How do I kill my wastegate?

[Cattletrkr]

For whatever reason I can't build boost once the outside temp drops below about 40*F. No mechanical problems, good fuel and air filters, rail pressure is good, everything checks out fine. I've been fighting this for a couple winters now and I'm getting really sick of it. I can slam the boost gauge up to 25psi and from there it's a struggle. Doesn't matter if the Juice is in or out or what level it's on. The only difference the Juice makes is how hot it will get. On "0" or with it out, I can still hit 1400* very easily and more if I let it. 1 or 2 and 1500* is a breeze with no limit to how high the EGT will go. Truck was to the dealer a few times for this last year and nothing was ever found wrong. It has the latest flash as of a couple months ago.

Everything checks out great except the boost/EGT gauges. I even went so far as to buy another EGT gauge last year. It only confirmed what the old one was telling me.

I'm thinking I want to disable the wastegate. I don't care how, I just need to try it. Do I pinch a hose with a vise grip or could I unplug it? I don't care if it sets a code.

Once the weather gets cooler like it has now, I have to start slowing down going up hills that I used to be able to accelerate up w/o worrying about getting too hot.

I have plenty of power most of the time but I can't use it because before the boost gets up, it gets too hot. Boost wil eventually get up into the upper 30's or even 40, but I can rarely get it there before the EGT's fly past 1500.

Anybody else ever notice anything similar.

 

[chuckwilson]

Best way to test it is to remove it & take a piece on threaded rod, bend it in a vee & install it in place of the waistgate actuater. put lock nuts on it & draw it up to about 10 ft lbs. then try it out!!! I would not leave it that way, its just to test it.

 

[BHolm]

My 06 has bled off boost since I bought it at 72k miles. It will hold up to 40 psi below 2700-2800 rpm but the gate opens after that, the boost drops to 28 psi and the EGTs soar.

I tried a line run from the intake (boost bolt) T'ed it for my gauge and had to put a plug (restriction) in the 1/4 line I used to the wastegate. I have that sucker clamped off and the gate STILL opens, drives me nuts. I can't fully utilize the 100 hp setting on my Quadzilla (6-8000 ft altitude).

I think this truck had a box on it by the PO. I suspect the wastegate srping is tired. I've been too busy, lazy or distracted to bother adjusting the rod on the wastegate. I did disconnect the hose from the electronic solenoid though and plugged it. No code issues.

Does that jibe with your situation? Mine is like this regardless of temp since we've still been warm and sunny here

I think you can just unplug the electrical connector on the wastegate solenoid. It is right on the bottom side front of the trubo.

 

[WUnderwood]

boost leak?

 

[Cattletrkr]

It almost can't be anything mechanical because it won't do it all the time. When it's cooler out it's miserable, but as soon as it warms up it's fine. When the weather is right it will act up in the morning and be perfectly normal in the afternoon.

No boost leaks.

Once I'm able to build the boost, it stays.

 

[APacitti]

I have the same problem expect mine seems to be okay with my edge removed and my smarty seems to help but not cure it. Last winter/early spring i did discover some interesting stuff on the way to AZ from MN. I discovered that in my case at least its not the temperature but more so the air density. In the lower states i was having trouble at anything below 50f but once i traveled up into Colorado 6000ft plus i was able to build boost at much lower temps. I'm not sure whats causing it but it defintly seems to have something do with the measuring of air density. I haven't been able to chase it down so far, but it sure is annoying especially when towing. I'm curious to see how many others have this same problem and what other things our trucks have in common. Maybe we should start a poll to find out. Please let us know if disabling your wastegate does anything for you.

 

[Cattletrkr]

I also have a miss/skip that I swear is related to baro. pres. Whenever the weather is changing it's worse. There's no way I'll ever track that one down so I've just been driving with it for 140K.

 

[betterthanstock]

I also have a miss/skip that I swear is related to baro. pres. Whenever the weather is changing it's worse. There's no way I'll ever track that one down so I've just been driving with it for 140K.

Change sensor on air filter and see if it helps.



You may also have a bad manifold temp/pressure sensor. Change that too. Not too much $$$ at Cummins.

 

[Dodge-Tech]

Pick up a Quadzilla boost fooler for $79. 00. Plug it in and you should make 35-40 psi.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Pick up a Quadzilla boost fooler for $79. 00. Plug it in and you should make 35-40 psi.

The Juice does boost fooling. I can hit 40 psi if the truck decides it wants to.

Tonight without the trailer and outside temp of 30* it was running perfectly normal. Mash the go pedal and the boost gauges slams to the peg (35psi) and the Juice shows upper 30's... didn't hold it long enough to hit 40. No idea why it was working, it just was.

betterthanstock, I'll look into those tomorrow with any luck. Thanks

 

[Cattletrkr]

P. S. to betterthanstock. Would you please change your avatar. I'm getting sick of smashing my knuckles on the screen to kill a bug that isn't there.

 

[TJSmith]

I had a similar problem with an edge ez on my 01 3500. Cold mornings it might work, might not. Could drive for 10 minutes and turn truck off and start back up and it would be working,other mornings it might take 50 miles with several off-ons to get it working. Went through this for a whole winter. Last winter it started doing it again. I swapped ez modules with my buddy for a week and he ended up with the problem. Called Edge and told them what was going on and they said send it in,no question asked as if they knew what the problem was. Have not had a problem since. I verified it was the module by unplugging it and taking it inside for the night and keeping it warm,plugged it up when leaving in the mornings. Every time I did this I had no problems.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Last winter I stacked my Juice with an EZ. I ended up selling the Juice and keeping the EZ. Got sick of that so I sold the EZ and bought another Juice. Problem doesn't change no matter what I'm running whether it's a Juice, EZ or stock. It is more pronounced with the juice, but it's still there stock too.

 

[TJSmith]

I think betterthanstock might be on the right track. the intake air temp sensor and boost/map sensor(both on the intake manifold)work together based on air temp /barometric pressure. The inlet air temp sensor(on the air filter housing) also looks at temp and barometric pressures. Don't know how to verify if one or more is intermittently bad. I do know oiled air filters can mess the inlet air temp sensor up,but they can be cleaned.

 

[SP Diesel]

Wastegate Controller

Take a look at our wastegate controller. Our controller plugs into the wastegate on 04. 5+ trucks and gives adjustable max boost levels.



Your issue is most likey due to changing outside air temperatures and the max boost tables in the Dodge ECU changing as a result. Simply fooling the boost signal does not help this, you must control the wastegate solenoid directly to force more boost in colder weather.

 

[Cattletrkr]

SP's Boost Enforcer is on the way. I'll let ya'all know if it works for me.

I've thought about the IAT and MAP sensors in the past, but if either of those were the problem, I don't think the problem would change with weather/temps. They are next on the list.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Your issue is most likey due to changing outside air temperatures and the max boost tables in the Dodge ECU changing as a result. Simply fooling the boost signal does not help this, you must control the wastegate solenoid directly to force more boost in colder weather.

Would a Smarty with it's own tables fix this?

 

[APacitti]

The previous version (stock) of the smarty helped with my boost problem but it was still an issue. However i have recently downloaded the new beta (Thanks Bob) software and set on level #3 it has pretty much eliminated my boost issues. This is with my juice still installed as i can't remove it at the time but thats another story.

 

[Grizly]

maybe turn off cold engine protection in the edge programer?/?// lol

 

[Cattletrkr]

maybe turn off cold engine protection in the edge programer?/?// lol

Everybody's a comedian...