Car not hitting boost...

[G3RA1D]

been running a GT28RS turbo on my b16 for just over a month now. Running of the internal wastegate, so round 8-9psi.
i've had no problems with it till this morning. Took it out for a drive & after 2 mins of driving (was takin it easy, shifting below 3.5K to warm car up) i noticed that the car felt a bit different and couldn't hear the BOV. Car was not boosting and felt like it was NA. Boost gauge was not going above 0 and could not hear the turbo spool.

Thought the wastegate might be stuck open. So i checked it out when i got home & all seems to be intact. wastegate rod is still connected to the rear housing. I've cehcked all vaccum lines and piping.

Took it for another spin and still no boost in 1st & 2nd.
was hitting boost in 3rd & 4th.. but only like 3-5 psi. and could also hear the turbo spooling this time. But was not getting any pull, Could only see the boost gauge going into boost range. And not enough pressure build up to make the BOV go off.

has anybody had the same problem.? or have any ideas.?
figured the wastegate actuator might have shit itself or a boost leak somewhere.?

sorry for the life story. lol i know it's a bit long. Thanx in advance.

[destrukshn]

check for any holes in your cooler piping?

[IEVAQ8]

could be low on oil??????????
try checking cooler hoses and clamps and exhaust leaks from dump pipe?????

[G3RA1D]

could be low on oil??????????
try checking cooler hoses and clamps and exhaust leaks from dump pipe?????

i've checked the oil - all is good.
checked cooler piping,hoses, and clamps.
will check the bolts on the dumpipe/manifold/turbo toms morning to make sure bolts haven't come loose.

[TODA AU]

As destrukshn said, check your cooler pipes etc. Particularly around silicone joins.
It sounds like a boost leak.

[G3RA1D]

i'll have a better look at the cooler piping in the morning once i take off the front bar.

Cheers for the suggestions. :thumbsup:
keep them coming.

[Limo]

yeh sounds like a leaking pipe. let it idle and open the bonnet, and rev it abit to make it easier to hear any leaks.

[tekung89]

yep definately pull ur front bar out man, sounds like a a piping leak, i had 1 or 2 encounters of that. particularly where the piping joins at bends are normally the areas that gave me trouble..while the car was leaking it runs sooo gay

[G3RA1D]

heres an update.:

removed the frontbar and checked all the piping again and changed some of the clamps. btw i'm running rubber IC piping.

Checked all the bolts on the manifold/dump/turbo and made sure they were tight.

let the car idle and was not able to locate any noticeable leaks.

took the car for a spin and still not hitting boost in 1st & 2nd gear.
Revd it a bit more this time (4800) and 3rd & 4th gear is showing boost of 8-9 psi but still not really feelin much pull.

so i really haven't made any progress on it. :(
Any other suggestions.?

[tekung89]

i hope u checked all ur piping properly, some of my piping is rubber and the rips in the piping are sometimes not very noticable. but if u continue to drive and try to attemp to hit boost, it will widen ur cut/rip in ur rubber piping and u will definately be able to find it one day. assuming it is a leakage problem.

[xtat1k]

maybe run more boost gerald =)

but if you need help checkin things out im down for it.

[G3RA1D]

i hope u checked all ur piping properly, some of my piping is rubber and the rips in the piping are sometimes not very noticable. but if u continue to drive and try to attemp to hit boost, it will widen ur cut/rip in ur rubber piping and u will definately be able to find it one day. assuming it is a leakage problem.

well i put some soapy water all over the piping and got someone to rev the engine as i checked to see if there was any air/bubbles coming from the pipes - found nothing.

Any other methods on checkin pipes for leaks.?

only reason i continue to take if for a drive is to see if anything i'm doing has solved the problem.



maybe run more boost gerald =)

but if you need help checkin things out im down for it.

hahahaha cheers albert.
got a busy weekend coming up - so might have to leave it till monday.

[tekung89]

manifold cracked?, have u inspected the manifold. jus incase its crack beneath where u cannot see? , not getting enough gas passing through to spin that turbo might be a problem to why u cant boost. or double check the wastegate, im all outa ideas

[destrukshn]

but if the manifold is cracked he would sure smell it
lol

[G3RA1D]

yeah i've inspected the manifold (log style) for cracks. Even placed my hand around it to see if there was air escaping. Still nothing.

why is it that my boost gauge is seeing boost in the higher gears (3rd,4th,5th) but not in 1st and 2nd..?

could it be a wastegate problem.?
Thought it might be but have no idea how to inspect it properly..

[dupac->]

gerald. you're dirty,, i didnt even know ur car was boosted
lol

[destrukshn]

block your wastegate line, run open boost, if it boosts, then your waste gate is ****ed. i woudl assume.

[Limbo]

can you hear the turbo spin?

[G3RA1D]

gerald. you're dirty,, i didnt even know ur car was boosted
lol

hahaha it's only boosted in 3rd, 4th, & 5th gear... NA for 1st and 2nd gear.
it's the way to go these days... lol i miss my boost :(


block your wastegate line, run open boost, if it boosts, then your waste gate is ****ed. i woudl assume.

i'll see if i can give that a try over the weekend.


can you hear the turbo spin?

can't hear it in 1st and 2nd.. but can hear it spoolin in 3rd & 4th.

