I have searched, I have read, I have pulled my hair out and am ready to pull the trigger if I don't figure this out! Anyway I have been a member for a while and and fd owner for about 3yrs and this is my first problem I cant figure out on my own and need some fd guru assistance. First the mod list is as follows silicone hose job done a couple yrs ago, dp, high flow cat, cat back, apexi intakes, efini y-pipe, profec-b boost controller, pmc. Now the problem. I only drive my car on the weekends and one day noticed the 8-4-5 boost patten after noticing it felt slow. Cheked all intercooler couplers pipes etc nothing. So rather than playing mind games figuring out seq solenoids etc I decided to do Poor-mans non seq mod to eliminate some non sense. Now I have 2psi So from there I have now removed all sheilds on turbos wg acutator rod and diaphram to check to see if wg is stuck. It's not it moves freely and rod was definatly holding it tightly shut and diaphram holds good. Removed upper intake to check other problem areas hoses etc found nothing. Am I right in thinking most of the solenoids are negated since I went non seq and have a boost controller? If not what should I check? One thing I did notice when taking things apart the primary turbo is leaking a little oil, could the turbos just be blown and still have made 8psi on pri when seq? I know this was a long write up but thanks for reading and any help is greatly appreciated.

 

bump anybody?

 

First off, this is the reason I don't recommend going non-sequential if you're having boost issues. Much better to solve the problem first, get the car working properly, then go from there.

Anyhow, you're very likely looking at a boost leak. You need to REMOVE the couplers and look at each one to make sure there isn't any splits or anything. A simple glance at the couplers won't do the trick.

That fails, pressure test the system with an air compressor. Either a boost leak or REALLY shot turbos or a lot of restriction in the system (clogged exhaust or intake) are the only things that could cause boost that low.

Dale

 

Thanks for the tips dale. Although I have allready removed all intercooler piping, intercooler (stock) and uim and inspected. All this is still off and will be untill I can narrow down a problem. Have you ever seen intercooler split enough to leak but not easy to see? Because I cant really see an obvious splits. How come my boost would be lower with going non seq? Thanks beforehand any help is appreciated.

 

How do those boenz cats hold up has anyone had one break up and clog?

 

You can leak boost thru a faulty CCV and ABV can't you?

 

yes but they appear to be working properly , vac applied open no vac closed tried blowing through seemed to hold solid. Thanks though any help is always appreciated.

 

I'm looking for a write up on how to go non sequential....
I am searchin but can't find one...
Can somebody link me to one???
Thanx

 

By a Friend:

Title:Nonsequential Turbo Conversion
Date:11/27/2001
Author:Bond007

Time estimate: 30 mins to 1 hour, depending on how familiar you are with the car
Bottom of car

1. Jack up car and put on jackstands
2. Underneath the car you pull the clip off the pre-control and turbo control actuators.
3. Move the turbo control valve on the turbo to the front of the car, fasten with safety wire or or lodge it in place next to the actuator's rod (takes some manipulation) such that it stays open (again, when the valve on the turbo is pulled towards the front of the car, the TC valve is open)
4. Move the precontrol valve to the rear of the car and fasten with safety wire (optional...the TC is all that runs the car above 4500, PC is actually closed)

On top of car

1. Disconnect two vacuum lines going to charge control actuator and plug them off (a bolt or golf tee)
2. Safety wire the charge control flapper open (with no hoses connected, it is in the open position)
3. Tee charge relief into the blow off valve's control line - i.e. they are both connected to a nipple on the intake manifold
4. Disconnect the lines going down to turbo control (under pressure tank and crossover pipe, next to the WG/PC lines) and cap them off. Since you've used wire to hold the TC valve open, you don't need the pressure/vac for the actuators
5. Disconnect the precontrol actuator vent line that goes to the solenoid -- this is so that you constantly vent the solenoid and the actuator arm doesn't move. You could also leave the clip on the PC actuator, and cap off the precontrol actuator vent.

This will tell you what is going on with the car. I was having issues with my y-pipe gaskets leaking, and lack of non-sequential to produce full boost lead me to start examining for boost leaks. There is an alternate way to do this, by using vacuum hoses and routing them to the actuators/bypass the solenoids, but that won't help if you have malfunctioning components (pressure tank, vac tank, check-valves, etc).

Be aware that you may tap fuel cut with a stock ECU, as the car wasn't designed to run this way. Also, if you have a full exhaust/intake, you'll be dealing with boost creep, just like everyone else. Standard disclaimer applies!