Blown Turbo?

[stock1g4g63]

Well, first off, my mods:

550cc injectors
14b turbo
255 warlbro fuel pump
Dejontool MBC
Apexi S-AFC
upper/lower IC piping
1st gen BOV
3" exhaust

Anyways, the car was running fine, no problems for a long time besides the boost always jumping 2-3 psi before settling. However, suddenly, while on the freeway, the boost jumped up from 16 (where it's set) to about 23-24 and then died down to 0. The vacuum seemed perfectly normal at idle, so I tried to get on it a little bit to see if maybe it was just a little burp or fluke, but it wouldn't go past 0. I stopped and checked all the vacuum hoses and clamps/couplings but everything seemed ok. So my greatest fear is that I blew my turbo, (I have already lost an 18g and a fmic due to an accident once before).

So my question is, does this seem like the most evident problem? and what normally cuases a turbo to go out? Thanks in advance.

 

[MattnGsx]

Can you here the turbo spool? When I blew my turbo, it made a funny whistling noise w/ a sordof grind noise, and leaked oil in the intercooler. When I got on it a smoke screan w/ almost zero visibilty appered. ( Like Spy Hunter )

Do a vacuum check on the intercooler piping, make sure you have no leaks.
Wastegate could be stuck open too.

 

[stock1g4g63]

Well, I can't really hear it spool, but it does move from around 19-20 vacuum up to 0... although I doubt that really means anything.

 

[psychlow]

Well, I can't really hear it spool, but it does move from around 19-20 vacuum up to 0... although I doubt that really means anything.

This just means you're going WOT. An N/A car will go to 0 vac at WOT as well.

You mentioned that your boost spiked to 23+. I would wager this popped an intercooler pipe off or blew a gasket.

Check for leaks, and reroute your boost controller with shorter lines so you don't get any boost spike. I'm also wondering if the line for the boost controller popped off, which would explain why your boost went so high.

If you're concerned that your turbo has blown, take the intake piping off and check for shaft play and freespin. If it spins fine, can't move enough to touch the housings, and isn't blowing smoke, it's not blown.

 

[stock1g4g63]

ok, checked all the hose clamps, hoses, and couplings... everything checks out tight as a whistle. No smoke, but no boost. Perhaps a leak in the intercooler?

Newb question, how do I check if the wastegate is stuck open?

 

[MattnGsx]

ok, checked all the hose clamps, hoses, and couplings... everything checks out tight as a whistle. No smoke, but no boost. Perhaps a leak in the intercooler?

Newb question, how do I check if the wastegate is stuck open?

Try to move the actuator arm connected to the wastegate. Should be spring loaded. So when you move it. It should go back in place. Otherwise if you disconnect the downpipe, and remove the o2 housing. Then you can see the flapper for the wastegate.

Though before you do that, check the BOV! Remove the dump tube from the BOV, start the car, and see if you can feel air coming out the bov. That could be the problem.

 

[stock1g4g63]

well, the actuator arm isn't budging although I didn't push it too hard since I don't know which "position" open is. Right new, it's pushing the "lever" towards the 02 housing side, at about 1/2 an inch to the right of being directly down... is that closed? or open?

 

[rowlex]

Did you pull the intake off and try to physically spin the turbine???? If not, I'd try that... check out it's play.