No boost, turbo spins, can't find issue

[stirb]

Was driving today, on freeway came up on slow car so I down shift from 5th to third going about 50-55, start to speed up then around 5k rpm my car jerks. So I let up and a few seconds later I noticed my boost is gone, I have a g reddy gauge and the needle barely moves. Stays near bottom of the gauge. I can get it to move a inch when I'm around 6k rpm. I can hear the turbo spin up at that time.

I have checked the wg arm and it has no play, tough to pull. The flapper moves freely. Had a mbc on there(voodoo) but took it off and makes no difference. I checked all my lines for cracks and tightened everything well. The turbo spins and has no play.

I'm thinking my wastegate died, but I want to make sure before I buy one, what do you think?

Mods:
Forced performance dsm green turbo with external wg
Aftermarket air filter
Cat back exhaust
Other minor little things
Was boosting at 12 psi before this
Stock 2g bov

250k miles(rebuilt tranny and motor recently)

 

[Insane20]

It sounds like your waste gate is stuck open or you blew a charge pipe/ coupler somewhere.

 

[1G Eclipse94928]

Do a boost leak test.

 

[stirb]

Wouldn't it need to be a big ass leak for me to boost this low?

How will I know if my charge pipe is busted? Do I need to take off all my piping?

 

[Insane20]

Do a boost leak test..

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...-boost-leak-test-how-boostpro-net-tester.html

 

[92AWDHX40]

Blt lots of information on how to its quite simple.

 

[boost97gst]

If it ran at all and you had a boost leak big enough to stop you from making even 1lb then it looks like a WG problem. I blew a coupler off once around 35psi. It sounds like a rod going through the block. Very very loud and you cant drive at all. (unless you unplug the maf or if you're SD you'd be ok) Unplugging maf throws it in limp mode just so you can get it somewhere. With a coupler off and maf plugged in you wont be able to even start it much less drive. If you tore a coupler then its possible to drive off boost pretty normally but when you try to build boost the leak would expand.

BLT first but you should be able to do a visual inspection and find a ripped coupler if its that bad.

 

[Insane20]

And if you dont want to read that whole thread, BAM!


[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=atretf9u-Mc[/ame]

 

[stirb]

Was wishing I didn't have to do a leak test :/ guess I'll get on that.


What about buying a vacuum pump and see of the wastegate opens and closes? Will a blt do that?

 

[boost97gst]

Whats so complicated about a boost leak test? Its not too hard to do. I mean you have a massive leak if its not the wastegate stuck open, you should be able to spot it pretty quick. Does it idle and cruise like normal?

 

[stirb]

I'm kinda lazy and don't have any parts to do a boost leak test. Ordered the boost pro part so I'll wait for that


It drives normal just the car has a deeper growl to it when driving



P0120 error code came up buy cleared after disconnecting battery for a bit.

 

[Dsmkauai]

The code is for throttle position malfunction. And I bet you blew a coupler or split one or have a loose clamp, basically a boost leak which is why everyone else is telling you to do a blt! Or maybe your tps sensor wires came loose maybe. The sound change is probably caused by the intake trying to suck are in from the wrong location (your leak)!

 

[boost97gst]

If the leak was bad enough to make a sound that you can hear while idling......man, im just having a hard time seeing how it would even run at all if it was that big. Then again, ive never had a boost leak. Only had a coupler blow off. That would be a 2.5" leak .

Take the wastegate off and inspect it. Make sure its not busted or stuck open. That you can do without any special tools. Then go over every coupler and squeeze them so the split will show. Take a bunch of incense sticks and light them all then rubber band them together and use it as a vac leak detector , ghetto yes, will it work? Yes. You're either gonna have a big tear in a coupler or your going to find the WG jammed open somehow.

 

[stirb]

Ha, I like the incense idea. I'm going to do that till my boost leak thing comes in.

How would I know by taking the wastegate off that it's stuck open?

