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Is it only my turbo that's blown?

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disillusions

10+ Year Contributor
111
1
Jun 6, 2009
brooklyn, New_York
I had a problem a while back where I lost boost pressure, and the car was pretty much limping. I brought it to my mechanic, and they said it was the turbo as well as the block. It's been sitting ever since, but now that I have the ability to fix it, I want to know exactly what to tackle; because, something seems off. I can start the car just fine, as well as run it (but it completely limps around), and I get the tell tale smoke puffs of a blown snail. I'm a little confused about the block being bad, because it isn't showing any of the normal signs. No knocking sounds, no problems revving, nothing of the sort.

So my question is...is that simply normal behavior for a blown turbo? Or is it indicative of a bigger problem? If it's as simple as replacing the T25, then I want to pick one up asap; but obviously if I need a new block, things will be far more problematic.
 
What color of smoke "puffs" are you getting?

What were you doing when you lost pressure? Were you running it hard? Have you done a boost leak test? It could just be a coupler that blew loose.
 
What color of smoke "puffs" are you getting?

What were you doing when you lost pressure? Were you running it hard? Have you done a boost leak test? It could just be a coupler that blew loose.

Whitish/grey. It doesn't smell like coolant, so I'm assuming it's oil.

I was driving a bit aggressively when it happened. Didn't do a boost leak test since my shop told me it was totally blown. I did check all the intercooler piping couplers, and they're all on tight. I've had that happen to me, but this feels very different. Like when I had a boost leak, it felt like the car was stuttering; but this feels like the car just has no will to move...plus, you know, the smoke from the tail pipe and engine.
 
Well, I would start with doing some diagnosis then. Things I would do:

1) Check shaft play on the turbo.
2) Check if there are any fluids in the intercooler pipes right after the turbo, and check the down pipe for an fluids as well.
3) Do a compression test. And then a leak down test.
4) Check if either your coolant or oil looks abnormal from mixing with the other.

I wouldn't jump straight to the turbo being shot just cause the mechanic said. I'd get in there and do some looking myself.
 
i would do a boost leak tes, compression test and hook up a scanner/link and see what the ecu is telling you.
 
If you check what everyone has stated tha should be close to having itnarrowed down to a few choices, i had my old 14b passing oil and wouldnt spool at all. It spun but didnt work whatsoever when the car was on, i checked the wastegate and seemed locked. Swapped in another working 14b i had and it ended up being it. Worth a try?
 
Well, I would start with doing some diagnosis then. Things I would do:

1) Check shaft play on the turbo.
2) Check if there are any fluids in the intercooler pipes right after the turbo, and check the down pipe for an fluids as well.
3) Do a compression test. And then a leak down test.
4) Check if either your coolant or oil looks abnormal from mixing with the other.

I wouldn't jump straight to the turbo being shot just cause the mechanic said. I'd get in there and do some looking myself.

+1

It doesn't sound like a blown engine to me. If the car will idle/drive like normal (except the turbo might make some terrible noise and the car will be severely underpowered) then I would lean towards the turbo being blown and the motor being okay.

I question the shop. What reasoning did the mechanic give you as to why he thought the motor needed a rebuild? He should be able to back his claims with facts. I would be looking for something along the lines of: "The motor is bad because a compression test revealed a dead cylinder" or " The motor is bad because I cut the oil filter open and found a bunch of metal shavings in it".

Even something like low compression or coolant mixing with your oil does NOT soley indicate a bad block. You might need to do a head gasket on the car or the head itself could be bad. This isn't a terrible job and is no where near the level of involvement as a full rebuild.

There are too many variables here. Break out the compression tester and start looking at your oil for metal shavings and take your radiator cap off and look in the coolant for signs of oil that may be in there.

My suspicion is that your motor is fine (because these motors are VERY durable and in stock-form rarely have problems) and if you take your air intake off you will find that the turbo has a ridiculous amount of in-and-out shaft play. A replacement turbo and a couple hours of your time could have the car back on the road and boosting once again!

I'm eager to see some facts. Keep us updated and good luck!
 
Last edited:
Well, I would start with doing some diagnosis then. Things I would do:

1) Check shaft play on the turbo.
2) Check if there are any fluids in the intercooler pipes right after the turbo, and check the down pipe for an fluids as well.
3) Do a compression test. And then a leak down test.
4) Check if either your coolant or oil looks abnormal from mixing with the other.

I wouldn't jump straight to the turbo being shot just cause the mechanic said. I'd get in there and do some looking myself.

I know I used to have oil in the turbo when I took off the intake, as well as in the lower intercooler pipe. I'll do the leak test once I get the car back (the alternator was messed up). Question though, how do I do a compression test myself?

i would do a boost leak tes, compression test and hook up a scanner/link and see what the ecu is telling you.

No scanner, but will try the rest.

I don't it's your block. Compression test, does the car run hot? Is your car boosting when you drive it or just feels sluggish?

