Translator Pro boost control issue

[vetteman]

I had pm'ed this to Turbo Bob earlier but did not hear back, maybe his inbox is full. Anyway maybe someone else has had similar issues or an idea of something I could do or test.

Hello Bob, not sure but I think you are the guy who has developed all of the cool gadgets for the turbo Buicks, including Trans Pro. If so I am having a little trouble with my boost control feature. I had sent the unit in to Full Throttle along with my scanmaster and pro chip a while ago because my scanmaster would never read knock and the trans pro would only control boost in the non aux setting. I think the units were sent to you to be repaired and I was told that there was a broken pin in the trans pro not allowing the aux boost to work, and the scanmaster was exchanged for a refurbished unit. Anyway the trans pro used to control boost great, but now it is not working in either normal or aux setting. Running a line direct to my wastegate proves that the wastegate is working correctly boosting 9psi with a 10psi spring. I have replaced the stock solenoid with a new mac 3 port solenoid today. I have also back probed the boost control wires, pink and purple at the Trans pro and ran the boost up while watching the voltmeter, and I didnt get any voltage. Any ideas?

 

[TurboBob]

i'm just a bit buried, sorry for not getting back to you.

how is the solenoid wired to the Pro?

Bob

 

[TurboBuRick]

Post up your boost settings.

 

[TurboDave]

Are you sure you're using the correct purple wire? There are 3. One for 3rd gear switch, one for WB ground and the 3rd for boost control, double check that you're using the correct one.

Sent from my QMV7A tablet via Tapatalk.

 

[vetteman]

Hello Bob, thanks for getting back with me. I am using the 8 pin harness that you included with the repair, and I am using the only two wires on the harness, purple and pink directly to the only two leads on the mac boost solenoid. I tested the solenoid reversing the polarity and it doesn't appear to matter. Both wires on the solenoid are black.

 

[vetteman]

Post up your boost settings.

TPS spool 1.560
RPM spool 2720
TPS start 3.300
PSI start 10.6
duty cycle 33-43 worked well before, tried 0-100
PSI 15-25
Gain 10
Max RPM 6525

These setting have worked great in the past using the stock boost solenoid, as I mentioned I could not get the controller to work so I had upgraded to a mac 3 port solenoid, so these setting may not be optimum for the new solenoid.

 

[vetteman]

Are you sure you're using the correct purple wire? There are 3. One for 3rd gear switch, one for WB ground and the 3rd for boost control, double check that you're using the correct one.

Sent from my QMV7A tablet via Tapatalk.

I am using the number 6 pin in the 6 pin harness of the trans pro. One odd thing is that it is always grounding, I checked by unplugging the harness and putting the ground lead of my multimeter to the pin and the pos lead to known voltage. I have also tried positive voltage trigger and on the display mode of the translator it shows 4.99 when triggered. So I think it is working correctly.

 

[TurboDave]

I'm confused, in post 5 you told Bob you're using the 8 pin plug. But in post 7 you said you're using the 6 pin plug. The purple wire in the 6 pin plug is for the 3rd gear switch input, NOT the boost control output signal. The purple wire coming out of the 8pin plug is for boost solenoid control.

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[TurboBuRick]

TPS spool 1.560
RPM spool 2720
TPS start 3.300
PSI start 10.6
duty cycle 33-43 worked well before, tried 0-100
PSI 15-25
Gain 10
Max RPM 6525

These setting have worked great in the past using the stock boost solenoid, as I mentioned I could not get the controller to work so I had upgraded to a mac 3 port solenoid, so these setting may not be optimum for the new solenoid.

How are you checking the solenoid? With those settings it's not going to activate until the throttle is pushed past 3.30 and rpm is above 2720.

 

[Nigel]

The TPS start is for after you are already in boost control, if you back out and hit the gas again in this case it will have to be above 3.3 volts to switch to boost control again. It prevents overboost when getting back on the gas.
The pink wire from the pro should be hot, 12 v with the key on. Is it hot? The control works by pulsing to ground I believe. As Dave pointed out, make sure you have the correct wires.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Something else that came to mind, make sure the Tpro is seeing tps and rpm.

 

[vetteman]

I am using the pink and purple wire on the 8 pin harness to activate the boost control solenoid. The solenoid has 2 wires, polarity reversible. I am using the purple wire in the 6 wire harness pin number 6 to activate the auxiliary boost setting. In my trans pro manual on pg 13 there is a chart that show the aux activation when the purple wire in the 6 wire harness is activated. Apparently it can be used to activate several different functions depending on what selection is made in setup mode. I have set mine up for + boost control and have tried - boost control aux activation, neither works. If that is the incorrect wire please let me know.

 

[vetteman]

How are you checking the solenoid? With those settings it's not going to activate until the throttle is pushed past 3.30 and rpm is above 2720.

I have checked the solenoid by touching the leads to battery, the solenoid functions correctly with polarity in either direction. I have checked for voltage out of the translator pro to the solenoid control leads on the 8 pin harness with a voltmeter connected and spooling the car up on the transbrake. No voltage.

 

[vetteman]

The TPS start is for after you are already in boost control, if you back out and hit the gas again in this case it will have to be above 3.3 volts to switch to boost control again. It prevents overboost when getting back on the gas.
The pink wire from the pro should be hot, 12 v with the key on. Is it hot? The control works by pulsing to ground I believe. As Dave pointed out, make sure you have the correct wires.

So the pink wire should be constant hot? I am pretty sure it has never had voltage. I will check again, maybe I can get a hot lead from somewhere else if the negative is the only thing that is pulsed. Thanks I may be onto something.

 

[TurboDave]

I am using the pink and purple wire on the 8 pin harness to activate the boost control solenoid. The solenoid has 2 wires, polarity reversible. I am using the purple wire in the 6 wire harness pin number 6 to activate the auxiliary boost setting. In my trans pro manual on pg 13 there is a chart that show the aux activation when the purple wire in the 6 wire harness is activated. Apparently it can be used to activate several different functions depending on what selection is made in setup mode. I have set mine up for + boost control and have tried - boost control aux activation, neither works. If that is the incorrect wire please let me know.

OK, sounds like you're all hooked up correctly. The purp. wire on the 6 pin is an aux input. Mine was attached to the 3rd gear signal for the ECM. And it's an active low. That is to say it drops to 0v when shifting into 3rd. I have my aux boost set up to pull the boost back a couple #'s when 3rd gear hits.
The pink wire, that's on the top row right next to the purple, right? If you don't have switched 12v there you likely found your problem.

Sent from my QMV7A tablet via Tapatalk.

 

[Nigel]

You can try using the cars original hot pink/black lead, and use the TPro purple wire for control. I have mine wired that way, and it works well and is a clean install. I spliced in the control at the ECM on my Casper's plug n play adapter so no wires on the car cut. If you don't have the adapter harness for the solenoid to the cars original harness, you can temporarily use your factory solenoid to trouble shoot.