[RESOLVED] Wastegate will not open

[chico904]

Hey guys, I dont know if this is the right place for this, if not, sorry mods, feel free to move it. I dont know if this is related, but I just had a hi flow cat put on. I took it out for a drive, and it ran great, for about 15 min. Then if I would punch the gas, it would go nowhere. So after looking, I found out that my wastegate is stuck closed. I tried running another vacuum line straight to the wastegate, and still nothing. I replaced the wastegate actuator, and it did the same thing. It ran perfect, the wastegate was opening and everything, then it wouldnt open again. If anyone has any ideas, please help. Thanks guys

 

[skelly]

Maybe you're unclear on how the wastegate works, but if it were stuck CLOSED, then you would have out-of-control boost. That is it would seem incredibly powerful, but dramatically reduce the life expectancy of the engine and anything attached. If, however, a wastegate is stuck OPEN, then you could expect the car to feel like it is performing quite poorly and never see boost or perhaps only see low boost.

When you say you "replaced the wastegate", what exactly did you replace? Did you just replace the actuator (the part that you hook the boost signal line to), or the exhaust turbine housing which has the wastegate itself within it, or both? My guess would be that you probably just replaced the actuator and that the problem is the wastegate within the turbine housing getting stuck open. That's the part that needs to be addressed. You should be able to manually close that wastegate with a pair of pliers or something if it is indeed stuck open, and temporarily disconnect the signal from the actuator to see that the car once again builds boost.

I would suggest that perhaps the arm on your actuator is slightly twisted (seemed to be the case with mine when I serviced it recently), and it may be binding against the pin on the arm that opens the flapper door. Pull the cotter pin, pop the actuator rod off and verify that the actuator relaxes such that the bore is parallel with the pin on the flapper door arm. Give the rod a little twist with pliers on the end to "encourage" it back into a parallel position before putting it back together with a new cotter pin and trying it out.

HTH
- SK

 

[chico904]

Yeah sorry about the wrong wording there. I replaced the actuator with a new one, and still nothing. I just went out today and I popped the arm off of the wastegate, and the flapper moved open and closed easily. I pulled on the arm and with a good bit of force and it moved. I put the rod back on, and decided to start it up. When I revved it, the arm did move a little, so I decided to try to drive it, and the same thing happened. For the first couple of minutes, it seemed that it was running okay, then about five minutes later, it started doing the same thing again. I hit the gas, and I can hear the air real loud, and I go nowhere. I'm running out of ideas here. Also, a check engine came on with two codes. One was for a evac code, so I tried replacing the gas cap and it came back. The other was for an air fuel code. I'll get the exact codes and post them, but these codes came on about two weeks ago, and I dont know if they have anything to do with this or not.

 

[oldman]

What does your boost gauge tell you when this happen? The wastegate actuator should not move at all unless you were building 10psi in neutral, how exactly did it "move a little"?

 

[chico904]

I meant that if I had the actuator arm pulled off of the flapper, I could manually pull it, and it would move about an inch. Sorry about not being that clear.

 

[oldman]

I put the rod back on, and decided to start it up. When I revved it, the arm did move a little

I was talking about this part.

 

[chico904]

Oh, when I revved it, the actuator arm moved a little bit, and moved the flapper, probably only about a half an inch though. I put it in drive, and held the brake and hit the gas at the same time, and when I did this, it didnt move at all. I thought that when I did this that the actuator arm should move in return making the wastegate flapper open and close.

 

[oldman]

Oh, when I revved it, the actuator arm moved a little bit, and moved the flapper, probably only about a half an inch though. I put it in drive, and held the brake and hit the gas at the same time, and when I did this, it didnt move at all. I thought that when I did this that the actuator arm should move in return making the wastegate flapper open and close.

Like I said before, the actuator should not move at all until around 10psi of pressure source is applied to it. You still have not answered what the boost gauge is telling you. When you pull the arm back on the flapper lever, was the flapper fully closed?