It isn't boosting at all. My gauge shows it stays in vacuum and never reached a single PSI of boost. The water temps seem normal, so I don't think it's running that hot, but it bellows smoke from the engine bay and exhaust.

If you check what everyone has stated tha should be close to having itnarrowed down to a few choices, i had my old 14b passing oil and wouldnt spool at all. It spun but didnt work whatsoever when the car was on, i checked the wastegate and seemed locked. Swapped in another working 14b i had and it ended up being it. Worth a try?

I was thinking it might just be a shoddy turbo, so I'm working on sourcing a t25 for a quick check. I figure, if it works, then heck yeah, but if it doesn't then I can always sell it later.

+1

It doesn't sound like a blown engine to me. If the car will idle/drive like normal (except the turbo might make some terrible noise and the car will be severely underpowered) then I would lean towards the turbo being blown and the motor being okay.

I question the shop. What reasoning did the mechanic give you as to why he thought the motor needed a rebuild? He should be able to back his claims with facts. I would be looking for something along the lines of: "The motor is bad because a compression test revealed a dead cylinder" or " The motor is bad because I cut the oil filter open and found a bunch of metal shavings in it".

Even something like low compression or coolant mixing with your oil does NOT soley indicate a bad block. You might need to do a head gasket on the car or the head itself could be bad. This isn't a terrible job and is no where near the level of involvement as a full rebuild.

There are too many variables here. Break out the compression tester and start looking at your oil for metal shavings and take your radiator cap off and look in the coolant for signs of oil that may be in there.

My suspicion is that your motor is fine (because these motors are VERY durable and in stock-form rarely have problems) and if you take your air intake off you will find that the turbo has a ridiculous amount of in-and-out shaft play. A replacement turbo and a couple hours of your time could have the car back on the road and boosting once again!

I'm eager to see some facts. Keep us updated and good luck!

After jumping in it earlier today, I can give you a more accurate rundown. It idles VERY hard; however, I noticed the tach wasn't moving at all, so I'm thinking the fuse that's on the trans that feeds the tach information is bad/loose. It used to happen all the time due to a broken clip, so it wouldn't surprise me if it happened again. If I recall, it also caused rough idle as well. So with that being said, it idles rough, and I nearly have to floor it to get the car chugging along. I estimate maybe 20mph if I'm lucky..but again, it could be a combination of the trans fuse and the turbo. The engine does rev nicely, but it feels like there's something holding it back. No knocking, no hissing, and no other engine related noises.

I've been dealing with that shop for years, and I've never had an issue. The reason they gave me was that parts of the fins from the turbo (I'm sorry, but I forget the technical name) broke off and got sucked into the engine. They said they removed the head, and it was just fine, but the block would need to go.

I was thinking about the head gasket as well, but I didn't have a chance to see where the smoke was coming from. I had pretty much left the car alone for the last year or so since it was confirmed dead. I'm pretty sure I could do a head gasket myself if I needed to, as popping off the head isn't too difficult. I'm just hard-pressed since I have an apartment and no space to jack up the car, or leave it if I run into a dead-end.

Where is the best place to look for metal shavings? Oil filter? Or just drain some of the oil and see what comes out? Also, if I have coolant mixed with oil...what causes that?

I hope your suspicion is right, because every time I have to move it for alternate side of the street parking, it's like a fog bank rolls in.

Oh, one last thing. For the shaft play, do I just grab the thing and jiggle? It might be of importance to note that I was seeing PSI levels of around 20+ once I upgraded the intercooler pipes and intake. I'm sure that couldn't have been too healthy for the turbo.
 
20 psi is ok. If the shop took off the head, they should have put a new headgasket on and torqued it down. So do a compression and leak down test to confirm that. If the wheel flew apart and sent blades into the engine, then all you can hope for is that they went out the exhaust. But since the shop took the head off there shouldn't be any blades in it. Do the tests I described and if they are good get a new turbo with and oil change and see what happens.
 
Well if your turbo really shredded itself like that then hopefully all those little pieces got stopped at the intercooler.

Have you pulled off the intake to the turbo and checked if the fins are really trashed?

Did they properly replace the headgasket? If they didn't then that's quite a problem. There's no way the car would run correctly, if at all.

And as for oil in your piping, was it pooled up from a significant leak, or was it just the film that sometimes coats the pipes?
 
20 psi is ok. If the shop took off the head, they should have put a new headgasket on and torqued it down. So do a compression and leak down test to confirm that. If the wheel flew apart and sent blades into the engine, then all you can hope for is that they went out the exhaust. But since the shop took the head off there shouldn't be any blades in it. Do the tests I described and if they are good get a new turbo with and oil change and see what happens.

I still don't know how to do the compression test -__- . I have a leak tester, so I'll take care of that once the car is back.

Well if your turbo really shredded itself like that then hopefully all those little pieces got stopped at the intercooler.

Have you pulled off the intake to the turbo and checked if the fins are really trashed?

