Boost Controller Blues

[GangsterMD]

I installed an AMS-500 in my car. I took it out for the first ride tonight and something's not working right. I stepped into it and the boost guage went to 20ish psi, and the knock guage went red. I got out of the throttle instantly. I need to double check all the settings tomorrow morning but I believe it's set to launch mode, with stage 1 set to 00 and stage 2 was set to 10. I have stage 2 set to a manifold pressure switch to activate at 4-5 psi, and I wasn't using stage 1 at all tonight. So I have a couple of questions. I originally thought if something wasn't set right or plumbed right that it would just default to the waste gate spring pressure - but I haven't wrapped my head around the whole increase and decrease solenoids. So if the decrease solenoid isn't working right then would you get an over boost situation? If I turn off the boost controller or unhook stage 2, would I then get spring pressure?
Thanks guys,
D

 

[GangsterMD]

Yesterday I checked all of the settings in the controller, and the plumbing. It all checks out. Does anybody have any type of troubleshooting ideas? I took the map line off the controller and put air to the source line at the back of the intake - and air seems to be flowing freely. I then hooked up the contoller map signal line and turned on the key. The increase solenoid clicks, then I increasd the pressure and set the stage to 7 lbs, thinking that the decrease solenoide would cut in but it didn't. When I turn off the stage it then clicks to release pressure - so it appears that the solenoids are working. It's like the controller isn't sensing the pressure?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
D

 

[HighPSI]

Are you sure you it's programmed correctly? If you bought it from us, please give me a call and we will troubleshoot it or replace it.

 

[pacecarta]

what's your current waste gate setup
if your gate cant flow enough to run low boost an electronic controller isnt going to magically allow you to lower it

if you run a line from the compressor to the base of your gate and no line to top which is tuner style and will allow the lowest possible boost you can control to ....are you able to run the boost below 20psi at WOT without creep ?

 

[WSLN 6]

D money! How goes? What wastegate setup/spring combo are you running? Will be easier to figure this out with a little more info. Give me a call if you wish 306-221-2977.
Sean

 

[GangsterMD]

Thanks guys. I talked to Cal yesterday and he made me aware that the boost controller setting in the controller are added to whatever spring pressure I have in my wastegate. Thanks Call! Nothing in the AMS500 manual about that? I figured the map line into the boost controller monitored total boost, but reallized it couldn't go below your spring pressure - which I thought was 8#. So I unhooked the boost controller to get a baseline on the wastegate. I took the car out again and same thing So it's obviously in the wastegate. I have a 3" downpipe from FTS with an external wastegate. I have a line running from the compressor to the base of the wastegate, and another line running from the top of the wastegate to the boost controller plumbing. Shouldn't that allow me to run with just spring pressure boost numbers? I'll call you later Sean.
Thanks
D

 

[pacecarta]

top port needs to be open to atmosphere , if its plugged or restricted the gate wont lift
with an 8# spring and just plumbed from compressor to base of gate you should be able to run wot almost as low as the spring #

 

[GangsterMD]

Ok. I thought about that, but figured it must allow the top port to breath through the decrease solenoid? Otherwise if your boost controller wasn't turned on or a stage didn't activate you would have no wastegate and a full boost condition. Instead of just spring pressure? Or what am I missing?
Thanks again for the help

 

[GangsterMD]

Duh. I just realized that if it was able to breathe through the decrease solenoid it wouldn't build pressure with the increase solenoid I'm still curious about what happens if the boost controller doesn't turn on or activate. Kaboom?

 

[WSLN 6]

You would just have default spring pressure due to the increase solenoid not turning on. What size of wastegate is this?