Probable Not So Happy Turbot - Saab 9-3

Soldato
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Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear.

I think the turbo on my much maligned Saab 9-3 1.8t is going the way of the dodo.

A few days ago, a whine that sounded like a lowish-pitched siren started sounding when the car was cold. It'd disappear after warming up. As of this evening and after a bit of a run, the thing is now somewhat louder and knackered-bearing sounding.

The engine sounds like the usual GM bag-of-spanners-in-a-washing-machine-falling-down-the-side-of-a-mountain when revved when stationary as it always does, and has a veeeery slight hint of tensioner bearing whine (see first video below).

Under load however, it's smelling oily and making a non-engine speed dependant knackered-bearing sound that fades when the accelerator is released (independently of revs, second video).

Video 1, stationary:

Saab 1.8t Turbo Failure Pt 1 - Stationary: https://youtu.be/BcOXFg62Hh8

Video 2, under load and in gear:

Saab 1.8t Turbo Failure Pt 2 - Driving: https://youtu.be/MSiCPHnRWQM

Does the above describe what I think is a buggered turbot?
 
Don
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Personally I'd be more concerned - about the turbo - if you had a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust, tbh it doesn't sound like turbo failure to me.

This, just because you can't see a boost leak doesn't mean there isn't one. Plenty of little hoses dotted around which could be the culprit
 
Soldato
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18,299
Does sound like a leak, a leak on the exhaust side can sound exactly the same too.
Equally, just because it isn't smoking doesn't mean it isn't going to. Both the turbos I've had fail have whined and then quickly progressed to complete failure. One of them took a day, the other one took seconds.
 
Soldato
OP
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Oh dear.

It seems that it's cheaper to buy a brand new Garrett TD04-14T Aero turbo upgrade kit and have the car mapped to it than to buy the original turbo meant for the car. I'm not sure what to do. :D
 
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