on all oil-cooling air connections is advised. Note that if there is no leak after changing the broken connections, all the vacuum will be directed at the air filter so increasing filter power. No dirt can get in too.
c. Care should be taken to flush-fit sport filter elements to prevent leaks, like in the case of Suzuki Swifts '89-'97. Some mechanics may have closed the filter in a hurry without proper alignment so damaging the filter seals. This is important when the Surbo is fitted before the filter.
4. Purge system not stopped so Surbo system running up to only the pressure allowed before purging occurs electronically or via the carbon purge cannister.
Solution: Customers might email us if they have received a poor-quality installation, or if they have missed an important step in the DIY process.
5. Other problems can come with an inability to understand the activation process with no dealer to guide the DIY user.
Solution: read How It Works, or please email us for help to solve your problem in the shortest time.
6. The car in question was already faster than our listed cars. The Surbo is more for power-needy cars and for augmenting the mid rpm torque, while the Twin Surbo adds another 10% of torque between 2500-3000 rpm, suits low-rpm/ high gear driving and also matches diesel engines.