The Ghost of Turbos Past...?

STDOUBT · Apr 21, 2019

Need some advice.
On March 10th, I got married. But not before my '03's turbo took a poop at only 121k miles. My then fiance was with me in the car, when we made to pull out of a convenience store, and were blanketed in a thick cloud of yellow-white smoke. The car had no boost, and would not rev over about 1500 very rough RPMs.

Fast forward to today. She drives her '01 a few blocks then turns onto a 30MPH road, accelerating, when...she describes this happening: She hears a big "poof"! and sees a "gigantic" cloud of black smoke in her rear view. She said she couldn't see through it. She also said she felt like she lost power a bit.
The cloud dissipated within a half-block.
Contrary to my repeated directions, she failed to just turn it off and call me. She drove it home under "normal" power, and took off in my car...

So I take the '01 for a spin, using due caution, didn't take it over 3000 RPM, and drove around town for a while. Seemed just fine. Normal power, performance. But now she's scared to drive it...and wants a new turbo.

I'm thinking her turbo just sneezed, and it's "OK". However, this turbo is original (best I can tell from the stack of service records that came with it), and has 230k miles on it

I'm not in a position to change it out myself, so I'd be paying Fix Um Haus to do this. But I'm kinda on the fence, but leaning towards getting it done. Advise me anyone. Many thanks!

Nero Morg · Apr 21, 2019

I've had a similar experience with my car, back when the engine was originally in the 2001 sedan chassis. What happened in my case was a piece of that sludge crud that builds up in our intakes came loose inside the intake ports, and jammed a valve just partially open but not enough to contact the piston.

Letting the engine idle for a minute allowed it to munch up that crud, then proceeded to drive home 20 miles no problem. It did it to me twice. I then pulled the intake and cleaned the ports. Hasn't done it since then. Now the engine is in my wagon that you've seen. I ran the same turbo until I put my vnt17 in.

Mongler98 · Apr 22, 2019

I have a very similar if not identical issue on my ahu.
It's from a much too high fuel injection and only happens when it's cold. Too much fuel will fill the combustion cup on the piston and in a sort, hydrolock that piston. Clears up with in a few seconds or minute of driving.
Check your injector balances. You might have a leaking injector nozzle, just enough to cause this.
Or.
It's a chunk of the intake oil and soot cake breaking off and holding a valve open. Take the intake manifold boot off, is it really dirty in there?

jettawreck · Apr 22, 2019

Possible she blew a "charged air pipe" apart and after it was shut down for a while it sort of found its way together and since you drove it very conservatively w/o much of any boost it didn't seperate (much) and seemed "normal".
Perhaps...

eddieleephd · Apr 22, 2019

Yeah, I'd look over the body hoses and see if any are loose, check the upper and lower intercooler connections well. Pull them off if you can see them and inspect the intercooler by pulling it off.
If the turbo if that old it's going to need replaced in the next 100,000. Only sign mine gave was sticking and my guru figured it out, there was no limp mode, only logging showed the issue.
My default is to check what I can then drive it like I stole it to get it to do it again.

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WildChild80 · Apr 22, 2019

My 2000 sedan drove pretty normal during my test drive, changed the gear oil and went for a spirited run and went into limp mode,had a split boot, never spewed the black smoke though...but you can have a descent boost leak that won't show up unless you get on it pretty good

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STDOUBT · Apr 22, 2019

Guys I really appreciate the feedback.
I'm going with "soot cake breaking off". I know her charge air pipes are good and tight. I really wish I could do it myself, I have a clean intake all ready to go on, but I'm just so dam busy I think I'll try and talk Rich into doing it. It shouldn't wait. He always tries to sell me on the "remove EGR and all those annoying little hoses" idea though.
Hopefully he'll go for a stock level fix. Thinking I'll have him throw on a Malone Dynamic EGR too. That might sell him on letting me keep my stock setup lol. Oh I could tell some stories...he knows his trade but what a character.
Thanks Again!!!

[486] · Apr 23, 2019

sucked down a slug of oil from the IC piping

Nevada_TDI · Apr 23, 2019

Congratulations on your recent marriage, and an adjustment to your actuator may resolve the problem. I last adjusted my actuator length almost 2 years ago and was rock-solid until two or so weeks ago, and I started getting over boost issues. Weird, I know so I lengthened the actuator and the over boost situation went away. The lock nut was tight too. If you have a vac pump and gauge I would check the actuator lift and stop numbers to maybe find out what happened, and run boost logs and post them here.

