Turbo problems

Some months ago when I had no turbo, I replaced the three vacuum control modules and the all the vacuum tubing with silicone. My turbo came back.
Details here

But about three weeks ago, it became intermittent. It would generally work after a 15 minute interstate drive. Today I had the time to run vacuum hose through the firewall (nice grommet at about 10AM position next to the brake booster) and attach a mighty vac.The vacuum pump is working well, pulling 25+". What I did find puzzling is this: I tapped into the vacuum line to the turbo actuator. When the turbo was working somewhat (but not really well), it would show 6-7"...and blip ever so briefly down when I shifted. It showed that vacuum regardless of whether I was 'getting on it'. Then at some indeterminate period, the vacuum would disappear (go to 0) and the turbo would be gone again. I turned off the 'ignition' at a red light, turned in back on when the light went green, a minute or two...and the 6" vacuum was back.
Going down the road a ways, it was gone again.
When I got home, I lifted the hood and connected the mighty vac directly to the actuator line...but when I pumped it, I couldn't pull a vacuum, it stayed at 0.


Suggestions? I thought I was supposed to be able to pull a vacuum on the actuator line and have it only very slowly loose vac, but I couldn't pull one at all.....


Also: I have to wonder if the vacuum system is either:

• pulling in crud somewhere and clogging something OR
• when the engine is shutdown and the vacuum ends, could something be coming in pressurizing the system and bringing in crud?

Yes, you should be able to pull a vacuum on the turbo actuator and feel or see the arm move to the full position at around 13 to 15 inches of mercury.


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Sounds like a bad actuator, could also possibly be carbon buildup in the vanes. Its easier to just swap the actuator vs taking apart the turbo to clean the vanes. You should be able to swap in out in the car without removing the turbo

You definitely have a bad actuator. A good actuator will hold vacuum without bleeding off.
Fairly easy to change, about $100.00 bucks from the vendors here.....if you do order one get a few extra C-clips......they have a tendency to disappear when trying to put it on.

Now: is there a definitve how2replace actuator post

...hopefully with pictures? I gather it has to be adjusted (not just bolt in replaced) so it should include how to do that....

Comments on where to buy actuator? I see them $50 on Ebay, $70 Garrett on Amazon, $120 IDparts...and even $300.

I like ID-Parts myself.

I got mine from amazon. Not the $70 garret tho i got a chaper 35 dollar probably Chinese only because that was the only prime option and needed the car back on the road asap. No issues with it after like 6 months now at least

The Amazon Garrett actuator is Garrett BUT not

...Garrett AiResearch. The Garrett that makes metal detectors is pulling a fast one and drafting people on the happenstance that their name is the same as the turbo makers. The "Garrett" actuator is this item...under the item it says "by Garrett", but when you click on it, it goes to a listing of metal detectors. If you Google search 'Garrett disambiguation' you see this list of businesses named Garrett

• Garrett AiResearch, a former manufacturer of turbochargers and turbine engines, now part of Honeywell, Inc.
  • Garrett - Advancing Motion, manufacturer of turbochargers for ground vehicles
• Garrett P.I., a fantasy series by Glen Cook, whose protagonist is a
• Richard Garrett & Sons, a manufacturer of steam engines and agricultural machinery
• Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology affiliated with the United Methodist Church
• Garrett, manufacturer of metal detecting equipment & security products based in Garland, Texas right outside of Dallas.

Or perhaps not....the actuator is being sold by TDI Upgrades...maybe they're the ones pulling a fast one and associating the actuator with Garrett.


I guess it's IDParts on Monday.....

sdean7855 said:

..
Or perhaps not....the actuator is being sold by TDI Upgrades...maybe they're the ones pulling a fast one and associating the actuator with Garrett.


I guess it's IDParts on Monday.....

Click to expand...

