Boost Controller Manual

N2MB Racing, LLC. 2009

N2MB RACING

ELECTRONIC BOOST CONTROLLER INSTALLATION AND USER MANUAL

WWW.N2MB.COM

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F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E O R F O R S U P P O R T C O N T A C T U S A T

[email protected]

PLEASE REVIEW THIS MANUAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING INSTALLATION. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTION REGARDING INSTALLATION PLEASE CONTACT US VIA EMAIL AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS

Solder all joints. The N2MB recommended soldering method is available at http://www.n2mb.com. Use a multimeter to verify all wires before they are cut or tapped into. The colors of wires from model year to model year may differ, and may be different on your car from those described in these instructions. Where discrepancies are known, they are described, but there may be more discrepancies than those listed. The best way to know that you have the right wire is to check the connectivity to the ECU and/or sensor at the pins described. In these instructions, pictures include other aftermarket alterations in addition to the N2MB ELECTRONIC BOOST CONTROLLER. N2MB is not affiliated with these devices. In addition, if you see something that isn’t in your vehicle, don’t worry. Route wires in the manner that you want them to lie permanently before connecting them. Cut wires to length before soldering; avoid coiling wires of excessive length as they can cause noise in the circuit, altering the operation of the WOT Box. Spending some extra time here will enhance the aesthetics of the install. Zip ties are included to secure the wires away from heat, moving parts, sharp edges, or anything else that can damage the wires.

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N2MB Racing Limited Warranty N2MB Racing warrants that all of its products are free from defects in material and

workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of purchase. If an N2MB product is

found to be defective within this period, N2MB Racing will repair or replace the

product. The choice between these two methods of remedy is made at the sole

discretion of N2MB Racing. This shall constitute the sole remedy of the purchaser and

the sole liability of N2MB Racing to the extent permitted by law. This warranty is

exclusive and in lieu of all other warranties or representations whether expressed or

implied. This warranty is limited to the repair or replacement of the N2MB Racing

product, and shall never exceed the purchase price of the N2MB Racing product.

N2MB shall not be responsible for special or consequential damage or costs incurred as

a result of the failure or use of the N2MB Racing Product except as required by law.

Unauthorized alteration or repair of N2MB Racing products will void this warranty if

the alteration or repair is found to have caused the N2MB Racing product to fail. In the

event that a product is warranted, the purchaser shall be responsible for any and all

shipping costs. N2MB Racing reserves the right to improve its products at any time and

is at no time responsible for exchange or upgrade of products that were manufactured

previously.

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

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Wiring Diagram

Chapter

1


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Connecting the boost controller to power (RED 16 GAUGE of the RED / BLACK PAIR)

Remove the two mounting screws for the fuse panel as shown in the picture

Pull the fuse panel outward to reveal the backside of the fuse panel

Locate the blue wires (wiper circuit ) in cavity #12

Split the RED / BLACK paired wire and route the red 16 gauge wire from the boost controller harness to this location and splice it into the blue wire and shown in the next picture


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Using supplied shrink tubing splice the power wire in and reinstall the fuse panel

GROUND INSTALLATION (BLACK SINGLE 18 GAUGE WIRE)

USING THE SUPPLIED GROUND LUG ROUTE THE BLACK 18 GAUGE WIRE TO THIS LOCATION AND GROUND IT AS SHOWN IN THE ABOVE PICTURE. The 18 AWG BLACK wire is the SINGLE BLACK wire in the harness. It is NOT the BLACK wire from the RED / BLACK pair.


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OBD CONNECTION (YELLOW WIRE)

RELEASE THE DATA LINK CONNECTOR BY PUSHING IN THE TABS LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE DATA LINK CONNECTOR

RUN THE YELLOW WIRE FROM THE BOOST CONTROLLER HARNESS TO THIS LOCATION AND SPLICE IT INTO THE VIOLET/YELLOW WIRE.COVER THE WIRE WITH THE SUPPLIED SHRINK TUBING AND REINSTALL CONNECTOR INTO ITS MOUNTING POSITION


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ROUTE THE BLACK WIRE OF THE RED / BLACK PAIR AND THE BLUE WIRE THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND INTO THE ENGINE BAY

USING A LONG SCREWDRIVER OR AN OLD ANTENNA POKE A HOLE THROUGH THE GROMMET AT THE FIREWALL AS SHOW IN THE PICTURE AND TAPE THE BLACK 16 GAUGE, BLUE AND GREEN WIRES FROM THE BOOST CONTROLLER HARNESS AND PULL IT THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND INTO THE ENGINE BAY AS SHOWN.


