I'm assuming the STi 5 ECU's OEM boost target is 1.1bar?


Here's the story...

Last week bought new STi 5. It's fitted with a 60mm electro-mechanical HKS boost gauge. Noticed boost was boosting perfectly to 1.1bar no problems. When got home realised that the boost gauge has two buttons and two lights.

Red light next to text reading "kg/cm^2" (I assume this lights when on +ve boost?)
Upper button: "SELECT"

Lower button: "WAR/RST"
Green light next to text reading "mmHg" (I assume this lights when in -ve vac?)

I randomly pressed these buttons to see what they did but didn't really pay attention, etc. Then lost interest and just left it.

Have been driving since happily enough. Went out tonight and noticed the gauge now only shows 0.8bar. But it defo still feels like 1.1bar - I have no reason to think it's boosting any lower. NOTE: This is the first time I've paid attention to the gauge, SINCE fiddling with those buttons on Thursday 17th! (day I got the car).

Have I done something to that boost gauge - does anyone know what that gauge's buttons/lights are for etc.? Can that gauge alter the boost target or something - hence now indicating only 0.8bar since the little fiddle lol?

 

I would have thought you would be the one person not to randomnly fiddle with stuff

The PDF file for these gauges seems to be missing off the HKS website so perhaps emailing them could get you some help

 

Indeed - I'm NORMALLY sensible when it comes to things I'm not sure of i.e. leave well alone lol. But my inquisitiveness got the better of me

I'm sure some other's have that gauge, so hopefully they'll enlighten me.

I'll post some pics up, showing the gauge's face/buttons/lights, in a bit.....

 

Found a pic of my gauge on the net:-

 

At a guess I would say green light is peak and the red light warning, when you press the buttons do the lights come on?

 

When I get into +ve boost, red light comes on. Doesn't seem to just happen at max boost ONLY.

I assume when in -ve vac, the green light's on - haven't checked that.

When engine's running and you press "SELECT" the needle moves to 0bar and remains static(ish) and green light comes on??? Press again and it goes back to indicating idling/light goes out, and will move relative to throttle inputs i.e. normal mode as you'd expect.

If you press and hold in the other lower "WAR/RST" button, it shoots to 0.6bar. Let go, and it goes back to normal ???

Without looking at a manual, I ain't gotta clue what these buttons and lights are for, and how to operate them for their respective functions.


Does anyone know the procedure to set the needle's target back to 1.1bar on this gauge?

 

Normal mode (idling happily away lol)




SELECT pressed (needle goes to 0bar and remains satic/green light on)




W1/RS1 (or whatever it reads) pressed and held (needle held at 0.6bar until button released)

 

Eurgh! I really need to cut me nails.

 

when your holding the button that is indicating were the warning is set to it can be adjusted mate.

 

Which one - the lower button (that's caused it to go to 0.6bar in the pic)?

How do I adjust it to get it to set to 1.1bar? Are you supposed to press it (to record the position) when you reach the desired boost level whilst driving? How am I supposed to "store" 1.1bar that way, if it's now only indicating a max of only 0.8bar anyway?

Or do either of those buttons rotate as well, so as to move the needle round to where you want the target to be? Help! lol

 

Surely there must be at least ONE other member out there that has this gauge and could help me?!..............

 

Joz you should try and get a hold of another gauge and see what it goes to. I dont think you can adjust the boost eith a gauge, probably a faulty gauge especially if it still feels like its goin well

 

Ironically, I will be getting rid of it reagrdless. I just want a simple mechanical one.

But in the meantime, I'd like to know how to operate this gauge's features, etc.

As said, I have no reason to think the car's not boosting to 1.1bar anyway, but wondering why it now says 0.8bar on the gauge since fiddling. I'm sure I can make it indicate 1.1bar again - just need to know how....

 

Joz, boost target on these, assuming standard ECU and anything over 62% throttle, is 1.08 bar from 2800-3300, and then tapering slowly down to 1.01 by 5400 - which then holds to the redline or whichever limiter intervenes first.

