Elec. Boost Control = CEL Lights?

[patrick11148]

I currently have a 2002 WRX Wagon. I bought this car used and the guy before did some work to it. He has put a new downpipe and exhaust, turbo timer, and a greddy profec b electronic boost controller.

I got the codes pulled and this is what came out:
P0244-OEM Brand: OBDII- The PCM has determined that the voltage signal for wastegate solenoid A is out of range for the current engine operating conditions.

P0420-OEM Brand: OBDII- The PCM has determined the catalyst system efficiency for bank 1 is below threshold for the current engine operating conditions.

P0420-OEM Brand: Domestic- Definition- Catalyst efficiency low-bank 1
Explanation- The oxygen sensors monitor the cat converters ability to store oxygen.
Probable causes: 1-Cat Converter defective (probably due to 2, 3, or 4)
2. engine misfire or running condition
3. large vacuum leak
4. engine oil leakage into exhaust-valve guide seals, piston rings.


so the car drives really well except for the problem which occurs on the highway mostly. When i am in 3rd 4th or 5th gear. a scenario like when i try to pass someone, i push down the gas and the car goes, the boost gauge shoots up really high and then i lose all power. if i ease on the gas and accelerate slower it doesnt happen.

so how do i get rid of the CEL lights and eliminate the loss of power problem on the highway?

THANKS GUYS! sorry bout the long copy-paste of the codes

[bigbadbuddha]

First off remove that EBC. If you are not tuned for it you could do some serious damage. How many PSI are you boosting to.... If you have not tuned it to the boost your EBC is producing you may be running lean at higher boosts. as well the timing needs to be adjusted. I'd dump the boost controller and run some form of engine management instead. Be it Cobb Ecutek or open source.
Good Luck

[patrick11148]

so what happens if i just turn the EBC off? do i have to go in there and physically take everything out? so i was really thinking about getting some EM but im kinda poor right now, what would be the cheapest and best way to do that? would it be better to do just the EM without the EBC or do both?

[THR3E11EVEN]

It sounds like you have boost spike. you def need to tune it. OpenSource is probably gonna be the cheapest. You can get a Tactrix cable for around $75 and use Enginuity.com...
but if you don't know what you're doing I wouldn't recommend doing it all by yourself.
and def. ditch the boost controller.

[patrick11148]

cool cool. are there any other opinions on what might be happening? and would boost spike cause those kinds of CEL to show up?

also, i really have no clue what i would be doing if i did the EM stuff myself with enginuity. how would i find someone around my area that know what they are doing so they could possibly help me out? (i live in tucson arizona)... i would be willing to pay them if it came down to it, to just kinda show/teach me some stuff about my car.

[patrick11148]

about the psi. im really not sure ### my boost gauge is in some other kind of units (MPa) but it hits really high, past .1 and almost to .15 which is the last marker on the gauge. probably around .12 im guessing