Lost my turbo!!!!!!!!

[Duncan]

No, I haven't been careless and misplaced it! - but something very, very bizarre, and a bit worrying, just happened this evening.

About an hour ago I felt like nipping out for a blast in the car - as you do at midnight!! - and so set off initially for a trundle around the local roads. Reason for this being to warm up the engine and, more importantly, the turbo. I'm very particular about this and never boot the car until the turbo has warmed up and always allow the turbo to cool/spin down after a blast by driving around for a few minutes.

Anyway, once the temperature needle started to rise I headed onto the dual-carriageway, steadily increasing the speed, but still not booting it yet. Was around 90mph in 6th when I felt a sudden dip in power. "Hmm, odd" I thought. Came to a roundabout and on accelerating on the other side the car felt gutless, no pull like it normally does. No warning lights of any sort had lit up at this point.

I slowed down, wound down the window and accelerated again and noticed there was none of the usual turbo whistle/spinning up etc. "Oh s**t, I thought so I headed back home as I wasn't far away.

Killed the engine, popped the bonnet and noticed that the turbo was glowing orange. Not in itself anything to worry about as they do get very hot and get this colour. But what was odd was that it hadn't been doing much work on the run (i.e. I wasn't booting it).

Got back in the car and drove off again - cautiously. Immediately felt, and heard, that I had the turbo kicking in again. Took it for a good drive and it was fine - kicking in nice and strongly as normal and making all the right noises.

Can anyone explain WTF may have happened! What would cause a turbo to suddenly stop working mid-drive, but then come back after restarting?

Any input appreciated!

This was with the remap in BTW. If the turbo hadn't kicked back in after restarting I was going to revert to original, but didn't feel the need to after it seemed to be okay.


D

[stevedee3]

I've no idea, but it may pay to check if the engine management system has logged any fault codes.

[TechWolf]

My first guess would have been a bad wastegate.
That would explain a glowing orange turbo but no power from it.
But its a bit strange in that case, that you didnt here any sounds
from the turbo ...

[barney]

that happned to me when i had a 5 turbo...
I had bent the compressor housing shaft, it was okay for a while but it sarted
to make a whining noise instead of a whistle when boosting.
it was a good excuse to get an hybrid charger.

[GARY3306]

I would tend to agree with Techwolf here Duncan. Partially seized wastegate actuator rod. I say partially as when you had got the car (and more to the point, the turbo) hot, then it was ok. Perhaps the heat from the turbo then eased it off. I wouldn't expect a turbo to be glowing orange after such a short run, again the wastegate stuck shut would cause the turbo to run hot, thus causing the 'premature' glow. You need to sort it NOW before you wreck the turbo bearings and seals. ££££££££££££££££££££££££££!!!!!!

[Gsi3.2]

Wisewords Gary..

I'd plump for the wastegate actuator as well.. Cost us £700 for a turbo technics re-built unit.. Then hours of grief to fit it to the renault..
I don't know if it will log a fault code but if it were mine the only place it would go today is to the dealers..Once they start going wrong, you're on borrowed time mate..

[The Doc]

Not always mechanical.

VX use an electronic boost control solenoid which is controlled by the ECU. Now this is then connected from the turbo outlet nipple (Ooooh er missus), onto the input side of the ebcs and the outlet of the ebcs is then onto the wastegate. Can't remember if it also has a feed from the airbox too...

But these are all connected via rubber tubes and these can perish. I would be looking at the boost solenoid playing up or the rubber tubes before the wastegate BEFORE the turbo on such a new car. Plus turning it off and rebooting sounds like a Bill Gate... I mean electronic issue.

Must be checked out asap though.

[Ian]

deffo a boost limiter problem - ie EBCS or Wastegate as CDTi says - only prblem is that its now an intermintent fault and you know what stealers can be like with those!!

[The Doc]

Changing the solenoid is normally the answer. Rules it out and pipes checked.

Not a hard job at all.

[Duncan]

Thanks for the replies folks. Does sound like it may be a wastegate/EBCS problem, but as TechWolf said it was odd that I didn't hear the turbo still spinning. It definitely sounded like it wasn't spinning - unless the wastgate had stuck open and any turbo pressure was just going straight out. Thought I would have still heard the turbo whining/spinning up?

Anyway, it's booked in for Friday as the dealer are chockablock today as they said they'll want to probably strip it. About to go out in it now so I'll see how it is. Taking the precaution of remapping back to original just in case anything goes pop - then it won't be stuck with a remap in it if it goes to Vx!!

Any further thoughts/ideas still welcome though!

D