VW MK7 IHI IS12/20/38 turbo wastegate actuator adjustment procedures/differences

Lots of confusion out there on this and how to do the 12/20 vs. the 38 which most info out there is about and is more straightforward to complete. Hopefully this is clear/helpful for folks!
Some good info in my build thread here:
golfmk7.com/fo...

[@elizabethweir727]

Thank you!!!! I like the part where you say "a lot of the info out there is for the 38"... Every single piece of info I've seen in like 5+ Google search rabbit holes has been for the 38. "Just set it, you idiot, it's so easy!" 🙄

[@karstgeo7290]

Great and glad this was helpful for you! I've been meaning to capture this in a white board video for some time so your question today motivated me over my morning coffee. Hopefully you can get it sorted out but yes, most people don't know this difference or how to actually do the 12/20. Good luck...when I had to adjust my 38 last year b/c it creeped out of range over time, I found a 10mm wrench and a small needle-nose vice-grips were useful and I tethered them to my wrist with some rope b/c I kept dropped them haha.

[@jjmedranojj]

Thank you for getting this information out there. Perfect!

[@a.fab.antonfabrication2717]

Explanation expert Good looking good sir

[@itschefff]

What if you run the IS38 actuator on the IS12 turbo?

[@iknutis]

I'm trying to do this on a Octavia 1.8TFSI, which is stock and have an IS12 if I'm correct. Key on/car not running, WG lower stop shows 4.489, WG actual is 4.473. Doing this because I had a shop change the actuator as the original one was faulty (broken motor), wg-flap moves freely. But they didn't have time to do the adjustment. I've tried adjusting it and reading the values for hours now, and can't seem to get it right. It also won't let me run adaptation (aborted for safety reasons) as long as the value isn't correct, so I don't understand why you have to do that for each adjustment?

[@Jens_Martin]

Is it possible to do the adjustment blindly, without obdeleven/vcds, and without doing the "First adaption of charge pressure actuator"? Like one turn each direction from where it was and so on, until the EPC engine light is gone?

[@karstgeo7290]

@Jens_Martin no. You have to calibrate the ecu to the WG's pos with the scan tool.

[@aysmen89]

Hello, i have a 1.8 TFSI GEN 3, so i think IS20 or I12 turbo.If i want to adjust actuator(P2563 error and voltage is 4.1 V) i can adjust the rod with the Ignition ON and VCDS connected to see the value in real time?or i need to adjust with IGNITION OFF , and after that IGNITION ON, connect VCDS, read value and repeat this steps until i reach a good V?Thanks

[@karstgeo7290]

With the 12 (which is what you have stock), you do the adjustment with the key on or off (doesn't matter) and have to do the adaptation then key on/off to recheck to see what your value ended up at.

[@aysmen89]

​​@@karstgeo7290Thanks for the answer...First time when i read for adjustemnt ofIS12.. it seems different .All what I read was described like IS38. So to see if I understand well for IS12. 1.Ignition ON, VCDS and read the value(mine now is ~4.4V) 2.Lose the 10 mm nut from the rod and to decrease the V do clockwise moves.After we imagin is OK we tight the 10 mm nut. 3.After adjustment , make a basic settings, and IGNITION OFF/ON to see the real value. 4.If the real value are not between 3.4-3.9 V , make again the setting on the rod(loose 10 mm nut and adjust) , basic seetings and IGNiTION ON/OFF. So in conclusion on IS12 I can not see the real data in time when I adjust the rod?to see the value need to make basic settings and IGNITION ON/OFF?

[@karstgeo7290]

@@aysmen89that is correct.

[@aysmen89]

@@karstgeo7290 thanks...it seems more hard on IS12 because you need to adjust on "hunch" , and after that tight the nut.make adjustment, IGNITION ON/OFF and check the value. 1.The adjustment need to do with a cold engine?i understood on cold the value is more precise. 2.on other sites I read the value need to be between 3.5+- 0.1V, it seems very complicate to achieve this.Your value 3.6-3.9 it seems more realistic.Mine is 4.4 V now..

[@karstgeo7290]

@@aysmen89 do it cold b/c the trubo is PITA to deal with hot.There is no need to be that precise, it's a range. The 3.6 that many tout is certainly fine but I was tracking mine at 4.0 without issue before I adjusted it (IS38). I think many have f'd this up b/c they are using the IS38 instructions.

[@Alex-ct1ef]

I need help finding the lower stop in the live data what is it fully called? Help

[@karstgeo7290]

Just search lower stop.

[@Alex-ct1ef]

@@karstgeo7290please help

[@aysmen89]

Hello after i adjust a IS12 with the voltage at 3.6V i can not do Basic Setings " Initial Adaptation of charge pressure actuator" ,i hear the noise of moving but at the end i recive the Message "Aborted For Safety Reason" on VCDS.I try to do the Basic Setings with Voltage from 3.4 V to 4.4 V but the same error.The car drive normally and no Error on VCDS.Any ideea how can i do a Basic Setings?I try also "Position check of end stop of charge air pressure actuator" and i can do with Succes after few atempts.

[@karstgeo7290]

How are checking your WG voltage? Doing what I show? Key on/car not running, WG lower stop should be ~3.4-4. WG actual will be ~2. If you have no errors, don't worry about it is my advice.

[@aysmen89]

​@@karstgeo7290 I chech with VCDS .With the Ignition ON engine not running and on idle engine running the same value ~3.65V on "Charge Air Pressure Control Valve Uncond Voltage Sensor" and also on the "Charge air pressure Aknowledgment". I don't have any value of 2 V, what i have close of 2 V is "Charge air pressure sensor:unconditioned voltage" which is 1.58V but this value was also before adjust the voltage from 4.4V to 3.65V. No error on VCDS ...the only issue is I can not perform a Basic settings.

[@karstgeo7290]

@@aysmen89 I think yours isen't adjusted correctly as the WG is open when idling and should read lower than 3.6 (~2). The only 3.6 should be the lower stop value.

[@austinsmith2127]

I have the exact same numbers as him and I also can’t run any adaptations with obd11 for safety reasons. But I have yet to get the real time value, I am only getting the set value of 1.58 door open obviously. Can’t get a read for anything higher due to the adaptations failing

[@aysmen89]

@@austinsmith2127 you solve?i will try to fiind a OBD11 to try basic settings, now i try only with VCDS.