How good does the boost control kit work? I currently have the AVC-R but I'd like to simplify things and get rid of it. What all is needed with the kit and where do you get it? The solenoid with the AVC-R plugs into the factory wiring harness where the turbo control solenoids plugged in at. I noticed that yesterday and that got us thinking.... Also, does it come with good directions?
I'll be running 12psi around town and 15-16psi at other times. I'm running non-seq too.

 

The kit consists of the AVC-R solenoid, a 3 bar map sensor and a harness to plug your stock map sensor into the PFC. For some reason I thought they were discontinued for the FD (it's not on Apex'i's '04 product list, but several items like this didn't seem to make it.)

I'm in the middle of bolting mine up right now. Might have time to play with it today but yes, both the solenoid and the map sensor plug right into the FDs harness. If you don't want to run more than 1 bar you can just use the solenoid that you have.

 

I saw that the solenoid plugs into the turbo control actuator plug (between the air pump and UIM) but it plugged into both the primary and secondary plug. Which one do you use or does it matter? I'll be running non-seq.

 

You can run 15, or 16 psi without it, just get a boost controller and a GM 3 bar sensor and save the money.

 

It works ok. I liked the fact that I didn't have to cut my factory harness.

 

make sure you test your solenoid and wiring running to it. . . carson. . . i hooked mine up and the solenoid wouldnt click when the ignition was turned on. i guess i need to redo all my wiring. . . AGAIN. hahaha.

paul

 

Don't forget on the solenoid to change the location of the nipple ... you want them in aligned in a row instead of a 90 degree angle ... if I remember correctly. It needs to be connected the precontrol output as well.

 

i hooked mine up to the connector that has "NO" white dot on it. didnt work. . . whichever one that is. i looked at a car that had both connectors on the car still and hooked it up to the one w/o the white dot and it DID work. so im assuming mine is hooked up correctly. mine plainly DOES NOT click when the ignition is turned on. that makes me happy.

paul

 

Funny.. I didn't have a white dot on any connectors. I did have a white band of tape at end of the wire sheath on one though. I assume they began this way and switched to the dot later.

Anyway, I just hooked it up to the non-white-banded connector and it seems to work fine (although not how I expected). I need to play with settings now. I do have a question for you guys though:

I was headed into this assuming that I used the duty cycle to directly control the solenoid duty cycle and the boost setting was basically to control the fuel-cut limit. I set the duty cycle as low as it would go (20%) and set the boost setting at 1.00 expecting to see 12 lbs or so (10 lb spring + 20% = 12 lbs). I wound up around 1.05 bar.. I guess the PFC holds boost to your target setting and the duty cycle lets you you hold the wastegate closed longer until you get to the setpoint?

So I'd want to set the duty cycle as high as I could without overshooting, right?

 

First of all in the picture of the Apex solenoid ... are the pressure nipples like that or straight through?

Second, here is how boost works. The boost pressure is the target boost value. The duty cycle is the % that the apex will START with to control boost. 20% is probably too low. I think I used to run it around 30% on a single turbo and low boost. If the % is too low relative to the target boost value boost response will be slow. If the % is too high the boost response will tend to spike or oscillate, ie less stable.

You are correct about setting it high. The Apex does have some logic in it and takes both parameters to get good stable boost control.

 

Got it, thanks. And yes, I've got the solenoid plumbed correctly with properly sized lines.

Understood on the boost control, thank you. That explains why shot up to 11lbs and crept the rest of the way to 15. I'll play with raising duty cycles a bit.

 

i hear so many different things, let me ask.

i want to run no more than 14 lbs (or a little less depending on where i get with the stock injectors with just a pump). will the PFC be ok as a boost controller on it's own, without the boost control kit for this? obviously to run over 1bar i'd need a new map sensor, but is this also where the new control solenoid comes into play?

i have a boost guage already setup so i wouldn't be relying on the commanders boost display.

one more thing, with the PFC controlling stock boost solenoids, do you still use the pills? (i assume this is also covered in the manual)

-constantly trying to ascertain what i actually need to buy.

 

With stock turbos & solenoids the PFC by itself will control boost just fine at those levels. The PFC uses stock solenoids and pills just like the OEM computer.

Yes, if you want to boost over 1 bar you'll need a 3-bar map sensor but it may not be the best idea to take the twins into that territory.

 

so when does the extra boost control solenoid come into play?

 

Single turbo and that is really about it. You can boost up to about 18 psi on stock sensor ... 1.2/1.3 bar.