BobnOH · Apr 23, 2019

STDOUBT said:
...................... tries to sell me on the "remove EGR and all those annoying little hoses" idea though.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mechanic says the same thing, all those dirty gases just shorten engine life. I know he's right, but my latest TDI is not worth the expense, most of a thousand for hardware and tune. Dialing out the EGR cycle helps just a little.

STDOUBT · Apr 23, 2019

sucked down a slug of oil from the IC piping
I've seen into that recently enough that my doubt is high.
an adjustment to your actuator may resolve the problem.
This event isn't 'on-going', it was a one time thing so far. Been driving it myself for the past 2 days,
and it's performing well. No codes. Will definitely check the actuator travel next time I'm under though.
As for boost logs, that's more of a weekends-only thing for me unfortunately.
Plus I don't want to tempt another soot cake passing through from going WOT.
I dropped it off at Fix Um Haus after work today. Handed Rich my clean intake,
gasket and badass bolts along with a new EGR gasket and connecting pipe gaskets and walked away in shame lol.
Getting her the Dynamic EGR tweak though!

STDOUBT · Apr 23, 2019

my latest TDI is not worth the expense
Bob, it's $99 bucks for the Dynamic EGR tweak. No hardware required.
From what I read, it's a lot better than simply turning down the duty cycle with VCDS.
Granted it's not a panacea, but I take it as cheap insurance,
and hoping to never have to worry about the soot cake ever again.
Also IMO even if your buggy isn't "all that"., that motor is still worth .....something.

Nero Morg · Apr 23, 2019

I've ran both dynamic EGR and a block off. I'm definitely happier with dynamic for the faster warmup times, and the fact that it'll pass emissions

BobnOH · Apr 24, 2019

STDOUBT said:
my latest TDI is not worth the expense
Bob, it's $99 bucks for the Dynamic EGR tweak. No hardware required.
From what I read, it's a lot better than simply turning down the duty cycle with VCDS.
Granted it's not a panacea, but I take it as cheap insurance,
and hoping to never have to worry about the soot cake ever again.
Also IMO even if your buggy isn't "all that"., that motor is still worth .....something.

The dynamic EGR does not eliminate the used gases re-circulated in the motor. From what I can tell it's exactly the same as dialing back with VCDS, at least it was on mt RC-2 with EGR delete. You can't buy the hardware bits for a hundred let alone the required tune.

csstevej · Apr 24, 2019

. You can't buy the hardware bits for a hundred let alone the required tune.[/QUOTE said:
Says who?

Leave the EGR as a stealth pipe so you have you ASV in place.

Remove all the excess lines, and cooler and get some 2” by 1/8 steel from HD or TSC and cut your plates, you already have the gaskets and hardware. Maybe $20.00. You might have to make a splice for your coolant hose to the heater core but that’s a 3/4 “ copper pipe 2” long with some hose clamps.

Biggest expense is the tune , get a dynamic idle with EGR delete.
All 5 of my TDI’s run with this setup.

All also have frost heaters For winter operations.

It’s nice to have the extra room.

Just my .02.

Plus depending on what state you live in , if they do a visual inspection...... well the EGR is there ........ it’s just going along for the ride.

Nero Morg · Apr 24, 2019

Dynamic EGR and EGR delete both cost the same. Either one you physically don't need to uninstall hardware or put in block off plates. Frostheaters you have to remember to plug in. At this point it's all opinions on which way to go.

[486] · Apr 24, 2019

csstevej said:
Remove all the excess lines, and cooler and get some 2” by 1/8 steel from HD or TSC and cut your plates, you already have the gaskets and hardware. Maybe $20.00. You might have to make a splice for your coolant hose to the heater core but that’s a 3/4 “ copper pipe 2” long with some hose clamps.

just did my wagon tonight

used the longer "bent" coolant line off the egr cooler for the heater hose splice, cut off and shined up

for the blockoff plate I just cut off the pipe to the cooler and hammered it flat, the nuts were so rusted that a 10mm socket was just spinning on them, they're 12mm from the factory

intake had about 1/2" of open flow path through it, no wonder it wouldn't hold 50mph, had a bunch of overboost codes (and the turbo's thrust bearing is very loose)

The Ghost of Turbos Past...?

STDOUBT

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Nero Morg

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Mongler98

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jettawreck

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eddieleephd

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WildChild80

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STDOUBT

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[486]

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BobnOH

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STDOUBT

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STDOUBT

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[486]

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