The other was for an air fuel code. I'll get the exact codes and post them, but these codes came on about two weeks ago, and I dont know if they have anything to do with this or not.

Very well could be, get them fixed and see what happens.

 

[DSMstatus]

check the bcs, it might be completley crapped, mine was. run a vac line straight to the actuator to bypass the bcs and see what happens.

 

[DSMstatus]

SORRY never mind, that would make too much boost, not no boost.

 

[chico904]

Okay, I took off my overflow resorvoir, and found a couple of things. One my BCS electrical connection wasnt even hooked up, the wire was just hanging there so I hooked it back up. Two, there were no hoses going to either of the nipples. Now my questions are where does the real long hose coming from the T on the intake manifold go. I was hooked up directly to the actuator. And two, what hoses are supposed to run to both nipples on the BCS? Also I got my codes ran and they were P1104 and P1105. Also the stock boost gauge is reading full boost while driving.

 

[oldman]

Okay, I took off my overflow resorvoir, and found a couple of things. One my BCS electrical connection wasnt even hooked up, the wire was just hanging there so I hooked it back up. Two, there were no hoses going to either of the nipples. Now my questions are where does the real long hose coming from the T on the intake manifold go. I was hooked up directly to the actuator. And two, what hoses are supposed to run to both nipples on the BCS? Also I got my codes ran and they were P1104 and P1105. Also the stock boost gauge is reading full boost while driving.

1. P1104 is for the BCS, it needs to be plugged in even if you are bypassing it. I assume the previous owner had baypassed it and connected the pressure source coming from the BOV line directly to the actuator. If that is the case, you should be boosting 10-12 psi.

2. P1105 is for the FPS, fuel pressure solenoid. Did you remove vacuum line per Taboo website and unplugged it, it needs to be plugged in just like the BCS.

Plug both in, remove the negative battery terminal for 5 min to reset the ecu and see if the codes re-appear. We'll get back to the boost problem later.

 

[chico904]

Okay, I plugged the BCS back in, and the code didnt come back on. When I looked at the FPS, the vacuum hose was still attached to it. But that code didnt come back on either. Now, where does the long hose going straight down from the t-connector on the intake manifold go? It was running straight to the actuator.

 

[oldman]

Now, where does the long hose going straight down from the t-connector on the intake manifold go? It was running straight to the actuator.

Are you talking about the hose that goes from the manifold to bov? If so, it's OK that it's connected to the actuator.

Back to the boost problem, how much psi is shown on the boost gauge when you WOT? Describe what the boost readings are through out the power band. Wait, do you even have a boost gauge?

 

[92Fwd4Me]

Oldman, you should be charging people for this kind of stuff

If I ever run into something like this.....I will be damn glad I belong to a website like yours.

 

[chico904]

Yes that is the hose I am talking about. I'm just wondering if I should have another hose going there since the actuator is not moving.Also, no I dont have a boost gauge, I've been trying to save money for a good one, so I'm still stuck with the stock one. While driving the boost gauge goes all the way to the max boost line, and I go nowhere. What lines are supposed to connect to the two nipples on the BCS?

 

[oldman]

Oldman, you should be charging people for this kind of stuff

I'll gladly pm you my paypal account.

 

[oldman]

Yes that is the hose I am talking about. I'm just wondering if I should have another hose going there since the actuator is not moving.Also, no I dont have a boost gauge, I've been trying to save money for a good one, so I'm still stuck with the stock one. While driving the boost gauge goes all the way to the max boost line, and I go nowhere. What lines are supposed to connect to the two nipples on the BCS?

Don't worry about the bcs and just leave it like that, eventually you will want to hook up a mbc so just run the actuator setting (10-12psi) for now.

Boost gauge should always be your first mod even before mods like exhaust which can change boost characteristics. There are tests we can run but I don't feel comfortable at all doing these test runs without a real gauge. Borrow money or whatever you can and buy that gauge now, do not go by the stock gauge at all. In the meantime, you should perform a boost leak test like this. I have a feeling your problem is as simple as boost leaks, however can't be sure until a boost gauge is install. By then, either boost leak test have solve your problem or we'll be able to run other tests to determine what else is in play.

