Tuning: Configure Apexi AVC-R Boost Controller

Background

I thought this EBC was like other typical units, set the boost/duty and enjoy more hp... I learned that I was very wrong and wasted an hour on a dyno with oscillating boost issues and a clueless dyno operator unable to help me due to this incorrect mindset.

The obvious: I don't know your setup, and honestly nor do I want to. YOU know what turbos/fuel system/octane/blah blah blah you have in your configuration and should therefore choose your settings with appropriate care. You should make each adjustment in the SMALLEST INCREMENT POSSIBLE for the safety of your engine...and your ego.

Installation

RTFM

etc menu: I am assuming that you have the initial settings configured in the 'etc' menu, this includes both "Car Select" & "Gear Judge".

Tuning the Apexi AVC-R Boost Controller

Now we will begin with the initial configuration of the [B]Setting [A] & respectively. I recommend inputting all of the same settings for each mode prior to doing your initial drive.

For this How to I am going to use 1.00kg (~14.7psi) as the target boost level that we are working for. So let's begin... Shall we?

Boost/Duty: Set Boost to 1.00kg and Duty to 70% as your initial rough settings.

Ne-Point: Configure this for where your boost begins build. Example: on my vehicle I start at 3500rpm and go up in 500rpm increments.

F/B Speed: Turn each of these off X.

Learn-Gear: Turn each of these off X.

Start Duty: Set each of these to 0.

Now we begin to dial in the settings, take your car out to a stretch of highway and get to appropriate speed that you can open up 4th gear. Do a WOT run monitoring the boost levels, they may start too high (overshoot) or end up too low, however the key goal here is to watch what boost levels are being held to redline. If you are only seeing say 0.90kg then you need to increase your Duty percentage by 1% increments until you reach target boost. On the other end of the spectrum if you see too much boost holding through the RPM band, perhaps 1.10kg then you need to reduce the Duty percentage. The goal is to get 1.00kg holding throughout the RPM band even though you may have a boost spike or boost building slowly.

Once this is achieved we move on.

Go to F/B Speed and set each gear to 3 for your initial setting. You will be adjusting this for each gear respectively, so since you are on a highway I would begin with 2nd gear and work your way up. If the boost is unstable (oscillating) you want to lower this number, if you are experiencing boost drop then you will raise the number.

Start Duty is designed to either allow or minimize boost spiking per gear. If 4th gear boost is spiking to 1.10kg for example you can decrease the Start Duty to -2% as an arbitrary number and now it will only spike to 1.01kg, and respectively if the boost in a particular gear isn't reaching your desired boost level quickly you can increase the Start Duty percentage alleviate this issue

Turn Gear Learn to the on position for gears 2-5 leaving 1st gear off. The system will now begin learning/fine-tuning the duty percentages throughout each gear as you do wide open throttle runs. Once it has done this the 'Duty' level from the Boost/Duty Setting screen will change from the duty percentage you input to *** specifying it has learned the appropriate curve for your vehicle.

Congratulations, you have now graduated the 'I can tune my Apexi AVC-R school'. Now you can go through and configure a different boost level that you would like to toy with when you run into that special someone under 'Setting [B]' in the same manner.

As always happy tuning and keep pushing forward!

-Sean