EBC Issue
 

Finally got around to wiring up my EBC, and having a slight issue.

My actuator doesn't appear to be properly actuating. I was trying to tune my table, and my changes didn't have an effect on the boost levels. So I changed the entire table to 0 to see if it would hit WG boost level, and it was still going way past.

Turned off car and I set the bottom left cell in boost duty targets to 50 with the key on and listened to it and don't hear anything. I see the green Boost light in megatune turning on and off every 1/2 a second or so.

If I unplug the actuator, and plug it in, I hear it do it click, so I believe that is working.

Tested the voltage of the 12V+ souce using chasis as ground, worked fine, solid 12. Tested voltage on the connector (while BDT was set to 50), and still had 12 volts constant. Is that strange? I would think voltage would fluctuate with these settings.

Where shall I start my search? Is the megasquirt not properly changing the ground?

MSQ

The fet is grounding on the heatsink.

I had the same issue.

did you not follow that build update Jason?

Apparently not. I used brain's build off the super important MS threads. Link to the fix?

Nevermind, just remembered the thread about the megasquirts he built not working, it was in there.

thanks!

it works. but there needs to be an insulator placed under the FET.

the problem i was having was that the mod kits through diyautotune i bought, didnt provide the insulator, so one i didnt know, and two some had 100K ohm resistors and not 100 ohm.

if you built the circuit like in the how-to thread, you should be good, however you still need the insulator, which you can get at radioshacks....

Yeah that's what I obtained from the post. Leaving shortly for radioshack to go pick up the insulator. I didn't get one from DIY either when I purchased my mod kit...

I tested the resistors and the values were OK, so hopefully that isn't an additional issue. The grounding problem makes sense to me because of the voltage thing.

You can use scotch tape for the insulator.

The mica and the fet have the same diameter hole, if you are even a little bit scewed it will ground out. But the scotch tape, you can make the hole only as big as the nylon bolt.
SOOOOO. I just put scotch tape over the mica insulator and all problems solved. Did it for my coil driving fets too, those things would short out if you just lay a finger on them before.

yeah anything like that will work. electrical tape would be better.

but really they dont get hot...ive let one run at 50% dc for 25 minutes....cool to the touch.

Oh well, read it too late. Ended up just buying the RS one.

Works now! Thanks for the tip sam.

Such a newb.

Na, noobs don't follow directions.