Do you really need an electronic WASTEGATE?

Electronic wastegate vs pneumatic wastegate: which one do you actually need?

In this interview, Matt from Turbosmart explains when electronic wastegates make sense for drag racing and why most street and circuit cars are better off with a conventional pneumatic gate.

The discussion starts with why original equipment manufacturers moved to electronic wastegates for emissions control, exhaust back pressure management and integration with systems like exhaust gas recirculation and direct injection. From there, Matt shifts to the aftermarket focus on repeatability and reliability in drag racing, where consistent boost on the two step and in the first 60 feet can decide a race.

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You will see why the valve in a pneumatic gate is always moving on the limiter, how CO2 control extends boost range but introduces more failure points, and how an electronic wastegate can give you a fixed, repeatable valve position at launch without bottles, regulators or lines to worry about. Matt also covers cold side bleed strategies used in high end drag and Pro Mod cars, why that is not a good idea for most street cars, and what actually changes when you move boost control from the hot side to the intake.

Common questions covered: Is an electronic wastegate worth it? How much does an electronic wastegate cost? What is the difference between electronic and pneumatic wastegates? Can you run an electronic wastegate on a street car? Matt addresses all of these while explaining the current draw requirements, external driver modules, and ECU compatibility.

Finally, the conversation dives into the practical side of driving an electronic wastegate, including current draw, external driver modules, ECU limitations and why many manufacturers still recommend using a dedicated high power driver even when their ECUs can control the gate directly.

Technical specifications covered: 20-25 amp current draw, external high power driver requirements, exhaust gas recirculation integration, direct injection compatibility, Pro Mod cold side wastegate control.

Learn more about Turbosmart electronic wastegates.

Chapters:
0:00 - Is CO2 boost control still relevant?
0:25 - OEM electronic wastegate applications
1:01 - Aftermarket electronic wastegates
1:19 - When do you need an electronic wastegate?
1:45 - Electronic wastegates vs launch repeatability
2:30 - Why pneumatic gate valves move on two step
3:08 - CO2 boost control limitations
3:49 - Human error and race losses
4:00 - Additional electronic wastegate advantages
4:12 - The 10% use case for electronic wastegates
4:21 - Street and circuit racing applications
4:37 - Cold side wastegate strategy explained
5:28 - Pro Mod boost control methods
5:46 - Electronic wastegate current draw
6:38 - Why use an external driver?
7:28 - Turbosmart black box controller
8:06 - Thanks Matt

If you are trying to decide whether an electronic wastegate belongs on your car, this will help you understand when it is a genuine advantage and when a well set up pneumatic gate is still the right tool for the job.

💬 Running an electronic wastegate? Drop your setup in the comments.