Hi all

My MY02 bugeye is unable to reach full boost. From what I've read I'm only getting wastegate pressure (~6psi).

Took it into ASG on Friday and they said it's very likely the boost solenoid has carked it. I sourced a replacement but no joy

I focused my attention on this area and found one of the vacuum hoses leading to it had a crack in a plastic joiner. I've since replaced that length of hose (using 4mm correct?) and it's made a very slight improvement but still only reaching ~6psi.

How do I test if the wastegate is functioning e.g. should I be able to see movement or does it only function when under load (driving and not parked)?

There's been no CEL indicators/errors thrown. Car recently had it's 100,000km service done and a VERSO tune.


Are there any other areas I should be looking at?


Daz

Search for 'boost pill'...you may have inadvernantly removed it when you replaced that vac line and it may be compounding the issue.

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Gday

Thanks for the quick reply. I checked the line as I removed it and could see straight through it (no restrictor pill visible). Tried feeling for it too. I'll go double-check now.

Any chance the plastic joiner was being used in replacement of the pill?

I was under the impression the pill was located elsewhere.

Tried my original solenoid too, still no go.


Daz

The pill is usually in the vac line leading from the boost solenoid back to the inlet duct that runs under the inlet manifold. (just noticed that some later cars have the pill in the line off the comp housing before the 't' to the boost solenoid)

Recheck the correct orientation of all the boost control lines...I'll see if I can find a pic for you.

Here you go mate: This document explains how it all works and how the lines are laid out................ Clicky....Subaru boost control

Hope that helps mate!

Rossco

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Get EBC - wind in boost make up for missing boost.

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Hey Rossco, I checked and the pill is between the compressor and t-piece as indicated in the link you posted. The lines snapped (hardened due to heat I assume) so I've replaced both small lengths either side of the T-piece (transferred pill too). The line I replaced earlier was the one between the T-piece and the solenoid.

Took the car for another run and still only getting 6psi....



Teejay, from what I've described wouldn't it suggest that there is a fault at the moment? I wouldn't expect EBC to be a necessity as my car is fairly stock.


Daz

have a look at this thread: http://www.wrx.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=45397

was quite informing to me lol, and is worded great for noobs on the subject

Have you done an ecu reset yet?

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Cheers for the link Colonel WRX. Heaps of reading material most referring to missing restrictor pills and over boosting, neither apply to me though

I've checked the wastegate and it's not ceased.


LegacyRS, I took your advice and did a ECU reset and presto I'm back to full boost!

I originally strayed away from the idea firstly because since my ECU has been Verso'd I thought things were more static rather than self-learning like the factory programmed ECU. Guess I was way off there! Secondly retuning my stereo (after battery disconnect) is a bit of a nightmare

OK so now I'm hitting ~15psi in all gears, sound normal? Reading other threads it's common not to reach full boost in 1st gear but not in my case. A Verso thing perhaps.

Also going back to the original fault, the cracked plastic joiner in the vacuum line between the solenoid and T-piece. I didn't replace this as I replaced the entire line.
Will this have an effect? Is this a stock factory fitting? From what I've read it's supposed to be a second restrictor (seperate to the pill).
Discussion regarding this part here - http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/1416787-post14.html

Daz

I'd say your ecu logged a fault (broken t piece) but couldn't identify the failure point (hence no cel) and went into safe mode (6psi).

Now the lines are fixed and the ecu has been cleared, it's back to running it's normal values.....bet your happy!!

The restrictor pill is there to reduce boost spike and act as a fixed air bleed, the t-piece is just there as the tap in point for the boost control system to raise the boost above the 6 psi gate pressure (bleeds the pressure so the wastegate see's less than 6 psi whilst the turbo pumps upto the boost threshold).

I think that link is in reference to the US market 2.5's, the photo is off Nasioc (US site).

Rossco

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