Car Feels incredibly slow - Can't hear Turbo Spool
 

Hey guys,

I was out tonight after washing the car in the bitter cold, and usually my car feels VERY fast, and on my way home it felt incredibly slow. I couldn't hear the turbo spool at all.

Then all of a sudden, shifting from 3rd to 4th on an onramp, I finally hear the BOV (car is 100% stock) and it is fast as hell again. I get off the highway, and the car pulls very hard as usual. I figured it was something random.

Well, back in the car again today, turn it on, ran fast, than all of a sudden really, really slow again. What the heck? Car sounds fine, no abnormal ticks/hisses, etc.


*edit*

Here are 2 graphs - detailed explanations on the 2 page of what happened when doing 2 pulls like this when sluggish.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...Knock_Narr.jpg

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b..._Knock_N-1.jpg
Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

Is the check engine light coming on???

I threw a P0300 a month ago and cleared the code. Now, no codes are coming on at all.

it's either the bov is sticking (strictly mechanical), or the wastegate is opening, which could be electrical or mechanical.

When you say slow, you mean slow like 0 boost, or slow like 14#'s of boost that the wastegate is set at?

Do you have a boost gauge? A/F gauge? If either, what are they reading when it feels slow?

Do you have a boost gauge? I wonder if the BOV could stick open?

EDIT: I wrote my post before dubbleugly01's popped up. Glad to see that we have some common ideas.

Slow like 0 boost. You can't hear the turbo at ALL. I don't have any gauges, but I do have a narrow-band readout that I'm in the process of uploading to post.

I could give an anaysis of the readout but I'm nowhere near qualified to interpret the data.

check your bov. If it's an 03, you probably have some good mileage and age on the bov, and maybe it's sticking open sporadically.

it is an '03, and it has about 50k miles and a lot of autocross use. My guess is with this rediculously cold weather we're having, it is resulting in having a stuck BOV. I will post up shortly the narrow-band readouts, scary lean..

COuld it be the BOV is stuck open even though I don't hear any noises that are abnormal? Maybe I'm not listening hard enough

Could I borrow my friend's MR BOV temporarily just to diagnose the issue without having any sort of problems?

Ive noticed with my car it will not boost at all if the car isnt at normal operating temp or at least it will not boost very much. Then once the car is warmed its fine. It might be a safety feature.

Check the vac line to the diverter valve itself, thats what keeps it shut under boost. If no leaks then your WG solenoid is sticking open.

Other then that just let the thing at least warm up like you should.

the car was definitely at full operating temperature though.

ya'll think his boost solenoid could be bad??? which in turn is keeping his wastegate open??? but it seems like that would throw some kind of code and make the car run WAY rich.

If the WG was stuck open, would there be any specific sound the car would make? THe car literally sounds like nothing is wrong. its just not boosting at all.

if the wastegate is stuck open I guess there shouldnt be any difference in sound. somebody correct me if I'm wrong. But if the wastegate was open all the time wouldnt it be about the same as if your upper i/c piping blew off. and the car runs like crap when that thing blows off lol.