[DLO01]

why is it that my boost gauge is seeing boost in the higher gears (3rd,4th,5th) but not in 1st and 2nd..?

Because of more load. Its like going up a hill, more load. But thats obviously not the problem since it was not a problem before.

[fatboyz39]

weird..... ... check hoses more thoroughly.

[mrfsport]

if your running a front mount, check it doesnt have any cracks in the welds, you could be loosing boost there, there is definatly a boost leak, get someone with a leak detector to go through your car

[preludacris]

where could u find somebody with a leak detector? can also find exhaust leaks yeh?

[Limo]

have you checked your ecu? mapsensor?

also i dont think you should be pushing it too hard to hit boost if something is wrong.

[G3RA1D]

if your running a front mount, check it doesnt have any cracks in the welds, you could be loosing boost there, there is definatly a boost leak, get someone with a leak detector to go through your car


weird..... ... check hoses more thoroughly.

yeah, i'll double check for boost leak again on monday.
I'll either try and find someone with a boost leak detector or just DIY one.



have you checked your ecu? mapsensor?

also i dont think you should be pushing it too hard to hit boost if something is wrong.

would it be the ECU.? car seems to be running fine - just no boost.?

[Limbo]

try bypassing the intercooler and see if the turbo will spool up. It should jsut spool up without driving. THat should tell you if the intercooler is causing issues. DOn't give it too much when trying you don't wanna fry your motor

[G3RA1D]

update:

tested for boost leaks today using my DIY boost leak tester.
found nothing. was able to hold the boost at 9psi and could not find any leaks.

arrrgh.! running out of ideas. gonna get someone to look at it toms.

[Benson]

blown turbo???

[destrukshn]

have tried rnning open boost?

[krogoth]

hmmzzz, this makes no sense

it shoodnt make a difference wat gear ur in? should it?

[flowtak]

Do you smell any gas from the engine bay. What sort of manifold you using, is it a stainless steel manifold.. they tend to crack and leaking gases if using thin stainless walls, which is very common problem of losing boost.

Or the intercooler pipes got leakage. If you use a small long rubber pipe, or the hearing thing using by the Doctor to find any air leakage from the turbo to the intercooler and to the throttle body. I suspend is those silcon hose or hose clips came loose.

[G3RA1D]

Do you smell any gas from the engine bay. What sort of manifold you using, is it a stainless steel manifold.. they tend to crack and leaking gases if using thin stainless walls, which is very common problem of losing boost.

I'm using a cast iron log style manifold.
i've checked all piping, tightened every bolts/clamps. Did the boost leak test and there was no signs of boost leak.


have tried rnning open boost?

nah, haven't tried it. don't really want to risk it. lol


blown turbo???

Turbo is still good.
Not getting any funny sounds from it.. no smoke at all.. and is still hitting boost.


***** ***** *****
update:
Put it on the dyno today. It was holding boost.
So i guess i can rule out the turbo & wastegate being the problem for now.
So it has to be something else. Maybe my cat has sh*t itself.
Gonna remove my exhaust toms to see how it runs.

[1996ek1]

Do you smell any gas from the engine bay. What sort of manifold you using, is it a stainless steel manifold.. they tend to crack and leaking gases if using thin stainless walls, which is very common problem of losing boost.

Or the intercooler pipes got leakage. If you use a small long rubber pipe, or the hearing thing using by the Doctor to find any air leakage from the turbo to the intercooler and to the throttle body. I suspend is those silcon hose or hose clips came loose.

Did you read any other posts in here.... ?

[rnbguy]

this happened to me too , i had to get rid of the cat and change it... it crapped itself, if u dont wanna risk buying a new cat for no reason, try run an open downpipe see if it helps... although open downpipe in general would make it spool up quicker....

[G3RA1D]

so are these the same effects u had on ur car.?
if so.. where have u been this whole time.!? hahaha. Been waiting for someone to reply who has had the same problem and fixed it.... lol

not gonna buy a new cat just yet.
gonna remove my exhaust now and just run it with the dump pipe to see how it goes.

[destrukshn]

so are these the same effects u had on ur car.?
if so.. where have u been this whole time.!? hahaha. Been waiting for someone to reply who has had the same problem and fixed it.... lol

not gonna buy a new cat just yet.
gonna remove my exhaust now and just run it with the dump pipe to see how it goes.
gonna hear you from miles away.
lol.

[rnbguy]

its fn loud but nice :)

yeah its the same problem i had, because im tunned rich so it stuffed up my cat....

give it a go, im not saying this will fix it for u but will help u find the problem before buying a new cat

[G3RA1D]

just gave it a go with just the dump pipe... damn that was fn loud.!
i couldn't handle it.. car alarms were going off before i even passed them.. lol

was able to see boost in 2nd gear this time. so that's some progress made.
but still not getting anything from 1st gear.:thumbdwn:

anyone have any other ideas.?
anychance it could be one of the sensors.? any of them effect the way a car boosts.?

