I realised my chances of getting this question answered would improve if I asked it in the proper forum without big pictures attached... So I just installed my boost gauge. Works perfectly seems very responsive and accurate but after a run on the highway last night I discovered boost in 4th and 5th gears seems a bit high. Maybe 3rd is a bit high too! They are roughly this:

1st: 10-11 PSI
2nd: 12-13.5 PSI
3rd: 14-14.5 PSI
4th: 15.2-ish PSI
5th: 15.2-ish PSI

I will double check these again tonight when there is less traffic but they seemed consistent. So I'm wondering if these are "normal" boost levels. I have made no engine mods to affect boost, it is completely stock. The only information I can think that would be relevant is that I reset my ECU when I installed the gauges because I disconnected the battery when I was wiring. I think I've read that actual peak boost levels vary a bit from car to car but 15.2 PSI seems a lot higher than I've seen for stock WRX's so I'm wondering if my boost gauge is inaccurate. I really hope not, Defi gauges are EXPENSIVE!

 

bump! I know someone out there can at least give me an opinion on this... It occured to me this higher boost reading may have been going up an incline, would this affect it?

 

I dont have a PSI gauge I have the Stock Boost gauge and my stock PSI was never that high. Mine was just under .1 bar which is 14.5 sounds like you have a good car.

 

damn, those are some nice numbers for a stock car. most stock wrx max out at 13.5

 

So you don't think it could be that the sensor is slightly off or anything?

 

it's most likely the boost gauge isnt reading right.

 

hmmmm, well do you think I should call up the vendor and ask them to send me a new sensor? I imagine that would be the only possible place for a problem, or at least the most obvious place. I doubt the control unit of the gauge is interpreting the data incorrectly... It's an electronic gauge so I would imagine as long as it's getting data it will display the correct values. Anyone have any ideas on how I should go about "troubleshooting" this? Assuming it is an error that is...

 

my car is fairly stock (just a cat back) and it will peak at 1.1 bar (~16 psi) before dropping down below 1 bar at WOT.

Is your gage mechanical or electric?

 

It's an electronic gauge. I just went to pick up some dinner and checked out 1-3 gears again. 3rd peaked at about 14.2 PSI, which is correct for stock. I am going to go test it out on the highway again now cuz as far as I remembered there was supposed to be no difference in the peak boost in gears 3,4 and 5...

 

ok well I just got back from the highway and I'm gonna go with the verdict that everything's normal and working properly... Only 5th gear appered to spike to 15 PSI occasionally. 3rd and 4th stayed down around 14ish, maybe going just past (possibly 14.5 or so) at the very peak before settlling down. If cruising in 5th however you floor it and let the boost build it spikes to 15 PSI (sometimes just past 15) before dropping down to 14ish, sometimes, sometimes it doesn't quite go to 15 PSI. So I'm just gonna assume what my ECU decides to do boost-wise isn't 100% consistent and it depends on the reading coming from the sensors at the time or whatever.

 

So the numbers you list are just what the boost spikes up to? So it spikes up around 15, then falls down and holds at 14 or so?

 

Correct. What do you think? Fine and normal?

 

I say you're fine.