bad headgasket or blown turbo?

[damianb401]

just like the topic says.. here are the symptoms:
car is smoking white/greyish like crazy
turbo was making a different sound day before smoking started
turbo has side to side and some in and out play
oil levels were low and car smelt of burning oil on the highway
there is no oil in the lower intercooler piping
there is an oil buildup on the valve cover
coolant levels are low

any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[92AWDHX40]

Look for leaks, take off the turbo and take it apart. The turbo is probably toast.

 

[damianb401]

would a compression test help determine if the problem is the headgasket?

 

[7"exhaust_tip]

You can do both a compression test and leakdown test to help pinpoint the problem.

 

[fox4]

Check for coolant in your oil it is very obvious since water and oil do not mix. If there is coolant in your oil then that means headgasket the majority of the time, and don't drive or you will be replacing your bottom end due to the degradation of the oil by the coolant. If no coolant in the oil then a compression test would be next on my list.

You could maybe even find a cheap stock turbo in working condition in the classifieds and slap that on to see if the problem is solved.