I finally contracted the 30ff... Fixed with the help of MR-KRAKA

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Alright, I'm in need of help. I have the dreaded 30ff code now. Everything was fine and I had to take the car back to stock for PA emissions. Cats back on, unwire the ethanol on the dme and replace the 3.5 bar map sensor with the stock. Same thing I do every year.
Only difference from this year to other years is that I'm a beta tester for MHD and when the anti lag came out, I couldn't get past 9 lbs of boost after that update. I sent logs into MHD and ended up deleting my MHD and backloaded MHD on my phone to upload a new version. Worked great. Fast forward to today and I go back to a stock tune with MHD still applied. No boost. Tried a Stage 1 tune. No boost. So no boost and I've only made mechanical changes of swapping down pipes and cats. Electical changes are disconnecting the Motive FlexFuel and the 3.5 bar senson on the charge pipe.
I have a boost leak kit and pushed that until the oil cap was leaking air. No leaks. Not convinced, I bought a smoker and smoked the system. No leaks. I checked the inlets, all of the vacuum hoses, which were all replaced about 6 months ago, the boost solenoids are only 1 year old. I was convinced it was something with the tune. So I switched back to my custom tune yesterday with my cats still on and suddenly I could get up to 7 lbs of boost. Today I put the down pipes back on and again I have zero boost and the 30ff code if I get on it hard.
I'm not normally this dumbfounded, but I'm getting my ass kicked with this one.
Any thoughts?
Also, I've posted this exact text on a couple facebook pages, so if you see, It's just me being desperate...
 

Klos

New Member
Sep 4, 2022
8
0
0
Honestly seems like a tune issue. If you're getting boost on your custom tune but none on the other tunes, I'd say get your tuner to take a look and give you a stock map.
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Honestly seems like a tune issue. If you're getting boost on your custom tune but none on the other tunes, I'd say get your tuner to take a look and give you a stock map.
Unfortunately my original tuner BQ ghosted us two years ago. The plan was to get through this years emissions inspection and start over with a new tuner. I need to get it running first to start the process.
 

Klos

New Member
Sep 4, 2022
8
0
0
Unfortunately my original tuner BQ ghosted us two years ago. The plan was to get through this years emissions inspection and start over with a new tuner. I need to get it running first to start the process.
Find a new tuner and get him to do it. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
 

MR-KRAKA

Specialist
May 23, 2020
85
55
0
Vacuum test your WG actuators and make sure they move their full range by hand. DP clamp orientation can cause them to hang up. Don’t dismiss the boost solenoids either because they are newish. I just replaced a bad pierburg after 1.5 years. What is your actual wgdc% showing?
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Vacuum test your WG actuators and make sure they move their full range by hand. DP clamp orientation can cause them to hang up. Don’t dismiss the boost solenoids either because they are newish. I just replaced a bad pierburg after 1.5 years. What is your actual wgdc% showing?
I ordered new boost solenoids last evening. Just ran another smoke test using the connection to the bov. Took a bit, but the smoke came out of the dual cones eventually. This is definitely electrical or tuning.
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Vacuum test your WG actuators and make sure they move their full range by hand. DP clamp orientation can cause them to hang up. Don’t dismiss the boost solenoids either because they are newish. I just replaced a bad pierburg after 1.5 years. What is your actual wgdc% showing?
I gave the waste gates a visual and manual testing last night before puttng the down pipes back on again. Everthing looked and felt good. If the next process doesn't work, I'll be under the car again vacuum testing them. Tired of being under the car.....
 

MR-KRAKA

Specialist
May 23, 2020
85
55
0
You don’t need anything special to check or to get under the car at least for the rear. Just disconnect the vacuum lines from the top of the canisters and start the car after it’s been warmed up with the code cleared. Then while watching the rear actuator with a flashlight reconnect the vacuum line that goes to the rear solenoid. It should close immediately and easily. For the front (and rear) you should be able to hear the WG flap close if you listen closely.

If the WG’s moved freely and sealed ok with no DP’s definitely check the position of the clamps…
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Find a new tuner and get him to do it. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
That is where I'm at. I'd like Ken since he worked on the fogger, but I tried to use him 3 years ago when this started and he never responded to me. Went with BQ and he ghosted all of his clients. Really in need of a tuner that actually responds to thier clients..
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
You don’t need anything special to check or to get under the car at least for the rear. Just disconnect the vacuum lines from the top of the canisters and start the car after it’s been warmed up with the code cleared. Then while watching the rear actuator with a flashlight reconnect the vacuum line that goes to the rear solenoid. It should close immediately and easily. For the front (and rear) you should be able to hear the WG flap close if you listen closely.

