Secondary boost issues

[hmltnangel]

Ok folks, going to be a long one so grab some coffee or a beer and a snack

A few weeks ago, I started getting secondary boost issues so I\'ve followed every guide possible for solving them.

The first time I recall any issues, was just after my power steering idler pulley snapped and destroyed the belt. When I fixed this a few days after (had to drive a couple of times without the belt to get  to work) and took for a test drive - all seemed well, until a third gear pull. 4500 rpm and I dropped to 3 psi boost.

At this point I done the obvious

Tightened the downpipe (for some reason it had slackened off and I noticed whilst checking things)
Checked all vac hoses for routing and any slits(replaced most of them for good measure)
Checked all solenoids both hot and cold (charge relief wouldnt open when hot so replaced it)

Last night, I decided to tee in my spare boost gauge to the charge relief hose that comes from the solenoid. Now from my workings - the charge relief valve should see that line into the top switch from vac to boost at 4500(ish) rpm. What I seen at that hose was a solid 9.7psi (500mm hg) of vacuum all the way to redline.

Great I thought - its just a dud solenoid.

Before I stripped the UIM back off though I thought I may as well check the other one - so I repeated my test on the Charge Control Actuator top hose - the one that comes from the Charge Control Solenoid. This seen EXACTLY the same results. I know the solenoid is working as the vac drops to zero when the igniton is off on that one. This hose should see the same pressure at 4500 rpm as the charge relief solenoid.

Curioser and Curioser I thought. To double check and make sure my gauge was working fine _ I teed it in with my other boost gauge - test drive and it works perfect.

I then strapped an old mobile phone under the hood, with the video recording. The conclusion is - the Charge Control Actuator does not get boost at 4500 rpm and I have the video to prove it.

On a roll I thought - hey I might as well strap the mobile to the underneath so it can watch for the Turbo Control Actuator moving at 4500 rpm. The video results on this show - no movement.

So I have come to a shock conclusion that NONE of the four solenoids required to switch my secondary turbo on are working at all.

Car Spec

Power FC
HKS EVC V Boost COntroller - working fine as I can see the precontrol actuator ro move when it should and it holds perfect 10 psi on primary
Blitz Nur Spec catback
Silenced Midpipe
3.5inch SMB Downpipe
Stock Twins
Air COn removed
Air Pump removed - blanking plates are fine
Simplified sequential vac hose setup.
Greddy FMIC and hardpipes/Efini Y Pipe

It was mapped fine up to 280 at the wheels a few weeks before this happened and was running fine.

How can all four solenoid not be sending the signal.

My guessing is going along the lines of the power fc not telling them to change - is this driven by the rpm signal to the ecu?

Something is stopping that signal being sent to switch.

[boosted]

a shot in the dark but poss power supply or bad earth? Can you hook something up to switch them manually and individuallly to prove all 4 work?

The electrical drawings are on here.

[boosted]

http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81875

here a link to drawings mate....

[hmltnangel]

Well i suppose I could rig up a quick switch that I can flip manually from its own power supply that would activate/deactivate the solenoids at the right moment.

I really am thinking rpm wire. Bad earth would mean they wouldn\'t energise at all but I know they do as the charge control solenoid energizes when ignition is switched on. That\'s correct. It\'s the signal from th ecubfor them all to change that isn\'t happening.

[hmltnangel]

This is my new vac hose diagram that shows what solenoids should be energised (red) and off (green) at 4500 rpm.

Orange lines and arrows show pressure and direction it should flow

Blue lines arrows show vac. Doted blue show the lines that should switch at 4500

[boosted]

i thought all 4 were not working?...What i was suggesting was disconnect each plug from solenoid inturn and switch with a 12 v source to see 1 and all are switching. From a quick look at drawings they are powered 12 v pos all the time from egi relay and switch negatively from ecu. i.e ecu closes circuit to neg for them to switch.

so check 12 v on 1 side of the plug on all of them with ign on easy check.

[hmltnangel]

They aren\'t all switched on at the same time.

They way they should work is

0-4500
charge control on
Charge relief off
Turbo control vac off
Turbo control press off

4500+
Charge control off
Charge relief on
Turbo control vac on
Turbo control press on

So three don\'t get energized until 4500 rpm.

I know the charge control enerizes fine when ignition switches on as I can see the arm move. This is why I\'m thinking signal wire to the ecu for rpm.

[boosted]

soz confusion. not at the same time but when required by ecu. But can you prove the solenoids are good. resistance test etc and energising remotely and blowing through valve.

I\'ll have a look at drawings later at work if quiet on the signal wire to ecu. You seeing rpm on the pfc hand controller?

[hmltnangel]

Last weekedn I tested the solenoids, all are within tolerance for resistance. They are all holding vac and pressure fine. All also switch fine when 12v applied. All checked hot and cold.

I have no commander so I cant check the rpm on it - edit* actulally borrowing a commander tonight for a day or two so I can check that later on.

theres two places the ecu could obtain an rpm signal from as far as I can tell - crank angle sensor, and/or ignition coils.

Crank sensor could be a shout - when my p/s belt snapped - it couldve hit a wire down there I suppose.
Coils - again when moving everything I couldve damaged a wire

Just be helpful to know where that signal comes from.

I suppose it wouldnt actually be too hard to fit two switches in that could operate the 12v sources to the solenoids remotely to test their function when driving.

[neil_jdmr]

95% sure it comes from the crank angle sensor but without it knowing it\'s crank angle I imagine it wouldn\'t crank at all

[hmltnangel]

Well, I was half right.

It was the Power FC - it had sequential switched OFF!

I didnt do it - I dont have the stuff to do it and I dont have a commander.

Borrowed one tonight for a bit and sorted that.

Now though its dropping to two psi on secondary - at least I know the solenoids are coming on. I can do the checks now knowing that

[neil_jdmr]

Tip top mate, got there in the end.

[boosted]

May worth borrowing your mates apexi ecu? Just to make sure yours has not failed?

[hmltnangel]

His is mapped for single turbo - so no use for the time being. I\'ll be checking things in the morning to see if theres a simple thing wrng now I know the solenoids are ok