Do you need a working turbo for a gs-t or gsx to run

[jamvisuals]

I have come across a 97 gs-t or gsx that is for sale for 2250? They are claiming they let someone test drive it for the weekend WTF and they brought it back not running (so I am suspecting either they are lying or telling the truth and whoever they lent it to was hotrodding around in it and posiibly blown the engine or something. The mother says that her sons thinks it is the turbo, so my question is even if the turbo was not blown and not working, would the engine still be able to start up and run?

 

[Cs4g63]

The engine will still be able to run with a bad turbo.

 

[jamvisuals]

thanks I thought so too just had to make sure.

 

[GODCHSR]

Running a car with a bad turbo is not a great idea. It puts tremendous stress on the car and you'll get the worst gas mileage of your life (unless you own a HMMV that is! haha)

Swapping a turbo on these cars is quite simple though. It won't take alot of knowledge PLUS while you're at it it'll give you a chance to change the oil and coolant! =)

 

[GODCHSR]

And one more thing... depending on what 'bad turbo' means you could, in a worst case scenario, get small chunks of metal in your piston and that's bad.

If the miles are good on the car and you get them to drop the price just a bit you can get a new turbo for next to nothing.

So I'm not being negative here... I say get it

 

[Cs4g63]

I believe the main concern was whether or not the engine or the turbo was going to be the problem not why its bad to run the car with a bad turbo.

And one more thing... depending on what 'bad turbo' means you could, in a worst case scenario, get small chunks of metal in your piston and that's bad.

Those small chunks of metal would first have to make it through the intercooler, and thats not going to happen.

 

[GODCHSR]

I believe the main concern was whether or not the engine or the turbo was going to be the problem not why its bad to run the car with a bad turbo.

Reread the last question in his post.

Those small chunks of metal would first have to make it through the intercooler, and thats not going to happen.

Good point. My 300ZX TT has intercoolers but my converted VW 2.0T doesn't yet... my mistake!

 

[Cs4g63]

so my question is even if the turbo was not blown and not working, would the engine still be able to start up and run?

Would the engine still be able to start up and run? Not why would it be bad to drive the car that way?

 

[jamvisuals]

Thanks for all the info but yea I was just asking if a bad turbo could be a reason for a car not to start. I didn't plan on driving it with a bad turbo. Just trying to eliminate some culprits as to why the car would not be in running condition after it was released to someone to test drive over the weekend. They also say it has a new engine on it with 25k miles which is a plus unless the engine is blown.

 

[1g_tsi_awd]

I personally think they aren't telling the whole truth. Compression test it and look it over better. Get that price down a bit, and you have a nice little project!

 

[TiradoCC]

i blew my t25 on my gst and i drove it around for a couple of days with a blown turbo....nothing happened to the engine

 

[Hyland33]

I read online somewhere that you can just disconnect the wastegate actuator if the turbo is bad so it just like driving without the turbo

 

[MrBoxx]

The turbo has nothing to do with the starting of the car. So, even if the turbo were seized, cooked, destroyed, or even not on the car, the engine would still turn over and "run."

Removing the wastegate arm can limit boost, but it doesn't disable the turbo completely. The oil and coolant will still flow through the CHRA, and the turbine wheel, shaft, and compressor wheel will still spin, though not enough to build a significant amount of boost. If there were shaft play and the blades of either wheel were scraping the housings, removing the wastegate armature won't stop the damage from happening.

Hopefully the motor isn't seized.

 

[Defiant]

Failed timing belt. Plan on replacing the engine.