I just bought a 2012 Evo and am going easy on it while I break in the few hundred miles or so. I have really gone over 4k a few times and have not gone over 5k yet.

But this is my first turbo car. So I had a couple of question. My car is completely stock. So first off, how do you know the turbo is spooling and engaging? Am I suppose to hear it? Do I just tell by the acceleration I feel?

When does the boost engage? After 3k rpms?

I havent heard my car make any kind of blow off sound. I'm assuming they dont make this sound stock? You have to install a BOV?

If you do not have a turbo gauge, how do you ensure everything is operating properly with the turbo?

Again sorry for the noob questions. Im learning so please go easy on me with the responses. Its great to have an excellent community of fellow EVO owners and some of ya'll really know this car inside and out.

 

we all learned at one point
stock blow off you wont hear, stock turbo spools around 3000-4000 rpm
if you want to hear it you will have to upgrade some parts
u want a boost gauge to see when and what boost you are at hopefully this helps u start

 

No need for a boost gauge, you can log it through the factory ECU. The stock turbo spools around 3,000-3,500 RPM. The factory BOV is muffled by the intake air box, get an aftermarket open-element intake and you'll be able to clearly hear it.

Have fun!

 

Step on the gas and you will feel it kick in at 3k rpm. You wont hear anything on a stock car.

A boost gauge and wideband are perfect first mods. A boost gauge is easy enough to install yourself. A wideband will either need a new pipe with a bung or have a shop weld one in the stock exhaust.

The car does have a BOV but like mentioned the stock air intake is pretty restrictive so you wont hear it. Get a short ram intake and you will hear it spool up clear as day. If you dont want to do anything just yet and want to still hear the BOV I think a more free flowing panel filter will work. HKS or Perrin maybe.

 

you'll hear the spool from 1800rpm up to 4k release the gas and you'll hear a soft pushhh sound with your window open .. pressure starts to build just under 2k .. if you have a boost gauge you'll see it go up 1psi 10 psi then hitting 3k-3500 you'll see 20-23ish also depends on your altitude. i'm pretty high up 1150M above sea level. then you'll also get boost all the way to 6kish then starts to reduce from say 23psi down to about 17.
like the others have said.. if you have a boost gauge you can see what your getting @ what rpm.. if you only have 13psi then you know you have a problem.. if you hit 30 on a compleatly stock car, then you have a problem.

you'll really notice if your crusing down the highway at 100km/hr in 5th or 6th gear in the mr.. mash the pedal... you'll feel the boost build then it'll take off

 

Thanks for the responses. Im pretty sure my car is functioning properly because its brand new first off. But also cause I do start to feel the acceleration as it approached 4k. But it is pretty quite turbo and BOV wise. All I really hear is the exhaust. As said though, I havent even gone over 4k but a few times and was still under 5k.

I know many people will argue their idea of breakin, but I'm just going to continue to fluctuate the rpms and slowly add higher rpms.

If I change the air intake I will hear the stock BOV better? Will I need to tune it afterwards if I change this?

Also, what is a wideband?

Man I have been trying to read and follow these threads but Im such a noob that it is like a different language to me.

 

lol if you look at my thing on the side there<-------- my daily time on here is crazyness lol i haven't had my car a full year yet and i've probbaly only read30% of the forums to date.. it's rediculus how much info there is.. i'm on here asking questions and trying to diagnose any issues ive been having my self.. lol i'm too cheap to take it to the dealer but also scared that i'll void my warranty lol knowing full well it's probbly void.. pictures of me grining ear to ear on the track is probbaly the kicker.. lol Anyways have fun with your car!
Keep reading.. tonnes to read.. probbaly 4 weeks of reading just in the stickies alone.

 

Ooh ps.. about the quiet turbo... For some reason.. when i put my car in to super sport rather than normal.. once the turbo is spinning.. say light to light down town.. you'll hear a Whirrrrrr Whirrrr whirrr every time you let off on the gas.. going like 30km/hr it's loud enough that people on the side walks usually look over. In Normal mode.. i never seem to hear the same sound.. and haven't really figure out why yet.. I've just assumed it's like the Volvo V70R i had where if your in Advanced mode it actually increses throttel responce, boost pressure and the firmness of the suspension. So i was thinking that s-sport mode upped the boost pressure, and throttel responce. But i really dont know as i pretty much always drive in super sport b/c somone was saying that the clutches grab harder so there's less chance of slip if you deside to gun it . (assuming you have an MR) i Cringe when i gun it in normal mode.. the shifts are so slow and sound like theres a lot of slippage.. and or rev matching going on..