Simons turbo troubles - Possible solution

[SimonC_Here]

Hmmm   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:  

Just out for a lunchtime jaunt, shopping trip and all of a sudden, no boost.
And the car wont rev properly, cuts off around 4000rpm and struggles to get any higher.

No CELs, and I can't see anything loose/detached in the engine bay although there is a loud hissing noise comming from the passenger side front of the engine. Somewhere near the fuel rail.

And the clutch is really toast now. When it was boosting at the start of the drive, I was at ~5000 rpm in third, doing about 40   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

HELP!

Simon

[markiii]

is the hissing when driving or stationary? can you smell any fuel?

[SimonC_Here]

I couldn't hear it when on the move over that exhaust   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  
I noticed it when parked, idling with my head stuck under the bonnet.

No, no noticable fuel smell

Simon

[aaronjb]

Loud hissing would be a giant boost leak.. My guesses would be (in order of probability):

The blanking cap on the pre-throttle vacuum nipple has ruptured/fallenoff/gone missing.
The throttle-body pipe has fallen off

It's hard to see in there, but with a torch you should be able to see both things.  For reference, here's a picture stolen from Bill (WTS) on SpyderChat (thanks Bill!):



The brass pipe top right should have a blanking cap on it - IIRC yours is a bit of pipe with a bolt in it, and two jubilee clips.

It's either that or the throttle body pipe has popped off - also hard to see, but easier than the above (I mean the main turbo->throttle body pipe).

[markiii]

I'm with aaron either the blanking plug on the Tb or the cap on teh intake manifold where the PCV hose connects

loose either and no boost

rev issue is probably that the air is being drawn in through those and not being metered by teh MAF

has teh clutch arrived yet?

[SimonC_Here]

Had the clutch for a while now.
Just popping out to have a look, the engine should have cooled down a bit.


Simon

[SimonC_Here]

My brass pipe has a black rubber nipple on it and the pipe from the chargecooler past the maf and into the throttle body is still well attached at all joins.

Is it safe to stick my hand back there with the engine running to see if I can feel where the ari is comming out?

Simon

[aaronjb]

Yep - aside from the odd sharp thing, there's nothing that'll electrocute you or anything back there..

[kanujunkie]

Is it safe to stick my hand back there with the engine running to see if I can feel where the ari is comming out?

you've got the kirks in right?

if so then yes, providing you dont wedge your hand in between the firewall and the engine as the block movement could crush your pinkies otherwise

[SimonC_Here]

Yes, I've got the Kirks fitted, and I'll take my tie off, I don't fancy that dangling in the wrong place.

Might have to wait until I get home though, I've got a shed load of things to fix here.

Simon

[SimonC_Here]

Can't find the leak if there is one  s:( s:(  
With the car cold, I couldn't hear anything, when it was hot at the end of the ride home, the noise was back but I still couldn't feel any leaks.

The boost gauge goes from -9 - -12 at cruise to -0.5 pretty sharpish when I put my foot down but stops there.

Still no smells in the engine bay.

Simon

[Anonymous]

Car won't refuse to rev if that blanking plug falls out and you'll still get boost, as that's bhow I ran my car for a few days before I realised something was wrong   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

It's got to be on the throttle body connection itself. Or at least back there somewhere, maybe off the chargecooler pipe.

[SimonC_Here]

After having my hands all over the back/top of the engine to see if I can find a leak, nothing  s:( s:( .
I don't understand what's wrong. I think I can hear the turbo going when I put my foot down, which I'm not doing a lot of incase I cook something, but it refuses to rev and go into boost.

The emanage interaction light is flashing yellow if that means anything?

Simon

[spit]

That interaction light is a complete mystery - I'm not sure that anyone has been able to rely on it for diagnostics  s:? :? s:?  

Just some thinking-out-loud ....

Was this a BOV-less install? If you've got one it could be a source of leak.

And its not always easy to spot a leak with a "larger" turbo when parked, as you're unlikely to hit boost even when revving the crackers off it.

