BEW Turbo boost position sensor circuit low

CTD01

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Just picked up an 05 jetta 150k on it. It has code 18996 for turbo vane pos sensor circuit low. Code wont clear so I am thinking this is an electric problem vs mechanical problem. Car drives perfect actual boost and specified boost are spot on. Is the vane position sensor in the smart actuator itself? Any tips would be great! On a side note I put 250 miles on the car and it never went into limp mode
 

Vince Waldon

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Apr 25, 2009
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2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
95% of the time this error is caused by broken wires at the harness connector that plugs into the position sensor on the turbo actuator... they are tiny and like to flex and break as the engine vibrates.

Couple recent threads on this that may help if you search a bit... including part numbers for the replacement connector and repair wires, IIRC.
 

CTD01

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Yea I just checked the harness and the connectors. I rang the wires from the connector to the computer and all were fine. My connector was replaced not that long ago. Looks like I will be making a smart actuator.
 

Vince Waldon

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Apr 25, 2009
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
Another option, depending on your estimated repair costs, would be to have a tuner delete the need for the position sensor. Often done on performance tunes, particularly if the upgraded turbo doesn't have a position sensor.

Another thought I just had: "sensor low" sometimes means "sensor unpowered"... might be worth seeing if one of the three wires has 5V at it, and if not maybe there's a fuse upstream. Or hack in 5V from somewhere else.
 

CTD01

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I thought about deleting it but cheaper to put an actuator on from the vnt. According to schematic power is supplied by the ecm. I will run over the fuses in the morning tho. The actuator itself works fine and everything moves nice and free.
 

Vince Waldon

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Location
Edmonton AB Canada
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2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
I will run over the fuses in the morning tho.
Yeah, a specific fuse is a long shot and unlikely, but ya never know.

Perhaps at the very least good to confirm power and ground to the sensor if you're planning to repair/replace the original... otherwise you could do so only to find it's still not working because the actual issue is upstream.

Pretty sure I remember there being the usual brown ground wire on that harness, so continuity to it and ground will be easy... and then one of the two pins better be +5. :)
 
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CTD01

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Power and ground on the plug for the actuator. Looks like actuator is the culprit.
 

CTD01

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Im having a tune put in and having him eliminate the sensor while hes there.
 
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