Did they properly replace the headgasket? If they didn't then that's quite a problem. There's no way the car would run correctly, if at all.

And as for oil in your piping, was it pooled up from a significant leak, or was it just the film that sometimes coats the pipes?


I'm hoping they either did that or exited the exhaust.

I haven't really touched it at all since then. I took off the intake to check the couplers for the lower pipe, and that's when I noticed the oil; but nothing of an investigative nature.

I'm assuming they did? I never got my car back from them being worse than when it entered, but I can always take another look.

There was definitely film in the piping, but I noticed slight pooling at the bend (lower IC pipe), and especially at the turbo inlet when I removed the intake to look at the other pipes. It wasn't enough pooling to suggest a major leak, but it was enough to get my attention. Think of it as about a half a cap of oil pooled in the inlet, and maybe 3/4 at the bend. I figured it was just accumulating there due to it being the lowest point of the system, as well as having a bend allowing for pooling.

I was told an oil catch can would remedy the oil, but I didn't bother with it yet since I was under the assumption the engine was a goner.
 
I still don't know how to do the compression test -__- . I have a leak tester, so I'll take care of that once the car is back.




I'm hoping they either did that or exited the exhaust.

I haven't really touched it at all since then. I took off the intake to check the couplers for the lower pipe, and that's when I noticed the oil; but nothing of an investigative nature.

I'm assuming they did? I never got my car back from them being worse than when it entered, but I can always take another look.

There was definitely film in the piping, but I noticed slight pooling at the bend (lower IC pipe), and especially at the turbo inlet when I removed the intake to look at the other pipes. It wasn't enough pooling to suggest a major leak, but it was enough to get my attention. Think of it as about a half a cap of oil pooled in the inlet, and maybe 3/4 at the bend. I figured it was just accumulating there due to it being the lowest point of the system, as well as having a bend allowing for pooling.

I was told an oil catch can would remedy the oil, but I didn't bother with it yet since I was under the assumption the engine was a goner.

Compression test is easier than a leak down test. Just google how to do it. And you can rent the tool from an O'reillys. And you'll get your money back when you return it.
 
Well if your turbo really shredded itself like that then hopefully all those little pieces got stopped at the intercooler.

Have you pulled off the intake to the turbo and checked if the fins are really trashed?

Beat me to it again! +1 on that. You can trash a turbo and the junk will likely get caught in the intercooler.


Just my personal experience. I've seen a lot of people think their motors were blown and it be something else. Including me, I've thought many times that destroyed something and I'm still chugging along. A list of things I've seen that made myself or someone else think a motor was blown initially:

- spark plug wire not connected / arcing
- Loose power transistor plug
- loose injector
- bad cas
- destroyed clutch disc
- loose flywheel (Owner thought it was rod knock)
- destroyed turbo compressor
- blown coupler


Oddly enough, I've never blown a head gasket, head or engine. I'm still rocking my stock motor on 26 PSI out of a GT3076R, heading my way up to 30PSI once I switch over to a double-pumper. So, have faith! I bet your having an ignition/fuel issue and not a mechanical issue - unless the HG or T-belt was done incorrectly!
 
Beat me to it again! +1 on that. You can trash a turbo and the junk will likely get caught in the intercooler.


Just my personal experience. I've seen a lot of people think their motors were blown and it be something else. Including me, I've thought many times that destroyed something and I'm still chugging along. A list of things I've seen that made myself or someone else think a motor was blown initially:

- spark plug wire not connected / arcing
- Loose power transistor plug
- loose injector
- bad cas
- destroyed clutch disc
- loose flywheel (Owner thought it was rod knock)
- destroyed turbo compressor
- blown coupler


Oddly enough, I've never blown a head gasket, head or engine. I'm still rocking my stock motor on 26 PSI out of a GT3076R, heading my way up to 30PSI once I switch over to a double-pumper. So, have faith! I bet your having an ignition/fuel issue and not a mechanical issue - unless the HG or T-belt was done incorrectly!

Think so? It's just weird that it'd be an ignition/fuel issue considering how it happened initially. I was cruising down the highway, doing a bit of a hard pull, and the whole engine started like bogging down (felt like a boost leak). I couldn't get to boost to save my life, but no CES popped. Got it to work somehow, checked the pipes, everything was good, but when I revved it, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust mani. That's when the shop originally surmised it was a blown turbo.

Could a fuel/ignition problem happen so damned suddenly?

Another odd bit...the exhaust sounds like it's not making any noise. I thought maybe since it isn't making much power the exhaust gases aren't flowing enough to be very audible; but, it's just weird.
 
It's possible that something could be wrong with the engine which caused the turbo to fail....but not likely if your T25 was the stock, high-mileage turbo.

I did have an issue with the head not too long before; but it was completely swapped out with a new one and new gaskets.
 
Small update:

I was just informed that the ignition coil was bad, and that the turbo is indeed bad. Will get more info after work, but the guy is Dominican with an accent so thick he needs subtitles ...so wish me luck.
 
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