Dead Turbo?

[Quickstop [UK]]

ok,

my wastegate is obviously seized so in order to drive the car, I have to either set it fully open or fully closed. Fully closed causes overboost and the ECM cuts in and there is an embarrassing lack of power.

I was driving yesterday and with the wastegate fully open I could not go faster than 140kph, and the car was accelerating like a dog.

I tried closing the wastegate halfway using a spanner by the side of the road and thought I might get a bit of performance at least, but it was almost worse or at least no improvement.

What is wrong with my car? Could the turbo be dead? Even without Turbo it is a 4.3ltr engine and should be capable of a bit more that 80mph. I thought the performance was supposed to be awesome but saw crappy little cars pulling away from me.

I have ordered DataMaster and an OBD I cable for some diagnosis next week.

Any and all help appreciated as always.

regards,

M

 

[DynaGlide]

Re: Dead Turbo?

With the WG fully open, you're not getting any pressure over the turbine wheel, which equates to no intake pressure. Your wastegate actuator sounds like the culprit in this situation.

In my opinion, a little embarrassment is worth not blowing up your bottom end. Sure, you want a big build one day... but you don't want to be forced to do it next weekend.

Leave your gate open, and drive like an old guy until you figure out what's going on with your truck. Don't drive it if possible.

 

[bezerk]

Re: Dead Turbo?

what he said, don't drive it like a maniac untill you have datamaster.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Dead Turbo?

what is easiest? replace the turbo or re-bulid the wastegate? I am going to get a new actuator but the whole reason I have had to leave it open or closed is to the wastegate itself. It i very hard to move with a spanner so I cannot see how a small thing like the actautor could be at fault.

How much for a new turbo approx?

Is a wastegate rebuild an option?

 

[bezerk]

Re: Dead Turbo?

how do you know the wastegate is the problem?
you could take off the boost line going to the actuator, and apply airpressure to it, and see when it starts to move.
this way you can test if your wastegate is working good.

another problem could be your boost solenoid, if your boost solenoid is bad, you can get boost fluctuation, or not more that 7PSI of boost.
isn't there anybody in your area that has Datamaster or some kind of datalogging tool?

 

[bezerk]

Re: Dead Turbo?

and check all the vacuumlines between the turbo actuator and wastegate, and you might as wel replace them

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Dead Turbo?

I have ordered the cable, and I downloaded datamaster. I'll look at it over the next couple of weeks.

The hinge that opens the wastegate is incredibly stiff. (wastegate hinge <------> rod <-------> wastegate actuator) It would barely move unless I applied a lot of force using a spanner, so I can't see that the actuator could move it. That is why I think the wastegate is broken.

I have read that they commonly seize when hot. Even when the engine is cold it is stiff. What is the solution?

I will get a replacement actuator and solenoid as well in case that could help. Any suggestions where I can get this stuff from in Europe?

 

[bezerk]

Re: Dead Turbo?

just test the actuator, you have to apply a lot of force to move it around, if you pressure test it, you know you're good.
it doesn't help to throw new parts in, if you don't know they're bad.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Dead Turbo?

do I need the pressure testing kit to do that? I have read the service manual and was thinking of getting one.

How do you test it without the kit?

 

[bezerk]

Re: Dead Turbo?

just go to a place that has an aircompressor, set it at 15PSI and push the 15psi trough the wastegate and see if it opens up by the boost.