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CONNECTING THE TIP SENSOR (BLUE WIRE)

LOCATE THE Throttle Inlet Pressure (TIP) sensor CONNECTOR WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE driver’s side fender, near the fuse box AS SHOWN IN THE PIC ABOVE.

ROUTE THE BLUE WIRE FROM THE ELECTRONIC BOOST CONTROLLER TO THIS LOCATION


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SPLICE THE BLUE WIRE FROM THE BOOST CONTROLLER HARNESS TO Pin

1 OF THE TIP Sensor CONNECTOR WHICH IS THE LIGHT BLUE WIRE.THIS IS THE TIP SIGNAL WIRE.

BE SURE TO SOLDER AND SHRINK TUBE ANY EXPOSED WIRING

CONNECTING THE BOOST CONTROL SOLENOID (BLACK 16 GAUGE WIRE FROM THE RED / BLACK PAIR)

Run the black 16 gauge wire from the paired red/black wires from the boost controller to this location. Cut the two solenoid wires as shown in the picture. The black wire will be connected to a suitable ground location (battery ground will work best) .Use the supplied ground lug for this wire. Splice the black 16 gauge wire to blue wire on the boost solenoid.

Using the supplied resistor wire the cut ends of the stock boost solenoid wiring and connect the resistor inline to those two wires. This will eliminate a check engine light from the stock solenoid being unplugged from the pcm..


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CONNECTING THE MAP SIGNAL INPUT (GREEN WIRE)

Route the boost controller harness green wire to the location shown in this picture and solder it to the green with orange tracer wire at the map sensor. This will be the map input to the boost controller


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SPECIAL NOTES:

If you are using a stock 2.25 bar MAP sensor, the boost controller will only be able to control boost up to about 18, while still allowing the overboost protection to function at 19 psi.

If you use a 3 bar MAP sensor, then you will be able to boost up about 27 psi if you set the overboost protection to 29 psi.

You can wire in an aftermarket pressure sensor if you do not want to upgrade to a 3 bar MAP sensor or want to boost above 27 psi. The GM 3 bar sensor is a good option. 3.5 bar and 5 bar sensors are also available. Visit www.n2mb.com for more details.

Refer to the specific documentation that comes with your aftermarket pressure sensor for more details. Most pressure sensors work off a 5V reference and can be wired as follows. You can tap into the 5V power and ground at the stock MAP or TIP sensors and run these wires to the 5V and ground wires of the aftermarket sensor. The 3rd wire of the pressure sensor can be connected to the GREEN Boost Box wire. Run a vacuum line from the manifold to the aftermarket sensor. Be sure to adjust the Boost Box settings to match the sensor you are using.

PLUMBING THE WASTEGATE

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NOTE:

The vacuum routing for the Boost Box is slightly different from the stock configuration. The RED line from the TIP solenoid needs to be removed from the throttle inlet and tee’d into the WGA control line. See the following directions for more information.

Review the vacuum diagrams in the following section before starting this part of the installation. There are diagrams available for most common turbo setups. Contact [email protected] if your setup is different.

1. Disconnect the stock RED vacuum line from the throttle inlet. Cap off the nipple on the throttle inlet to prevent boost leaks. Remove the stock rubber boot from the RED vacuum line. Leave the other end of the RED vacuum line connected to the TIP solenoid.

2. Route the RED vacuum line through the conduit towards the turbo as shown below.

Chapter

2


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3. Connect the end of the RED vacuum line to a short length of 3/16” vacuum hose. Zip tie the connection to prevent leaks. Do not zip tie the connection with too much force or you may crush

the line.

