I know there are plenty of people on here whom have upgraded their turbo, so when you do this, how does the car respond to the non computer controlled wastegate? I'm sure it throws all sorts of codes, so how do you get around all of that and use an after market wastegate with the larger turbo?

 

Any time you want to eliminate electronics tuning must be done, what turbo are you looking at and why doesn't it have an integral WG? All of the K03 K04 hybrids still use the stock wastegate which will still allow the use of the factory setup.

The WG is still vacuum actuated, but vacuum is directed via a conversion solenoid underneath the intake manifold.

 

I was just looking into getting something slightly larger in the future, but was wondering if there were any issues getting away from the electrical plug in the factory turbo.

 

You're talking about the recirculation valve in the compressor housing?

If you do anything different just install a Forge vent to air setup (which still uses factory electronic connections to control valve vacuum), no need to go to a vacuum/boost controlled setup, not to mention it may not fix in the space available.

 

Ok, sounds good, but if I were to replace my turbo, this entire DV setup will not be there anymore, correct?

 

Unless you are highly skilled in fabrication or have money to pay someone who is, sticking to a bolt on setup such as something from Owens or JMTC hybrid K04 setup is going to be your best bet and all of the offered turbos for the MINI have the same mounting location for the recirc valve.

 

Take it from someone who didn't use a "bolt-on" turbo --- me. Waste gate operation is ECU controlled via the valve nkfry mentions. The WG vacuum hoses are all still connected EXCEPT at the WG --- this is where my Manual Boost Controller is connected and the ECU is happy.

The Diverter Valve, or BOV was replaced with an external, manual BOV that is currently dumping to the world, not recirculating, or a "closed" system, altho it works either way. Note that with no BOV, you get a code when the BOV is expected to operate --- the ECU sees pressure when there shouldn't be any. And the electronics needs to see a "load" of some sort, so I connected a 12 ohm resistor to the connector, which satisfies the ECU --- no more codes.

It takes lotsa extra plumbing, some added learning experience for me, and really isn't worth the hassle. I did the conversion almost 5 years ago, before hybrids were readily available. The turbo isn't matched to the ECU and altho there's more than enough power, it isn't available in the most desirable RPM range. If I'm not careful on the hiway, I throw codes. I'm able to reset them without stopping, but it's a true PITA.

There's quite a few hybrids out there, including those from NAM vendors. Owens seems to be getting a lot of rave reviews, and Manic tunes to them quite well. Depending on your mod plans, you should talk with your local tuner before making the change. Make the right choice when upgrading and you'll be very satisfied.

 

^^^That's the kind of review I was looking for! So basically a hybrid setup is the best bang for the buck in the long run. The problem here is there is no tuners available in this area which keeps the Manic and in my case, Accessport tuners happy. lol. I think what I will do is go with a hybrid K04 setup and keep the ECU smiling. Is there a way to disable the downstream O2 sensor? I keep getting a code thrown due to not having a cat and apparently the AP I have does not have any tunes to delete the downstream 02.

 

I've read that there is hardware available to defeat the 2nd O2 sensor, but I have no info on who or where. As for your AP, I'm told by a Manic tuner that their "base" map can be your current AP map, then they have 3 more of their own. I'm currently making plans to get a Manic tune, even tho it's a 700+ mile, one-way drive.

My AP has this code defeated, but my map is a custom version, done on a dyno, almost 5 years ago. I don't know of any other active AP tuners. Ziptie Dynowerks in Salt Lake City was the last one I used, but they've been bought out. Maybe they can help.

Even tho there's no Manic tuners in your vicinity, they should be able to offer a solution over the phone or internet.