 

[dsmotors95]

also wires could cause you to not get boost.

 

[Dsmkauai]

If the wastegate is stuck open or closed you won't be able to move the flapper arm that's attached to the wastgate arm. You know you can make a boost leak tester for like $4-5 and get all the parts at ace hardware or similar store. That's how I've made all mine it's super easy and fast to make you can even add a gauge if you want to. Ok no more help till you do a boost leak test and give us results !!

 

[Breezio69]

I have had a j pipe blow off and I could drive my car afterwards, any time I got to even 1-2 psi it would break up.

I had some fairly stripped bolt holes for the j pipe, threw it together with a small bead of rtv gasket hoping it would hold.... well, about 4 miles from my house I did a hard downshift at high rpms, when it hit full boost the threads failed and the j pipe blew off. It still ran, pulled over, and luckily one bolt was still in the hole on the j pipe. I wiggled it (the bolt) back in the turbo bolt hole and it was still amazingly loose, drove it home on side streets just fine out of boost... I'd consider that probably the worst boost leak you could get aside from just taking the piping off.

Do a boost leak test.

 

[simplejoe]

I'd check all your couplers. Like everyone else is saying, betting its a boost leak. I made my tester for $8, a trip to ace hardware and a trip to advanced for the tire valves. Keep us posted of your problem.

 

[boost97gst]

OP: it says in the first post you have a green w external gate. Is this correct?
Should be able to just unbolt it and see if its sealing or not. A visual inspection would do it. IF its the wg its letting some serious air out and it would be lodged open

I have had a j pipe blow off and I could drive my car afterwards, any time I got to even 1-2 psi it would break up.

I had some fairly stripped bolt holes for the j pipe, threw it together with a small bead of rtv gasket hoping it would hold.... well, about 4 miles from my house I did a hard downshift at high rpms, when it hit full boost the threads failed and the j pipe blew off. It still ran, pulled over, and luckily one bolt was still in the hole on the j pipe. I wiggled it (the bolt) back in the turbo bolt hole and it was still amazingly loose, drove it home on side streets just fine out of boost... I'd consider that probably the worst boost leak you could get aside from just taking the piping off.
Do a boost leak test.

If you had a j pipe completely separate and truly blow off you would make 0.0 lbs of boost.

 

[Dsmkauai]

^^Even though it will want to die from lack of air the motor will still try to suck as much air in as it can. I've also blown a coupler a few times and was able to drive, barely but still did ! Just enough to get to a spot to fix, my car definetly didn't like it !

 

[curt-s]

I'm kinda lazy and don't have any parts to do a boost leak test.

You're too lazy to do a BLT and you bought an old turbocharged car with a history of requiring constant maintenance and upkeep in order to run right? ...WTF
You'll end up sleeping with your BLT hardware under your pillow soon

 

[Breezio69]

If you had a j pipe completely separate and truly blow off you would make 0.0 lbs of boost.

Must have missed the part where I said I was able to wiggle one of the two bolts back into a bolt hole on the turbo, but it was still very loose and could swivel around... so..... for reading

 

[boost97gst]

Gotcha. I stand corrected.

 

[stirb]

Update: took off the right side of my piping and noticed a coupler on the IC had a small hole. I replaced it and put the piping back on. But still doesn't boost. Be taking apart the left side tomorrow. How would I check the wastegates seal? Sorry I'm kinda new to turbo chargers.

Update #2: did a boost leak test, I did not find a leak. Well I did but it was small and fixed it by tightening the clamp. I also tested the wastegate and it opens at around 20psi and closes. Since I'm new to BLTing, is the psi supposed to stay at whatever I put it at or slowly go away?

Any ideas where to go from here?

Found this tube connected to nothing, seems to go to my egr vacuum solenoid. It's connected to the bottom of it. The solenoid is on the passenger side under the TB intake. Any ideas if it's supposed to be connected?

Second picture