4. Pull the slack out of the line. You may want to zip tie the connections at the TIP solenoid and WGA solenoid as shown below since they leak a small amount. Be careful if you zip tie these since the barbs on the solenoids may break if you pull too hard on the zip tie!

5. Using a short length of ¼” vacuum line, connect a brass ¼ x 3/16 x ¼ vacuum T inline with the WGA control line as shown below. Connect the 3/16” vacuum line that you connected to the RED line to the middle 3/16” barb. Zip tie all connections to prevent leaks.

To TIP Solenoid RED Line

To WGA Solenoid


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Figure P-1: Plumbing Diagram for: Internal Wastegate Stock Wastegate Actuator Solenoid

To TIP Sensor


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Figure P-2: Plumbing Diagram for: Internal Wastegate Aftermarket Wastegate Actuator Solenoid

To TIP Sensor


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Figure P-3: Plumbing Diagram for: External Wastegate Stock Wastegate Actuator Solenoid

To TIP Sensor


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Figure P-4: Plumbing Diagram for: External Wastegate Aftermarket Wastegate Actuator Solenoid

To TIP Sensor

TUNING THE BOOST BOX

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NOTE:

TUNING ANY ELECTRONIC BOOST CONTROLLER (EBC) IS NOT A TRIVIAL TASK. IMPROPER TUNING OF AN EBC CAN LEAD TO ENGINE DAMAGE. N2MB RACING RECOMMENDS THAT THE TUNING PORTION OF THIS INSTALLATION BE DONE BY A PROFESSONAL TUNER. IF YOU CHOOSE TO TUNE THE BOOST BOX YOURSELF BELOW ARE SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW. N2MB RACING ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM IMPROPER EBC TUNING. SEE THE N2MB RACING LIMITED WARRANTY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

NEVER ATTEMPT TO ADJUST BOOST BOX SETTINGS WHILE DRIVING! ALWAYS HAVE A PASSENGER ADJUST SETTINGS WHILE TUNING THE BOOST BOX FOR SAFETY.

1. If you were previously controlling boost using a direct line from the turbo to the WGA, you

will need to reduce the WGA preload. Even if you have previously had a different setup, you may still need to reduce the preload on your waste gate actuator to be able to make low boost in 1st gear. To do this, unplug the Boost Box from the wiring harness. Take the car out for some pulls in 3rd or 4th gear. Note the boost it makes and reduce the preload on the WGA or change the WG spring until the boost level stabilizes on approximately the boost level you want for 1st gear or slightly less. For most vehicles, this is about 7 psi.

2. Next, reconnect the Boost Box to the wiring harness.

3. Before connecting the USB to serial adapter to your computer, make sure you have installed

the drivers. The drivers are available on our website at: http://www.n2mb.com/wotboxsoftware

4. Download the latest version of the Boost Box software from our website at:

http://www.n2mb.com/boostboxsoftware

Chapter

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5. If the software does not start, you may need to install the Microsoft .NET framework. This is available on our website as well at: http://www.n2mb.com/wotboxsoftware

6. Next, start the boost box software without the USB to serial adapter connected to the

computer. Note the COM ports listed under the pull down menu. The proper port will not be any of these. Close the software.

7. Plug in the USB to serial adapter to the Boost Box and the computer and turn the key on in

the car. You will not need to start the engine. The LED should illuminate on the Boost Box.

8. Open the software and select the new COM port from the list.

9. Click the “Read” button. If the software on the Boost Box is older than the software you are using, you will need to upgrade to that software. Click “Reset Firmware” under the options menu. Once the software upgrade is complete, click “Read” again.

10. Now that you are connected to the Boost Box, the first setup step is to select the MAP

sensor you are using.

11. Configure the MAP Sensor Type: If your car is stock, select “2.25 Bar” under the “MAP Sensor” menu. If you have MOPAR Stage 2 or Stage 3, select “3.0 Bar”. If you have an aftermarket pressure sensor, select the appropriate setting to match the sensor.

