Hi, a previous owner of MY98(dec) scooby said it was 'Chipped' and running 1.3 to 1.5bar with no fuel cut, but wasn't sure what the chip was or of any other mods. The only other performance mod it has (that I know of) is a full 'blitz nur spec' exhaust. Two owners (and a gearbox) later, I got my hands on the beauty and two my surprise it completely transformed into a different car. It felt no quicker (if not slower) than my old MY94(which was about 1bar), the boost was only 0.6 to 0.7bar so the kick was disappointing. Had enough of that so started looking for the problem. Pulled back the carpet to find a little black box attached to the AE800 ECU hosting a SuperChip sticker (also said ECU MAP on it), so I presume it's chipped (I know SuperChips are ****e, so no hate mail!). Then next thought….actuator may have been ‘wound down’ therefore not holding the boost capable. Ten minutes later I’d wound the spring up as far as it would go and only increased the boost to 0.9 bar. WHAT’s GOING ON !
I’m no expert, and I don’t want to blow my car up, but I’d like to get it back to the 1.3 bar it once was.
Any help lads would be very much appreciated as any day now the Dawes device will turn up in the post and I’d like to have it sorted by then. Cheers.

P.S Had faulty knock sensor replaced just before I bought it. (might help you?).

Just use the dawes to get the boost you want. You might find the superchip doesnt increase the boost via the ecu, simply removes the fuel cut and allows higher boost via a bleed valve etc.

Just make sure you monitor everything when upping the boost! If your fuel cut is completely removed make 100% sure the dawes isnt set too high.

Cheers Paul but my main concern is it use to boost higher without a Dawes, could the actuator be warn out ???

How do I monitor everything ??

boost guage, knocklink, afr meter will be a start.

cheers

big sinky

I have a blitz boost Gauge and getting a dawes AFR but what is a knocklink ??

Andrew..I’m not sure what a coil pack is but I’ll find out and have a look.

There is no bleed valve and I’ve tightened the actuator spring as far as it will go...I’m still only getting 0.9 bar….it’s not peaking then settling to 0.9, it just goes up and stops dead on 0.9(not like my old Scooby which boosted to 1.1 then settled at 1bar)

I don’t know about solinoid’s either but there are no ECU error codes

Still Confused !

Darryl,

You need to get the boost control pipework checked to ensure it is connected properly and not blocked and the solenoid checked to make sure it is operating under the correct control of the ECU.

I wouldn't recommend driving around with the solenoid spring wound up that tight, it is not how boost is meant to be controlled.

Andrew...

Ok I'll unwind the spring, get everything checked at the garage.....cheers for the advise !

Just to save confusion, I think your car is a MY99 not an MY98 (is the coil pack in the middle of the inlet manifold or slightly off to the right?)

Is there a bleed valve anywhere in the bost control pipework?

If you were only getting 0.7bar before you tightened the actuator control rod it sounds like boost is being controlled by the actuator spring only, increasing the pressure on the spring will hold the wastegate closed a little longer and give more boost.

It could be the boost control solenoid is not bleeding pressure properly either the pipework isn't connected properly or the solenoid is sticking.

Possibly the superchip is screwing up the MAP sensor signal preventing the ECU from controlling the solenoid properly.

Have you checked the ECU diagnostics for errors?

Andrew...


[Edited by AndrewC - 3/5/2003 12:06:29 PM]