I bought one from TDIupgrades and it was a Garrett

Hi all.. I’m very new to your club (ie. yesterday) and I’ve been doing quite some reading since before I’ve joined and been able to post. I understand that you guys have a thread for introducing myself but this threat seems to be around about the exact same problem which i Have and I’m really desperate to get to the point and try find a solution. Basically i bought my 2003 Golf mk4 GT Tdi pd130 around 3 months ago and it has needed quite a bit of work to get it up to my own Preferred standard. It has covered just over 192k miles now and climbing. The car drives fine 95% of the time but when i try Open her up on the Motorway and reach around 80-100mph (still accelerating ) my turbo dies and delivers 0 boost. If i stop switch her off and on it comes back like nothing ever happened but the same problem happens every single time.. I’ve had diagnostic tests done and was told i had a problem with my n75 valve which i changed with slight improvement or atleast i though till it happened again. The car runs great looks great but this issue is driving me crazy as I have no idea what the problem is. Also my vacuum lines all seem fine.. Its had EGR delete by previous owner. I’m not a mechanic but have A little knowledge so if any of you guys could Point me in the right direction i would be very Grateful

Garrett no longer sells VNT-15 actuators. Odd, since they still make the turbos, but that's the way it is. We've found a good aftermarket supplier, and some vendors may still have a few left over, but basically they're gone.

GtSTI

Do a forum search on turbo limp mode and you'll find your answer. This is quite typical for these cars and you'll be able to solve your problem.

OP don't forget to consider kermatdi.com

Feel like im bouncing from possibility to possibility.. Feeling a bit lost, Sooner i get it diagnosed the better.. thanks

Look here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=179589

Just a heads up to anyone looking for a OEM/genuine ALH TDI actuator on Amazon, I emailed Garrett through their website a while back asking if the "Garrett" seller account was theirs, and they replied that they do not sell their actuators on Amazon (reply below).

FWIW, Tractor Supply has:

• 1/4" E-Clips, two for 99 cents, many sizes
• spring clips for vacuum lines, 2 for $1.99, many sizes

No one on here suggests taking the actuator apart and fixing it?
I posted a picture of what it looks like inside, on another post.
They come apart easy and go back together easy.

fatmobile said:

No one on here suggests taking the actuator apart and fixing it?
I posted a picture of what it looks like inside, on another post.
They come apart easy and go back together easy.

Click to expand...

Can you provide a link to this post? Or post the picture here?

I have been documenting:

• What all the parts are in the turbo control system and where you can get them
• How it works
• A problem determination process when it doesn't

You may find it helpful if you have an ALH engine, see here


There is, alas, no Shazamm! answer, no magic bullet. You can learn the ins and outs of the system and perhaps fix it yourself inexpensively. Or you can take it to a dealer who may do the equivalent of changing stuff, part by part, until it works again, starting with the most expensive items. People (and mechanics)who really know the TDI inside and out are passing rare, though there are many here. Unfortunately, they cannot give you answers without a lot of information you probably won't be able to provide. This is one of those situations where you have to know a lot before you can frame a question that gives enough information that people here can tell you what's going wrong.
A TDI will last a long, long time, but along the way things will happen. If you commit to the long run, you need to understand how it works (again see my page on the Turbo), so you understand how things work, how they go wrong and how to do enough basic problem det, so you can narrow in on what causing your problem.
I bought my '03 TDI in '05 with 11K on it and have put 250K since then. Lately the turbo system has been dysfunctioning...so now I have to put some time, some sweat, some dues in for all those trouble-free miles.
The more you know, the sooner you fix or head off problems, the cheaper and cleaner will be your recovery and use of your TDI. Good luck

I can't find it so I'll post it here:
Ignore the springs,.. I flipped the can and ran it manually controlled by boost,.. for the old 1.6.
Those aren't stock springs.


That's the insides of the all-metal can.
I open it up by prying the crimp apart.
The washer was all rusty.
Won't rust now,.. it's stainless.
That's 6m1 allthread.

First using a 1/8" flat screwdriver and prying directly away from the can.
Tink, Tink, Tink,.. until it raises a little.
Then I get a bigger screwdriver in there and turn it to pry the crimp open.
Go around it like a can opener.