TMIC Install, Boost Leak
 

Hey guys. I recently installed a tmic and it seems like I've got a boost leak but I can't pinpoint it. Would anyone who's good at this kinda thing volunteer to take a look at my car?

Rob

Would a spray bottle with soapy water help? I guess you'd have to find a way to pressurize the system though right?

Uninstall + reinstall might work, like rebooting a PC instead of trying to find the actual problem. :p It's real easy to kink up the hoses on that install.

I've reinstalled it 2-3 times :( I thought I knew what I was doing but maybe I forgot to reconnect something or punctured a hose that I keep looking over, I don't know.

What makes you think you've got a boost leak?

Yeah, but just incasae pressurize the system somehow and spray soapy water all over your IC piping and IC itself. You then should figure out where your leak is coming from.

It sounds like it. I can hear my turbo screaming much more than on the stock tmic. I asked other people who installed the same tmic and they confirmed this is unusual. That and inconsistent performance from the car.

I wouldn't know how to do this.

What are your peak boost levels? Is the boost fluctuating unusually?

Make sure the problem isn't just that the Y-hose for the boost controller/wastegate actuater is improperly hooked up or something.

I've had boost leaks at the intercooler before, but mine was kinda obvious:

http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...03%20small.jpg

Sounded like a giant rubbery fart when the car came on boost.

Everything seems to be hooked up correctly. According to my accessport I see normal peak boost levels. I took some datalogging and am seeing normal numbers from that, as well. The numbers don't fluctuate either, though acceleration does. Hesitations and poor power, etc.


I'm thinking that the ecu is just having trouble compensating for the low back pressure of the new tmic, but I can't explain the noise.

Sounds like a hesitation problem, not a boost leak.

How much bigger is the TMIC then stock? What brand is the TMIC and why did you put it on?

Click the link. You want something that matches your IC piping diameter. Hook it up, pressurize the system, listen and use soapy water.

Also, check your intake pipe (the one that connects to your turbo) and see if that's loose.

You have a picture for everything.

fixed.

Yeah, Kevin's got it right. :lol:

Oops:
http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...%20Endlink.jpg

That looks sticky:
http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...%201_small.jpg

Isn't that supposed to be attached to something?
http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...02%20small.jpg

What the hell's that been rubbing on?
http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...06%20small.jpg

Oooh, burn!


That's not right!
http://www.seccs.org/forums/attachme...&stc=1&thumb=1

What cooked that!?
http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20P...%20(Small).JPG

I don't have pictures of the rod-knock on my 2.0L block, or the shattered piston from the 2.5L block that replaced it. Nor do I have pictures of shreaded bearings and brake parts I've gone through. Or stripped lug nuts. Or the failed exhaust gaskets from years past. And I don't even know how to take pictures of a missfire. :lol:

And nevermind the pictures from my SVX's paint issues or the gallery of photos from the unfinished work on the WRX when I got it back from S-Squared.

Damn... my car's are piles, aren't they? :lol:

A custom tune is probably needed for a bigger TMIC.

At least reset the ECU. A custom tune is definately a good idea. Perhaps the ECU is freaking out because your new IC is most likely much more efficient in terms of flow.

Most aftermarket IC's will see a significantly smaller pressure drop. This could very well cause the boost control system to overshoot boost and result in wildly fluctuating boost levels which would feel like the surges you're describing. If you'd like to take some logs, I'd be happy to look at them for you and tell you what I think.

FYI, in general adding a bigger TMIC on a WRX with stock turbo won't result in any power gains even with a tune. I know this from experience ;).

Thanks
-- Ed

Thank you for your input, Ed. I just got ECU Explorer working on my car if you wouldn't mind if I used that. So I just capture a pull and then send you the captured file?

Kind of you to offer, thanks.
Rob

I log:

Engine Speed (RPM)
Ignition Timing (°BTDC)
Knock Correction (°BTDC)
Air Flow Sensor Voltage (V)
Manifold Relative Pressure (PSI)

I'd imagine that's all Ed needs logged on a 3rd gear pull to red line, but I'm only guessing.

Do I want the log that shows the min/current/max values or is there something else?

When you log, it captures real time data. What I do is right click a blank spot in the section where you see the realtime data and select, "Use Defrost Button to start/stop capture" or somthing like that. Then you turn your defroster on to start capture and turn it off to stop the capture. You can configure where you want your logs to be stored, %My Documents%/Logs, for example. Then just zip them up and email them to ed (at) eqtuning.com

Check your intake! I think that could be it.


Also, no point in resetting the ECU or needing a "re-tune". Unless I'm mistaken, evey ECU is in constant adjustment. More over, the TMIC isn't a drastic change.


and god damn Scott... god damn....

With a Subaru, resetting the ECU after any power mod is the right thing to do for performance and safety. Some learning is very slow if you don't.

Cody has it right. When an ECU is first reset, any learning and adjustments happen much quicker. Once the ECU "settles in" it takes a very large change and a lot of time for it to make any further adjustments. When adding just about any parts, a reset is recomended.

While an intake leak will cause a/f inconsistancies, it is not likely to cause boost fluctuation.

Thanks
-- Ed