Highly variable boost levels, but not CEL
#1
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Location: Phoenix, AZ
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Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Highly variable boost levels, but not CEL
My 02 WRX has the stock turbo but a catless up-pipe and high-flow downpipe. I am running a midrange tune (not too aggressive, about 220 whp) and it has been very solid for 4+ years. However, the last month or so, my peak boost level (which I most often hit in 4th gear at about 4000 rpm) has been varying a lot, from 13.9 PSI to 18.1(!) as measured by a digital gauge that keeps peak pressures.
I expected a CEL and lots of angry lights when I hit that 18, but no drama at all; I had the radio off at the time and while it is tough to hear the motor over the APS exhaust, I did not hear any detonation. I expected it to pull timing at the ECU but it has shown no signs of that, and really if you get detonation bad enough to cause the ECU to pull timing you would get a CEL, right?
Anway, bad turbo? Bad wastegate? I am getting no smoke or power loss, just random boost levels.
EDIT: I should not that this is an ECUTek software tune, no manual boost controller.
I expected a CEL and lots of angry lights when I hit that 18, but no drama at all; I had the radio off at the time and while it is tough to hear the motor over the APS exhaust, I did not hear any detonation. I expected it to pull timing at the ECU but it has shown no signs of that, and really if you get detonation bad enough to cause the ECU to pull timing you would get a CEL, right?
Anway, bad turbo? Bad wastegate? I am getting no smoke or power loss, just random boost levels.
EDIT: I should not that this is an ECUTek software tune, no manual boost controller.
#3
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I've been fooling around with this a bit more, and I have a nice, very long and straight acceleration lane on to the highway that I hit every single day. I can do a zero-to-80 at full throttle without any chance of injury to anyone... so far I hit 13.9, 12.7, 15.6, 16.1 and then 14.7 as recorded by the peak meter... VERY inconsistent, those should be much closer together.
#5
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Yeah, I saw both of those in 4th gear. In the 0-to-80 runs I am short-shifting 2nd a bit and getting to third early, because with the 5MT, second gear is just absolutely torqueless mush.
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