I need help knowing if this is a boost leake, if this is normal, or if the guage is going out on me. When it started gettin cold outside, the boost guage started to only read 10-12 psi. Then it got even colder out, in the teens, and the guage reads 5-7 psi. THen it will blow off in like the 9 vaccum range. I never noticed it doing that before. It seems like the 9 vaccum should actually be the 0. I took it into the dealership and they ran a diagnostics test i guess and they said it was all normal. They tried tellin me w/ the colder air the turbo is only able to push out the psi that it is reading, and once it gets warmer out again, that it should go back to being normal 14psi numbers.. What do you all think about this? Thanks for help

 

I'll try to give you some of the help with the knowing[8D].

It is normal for the car to give you a couple less psi in colder weather. Its boost is controlled by factors other than just air pressure, and compensates by dropping the pressure in the cold to keep targets the same. It is also normal, I hear, for the car to fall on its face a little in the higher rpm's when it's frigid out. 10-12 psi on the guage in cold weather on a stock srt-4 is perfectly normal, as well.

Now you said "it will blow off"...so tell us what is done to the car, it makes a difference.

What concerns me is the point where you said it reads 5-7. That is definitely low. Whether or not you have a boost leak being evidenced by this condition, you should check for leaks, almost all srt-s have at least a small one somewhere. At least make sure the 5 intercooler and air pipes around the turbo aren't leaking. The one below the turbo is notorius. You will probably find some missing power you never knew you had.

On the dealer -- Diagnostics schmianostics...tell them if it is making under 10 psi there is something amiss, whether simple(probably the case) or complicated. The cold could have also exascerbated a condition that was pre-existent, and just made it more noticable.

It could be a boost leak. It could be other things as well.

If it is making close to the same amount of power as it used to be at normal levels, at the 5-7 psi level, then you almost surely have a bad guage. They should replace it if that is the case. You would know if the power was down that much, for sure. under 10 on the guage is their guideline for replacement, by the way, I have heard. Ride them or get a better dealer woking on your car if that is the case.

 

All i have is mopar BOV, typhoon cold air... motor mount inserts and strut bar... none of that should make a difference i would think... I don't know what to do.. it seems like it is pointless going to go and argue w/ the dealership that there is something wrong... and i don't have the tools to look at it myself..haha.. seems like i'm **** outta luck at the moment.... thankx again for the info

 

With your setup, all of what I commented applies. I would stay away from that dealer myself. They obviously have no experience whatsoever with the srt-4 since a 31 year old unqualified tool like me can tell you more than they can about the car they sell. It is of utmost importance to get a dealer that is proficient with srt-4's, or at least WILLING to learn.

 

where does the boost guage needle sit when the car is off?....if its not at the bottom of the 0 bar then its off...my guage went out ...and it was due to the rain when my tires would start to spin my boost would spike and everytime it spiked my guage just went further off...now my guage sits at 10 on the vacc side when shut off...

 

Turns out it was the guage that was messed up. I got it replaced... but now i am still gettin only 10-12 psi. NOw that is normal for colder weather, am i correct?

 

yup...your good at 10-12psi...by the way did you have any mods on your car when you took it in for warranty service?

 

Yes.. I jus have a cold air intake, mopar BOV, dc front strut, motor mount inserts. That's it..haha... The dodge i went to was in my home town, and they were a younger crowd of guys... and i think me being in the military had somethin to do w/ them not makeing a big deal about haveing anything done to it... But yeah, i got away free of charge w/ the new guage and them putting it in and everything... Here's another question... On the intercooler pipe. The pipe where, if you are lookin at the front of the car, the pipe that is on the right side of the intercooler... Well i have a lil bit of oil on that pipe. It looks like it is commin out where the hard plastic piece is where the 2 sensers are. I noticed some oil around that area on the pipe closest to the engine... i figured it was normal..... it's not a significant amount to where it worried me... but i was jus wondering where it comes from.. I figured it was cuz of lack of turbo cool down.... my next investment is a turbo timer i guess...

 

that is normal its called blow by and the best fix is a good catch can...go to ebay and put catch can in the search box and you should be able to find a decent one...let me know if you need a quick how to..

 

Can you give me a quick how to on the catch can...? I am very limited on tools.. basically jus what i have in the trunk of my car... in 2 little tool boxes... Does it really make a difference? Is it bad if i don't have one?