If the WG’s moved freely and sealed ok with no DP’s definitely check the position of the clamps…
The nut heads on the v-clamps are definitely clear of the waste gate arms, front and rear.
You don’t need anything special to check or to get under the car at least for the rear. Just disconnect the vacuum lines from the top of the canisters and start the car after it’s been warmed up with the code cleared. Then while watching the rear actuator with a flashlight reconnect the vacuum line that goes to the rear solenoid. It should close immediately and easily. For the front (and rear) you should be able to hear the WG flap close if you listen closely.

If the WG’s moved freely and sealed ok with no DP’s definitely check the position of the clamps…
Okay, confused at first, but followed along. At least I think I did. I saw the wastegate line move about a 1/4" every time I connected the vacuum hose to the top of canister and then disconnected it.
 

MR-KRAKA

Specialist
May 23, 2020
85
55
0
Do you have rattle fix settings applied? To go one step further you could just put the full vacuum from the canister directly to the line to the actuator bypassing the solenoid to test for full stroke. Do not drive it that way! Idk the exact spec for it but the stroke is at least an inch if not more to close.
 
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wheela

Lieutenant
Jun 4, 2021
1,113
621
0
Twin Cities, MN
Ride
2015 e84 X1 35i Msport
Not sure how different the stroke is on n54 turbos, but for reference, I've got an ebay n55 turbo sitting on my bench, and the stroke from full open to fully closed was around 0.68". I fully closed it with vacuum, marked the rod with electrical tape, then let it open and measured how far the tape moved.
 

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Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Not sure how different the stroke is on n54 turbos, but for reference, I've got an ebay n55 turbo sitting on my bench, and the stroke from full open to fully closed was around 0.68". I fully closed it with vacuum, marked the rod with electrical tape, then let it open and measured how far the tape moved.
That looks the same as mine. The waste gates are tired at 111,000 miles but they are hanging on.
 
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Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
Do you have rattle fix settings applied? To go one step further you could just put the full vacuum from the canister directly to the line to the actuator bypassing the solenoid to test for full stroke. Do not drive it that way! Idk the exact spec for it but the stroke is at least an inch if not more to close.
Do you have rattle fix settings applied? To go one step further you could just put the full vacuum from the canister directly to the line to the actuator bypassing the solenoid to test for full stroke. Do not drive it that way! Idk the exact spec for it but the stroke is at least an inch if not more to close.
I do not.
 

Grunt

Private
Jul 30, 2019
28
6
0
Lancaster, P
Ride
2011 335is
I'm going to begin my testimonial now. I have adequate knowledge of this platform and I was stumped. Hence my post here looking for help. MR-KRAKA reached out to me and began offering insight and troubleshooting ideas. He offered to retune my car as it seemed it may have been a tuning issue causing my boost leak. from my trouble shooting. To be honest, I've never heard of Jeff, so I was hesitant, but I was desperate. I researched him on this site and he seemed knowledgeable with his posts and he was always trying to help someone out. He took a chance and sought me out figuring by my screen name here that I was a veteran, and he wanted to help. I am a Marine infantry and avionics CH53-E veteran. My original tuner BQ disappeared years ago and left myself and other N54 friends without help. I've contacted the major tuners that we see around here multiple times and they have never responded after I ask questions... Beyond annoying... But here comes the unknown benevolent one. He challenged me on the issue and helped me find the issue, which was a cheap amazon vacuum hose l used to replace the original lines. Get the braided hose folks and not the amazon cheap stuff...

Anyhow, his tunes are good AND he actually responds to text messages and emails. We're still dialing it in, but the car has never ran better than it has now and we're still going.

MR-KRAKA, look him up if you are tuning folks. (No I'm not getting paid for this endorsement. Just happy to have my car running good again.) It is hard to find good help these days.
 
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m3atloaf

New Member
May 18, 2018
5
0
0
Ride
335i
That looks the same as mine. The waste gates are tired at 111,000 miles but they are hanging on.
I use anti seize applied once a year on the areas around the wastegate where they pivot. My turbos at 135k miles are worn out but still boosting with out any rattles. I got 30ff a few years ago and found when vacuum is applied the waste gates would seize up. Being the cheap fuck I am I sprayed the waste gate area down with rust off then slathered on the anti seize paste. Surprisingly it works, when my turbos are not boosting I just brush on some more and work it into all the cracks. You can unclip the actuator rod from the waste gate and really work it in, but I advise trying it with out doing that as that clip is easily lost.
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