Evo 9 can't get to full boost
 

I just had my evo9 tuned last week to run 23psi of boost, it was pulling hard last few days and can hit 23psi full boost, until today when I pull in 2nd gear it can't get to full boost and get only boost to 10psi and the car stop boosting, but I had a turbo timer that have a boost warning set at 17psi and it buzz when I boost (is that mean my turbo time boost gauge reading incorrectly?) and when I looking at my AEM boost gauge it only show 10psi and it won't go any higher, and I can hear a air leak sound from the intake manifold area but not sure where the leaking sound is coming from, can somebody help me please.

Just do a boost leak test, sounds like your problem is a boost leak.

Take it back........tell them to do it properly.

I'm planning to take it back next week hope nothing serious happening

Make a boost leak testr.

"when I pull in 2nd gear it can't get to full boost"

Unless you are going uphill or something you might not hit full boost in 2nd gear. There is probably not enough load. Obviously something is wrong with your car, I'm just saying that full boost in 2nd gear is not necessarily the best metric.

He will make well over 10psi though. I make 23psi in third gear, and still see 21-22 in 2nd and thats on an Evo 4 turbo.

Disconnect the line to the wastegate.
Find a empty street.
Floor it in first and second gear.
Psi should not rise more than 10 or 11 psi, that is the base spring pressure for a OEM wastegate.
Be careful monitor you gauge while doing this or an extra set of eyes !
If the car reaches base spring pressure, the wastegate is fine.
Also check all fasteners and gaskets replace if needed.
Check all of your worm gears or whatever you are using as well tighten if necessary.

Work your way down from the throttle body to the J pipe !

No, it'll overboost and blow up.

Bad advice

Do you have single or double solenoids to the wastegate?
It sound like you have just base boost.

OK Mr. Right said Fred, read everything I typed again !
And if you feel the information that I gave was wrong please give complete DETAILED instructions on how to troubleshoot the vehicle, so that our fellow member can get going again.

ONE OF MY INSTRUCTIONS CLEARLY STATES "WATCH YOUR GAUGE, OR GET A EXTRA SET OF EYES TO MONITOR"

WHY DO YOU THINK I SAID THAT, TO WATCH FOR A OVER BOOST CONDITION

SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA READ BETWEEN THE LINES, INSTEAD OF TYPING " BAD INFORMATION"
JUST TRYING TO HELP TROUBLESHOOT.

You are wrong, you need to connect the wastegate actuator directly to a boost source, like the compressor housing, to achieve what you are suggesting. If you leave the WGA open to the atmosphere it will never see pressure, never open, and allow the turbo to overboost. Now the stock turbo in 1st gear usually cannot achieve an overboost condition regardless of the wastegate (some weld it shut for autocross etc..) but the advice in general could be dangerous.

Bottom line the guy hears a boost leak, this needs to be rectified before any further troubleshooting.

I'm just sharing because I encountered the same situation, one day I was driving my car and something wasn't right stock 8 no tune, the car just felt flat and I didn't know where to begin.

I found this forum and found something related to my car condition it was suffering from, I pulled every line off that had something to do with the boost solenoid, and I proceeded with caution because of the overboost condition I WAS EXPECTING TO HAPPEN!!!

Nothing happened, it was able to build 10 psi but no more, runnin the car off the spring, long story short I replaced the solenoid and off into the sunset I went.
Moral of the story is I got that advice from somebody on this forum many moons ago, before I was a member.

I was willing to try whatever to get my car going not knowing I may have done some damage.
Sorry if I posted the wrong info, BUT IT WORKED FOR ME..

Be patient, perform boost leak test, probably one of the hoses behind the IM blew off, track it down re-connect it.
Don't forget zip tie..

so is hitting full boost in 2nd gear is bad for the car? What gear do you guys hit full boost?

The thing about the stock WGA is the spring takes 14psi to overcome the spring pressure and open the WG. My guess is yours was broken, and wasn't pulling the waste gate closed. The whole thing about Spring pressure though is in normal operation you need to apply that pressure to the WGA to get it to operate. Hooking the turbo directly to a boost reference allows you to isolate the WGA from other systems like a boost controller to see if thats where the problem resides. Doing what you suggested kinda does the same thing but has an element of danger to it as well. In one instance you should boost to wastegate spring pressure, in the other you are allowing the turbo to boost to the moon. I think there was just a little bit of confusion as to how the WGA functions mechanically which is what i was highlighting. I wasn't trying to bash or be a dick just to clarify how it functions.