Turbo gone?

B&W · 10 Feb 2010 at 22:25

Was driving a octavia vrs today, in third on the duals was at around 80mph I shifted to fourth and put the foot down it wouldnt move instead loads of white smoke started bellowing out the exhaust.

The power was gone also and the engine management light came on, just about managed to get it home. There was so much smoke, need to gets put on a recovery truck now.

Everyones saying the turbo's gone, im pretty sure it is but could it be something else?

TaKeN · 10 Feb 2010 at 22:29

Well, it sure sounds like its burning oil..!

It could be something other than the turbo though I'd imagine.

Clarkey · 10 Feb 2010 at 22:34

yeah sounds like turbo, could also be some kind of catastrophic engine failure though, who really knows.

[TW]Fox · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:01

Did you buy it from DannyW? At gunpoint?

Gaygle · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:09

Did the seller assure you that it used no oil and that this was a sign that the turbo was in good condition?

Moeks · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:18

Oh dear ...oh, dear oh dear. But it does sound like a turbo going yea.

MarkDavis · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:35

B&W said:
put the foot down it wouldnt move instead loads of white smoke started bellowing out the exhaust.

Turbo's definitely gone. Classic symptoms.

Here's an E46 with a blown turbo. Look similar?

Why this idiot decided to drive backwards and fowards and gun the throttle I shall never know....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjuXTT4IrlE&feature=related

Gaygle · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:39

To be honest, it could just be a split intercooler pipe?

Dogbreath · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:51

Gaygle said:
To be honest, it could just be a split intercooler pipe?

That wouldn't explain the white smoke billowing out of the exhaust though.

It could be a head gasket, coolant getting into the cylinders makes a lot of white smoke. Turbo seals blown tends to give a blue tint to the smoke, and it stinks. Or the real nasty would be a melted/holed piston. Is it standard or has the engine had a boost increase?

This produced so much smoke from my car it obliterated the road:

Gaygle · 10 Feb 2010 at 23:57

Dogbreath said:
That wouldn't explain the white smoke billowing out of the exhaust though.

Oops, didn't see the fact that it was white smoke.

Scania · 11 Feb 2010 at 02:01

White smoke is usually a sign of a turbo failure.

Firestar_3x · 11 Feb 2010 at 07:58

Yep, the bearings in the turbo have gone, mine did exactly the same.

Around £500 - £600 for a new unit then £92 for the gaskets, then a normal oil and coolant change price, if you take it to a backstreet independent its around 1.2k's worth of work.

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 11 Feb 2010 at 08:56

Firestar_3x said:
Yep, the bearings in the turbo have gone, mine did exactly the same.

Around £500 - £600 for a new unit then £92 for the gaskets, then a normal oil and coolant change price, if you take it to a backstreet independent its around 1.2k's worth of work.

Ouch. - I think I better start preying now for my turbo to hold out... Although it's obviously the point to upgrade to a ko4 or if not perhaps the jbs hybrid.

Matt82 · 11 Feb 2010 at 09:03

i wouldnt put my money on the turbo straight away

Firestar_3x · 11 Feb 2010 at 09:04

( |-| |2 ][ $;15938963 said:
Ouch. - I think I better start preying now for my turbo to hold out... Although it's obviously the point to upgrade to a ko4 or if not perhaps the jbs hybrid.

I took the blowing up of my KO3 as a chance to change to a Ko3's, then Ko4

Turbo prices are reasonably similar for the Ko3's and Ko4, about £100 in it iirc, turbo fitting parts are;

1x Cat Gasket
1x Manifold Gasket
3x Manifold to Turbo Bolts
3x Exhaust Nuts
8x (iirc) special silver crush washers (for the water lines
1x Oil return line gasket

Around £92 irrc.

£45 for 5w30 oil
£6 for an OEM filter
£30 for some good quality coolant

Much like my other car work i changed the turbos myself, first time it took about 8 hours, 2nd and 3rd about 4 - 5 hours, however with my engine layout i have better access, the VRS is Transverse iirc?

I'd hate to think how much labour adds to the bill, around 5 hours at £70 an hour, not nice!

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 11 Feb 2010 at 09:26

Mine is a Seat Leon so transverse yes, unfortunately I know I'm not up to the job of a turbo change myself.

Regarding the turbos, are you running a k04 now? I was under this impression this required a different down pipe, have you used a different intercooler?

Firestar_3x · 11 Feb 2010 at 09:35

The Cat / Manifold and turbo shape is different for the longitudinally mounted 1.8T, the upgraded ko4 is of exactly the same shape and inlet / outlet design so its a bolt on upgrade, which is nice.

Intercooler wise, i've gone custom front mount, forge wanted something stupid for similar sized core and pipework.

B&W · 11 Feb 2010 at 10:31

[TW]Fox;15937682 said:
Did you buy it from DannyW? At gunpoint?

your a lowlife i dont wish bad luck on no1 but in your case you deserve it and when everyone laughs at you then youll know how it feels like.

/awaits karma

Jez · 11 Feb 2010 at 10:34

B&W said:
your a lowlife i dont wish bad luck on no1 but in your case you deserve it and when everyone laughs at you then youll know how it feels like.

/awaits karma

Its a joke, lighten up :confused:

Dogbreath · 11 Feb 2010 at 10:37

B&W said:
your a lowlife i dont wish bad luck on no1

After picking my way though the dire spelling, grammar and complete lack of punctuation, I want to know who this number 1 is?

Also why are you defending someone who blatantly lies to sell ropey old cars?