Vacuum/Boost Leak - Need HELP!

[derfdog15]

Found a temp solution for you if one of the charge pipes has failed...




In all honesty, any luck?

LOL! We swapped the noisemaker pipe, and stock BOV pipes back on yesterday. Brad sent me a revision to the tune to turn stock BOVs back on, and using throttle to control boost again. Loaded that up, and it still isn't making full boost.

When we installed the hotpipes, the intake side connection on the rear turbo was extremely loose, which was weird since I had never messed around in that area. I am wondering if that connection, or the intake side front turbo connection is loose. The only part of the EPP hotpipes still on the car, right now, is the silicone coupler from intercooler to front turbo. I will check that piece as well. I left the stock BOV's VTA but didnt seem to have issue. I can say the noise level for stock BOV VTA is MUCH MUCH quieter than the TiAL.

At this point, if there are no loose connections at the turbos, then it may still be a vacuum line issue. I am going to clean up/delete my additions to the vacuum routing up top to rule that out. I'll double check the reference lines on the turbo wastegates as well, as that could be a likely culprit.

I feel as if the boost solenoid had failed, there would be a code, but there are none. This makes me think it is a loose/missing connection somewhere, rather than a faulty solenoid/sensor. Especially at 15K miles on the car. Hoping we can get it sorted out this afternoon, but we shall see.

[AJP turbo]

The wastegate solenoid seem to be working, they were trying their damnedest to achieve commanded boost and eventually shut it down when the underboost timer was hit

Are you sure if you have someones head in the engine and someone brake boosting you cant hear the air?.

I dont think a 1/4" vac line will bleed the boost you are losing.

Again I wouldn't waste your time looking at turbo inlet piping, you can run without those pipes completely and it wont affect boost

Split charge piping? Cracked intercooler or bad coupling from compressor outlet to intake manifold

[hawkeye93]

Perish the thought, but blown turbo maybe?

[derfdog15]

The wastegate solenoid seem to be working, they were trying their damnedest to achieve commanded boost and eventually shut it down when the underboost timer was hit

Are you sure if you have someones head in the engine and someone brake boosting you cant hear the air?.

I dont think a 1/4" vac line will bleed the boost you are losing.

Again I wouldn't waste your time looking at turbo inlet piping, you can run without those pipes completely and it wont affect boost

Split charge piping? Cracked intercooler or bad coupling from compressor outlet to intake manifold

I will re-try brake boosting and have my dad listen in the engine bay. The front turbo connection I mention that was not changed, is between turbo and intercooler. As for the vacuum lines, I agree that it shouldn't cause this much of a loss of boost, but have seen cars do weird things due to small vacuum leaks. The lines I am mainly concerned of are the reference to the actual turbo wastegates. If that is disconnected, I could see one/both turbos trying to work on spring pressure.

Perish the thought, but blown turbo maybe?

You get that blasphemy out of here, I'm already scared as hell why its doing this, don't need a $500 dollar OE turbo to be the issue. There was a small amount of oil on the coupler from the rear turbo but I assume its normal, since it didn't seem like much.

[Frozen Blue]

I will re-try brake boosting and have my dad listen in the engine bay. The front turbo connection I mention that was not changed, is between turbo and intercooler. As for the vacuum lines, I agree that it shouldn't cause this much of a loss of boost, but have seen cars do weird things due to small vacuum leaks. The lines I am mainly concerned of are the reference to the actual turbo wastegates. If that is disconnected, I could see one/both turbos trying to work on spring pressure.

With an IWG if you were leaking from the EBC to the wastegates you would overboost. There wouldn't be any boost to open the wastegates. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

If all of your lines are hooked up properly from the manifold to the EBC to the turbos, see if there is anyone local you can borrow an EBC from for a quick test. If you build boost after you swap it in there's your answer. I assume all Ecoboosts share the same 3-port. Maybe someone else can confirm?

You get that blasphemy out of here, I'm already scared as hell why its doing this, don't need a $500 dollar OE turbo to be the issue. There was a small amount of oil on the coupler from the rear turbo but I assume its normal, since it didn't seem like much.

I also have oil residue on the rear turbo inlet.

[StealBlueSho]

Silly question, under load when it's trying to build boost... it doesn't sound like a super charger does it? High pitch whine?

[AJP turbo]

I will re-try brake boosting and have my dad listen in the engine bay. The front turbo connection I mention that was not changed, is between turbo and intercooler. As for the vacuum lines, I agree that it shouldn't cause this much of a loss of boost, but have seen cars do weird things due to small vacuum leaks. The lines I am mainly concerned of are the reference to the actual turbo wastegates. If that is disconnected, I could see one/both turbos trying to work on spring pressure.

With an IWG if you were leaking from the EBC to the wastegates you would overboost. There wouldn't be any boost to open the wastegates. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

If all of your lines are hooked up properly from the manifold to the EBC to the turbos, see if there is anyone local you can borrow an EBC from for a quick test. If you build boost after you swap it in there's your answer. I assume all Ecoboosts share the same 3-port. Maybe someone else can confirm?