12. Configure the TIP Sensor Type: If your car is stock, select “2.25 Bar” under the “TIP

Sensor” menu. If you have MOPAR Stage 2 or Stage 3, select “3.0 Bar”. If you have an aftermarket pressure sensor, select the appropriate setting to match the sensor.

13. Click write. After you have selected the correct MAP sensor, click the “Write” button.

14. After the settings are programmed, another read will occur. Note the values in the “Vehicle

Snapshot” box in the lower left corner of the program. There are two MAP sensor values. Their values should roughly agree and they should read approximately 0 psi with the engine not running. The TIP sensor value should also read approximately 0 psi. If not, stop and check your MAP and TIP sensor configuration. If either sensor reads -14.7 psi, then check the wire connection for that sensor. It may not be connected.

15. Similarly, the RPM and MPH should read 0 with the engine not running. Lastly, the TPS

voltage should read about 0 V with the gas pedal up.

16. With the engine still off, press the gas pedal to the floor. Click “Read” on the software again. The TPS voltage should now read about 2.7 V. If not, check the OBD connection. For cars with AEM EMS, you may need to add a connection in your AEM harness between the TPS sensor and the stock PCM or disable the TPS input. Contact [email protected] for more information. Release the gas and start the engine.


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17. Start the engine. With the engine idling, click “Read” again. The RPM box should show the engine idle RPM. The two MAP sensor boxes should roughly agree again, but now their values should read about -10 PSI. The TIP sensor box should still read approximately 0 psi.

18. If all of these values read correctly, then you have connected the MAP, TIP and OBD connections correctly. Proceed to the next step.

19. Set the Overboost Pressure: If the boost reaches this level, the Boost Box will cut the output to 0%, resulting in minimum boost. The boost will be reset when you lift your foot off the gas. Set this value to the maximum safe boost your car is capable of. It should be about 2 psi higher than the highest boost you want to hold to account for quick spikes. Note: The highest this value can be is about 19 psi when using the 2.25 bar sensor.

20. Set the Spring pressure (PSI): This is your spring pressure, i.e. the pressure your car makes

on spring control alone. If you don't know this you can follow the instructions in step 1 of this section to learn it or you can take a guess, because it will be learned for you. But, AIM HIGH. Higher spring pressure = lower boost, lower spring pressure = higher boost. If you are way off on the boost, adjust this accordingly until the boost is close. Example: If you are 4 psi too low on your first pull, decrease this number by 4 psi and try again. The spring pressure may end up 2-3 psi lower than your actual spring pressure. This is normal.

21. Set the Boost Setpoints for each gear: The Boost Box will attempt to reach these targets when in the selected gear. Note: The highest boost you will be able to hold with the 2.25 bar sensor is about 18 psi.

22. Click write. Once you have configured all your desired settings, click the “Write” button. You are done with the required settings! Enjoy!

23. (Optional) Adjust the TPS Threshold (V): Default value: 2.3 volts. – This is the point at which your boost control starts. If set properly, it can eliminate part throttle boost! Note that the TPS value is lower than you might expect. That is OK. To confirm that the threshold is right for your car, click read with the engine not running and the throttle floored. The vehicle snapshot will display about 2.9V or so. I recommend setting the TPS Threshold about 0.5 - 0.6 volts lower than this to make sure that you are in WOT. Raise this if you are still getting PTB. Lower it to start making boost at a lower TPS threshold.

24. (Optional) Configure the Learning Range (PSI): Default value: 3 PSI. When your boost is

within this number of psi of the target pressure, the learning is enabled. For example, if the boost is set to 15 psi, once the manifold pressure reaches 12 psi, the learning will be enabled. This will make small adjustments to the boost and spring pressure to learn and stabilize the boost. Increase this range to allow more learning over a wider range, decrease this range to decrease overshoot. 3 psi is probably a good value here. Increasing this value will increase boost overshoot. Reduce this value if your boost is correct, but has too much overshoot.


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25. (Optional) Adjust the gain: Default value: 2. The gain controls the rate at which steady boost errors are eliminated. HIGHER NUMBERS PRODUCE MORE GAIN AND LOWER NUMBERS PRODUCE LESS GAIN. Decrease this value to reduce boost overshoot and oscillations. Increase this value to speed up the rate at which boost errors are eliminated and to increase the boost held to redline. Set this value to 0 to completely disable learning for troubleshooting. Email [email protected] for more information about this option.