[rnbguy]

hows your timming (sorry if this was suggested before)

[G3RA1D]

hows your timming (sorry if this was suggested before)

not too sure. lol
it's never been a prob since i boosted it.

would it effect the way the car boosts.?

[STOCK]

Sounds like blown turbo =/

[TODA AU]

How was the cat core when you had it off?
Any holes blocked or was it loose?

[G3RA1D]

How was the cat core when you had it off?
Any holes blocked or was it loose?

it wasn't loose - all seemed to be intact.
directed it towards the light and looked thorugh it. could only see a hole less then 1cm in diameter.
it was my first time looking through a cat so i'm not too sure what's normal. lol

gave it another try a few hours ago. it has definitely picked up in power...
can feel it pull in 2nd.
it was scaring me tho.. spools up so quick without the exhuast, the revs just keep climbing. lol

it was getting a bit late.. and car was too loud.
i'll try again in the morning and see if i can wake my neighbours up..lol
gotta doube check if i'm getting boost in 1st gear.

something i've noticed tho is that i seem to have to apply more throtle now for the car to hit boost.. and boost seems to be hitting later in the rev range.

would this have anything to do with runing just the dump pipe and no exhaust.?

[destrukshn]

blow off valve stuck open?
just a thought as well.
lol.
happened to a mate last night.
stuck open and not hitting boost properly.

[albii]

Hows about checking the spring tension on the bov as this may be good at idle but then leaking under acceleration.

Turbos are pretty simple, any sort of escaping air will upset the way the turbo works and even cause the car to idle funny if it were a cracked hose or manifold.

So if your car is not idling irregular then i would definately suggest the bov spring tension is not up to the task of maintaining the 9psi you are running.

[G3RA1D]

when the problem occured i was running my new BOV... which had been on the car for a week... so i put my old one back on and it didn't solve the problem.. so i don't think its the BOV.


while i was running the car with just the dump pipe i was finally able to boost in 2nd gear and car picked up in power a bit. So i thought the CAT was the issue... but i put the exhaust back on sunday and now the car still continues to boosts in 2nd. so i dunno if a blocked cat is my problem..?:confused:

been monitoring how it boosts lately...
1st gear - nothing
2nd gear - boost doesn't start kickin in till higher in the rev range (4000rpm) and i have to apply more throttle - (when car was running fine, i'd be at full boost by 3800)
3rd gear - boost kicks in earlier, but more thorttle is needed.
4th & 5th - similar to 3rd gear.

[G3RA1D]

it does sound like a boost leak problem - but the boost leak test showed nothing.

if it is a boost leak - it's a bloddy huge one to make me be lose so much power.! lol

[albii]

hows about checking the wastegate spring tension..maybe it's opening too quick that's why there is next to no boost.
possibly your actuator is screwed.

[rnbguy]

this is a bizare situation, hope u work it out man

[G3RA1D]

still haven't solved my boost probs.
just noticed today that the car is hitting bost in all the gears.
it's just that in first it doesn't kick in very late, doesn't start spooling till after 4500rpm.
so the turbo is definitely not blown - car is hitting boost, just not where it used to, all at different RPM now and need to apply more throttle.

seems like a boost leak. Gonna uninstall it and change all the gaskets & clamps, check all my piping and start from scratch.

to see if that solves the problem. lol

[Lukezen27]

Just remove the FMIC from the equation and try

Turbo straight to TB and see what happens

That will tell you right off the bat if its a boost leak or not...

[destrukshn]

Just remove the FMIC from the equation and try

Turbo straight to TB and see what happens
yups, just by a silicone hose, or a cheapy plastic one, and try it.

[Lukezen27]

yups, just by a silicone hose, or a cheapy plastic one, and try it.

Or if your in Sydney you can some see me of got heaps lol

Brought all the sizes before I new what I really needed :o

[TODA AU]

Could be the ECU tune doesn't suit your car exactly.
Maybe a retune will sort it out.

[G3RA1D]

realised that i haven't updated this thread.

well i changed the inlet gasket for the turbo and removed all the pipping during the xmas holidays.. just to make sure i wasn't getting any leaks.

car seems to be back to normal. Fun to drive again. :)
just needs to be booked for a retune.

[Lukezen27]

realised that i haven't updated this thread.

well i changed the inlet gasket for the turbo and removed all the pipping during the xmas holidays.. just to make sure i wasn't getting any leaks.

car seems to be back to normal. Fun to drive again. :)
just needs to be booked for a retune.

Sweet :thumbsup:

What exactly was the problem?

[G3RA1D]

Don't really know. lol
would have most likely been a boost leak, but don't know where from.
Boost leak test didn't show anything though when i was trying to diagnose the problem. At first i thought it was either the wastegate, blocked cat, or the fuel pump.

Had a few days off during xmas so i pulled it apart and reinstalled with new gaskets, clamps, vaccum hoses and a service.
Just glad that it's sorted now and she's healthy again. =)