So sounds as though your gauge was reading okay, at least until you started playing with it.

And, instructions or not, how hard can it be to work out a device with two buttons?

 

Yeah, makes sense. That would explain the red "target boost light" coming on.


Totally - I'm 99% certain I've accidentally altered it.


Ha! Yeah, I'm noramlly fine with working out things w/o a manual etc.

But it's not obvious how/what these buttons do. As you well know, they can have dual modes/not be straightforward, etc.

I'll have a comprehensive fiddle when I get in (if I can stand the, literal, heat that is).

 

Joz: does HOLDING either button down make the needle move? Or holding one and repeatedly pressing the other? Holding one, then holding the other?

What I'm looking for is something like setting the warning on a Defi: if you've never done it, or read the manual, it's awful to do.

Also: look at the scales: the lower part of the scale, below 0 is in mmHg, (mm of mercury, like in a barometer), and runs back to -760, which is -1 bar.
The UPPER part of the scale, above 0, is already in bars. Looks like it's done like that for greater accuracy below zero boost, the scale is also longer.........

So I'm not sure,........well, no, in fact I AM pretty sure that the legend mmHg and bar doesn't refer to the buttons.

 

Joz: does HOLDING either button down make the needle move? Or holding one and repeatedly pressing the other? Holding one, then holding the other?

What I'm looking for is something like setting the warning on a Defi: if you've never done it, or read the manual, it's awful to do.

Also: look at the scales: the lower part of the scale, below 0 is in mmHg, (mm of mercury, like in a barometer), and runs back to -760, which is -1 bar.
The UPPER part of the scale, above 0, is already in bars. Looks like it's done like that for greater accuracy below zero boost, the scale is also longer.........

So I'm not sure,........well, no, in fact I AM pretty sure that the legend mmHg and bar doesn't refer to the buttons.

 

- Yeah, it's no doubt just coincidence the mmHg (for vac) and kg/cm^2 (for boost) are near those lights - as you say it's just representing the two parts of the scale, hence their positioning on the scale.


- Yeah, that how I reckon it'll work: hold one button in whilst repetedly pressing the other to get it increase the increments. Hope so anyway!


- alcazar, can you post a link to a PDF for your DEFI - it might point me in the right direction. Or explain in detail how you do it on your DEFI?

Any help here, will be gratefully rx.

 

Yes. see post # 7 for details ^^^

 

On the Defis, the alterations are done via the Control box.

You press "warn set", all the gauges go to their pre-set warning levels, all red LED's flash, and ONE of them flashes fast. You keep pressing "warn set" again until the fast flashing is on the gauge whose warning level you want to alter. You then press either up, or down, repeatedly, until it reaches the level you want. Leave the whole thing for another few seconds and the gauges go back to normal. The warning is now set for whichever gauge you did. You can do all, one after another, or just one or two.

 

* Just realised/sussed that the "SELECT" button toggles between "real time vac/boost" and "Peak Hold" modes (so nothing to do with "setting target boost warning level").


* So, I just need to know how you go about setting up the target boost warning feature?

As above, it currently moves to about 0.6bar when you press/hold in the "WAR/RST" button. Do you reckon I have to go hooning and press in the "WAR/RST" button when on full load/WOT to record/store max boost?!

 

Possibly, but it doesn't make sense for it to have to have the max stored like that. You could set it to whatever the car was producing, regardless of if it was a good level, or bad.

Have you tried an e-mail to HKS?
Defi USED to be pretty good but won't answer e-mails now

 

Car does produce the OEM 1.08bar max boost, as expected (as sussed out by using the gauge's Peak Hold feature ). So I want to set the warning target to exactly that. But currently the target only seems read up to 0.8bar.

I will email HKS, cheers.

 

You could ask Sumo as I think they are official HKS dealers.

Banny

 

Cheers.