Diagnose This Noise Please!!

Alright so my boss was driving my car when it began to make an odd noise (video below). The noise seems to begin when throttle is applied. I stopped by a couple shops to get their opinions, which are: bearings in the turbo or bearings on one of the pulleys.

The is a 2003 (ALH) Jetta with 130,000 miles and the timing / water pump was done at 125,000 miles.

Modifications are 2.5in straight pipe from down pipe back and Malone stage 1 tuning. I do not have a boost or EGT gauge so I can't see what the boost is doing (gauges were going to be the next mod)

Here's a link to the video.

Full link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYnLBmtG4Cs&feature=youtu.be


Thanks!

yep that sure sounds like a bad turbo how is the oil consumption on the car? is it smoking? color? I would not drive the car until you check the end play on the compressor shaft of the turbo.

Sounds like an exhaust leak to me. Any other armchair mechanics? If your exhaust has any gaskets and the pipes are not bolted tight, the gasket can act as a reed just like in a saxophone, oboe or clarinet. Yes the oboe reed is not like the clarinet or sax reed but still...

I was thinking an exhaust leak too. Mabye the flex pipe for the EGR or the downpipe, or at one of the sealing surface somewhere.
But definitely check the play of the turbo shaft (in and out and up and down) and condition of the blades of the compressor side.

roadhard1960 said:

Sounds like an exhaust leak to me. Any other armchair mechanics?

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I hope that I am not being called an armchair mechanic. but none the less it does not sound like a reed instrument to me. (I should know I have 15 years of symphonic band under my belt)

Kalter|Tod said:

yep that sure sounds like a bad turbo how is the oil consumption on the car? is it smoking? color? I would not drive the car until you check the end play on the compressor shaft of the turbo.

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^^this

unhook the serpentine belt first and see if the noise goes away ... could be a bad alternator clutch, idler or tensioner bearing ... if the noise persists check the t belt ... then move in to turbo related exhaust etc.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was finally able to get my car on a lift and it looks to be the turbo. There was oil sitting around the inlet housing and the turbo shaft moves in all directions. Looks like I finally get a VNT 17/22!