No Boost? Don't understand why?

Djag

Member
:
Mazdaspeed Protege 2003
Alright so I bought the vehicle not knowing what I was getting into but a good friend of mine told me that it is an amazing fun car. So I bought it and fell in love with it. The car ran perfectly for the first two months. For the last week though it has began to idle a little low then when my friend test drove it sunday it shot out a check engine light, and the boost was not kicking in, which it hasn't done. Before getting it checked him and my other friend both said the same thing in the parking lot, it is running really rich, and to get the spark plugs changed and maybe the coils. I did that and the check engine light turned off. BUT now my turbo is not kicking in at all, after I did the spark and coil changes I drove it and the turbo was hesitating for the first 4 miles like it was hitting a wall, I called my friend he said to not take it into boost and just drive it conservatively till we figure out what is going on. I Then drove it today and the turbo is not working at all. I'm driving conservatively but I just wanted to see if it might have been just a fluke but no it is just not zoom zooming... Any ideas on what it might be. After the spark and coil change the vehicle felt 100 times better too but the boost is just not going. Also I am not very knowledgable about cars want to begin to learn more about them but for this time just explain each aspect of possible problems that way I can at least have an idea. As far as I know though everything in the engine is stock nothing has been added. Please help!! I love this car so far and don't want to drive just another car but a fun vehicle. Thank you for anything y'all can help me with.
 
sounds like you may have a vacuum leak somewhere. vacuum leaks lead to little or no boost and poor idle. ALSO these cars run insanely rich from the factory, very poor tuning on these cars. i would start with checking all your piping especially if you still have the stock plastic piping. then all vac lines, wastegate make sure isnt shot, and that BPV isnt leaking.
 
Check the WGA by blowing into the vacuum line. Do you have a boost gauge? Did you properly gap the spark plugs before you installed them?
 
hmmm probably didn't gap them right. I'll check that tomorrow, and I bought the vehicle and the previous owner installed the gauge but it is just not connected so it is not reading anything. I do not know how to install it myself, is there any video that you know of that can show me how to do that. And I want to install a new exhaust, what all do I need to know about the MSP to do that and are there any specific brands i need to look at.
 
use the search button on the top right corner. youll found loads of info and How-To's for pretty much anything you need. a boost gauge install is pretty simple. need power and a good ground, and you can "T" off of a vacuum line off of the intake manifold as a good source to monitor vacuum and boost. which goes to the sensor for your boost gauge.
 
If your running the stock hot and cold pipes (post turbo/intercooler piping) check them for cracks as well as the nipples for the BPV (by pass valve between the 2 intercooler pipes)
 
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