 

[chico904]

Okay two more questions. I looked on the diagram on my hood for vacuum lines and it looks like they have a line running from the BCS that tees off to connect to the actuator, and to the nipple above it that is on the turbo. The other nipple on the BCS runs to the intake. First question is this right? Second question, if it is, where does the line that I had connected to the actuator from a t off the intake manifold go? By the way thanks a lot for all your help.

 

[oldman]

Okay two more questions. I looked on the diagram on my hood for vacuum lines and it looks like they have a line running from the BCS that tees off to connect to the actuator, and to the nipple above it that is on the turbo. The other nipple on the BCS runs to the intake. First question is this right? Second question, if it is, where does the line that I had connected to the actuator from a t off the intake manifold go? By the way thanks a lot for all your help.

In the stock form, a line would come off the nipple on the T25 compressor housing (should be capped off now) to a T, One of the T goes to the actuator and the other goes to the inlet of the bcs, the outlet of the bcs routes back the intake pipe just like you have described. What is the function of the BCS you asked? BCS basically allow you to boost slightly higher than the actuator spring rating by bleeding off some pressure off the line resulting in delays of the actual pressure from reaching the actuator. Because of this, the wastegate opens later than it should have resulting in a higher boost level. I suggested that you keep the BCS out of the loop because it will eliminate the delay and allow you to run at a even lower boost level. When you have boost related problems and you don't have a boost gauge, the lower the boost level the better until you resolve the boost issues.

 

[oldman]

I guess I didn't finish my thought.

What The previous owner did was capped off the compressor nipple, remove the hoses in and out of the bcs, capped off the little nipple near the mas (hopefully) and T'ed the BOV line as the new pressure source. Why did he do that you asked? Because it has been said that it's better to take the manifold pressure because it's the pressure presented to the engine though I personally think there are pros and cons either way. It is also well known that defective BCS can cause inconsistent boost levels so it's better to remove it with or without a mbc.

 

[chico904]

Okay, I am currently on ebay right now buying a boost gauge, and tomm. I will make the boost leak tester. Until then, I'm just making sure I have this right. I am to cap off both nipples on the BCS, and also the nipple above the actuator on the turbo (T25 compressor housing). Also I am to cap off the little nipple on the bottom of my intake, and run the line from the nipple on the intake manifold straight to the actuator. Thanks for all the help again.

 

[oldman]

Okay, I am currently on ebay right now buying a boost gauge, and tomm. I will make the boost leak tester. Until then, I'm just making sure I have this right. I am to cap off both nipples on the BCS, and also the nipple above the actuator on the turbo (T25 compressor housing). Also I am to cap off the little nipple on the bottom of my intake, and run the line from the nipple on the intake manifold straight to the actuator. Thanks for all the help again.

That would be correct, you're welcome.

 

[2gPressure]

He didn't say whether you should use the intake manifold or compressor housing to go to the wastegate actuator. But you may want to go straight from the compressor housing to the actuator because the compressor housing will have the highest pressure source allowing you to run lower boost, which is good if you have a bad boost leak. It has the highest pressure because the intercooler usually has a couple PSI loss. good luck

 

[oldman]

He didn't say whether you should use the intake manifold or compressor housing to go to the wastegate actuator. But you may want to go straight from the compressor housing to the actuator because the compressor housing will have the highest pressure source allowing you to run lower boost, which is good if you have a bad boost leak. It has the highest pressure because the intercooler usually has a couple PSI loss. good luck

This is true. Since you don't have a mbc, changing the pressure source back to the compressor will ensure that you won't over spin the turbo in case you truly have major leaks. Once you get a mbc, it will not matter any more unless you also tap the compressor for your boost gauge which may cause more problems. This why it's so important to regularly check for boost leaks to ensure the system is leak free.