Turbo died

[Gigaah]

Its been very very cold out here in wisconsin so I've not gotten the nerve up to really dig into it yet. I'd Like to fix this before I sell the car unless I sell it as a drivable engine/tranny/ecu.

One day I was driving and the turbo...just..stopped pushing..no noise. I can't hear it spool up. My boost gauge(though it leaks..I think is right), will rise up to about 0psi but no higher. My car isn't really loud. I get 16-18vac at idle.

I know.."go out and find out whats wrong". Well its freaking cold and I'd apreciate some feedback about what could be the issue before I get out there. I thought the turbo imediatly..but would I break Vac it it wasn't working? As I said I hear no unusual noises, or for that matter usual(Spooling) noises.

Thanks for any help.

Gigaah

 

[power=dsm]

if your turbo died you should be seeing tones of smoke.

 

[oldman]

The turbo is probably not spinning anymore. Only way to find out is to remove the intake and check.

 

[DSM90AWD]

Either huge leak btw turbo and intake or turbo's bad. Gonna have to brave the weather to find out which.

FYI..

10-Day Forecast for Janesville, WI

Sat Mar 5 Partly Cloudy 39°/32° :thumbdown
Sun Mar 6 Partly Cloudy 46°/41°

 

[oldman]

10-Day Forecast for Janesville, WI

Sat Mar 5 Partly Cloudy 39°/32° :thumbdown
Sun Mar 6 Partly Cloudy 46°/41°

That's only two days.

 

[DSM90AWD]

It got worse after that

 

[Gigaah]

Hah, yeah thats "nice" compared to the last month or so. I do plan on looking at it this weekend durring the "heat wave".

Man, I can't wait to slap some paint on this thing quick, fix the turbo and sell it. I'm trying to buy a nicer one for around $3500.
I may skip the paint and sell it as an engine/tranny/ECU that you could drive away. I only paid $750 for it but maaaan does it have issues. Just for your amusument I'll list the good and the bad for this fugly beast. keep in mind it was like this when I got it.

Rear defrost- don't work wires snipped
Rear wiper- don't work..removed..hole where used to be(plugged)
Flip up lights - go up..but not down(shining through front lenses)
Regular headlights - don't work
brights- work
front signals - don't work
rear signals - work
windshield wiper sprayer - motor, bottle and all missing
front radiator support - bent in..no other structural damage..I have a replacment I removed from another car.
Hood - hood pins because of the rad support bent..thus latch don't line up
door light switches - neither work
auto locks - locks..then unlocks if you use drivers side..passenger side will locks doors
drivers side key lock - broken
tape deck - broken
am/fm - works
Turbo - currently non op.
cruise - works
AC - not cold or even cool

Engine- about 155 compression across all cylinders! <--the redeming quality ..why I actually picked up the car.

Thing runs like a champ and starts with out hesitation even at -10F...my 2003 PT cruiser don't even do that. I drive it an hour to work each day..when there is no slush on the roads to where I might need to use the washer fluid.

Hope you were entertained by the tore up nature of my beast.

 

[GSXanimal]

If the turbo siezed up on you the car will really run like a dog, the turbine will act as a exhaust restriction since it is not spinning.

 

[Gigaah]

Now that is 60-70 here in WI I got out to look at the problem while I was enjoying the warm spring weather. It problem was the Waste Gate actuator pushrod came off the waste gate. The end of the push rod then propped the WA open so no boost could build(well I did get 1 or 2 psi on a really hard run).

I spent an hour trying to push the damn thing on but it just wouldn't go. I ended up puttting my air compressor blow nozzle on the end of a vac hose and gave it just enough pressure to move the actuator enough to slip it back over the waste gate knob then I replaced the cotter pin that had fallen out.

 

[oldman]

Took you a whole month to find out the actuator arm came off.

 

[Gigaah]

No, just took me a month to get the motivation to pop the hood and look at it in the warm weather. Its only been above 40F for the last week. !

 

[psychlow]

Oh come on... I know WI gets much colder than that. I work out in 20*F all the time!! !

 

[Gigaah]

For sure. It got pretty fridged this winter. I think it got into below -10F here where I live this winter. Thats without the windchill factor of course.

 

[psychlow]

Yeah, I've heard from a coworker that used to live near Lake Geneva that -20 to -40 is not unheard of.