Please forgive me if this has been answered already.I just bought an 2004 srt 4.I love the car,it runs good,and appears to be well cared for.Currently when I first start the car the boost gauge sits at -17 and when the car warms up it sets at -20.The car only gets to about 5 psi under full throttle.It is about 35 degrees in atlanta,but seems to me that it should be boosting more than it is.There are no mods done to the car at this time,and I have been running 93 octane.So,if there is a leak somewhere would the idiling boost pressure be less than what it is.Since I really dont know to much about turbos,about how much would a dodge dealer charge to do a boost leak test?Any info or links that can provide info would be greatly appreciated.

 

A dealership wont do a boost leak check for you, but it does sound like you have a boost leak. You will need to do one yourself or take to a shop that knows how to find them. You can make a boost leak detector for about $10 of Home Depot parts but will need a an aire compressor.
Number 1 performance killer are in fact boost leaks. Its a good idea to replace your worm gear clamps with Tbolt style to have a better seal.

 

If you do a little research, there is a chart that shows the most common sites of boost leaks......there was one posted a few years back in this section and as well on Google...

Dusty