Are you still carrying the stock TB intake pipe? The corrugated section can tear and leak under boost but show no signs that anything is wrong under normal conditions.

Actuator arm stuck open? (unlikely i guess)

[SimonC_Here]

That interaction light is a complete mystery - I'm not sure that anyone has been able to rely on it for diagnostics  s:? :? s:?  

Just some thinking-out-loud ....

Was this a BOV-less install? If you've got one it could be a source of leak.

No BOV.

And its not always easy to spot a leak with a "larger" turbo when parked, as you're unlikely to hit boost even when revving the crackers off it.

I could try running behind it?  s:) s:)

Are you still carrying the stock TB intake pipe? The corrugated section can tear and leak under boost but show no signs that anything is wrong under normal conditions.

No, it's metal with red samco hoses and some big spring clip things.
There is a very short bit of black piping which connects the intake to the throttle body but I can't feel or see any splits or damage.

Actuator arm stuck open? (unlikely i guess)

Funny you should say that. I was wondering how I could test that at standstill. Any ideas?

Simon

[spit]

Oh well thats my brain emptied!  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Funny you should say that. I was wondering how I could test that at standstill. Any ideas?

Grab it and jiggle it! - its tight but you should be lever the wastegate open by hand against the spring resistance of the actuator.

[kanujunkie]

The emanage interaction light is flashing yellow if that means anything?

That means nowt, when running they all do that

[SimonC_Here]

The actuator arm moves back and forward freely against spring pressure.  s:( s:(

Anything else I can push, prod, wiggle or just plain hit?

Simon

[SimonC_Here]

Humm after an evening Chez Aaron, the developments are...

Shed loads of oil in the intake piping and charge cooler barrel.
  s:x :x s:x  
MAF is dripping in the stuff so I'm not surprised it isn't running well.

After taking everything apart and cleaning it, drove back home and it's back to the same state.   s:( s:(  

So over to you guys; what next other than head vs wall?

Oh and Aaron, what was that website again? scs? csc?

Simon

[kanujunkie]

where the hells the oil come from?

not the turbo? bearing siezed and thats why no boost and limited power due restriction

[aaronjb]

Oh and Aaron, what was that website again? scs? csc?

 m http://www.sfsperformance.co.uk/ m


[edit] Stu - there's only one place the oil can be coming from, really, and that's the compressor housing.. I have a hard time believing the turbo has seized though, given the limited mileage that's on it - it's not impossible, I guess, and we didn't get as far as taking the intake pipe off and seeing if it still spins freely.

Simon did say it still sounded like it was spooling, too, but that there was a whistling (like a boost leak).  Damned if I can find anything that's fallen off or could be creating a leak, though (although there is a small tear in the hose that comes off the compressor housing, it doesn't seem to be all the way through the hose yet).  Unless it's a holed intake manifold - but then it would run like crap at idle too with all the unmetered air, and it doesn't seem to..

[ChrisGB]

Don't want to scaremonger, but oil on the MAF? That is pre compressor housing right? Are you running the engine breather into the system pre MAF? If so, you may have a blow by problem forcing oil up into the intake system. Seriously hope not, but compression ratios would be a thing to check.

Chris

[Anonymous]

I feel for you Simon, it's been one hell of path you have gone down.

I think it's time this was either moved to the maintenance section or at least start a new thread as there's some serious thread drift here.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[SteveJ]

Don't want to scaremonger, but oil on the MAF? That is pre compressor housing right? Are you running the engine breather into the system pre MAF? If so, you may have a blow by problem forcing oil up into the intake system. Seriously hope not, but compression ratios would be a thing to check.

Chris

If this is Mark's old Hass kit, then the MAF is post turbo, and all of the breathers go into the manifold post throttle body.

Only one place the oil can be coming from unfortunately and that is the turbo  s:( s:(

[SimonC_Here]

You're probably right, although it is still a performance problem! I've split it anyway.

Yeah the MAF is post turbo, and yep it is likely the oil is comming from the turbo it's self.

Anyone know how much a new turbo is  s:( s:(    s:scared: :scared: s:scared:  


Simon