Please diagnose - Turbo loss/ Limp mode?

my Pump Deusse car entered Limp Mode while climbing a mountain. I lost HALF my power but still kept driving. Key off/on did not stop limp mode.

- There was No sound of imploding turbo (as I would have expected). The moment of power loss was completely silent

- I drove 700 miles from Nowhere Wyoming to my dealership. 1 quart oil consumed.

- RPM maxes at 3500 due to lack of air boost. Dealer Codes: “Boost fault” Well no kidding. I knew that

Additional Advice appreciated

The dealership will scan it with VCDS first. Ask for the results and post it here before
throwing parts at it which many dealerships will happily do to a 15-year old car.
This is a continuation of your other post, it would seem.

^^^ What flee said^^^
When I read your first statement here I cringe.
Really sounds like a turbo issue with the turbo failure verging on a runaway.
You didn't hear a pop? Is it possible that the VNT mechanism failed?

There are a lot of ?'s that still need to be answered.
First of all are you lucky enough not to have had a runaway because the turbo wouldn't let enough air by to allow it?

The actuator wouldn't be able to move if it rusted through. I believe Wyoming uses salt on the road and not just sand. Rusted actuators fail and it seems like limp mode.

My only diagnosis at the moment is possible failed turbo and actuator preventing a runaway saving you an engine.

Limp mode that is not reset by the cycling of the key is not limp mode. It's a saving grace and failed components that need to be found. Once found a repair can be made and normal operation will resume.

Needs to be scanned, fault codes found and dealt with. pull the boost hose to the turbo off and feel for play in the turbo letting you know what the condition of the turbo is.

A quart is a lot of oil and this is often found in the lower inter-cooler hose. boost pressure would possibly push it up the intake causing a runaway.

$200 and 4 hours to pull codes. Ridiculously slow dealer. Codes: Boost fault Well no kidding Sherlock. I knew that

Mechanic is now test driving the car & will start checking turbo hoses for damage. Apparently he’s not worried about runaway engine

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BeetlePD said:

$200 and 4 hours to pull codes. Ridiculously slow dealer

Click to expand...

This is what makes a Vag-Com cable so worth the money...

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Mechanic determined hoses okay & recommendation is replace turbo. He says “runaway” is not a concern because of anti-shudder valve & lack of pooled oil in turbo components.

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I can confirm from first hand experience that a PD will slap the anti shudder valve shut when RPM rises above what ECM expects. I wish the ALH would do the same but apparently that ECM is not so smart.

So what is the actual failure of the turbo? Broken shaft? Nut came loose? Vanes stuck closed/open? Actuator rusted through/broken?

Or is it possible something else is causing the ECM to not command boost? Or boost is being requested but not being made? N75 is a tricky little bastard. So is a dry rotted vacuum hose.

If a customer asks to see it, in out shop, I don't have a problem explaining why they have to shell out that much money. Besides, show and tell of a broken part is much easier sell than just some person you rarely see asking you for a couple thousand $$ because they say so.

Jason

There is no guarantee that the turbo is the problem yet.
I think the turbo actuator on your car is not replaceable, though, or difficult to replace..
Get the full price before agreeing and always get all parts removed if you get it done.

They gave me an estimate over 4000 dollars. $1500 labor plus a long, long list of parts. I said no thanks, and they reduced my diagnostic fee to $99 which is not bad for three hours of test driving/inspecting.

- Unfortunately the car is now burning more oil, since the mechanic messed with it. It will probably take a gallon of Delvac just to drive 300 miles from Vegas to my California home.

LIST: turbo ($2070), pressens ($220), two oil pipes ($200 each), fitting, four gaskets, bolt, three washers, two nuts (trivial expenses for all those items)
.

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What did he say it actually needed? What parts did he list? Likely a lot cheaper than the estimate if you do it yourself or have a trustworthy mechanic do the work.

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The lack of oil pooling in the intake is good but where is the oil coming from to burn?
I would make sure to have a back-up plan if things go bad on the I-15.
Leaving early in the AM will give you extra daylight.
The passes won't be much fun. People usually are traveling about 90 so good luck!

And it seems to me that there a guru there in Las Vegas the area...

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UPDATE: the most difficult part of this trip from Vegas was the mountain grade from Nevada to California, where I shifted to 2nd gear, and drove just 35 mph uphill (like the freight trucks). The car was burning visible smoke. I checked my dipstick at the top, and it was 1/4 quart burned off. After that point it was smooth sailing with mostly flat terrain, and I arrived in Socal with just half a quart loss of oil

Soooo my Broken Turbo car travelled from Wyoming (where it failed) to Southern California. It is now safe and sound (home), where I can work on it, and determine if I should sell or repair

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