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AEM Tru-boost questions & boost duty cycle

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Old 04-24-2009, 05:16 PM
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Default AEM Tru-boost questions & boost duty cycle

Ok I got this thing and I'm about to install it. Reading the instructions before I do I read something about scramble boost, what the hell is that? It says to hook it up to a grounded switch, okay umm where can I find one? Also would it be a necessary to hook up the alarm? And can someone explain to me what the boost duty cycle is. And if there is someone that has one how do you set it up (programming part of it)

I don't know if I can do this because it has been years since I read the forum rules but here is the manual for the boost controller
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Old 04-25-2009, 02:17 AM
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A grounded switch is simply an on/off switch with one side connected to your orange wire and the other connected to a good ground, like your frame or engine block. With the switch in the ON (Closed) position, the orange wire will have a connection to ground. With the switch OFF (Open) position, the orange wire will not be connected to ground and therefor not active.

The instructions say you do not have to hook up Orange (scramble) or Grey (alarm) for the thing to work.

It sounds to me like scramble boost is a way to set a brief (0-25.5 seconds) of overboost. I wouldn't play with this until you are comfortable with the normal operation.

Boost duty cycle is set from 10-90%, and is a measure of how much of the time per On/Off cycle of the boost-controlling solenoid the solenoid is Open (or ON). Let's say it cycles once per second. If it were open for a half second then closed for a half second, the duty cycle would be 50% (half the time on, half the time off). 10% would be open for a tenth of a second and closed for the other 9/10's of a second. But it usually pulses faster than once per second. Maybe something like 20 times per second. But the duty cycle still stays the same as the percentage of the time per cycle that the solenoid stays open. Higher duty cycle = more air can move through your solenoid.

For the programming, follow the charts very carefully on Page 7. It's all a combination of button pushes. Start with pushing both buttons and the gauge should respond with "PRG" to show that it has entered Program Mode. After that, the gauge will display the messages shown in parentheses after the commands on Page 7, like (A), or (b), or (UnI) or (SCb), etc. That shows you where you are in the programming tree.

Does that help?

Jim
Old 04-25-2009, 04:55 PM
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yes thank you, but the programming is still a little fuzzy to me. what do I really have to mess with to actually set it up for let's say 10#'s of boost.
Old 04-25-2009, 09:27 PM
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My tru boost is set at 72 duty cycle and it has a 6 lb spring in the wg and it equalls 10lbs of boost on the dyno and on the street under load it is more like 12 lbs of boost.
Old 04-25-2009, 11:25 PM
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so how does the math work out?
Old 04-25-2009, 11:36 PM
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Originally Posted by The Fugitive
so how does the math work out?
It never works out you just got to start with a conservative duty cycle and build from there. Just set your tru boost to duty cyle 40 and hit it and see what boost you will hit I know it won't go very high. Then start adding 4-5 to the duty cycle and your boost will slowly go higher in a safe increment.
Old 04-25-2009, 11:44 PM
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so in the program mode what do I do with the bar graph thing?

Last edited by The Fugitive; 04-25-2009 at 11:52 PM.
Old 04-26-2009, 01:26 AM
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I'd set the bar graph to about 5psi more than you expect to see. That way you can see if you are over your target. What boost do you want? What wastegate spring do you have? Did you have the car running before you got this thing?

Jim
Old 04-26-2009, 01:38 AM
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Originally Posted by DeltaT
I'd set the bar graph to about 5psi more than you expect to see. That way you can see if you are over your target. What boost do you want? What wastegate spring do you have? Did you have the car running before you got this thing?

Jim
not sure how can I check to know what kind of spring is in there? Actually I don't even know the size of the wastegate or bov. So I would just assume it is a 5# spring. I am not sure I think I may go with 8-10 psi figure I could do that to be safe with a stock LQ4. But I am getting engine and turbo installed at the same time.
Old 04-26-2009, 02:16 AM
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with a 9psi spring in my wastegate i could only make 7.6psi With my tru boost on 30% duty i made 9.4psi with the same wastegate spring
Old 04-26-2009, 02:27 AM
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does the type of turbo matter? I have a 67mm
Old 04-26-2009, 08:58 AM
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I asked all these same questions when I bought my AEM Tru-Boost and was told to RTFM (Read the f**king Manual). Nice, eh? At any rate what they are saying (now) is true as far as the target psi. You'd think it would be 'Read the PSI, if it is over what I want, start bleeding off the pressure'. But, at least with this one, if not all of them, that's not what happens.

You should,

a. Find out what spring you have in your Wastegate(usally has a paint stripe on it which denotes what PSI it is rated to be from the Wastegate manufacturer). Put in a 7 psi WG spring if you don't already have one.

b. Put your duty cycle low just like the prior fellow stated. If it exceeds your desired target, reduce the duty cycle value. If it's too low, bump up the designation. Take it for a drive. Repeat till the PSI delivered is what you want.



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