I am hoping some of you more experienced Aquamist users can help me out with intermittency issues I'm having with my HFS-1 kit.

I'm running the kit with a MAC valve, a Hallman MBC, and running 50/50 with a .8mm jet on the stock turbo.

I had set the WL and WH as instructed in the manual, but I was having the failsafe kick in during low RPM/full throttle pulls in 3rd gear. During these pulls I would notice that the failsafe would prevent the car from going over wastegate pressure until about 4000-4500 RPM.

To try and remedy this, I set the WL full counter-clockwise and the WH full clockwise - thereby setting the spray window as wide as possible. The flow bar is also registering 6/7 bars when it does spray. This seemed to have no real affect.

I cannot figure out any rhyme or reason to having the "B" stay on permanently - it goes out as soon as the ignition is turned off, and won't turn on until I do repeated pulls at high RPM in 3rd gear (high RPM pulls in 2nd gear wouldn't let it stay on). Often times, it extinguishes on it's own after doing a pull w/ the car still driving.

Basically - what can I do to keep the "B" on and stay on - while keeping the failsafe active?

 

where is your trigger point set at? i.e. at what boost pressure does the meth kick in at? and if it doesn't turn on at 11psi, try lowering the trigger point to below wastegate pressure and see if that remedys the problem (not that it is a good solution, but just trying to see if that helps).

 

what is the best way to tell where the kit is spraying now that I've changed around the AFRs?

 

anjapower - you don't want the "B" to be on all the time. The B turns on to indicate that the system is working properly and that the DDS3 is enabling high boost. This B should only be on while the system is activated and sensing that the flow is within the proper range.

It sounds to me like you had your WL point set a bit too high. Can you try returning the WL and WH points to where they were set before but try turning the WL point down two clicks.

to see when the kit is spraying you can watch your boost gauge while also seeing when the DDS3 starts to illuminate showing that meth is flowing.

If you have problems with the B not coming on while you are spooling up, this is most likely the WL setting. If the B comes on but then turns off once you start hitting high boost or high RPM's then this is most likely the WH setting.

 

dudical - I will keep in mind that the B should not be on all the time. It was just that the failsafe kicked in during spool-up everytime unless the B remained on after a pull.

I had set the WL full counter clockwise and the WH full clockwise - this should negate the issues with too limited of a window, no? Or should I be turning them the other way?

 

yes turning them both "out" will make this issue go away but it also defeats the purpose of having a failsafe. With both of the adjustments turned out your are pretty much disabling the failsafe. It may take a bit of time to set it properly but it is very important that you have the WL and WH adjustments set in order for the failsafe to work properly. leave the WH all the way out and slowly raise (clockwise) the WL untill you reach the point where it will no longer hit full boost. Then turn the WL back counter clockwise 2 clicks.

This will adjust your WL properly.

Then with the WL set you can slowly lower (counter) the WH adjustment. You will keep lowering it 2 clicks at a time until you start getting boost cut(from the DDS3) at high RPM in 4th or 5th gear. Once you get boost cut raise the WH 2 clicks and you are done.

 

See, that's the issue - with the WL at full counter clockwise and the WH at full clockwise, I was running wastegate pressure up until almost 4500 RPM...at which point it would go to MBC set boost. I could not get around the failsafe tripping unless the "B" stayed lit.

I knew that with the WL and WH "out" was effectively disabling the failsafe but was hoping to get around it for the purpose of tuning the car.

 

Sounds like you may have a faulty flow sensor but I really can't say for sure.

Do you have the ability to log the car (TPS, boost, RPM) and also log the DDS3 flow sensor voltage?
You can grab the yellow wire coming out of the flow sensor (sensor V on the DDS3 board) and this will be the voltage of the flow sensor. If you have LC-1 or zeitronix or even use a tactrix cable to log the ECU you can log sensor voltage.

This would be helpful in figuring out what exactly is going on.

Send a PM to Richard L of aquamist and send him a link to this thread so that we can get his input.

 

I am a bit puzzled. You are doing all the right things by dialling out the the WL and WH. The flow sensor seemed to be working fine registering ~6 bars.

The "B" led means the flow signal is inside the WL and WH. If WL and set to fully counter-clockwise, the B led will come on because it detected the 0.5V signal from the flow sensor at stand-by.

In order to miminse the confusion, wind on the WL trimmer 7-9 clicks from minimum until the B led goes out.

What mode do you use to triggering the system and where is the "trip adj" set to approximately.

I hope to be able to find your problem if you can tell me if the above DDS3 working conditions applies.

 

Richard - I'll drive the car again tonight and figure out at what boost level the kit is spraying.

To clear up one point of confusion - what is minimum? Full counter clockwise or full clockwise on the WL?

 

WL's minimum is fully counter clockwise

 

Thanks. In reply to your previous post, the kit is being triggered by IDC - I left the POT for the trigger point as is from when I received the kit. I'm guessing it's the 12% IDC, but don't know for sure.

 

Before retesting, please set the SC so that it register no more than 5-6 bars rather 6-7 bar, 8 is maximum.

Picture this in the voltage form:

- Flow sensor signal = 0 - 5V (0-8 bars full scale)
- WL = 0 - 2.5V (0-4 bars full scale)
- WH = 2.5V - 5V (4-8 bars full scale)
- SC = set the mid-point in the flow window.

We often advise setting the SC between 5-6 bars, allow a but more resolution on the WL span. Detecting lower than normal flow is more important than too much flow.

 

When you have a chance, pleae take a look where the "trip adj" pointer is.


Richard

 

dudical and richard, this issue with the WL adjustment knob being adjusted all the way counter clockwise and the B being on always (after the first spray), is and has been an issue with the first version of the junction box. its an issue with system in that once the meth starts spaying, the instant it starts flowing, its not quite enough for the B to go on, so it stalls at wastegate pressure (usually until higher RPM or sometimes never at all). with the HFS-5 it is easier to get past this, but the HFS-1 the best solution i have found is to trigger the meth on before wastegate pressure. this allows the meth to start flowing even if the failsafe is keeping boost off (wastegate pressure being the minimum boost), and with the meth having a split second to start flowing, allows it to get in the window before it goes over wastegate pressure. thus a seemless building of boost. with the old V8 boxes on the HFS-5 you had to have the WL adjustment all the way counter clockwise if you triggered the meth above wastegate pressure. it was the only way to keep the thing from tripping the failsafe.


i remember talking at length to richard about this when the first version was out and it was due to the timer being far to short before the failsafe "turns on" when the meth is flowing. and if i remember correctly he did that because the people here said 2 seconds was way to long of a "turn on" time. now since there is a V8a and a V9 junction box boards, what are the differences between these? i've noticed very different operation of the failsafes on the V9 boxes i just got last shipment.


anjapower: the trip adjust is the turn on point, and i don't adjust that for you. because it is highly car specific you'll have to adjust it to what works on your car (and in this case, i'm thinking turning it counter clockwise an hour or 2 might help)