Tuning high boost setups If you are not able to dial in the boost you want because you are aiming for a very high boost level (> ~25-30 psi) in the upper gears with a low boost level (~10 psi) in the lower gears, try the manual tuning method below. Gain: 0 Spring pressure: 0 1st Gear: 0 As shown below:

This will give you spring pressure only in 1st gear. Next, setup gears 2-5. The boost setting you put in will be ADDED to your spring pressure. For the example setup above, if you have a 10 psi spring, you would get the following boost: 1st gear: 10 psi 2nd gear: 17 psi 3rd - 5th gear: 25 psi


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The boost may be slightly lower than you expect, especially at high settings. If that happens, just keep increasing the boost setpoint for that gear until you get the boost you want. For example, if after setting the above screenshot, you did a pull in 4th gear and only made 23 psi, then you should increase 4th gear to 17 psi so that you will get 25 psi.

Troubleshooting What to do if: I have no boost or spring pressure only. Check your vacuum connections on the solenoid and recheck the power to the solenoid. Verify all the settings in the software as detailed above. The boost will not go low enough. Check your minimum spring pressure as described above in Step 1. You may need to adjust your waste gate actuator to be able to make less boost. The boost is higher than the spring pressure, but does not reach my targets after several pulls. If the boost is outside of the learning range, you can manually adjust the spring pressure until it is within the range. If the boost is too low, decrease the spring pressure by an equal amount. If the boost is too high, increase the spring pressure. Example: If you are 4 psi too low on your first pull, decrease this number by 4 psi and try again. The spring pressure may end up 2-3 psi lower than your actual spring pressure. This is normal. I keep hitting the overboost and the boost shuts down. Check the spring pressure. It may need to be raised. However, each time you hit the overboost, the spring pressure will automatically be raised for you so that on the next boost it will be closer to your target. Also, check your map and tip sensor readings and setup as described above.


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FAQ Q. Isn’t the TIP the white line? I don't have a red line. A. See the vacuum diagrams in chapter 2. The white line goes from the TIP sensor to the TIP solenoid. The red line goes from the TIP solenoid to the intake. We recommend using the red line from the solenoid to connect to the WGA. You can connect a vacuum line directly from the TIP sensor to the WGA, but if you do that, the PCM will not be able to make measurements of barometric pressure. The PCM uses the tip solenoid to occasionally make measurements of barometric pressure. If you remove that solenoid and directly connect the WGA line to the TIP sensor, the PCM will lose that ability. We believe that the PCM does use the barometric pressure measurement for some of the fueling tables. It is probably safer to leave the TIP solenoid connected. Q. Do I need to adjust my waste gate back to stock or leave it where it is? A. You need to lower the WGA preload to the minimum boost you want to run. Keep adjusting it down until it makes the minimum boost you want at any point. It won't be able to go lower than this. It can go higher, but only by so much. Therefore don't make it too much lower than the minimum boost you need. See Step 1 in Chapter 3. Q. Does it come with instructions? Yes. You are reading them. Q. Do I need to get the Mopar 3 bar map sensor? A. If you want to boost above 18 psi, you will need a 3 bar MAP sensor or higher. It does not need to be the Mopar sensor. You can get a GM 3 bar or a generic 3.5 bar, 4 bar or 5 bar sensor from our website. Q. Do I need to upgrade the TIP sensor as well? A. You don't need to upgrade the TIP sensor unless you plan on running a spring pressure higher than 17 psi. Most people will not need that much spring pressure. Otherwise, it can remain at 2.25 bar since that will only measure gate pressure. Q. Does the car need to be on PCM controlled boost? Will the PCM learn the boost and pull the boost back? A. No, the Boost Box is an electronic boost controller. It will completely take away control of the boost from the PCM. You will be able to set any boost that you want, just as you would with any other electronic or manual boost controller.

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Boost Controller Manual