VNT-15 Catastrophic turbo failure.

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Pics incoming. The aluminum portion of the CHRA separated from the CHRA and the compressor wheel is gone.

You can literally take the plastic intake tube that goes to the compressor inlet and shake it, moving the entire compressor cover. Clunk clunk.

Next question is did it take the motor out.

 

[ItAintRodKnock]

Welcome to my life!

I did this in january, sounds VERY similar to what happened to me.

first thing I did is remove and throw away all intercooler piping (and the intercooler) a long with the turbo itself.

I borescoped the head to see if any carbon was disturbed or if anything shiney was ontop of the valves and then I borescoped the piston tops to see if anything chunky or shiney was sitting there. Since I did not see any metal beyond my intercooler I went ahead and replaced everything(Planned Pre Explosion) with Upgraded diameter piping, a bigger intercooler and a brand new VNT17 turbo.

theoretically I should be fine, but due to life I havent been able to drive her yet to confirm....
(if you search my more recently created threads you can see what alot of the veterans were suggesting to me)

good luck.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Welcome to my life!

I did this in january, sounds VERY similar to what happened to me.

first thing I did is remove and throw away all intercooler piping (and the intercooler) a long with the turbo itself.

I borescoped the head to see if any carbon was disturbed or if anything shiney was ontop of the valves and then I borescoped the piston tops to see if anything chunky or shiney was sitting there. Since I did not see any metal beyond my intercooler I went ahead and replaced everything(Planned Pre Explosion) with Upgraded diameter piping, a bigger intercooler and a brand new VNT17 turbo.

theoretically I should be fine, but due to life I havent been able to drive her yet to confirm....
(if you search my more recently created threads you can see what alot of the veterans were suggesting to me)

good luck.

It lost about 2 or so quarts of oil during the event. I filled. It back up tried to get it to turn over. It does and sounds like **** idling. Oh boy. Then it doesn't want to turn over at times.

 

[csstevej]

Chances are you bent rods # 2 and 3. Not much but enough to make it hard to start when cold and a rough idle…..plus smoking too.
You really need to do a compression test with a diesel compression tester and see what your numbers are. I Believe no more than a 10% deviation between cylinders.

After the event did you pull the GP’s out and spin the engine to blow any possible oil out that was in the cylinder?

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Chances are you bent rods # 2 and 3. Not much but enough to make it hard to start when cold and a rough idle…..plus smoking too.
You really need to do a compression test with a diesel compression tester and see what your numbers are. I Believe no more than a 10% deviation between cylinders.

After the event did you pull the GP’s out and spin the engine to blow any possible oil out that was in the cylinder?

Was not able to do anything yet but start disassembly.

There's some aluminum chaff compressor material in the ASV inlet. Tiny bits. Check this out though. The entire turbine shaft is fine.... The threads are all there perfect as if the nut in the compressor just backed off and it blew apart or caught and spun the nut off.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

 

[csstevej]

Yeah my son somehow managed to snap two turbos on two separate cars…..on was his at college and the other was my loaner car I’ve just finished rebuilding that I lent him as I was doing a TB on his.
I lucked on on both cars…his happened at college as he was passing someone the turbo blew…..luckily he knew to kill the motor and not attempt to restart it……. Drove out to his college with everything I needed.
Pulled the GP’s , spun the motor….luckily no oil came out , did a compression test….all cylinders we normal . Cleaned out the intake track and back flushed the IC , new used turbo….…that was 200,000 miles ago and still running strong.

Ironically same thing happened to him on the loaner car I lent him….some reason both turbos the shaft snapped and oil went into the exhaust side…..not the intake side…I lucked out there……..smoked like a demon till all the oil burnt off in the exhaust.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

I just drained the 2-2.5 quarts of missing oil from intercooler. Popped lower hose off it POURED out. I couldn't get a pan under it fast enough.

Perhaps the motor survived and needs to cough out and burn the oil it did take in it.

I need to go get a bolt to block the turbo oil feed line off and try to start it with the MAF unplugged.

Sounds like a plan to see what that is doing.

That's exactly what happened I was passing and boom.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Also look close. All threads are there.... Missing nut. As if it backed off and let go. ****ty photo but threads undamaged and turbine shaft is relatively ok one piece.

I've never seen a turbo pop like this in my years of VW Audi fun. 20 plus now.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Found the compressor nut!! It came out or the lower boost pipe. The nut had to have backed off....

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

My LUK repset seems to be possibly torched and causing noise as well. We will see

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Oil feed line was rusted and ended up folding the tubing and tearing. Needs some -6 and adapters

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Actuator is seized 100% won't move. Even if I move the turbine shaft no actuator action. It was moving before. Probably locked up

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Turns over hits a stop spot. Wonder if it's full of junk hydraulic lock. Pulling injectors to see. If it's dead the DLC764 and Bosch reman 1000 mile old 11mm pump have to come off anyways.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Hydrolocked. Pulled injectors and cranked by hand. By hand it shot oil out cylinder 2. Did that a few times and then ran the starter for a minute or two blowing oil out of motor.

Now to put injectors back in, bleed them, connect fuel solenoid wire unplug MAF see how it runs at idle and burn junk out

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

It's a ****ing miracle fellow TDI weirdos. It shot the oil all out. Installed injectors and bled them. It cranked right over and idled very healthy with no MAF and no strange bent rod symptoms. Started immediately in ambient 85 Temps.

The sound of the turbo shaft spinning in the exhaust housing is hilarious

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

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[P2B]

I'm confused. In post #3 you said it idled poorly after the turbo failure, but then in post #16 it was hydrolocked.

In any case, it sounds fine now - lucky break.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

I'm confused. In post #3 you said it idled poorly after the turbo failure, but then in post #16 it was hydrolocked.

In any case, it sounds fine now - lucky break.

Immediately after turbo failure it idled fine but lots of white smoke. Then it began idling like garbage as it filled with oil I suppose. It eventually died at idle would not turn over.

Took a breaker bar to it and found it stoped so then I pulled injectors and emptied it.

Nice little puddle out the tailpipe too.

 

[Randomhomelesstdibeetlegu]

Got a few leads on turbos. Thx tdiclub folk. Probably get one this week after holiday fun is over and everyone is back to normal.

Next up remove stupid beetle bumper and eleventy bolts on it. Remove beetle windshield cowl. Remove intercooler and flush repeatedly then blow out along with the intake piping already off. Same with intake manifold just because it's coming off to remove the turbo. May even turn motor over to shut intake valves and oven clean ports then clean that gunk out.

I did the intake manifold late last year when the EGR fell off for off road use on my off road bug.

Order a gasket kit for the newish turbo.

I can't wait to port and work the new compressor housing and gasket match the exhaust manifold. Little port exit hangover for wave bouncy bounce.

May even port the ASV and all for fun. Because my car is broken anyways and will be waiting on parts.