Help! Second Turbocharger fails!

[Chasone]

While at high altitude going thru steep terain three weeks ago my turbo broke into two pieces. The dealership just replaced it under warranty, yes it took three weeks! They told me car was ready when I got there the mechanic and service mgr could not figure why the car had HUGE amounts of black smoke and reduced power. I suggested the MAF and was right. After replacing the MAF my baby was back! I only went 65 miles and at 40 mph shifting down to pass someone the car goes into limp mode then a block later huge clouds of bluish white smoke and the car dies. I am sure this is another turbo failure.

The question is shouldn't they have replaced the oil lines to the turbo? They say they "drained them good" not replaced them.
Is there a TSB stating to replace them? Anything else I should look at that they might have done wrong to cause this?

Worse part they can't look at it for at least a week! I don't know how to come to tdifest without it! Maybe I can trailer it behind my Land Rover?

[ September 15, 2001: Message edited by: Chasone ]

 

[VelvetFoot]

This really sucks.

 

[GoFaster]

Failure THAT soon after a replacement means they either did something wrong during the installation (most likely), or there is something ELSE wrong that caused both the first AND second turbos to fail (but which they did not catch during the repair work - also a likely possibility) or the replacement part was defective (unlikely).

I doubt if the failure had anything to do with the oil lines, but a more likely scenario is that there is something wrong with the system that controls the boost pressure. When you tramped on it, was that the first time you did that since the install? (Probably.) That means it's likely that the boost control system was not operating at all.

Have them check the N75 boost pressure regulator solenoid and make sure all the hoses involved with the boost control system are connected properly.

Brian P.
'96 Passat TDI mit UPsolute

 

[mechanist]

only line that may have junk in it would be the exit line, not a problem for the turbo but I would clean the oilpan maybe. but since yours BROKE IN TWO???? I would be concerned about things like metal frags in the intake, caught probably in the intercooler. Things turning that fast don't just break, they tend to spew a little too. Shaft break, right? Sucks.
New one... Look for drop marks on the housing exterior if it did indeed fail. I kind of doubt it, anything is possible, but turbos are checked out pretty well before they go in the box. Like Gofaster sez, if this was the first time you tramped it, lines could be wrong, but hey, you went 65 miles before you tramped it? Couldn't have

Just a thought... the turbo came out of a box new and complete, or was yours rebuilt?

 

[Drivbiwire]

It's possible the ECU has a bad barometric pressure sensor allowing the turbo to produce too high of rpms at high altitude.

This a nice little wiz bang sensor that Bosch is pretty proud of. This could cause a the turbo to try and produce sea level boost at high elevations, net result is a turbo spinning way too fast and allowing a slight inbalance theat exists in all turbos to manifest itself in the turbo failing.

Have them run a diagnostic to find out what the etmospheric pressure is. It should read at Sea-level depending on the day 1013.5mb(or 29.92" of mercury if you want to convert)

The VAG com can indicate this reading but you must correct for altitude and non standard day pressure for your current location and weather conditions. This would not be read by the ECU if the ECU thinks the pressure is correct. The MAF at an extreme may trigger a code but it's really hard to say for sure.

DB

 

[86gasers]

I currently have my TDI in for a turbo job. I share your pain, should have it back this week (2 weeks and counting). Dealership said the turbo was full of oil. Lots of white smoke. doa

 

[valois]

The lines should have been replaced, for the second failure to occur so soon, it's indicative that oil is not flowing here.

 

[Drivbiwire]

I wonder if the dealers are cranking the engine without starting it to get the turbo primed? I usually suggest this to purge air and prevent a dry start when installing a new turbo or other engine components for the first time when assembly lube is not possible to use.

DB

 

[mickey]

Chasone: Have them install another new turbo. Then bring the thing to my house and I'll help you rip it out. Ship it to Forced Performance and have Robert do the VNT-15/T-27/Clipped Turbine mod that he did to mine. Should cost around $500. It will NEVER break again due to over-revving or a boost-to-backpressure ratio problem.

-mickey

 

[scooby]

I'm not sure about the oil supply lines on the TDI's, but on the 1.8 passat's, the feed line is very small and runs along the exhaust manifold. It is common for the oil to sludge up in that line causing a turbo failure. I have seen others replace the turbo without the line and the turbo would fail w/in 100 miles. It is also not uncommon on a complete turbo failure to have some debris, often the nut on the impeller, get stuck in the intake hose. If the tech didn't clean/inspect the intake hose, then this debris could become slightly lodged in the intake somewhere until there is a large rush of suction or large bump, and it flows right into the turbo. Just a few possible causes that are not uncommon with this issue.