You get that blasphemy out of here, I'm already scared as hell why its doing this, don't need a $500 dollar OE turbo to be the issue. There was a small amount of oil on the coupler from the rear turbo but I assume its normal, since it didn't seem like much.

I also have oil residue on the rear turbo inlet.

It doesnt matter if the wastegate is internal or external but rather if the boost solenoid is "normally open" or " normally closed"

There are 2 main types of solenoids...normally open and normally closed

Ours are normally open type...thats why you overboost if that line to the solenoid pops off

At 0% duty all the air is going through the solenoid because its open type and that opens the gate to keep boost low

[ZSHO]

If you have FORSCAN you can Definitely monitor for codes and certainly more reliable than Torque or any other gadgets.  Z
I'm still Banking on the Solenoid-Wastegate as mentioned on my previous post above especially if your seeing only  5-psi of Boost,best of luck to ya. Z

http://www.tascaparts.com/ford/taurus/bl3z9k378a/2013-year/sho-trim/3-5l-v6-gas-engine/fuel-system-cat/turbo-charger-scat/?part_name=solenoid

[derfdog15]

Silly question, under load when it's trying to build boost... it doesn't sound like a super charger does it? High pitch whine?

No whine that I can notice.Sounds normal in the car under load, just doesn't have the power. I don't think the intercooler is the issue as there is no noise from that area either.

Hopefully I can figure something out tonight, who knows...

If you have FORSCAN you can Definitely monitor for codes and certainly more reliable than Torque or any other gadgets.  Z
I'm still Banking on the Solenoid as mentioned on my previous post above especially if your seeing 5-psi of Boost,best of luck to ya. Z

http://www.tascaparts.com/ford/taurus/bl3z9k378a/2013-year/sho-trim/3-5l-v6-gas-engine/fuel-system-cat/turbo-charger-scat/?part_name=solenoid

I would think my X4 is as reliable or better than FORSCAN (since its a direct connection to the OBDII port, no bluetooth OBDII dongles or anything like that). And as AJP said, car makes up to 10-11 PSI, and tapers off. As such, doesn't seem like the solenoid, along with the lack of codes, but I could be wrong.

Anyway I can diagnost the solenoid without codes, like pulling one of the lines off to see if I make boost or something like that?

[Frozen Blue]

I would definitely not do that. These little turbos spool to fast to try and control boost with your foot.

[AJP turbo]

I dont know how you would test it but if you can hear leaks z could be onto something suggesting the solenoid because im not sure how it measures duty cycle....maybe the pid in the log is saying what the ecu wants the solenoid to do and not what is is actually doing

[AJP turbo]

If you pull off that vac line that goes to the solenoid from the charge pipe to test make sure you watch the boost gauge very very close...the tune you have that uses throttle to control boost should step in but how quickly i dont know....it wouldnt take long to make 30 psi in the midrange if the turbo is running wide open with a closed gate

[derfdog15]

I would definitely not do that. These little turbos spool to fast to try and control boost with your foot.

That's why I asked haha. I know that is one method used to test for other models of car.

Another thing I read, was that in some cars (WRX STI for instance) this type of behavior can occur with a clogged cat. I don't have the two main cats due to my SW Catless pipes, but still have the 3rd cat. However, I feel this is pretty unlikely, since AJP ran the same pipes without issue.

I dont know how you would test it but if you can hear leaks z could be onto something suggesting the solenoid because im not sure how it measures duty cycle....maybe the pid in the log is saying what the ecu wants the solenoid to do and not what is is actually doing

Guess I'll check the local stealership and see how much they want for a solenoid so I can test it. They quoted me $235 for the plastic intake side piping that has the U pipe, and connection from rear turbo to CAI, when I asked about the small rubber connection there. Looks like the part is ~$30 online, but who knows how much they will want...

If you pull off that vac line that goes to the solenoid from the charge pipe to test make sure you watch the boost gauge very very close...the tune you have that uses throttle to control boost should step in but how quickly i dont know....it wouldnt take long to make 30 psi in the midrange if the turbo is running wide open with a closed gate

So, would it be worth testing like that, or try and get another solenoid and swap that instead of risking 30psi?

[derfdog15]

Update/question time

I took the solenoid connections off the car and blew through the solenoid similar to testing a pcv valve for the boost solenoid z referenced. One of the inlets (from the rear turbo) blows straight through and is audable. The other (front turbo) is completely closed in that condition. No air moves through. This tells me that it isn't most likely the solenoid, as the two turbo inlets are doing opposite actions. Can someone confirm this?

There seem to be no leaks/intercooler issues as well so this hopefully is the issue.

[ZSHO]

Does your local Ford dealer have the part in stock/shelf.?  I guess you can always bring the original part with you for comparison .IDK.  Z
BTW Hows the oil psi. ?
Having a Smoke test done could be inconclusive perhaps.!!!