Limp mode out of nowhere

bigjake, in essence you are saying that you will avoid buying and using the single
most valuable tool for troubleshooting your car's issues because it won't run on
your arcane laptop software. Instead you will buy a new turbo that you very probably
don't need for 3 times the price, not to mention the hours or labor that it will take.
I'm not judging but I use a 10 year old laptop that can be bought for $25 that runs
VCDS fine. I'm sure you can find a way to do the same and actually fix the problem.

bigjake said:

Does this guy's diagnosis sound right?

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Since you're asking for opinions, my opinion is: no.

bigjake said:

He believes the fins are wore out

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Exhaust fins don't wear out. They can become damaged if the shaft breaks or if something foreign pushes thru the system (more common on the intake side, rarer on the exhaust side), but they are not a wear item... at least in the grand scheme of things.

And... you have to examine them physically to see if they've been damaged before you can claim they are not working.

I'm with the other posters... a turbo is a very expensive thing to shotgun. If you can I'd certainly seek a second opinion, ideally one that involves some teardown if needed.

Or... not tough for you to check both impellers yourself... and shaft play too.

bigjake,
If you're running Linux but you don't have at least one old thinkpad laying around, you should turn in your geek card, mang.
A VCDS cable will pay for itself if you intend to keep your car for an amount of years. Learning to use the basic functions of it is not difficult.
Any mechanic you choose should be on this list.
But like Vince suggests - there's nothing like confirming for yourself.
If you can raise the front end safely and pull the cold side pipe from the turbo,
check that impeller with your own fingers, you'll feel better about shelling out for a new turbo - or not.
Without a full AutoScan from VCDS, it's just shots in the dark. Here are mine:
1. Solidified gunk in the intercooler somehow (dirty, poorly-seated air filters can kill
your MAF BTW).
2. Vacuum pump anomaly
3. 09A F-up contributing to engine bog down???
The mechanics in the list above will have VCDS. By the time you pay them for your next scan though, you could have probably purchased your own!
Bonus: one of the best business class laptops ever made. $40 freaking bucks God Bless America.
A winXP install disk should be found for ...next to nothing

bigjake said:

Wonneber, I do have a laptop. It runs Linux Ubuntu, however, which is not compatible with VCDS.

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VirtualBox for Ubuntu?
Run a Windy 7 session?

bigjake said:

Wonneber, I do have a laptop. It runs Linux Ubuntu, however, which is not compatible with VCDS. The only VCDS versions I've seen are only formatted for Windows and Apple.

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VirtualBox for Linux - install a Windows7 (or higher) VM. Install VCDS. Done.
(Edit: Dammit - wonneber beat me to it. )

Nuje said:

(Edit: Dammit - wonneber beat me to it. )

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Sorry, didn't mean to.
I've tinkered with a few Linux variants over the years but never jumped into it totally.
Tinkered with Knoppix mostly because it ran from CD and you didn't need a dedicated machine.
Well, back to TDI'n

My bet is on N75. Mine was exactly the same but dont make the mistake of waiting.. replace it as soon as you can because i got vanes in the turbo blocked that way