Massive Turbo Problems!! Help!!

[Austin_hull]

Hey guys, it's a tropical 20 degrees today in Virginia, and I keep experiencing a problem with my turbo either not working at all, or not working for the first five minutes that I drive my car. I leave my car outside, and almost every time i start it after it's been un-driven overnight, it either won't start AT ALL, or struggles, and I have to crank it several times to get it to start...then, I let it warm up for several minutes, and when I go to drive, I get no boost whatsoever....the car accelerates, but it's like driving a naturally aspirated 3600 lb car...I have the stock turbo, and about 117,000 on the clock...I was in the dealership the other day for a PCV fix, and told them about this issue, and they checked the turbo, and said it looked fine...any thoughts or guesses as to what the problem is? Can the cold REALLY be what's messing up my turbo? Also, I do have a boost gauge, so I also have visual confirmation that my car is not leaving vacuum...it won't go above 10 in/mg...

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance!

 

[eurocars]

probably just too cold, dv is sticking. park it in a garage overnight

 

[Austin_hull]

probably just too cold, dv is sticking. park it in a garage overnight

What if I don't have a garage available? Anything else I can do? And would that throw a CEL? Because some of the times, I'll get a CEL, and then as soon as the turbo spools, it goes away...and I only get a CEL about 1 out of 10 times that it happens...without being able to read the code, any thoughts?

EDIT: And would switching to the new Rev D fix that?

 

[eurocars]

rev D might help, cel is probably related to that, you can scan it to confirm. should be getting warmer here soon

 

[Austin_hull]

rev D might help, cel is probably related to that, you can scan it to confirm. should be getting warmer here soon

Thank you so much for your help/quick replies. I've read a good majority of your posts, and I really respect your knowledge. Thanks man!

 

[vagike]

If the car is too cold... the ecu WILL limit boost and timing.

Still running on the factory battery? Suggest bench testing it for the no start issue.

Also sound like a dirty air filter, for the lack of power.

 

[Austin_hull]

If the car is too cold... the ecu WILL limit boost and timing.

Still running on the factory battery? Suggest bench testing it for the no start issue.

Also sound like a dirty air filter, for the lack of power.

It's not a matter of limiting, there is NO boost...the car doesn't leave vacuum...and I just replaced my battery around two months ago, I swear, if that's the problem... addle: And I don't believe there's an inherent "lack of power", it's just that the engine has to pull a heavy ass car around, with no turbo to help it...Again, I just put a new intake and filter on for Christmas, and it's an aluminum filter, I'll clean it for shits and gigs, but I doubt that's the problem...regardless, thanks for your help and insight! I greatly appreciate it!

 

[golfballer78]

It's not a matter of limiting, there is NO boost...the car doesn't leave vacuum...and I just replaced my battery around two months ago, I swear, if that's the problem... addle: And I don't believe there's an inherent "lack of power", it's just that the engine has to pull a heavy ass car around, with no turbo to help it...Again, I just put a new intake and filter on for Christmas, and it's an aluminum filter, I'll clean it for shits and gigs, but I doubt that's the problem...regardless, thanks for your help and insight! I greatly appreciate it!

last year I got the "turbocharger under boost" code and google told me about the whimpy oe dv's on this, sure enough, pulled it off the compressor housing, the damn rubber diaphram was torn. the revision d piston type that I picked up at wholesale cost has been holding boost ever since (even sounds better).

did that dealer actually "diag" the car? or just looked at the turbo and said it was fine? but look at the dv, maybe do boost leak test before saving for a new turbine.

 

[Austin_hull]

last year I got the "turbocharger under boost" code and google told me about the whimpy oe dv's on this, sure enough, pulled it off the compressor housing, the damn rubber diaphram was torn. the revision d piston type that I picked up at wholesale cost has been holding boost ever since (even sounds better).

did that dealer actually "diag" the car? or just looked at the turbo and said it was fine? but look at the dv, maybe do boost leak test before saving for a new turbine.

Not that I know of, but there was no CEL code to diagnose....and that's what I'm thinking, is the DV...I'm still on the old DV, at 116,xxx miles, and 23 lb/ft of torque, and I know the diaphragm is torn, because I get whistling at WOT, and very little power up hills, so I think I'm gonna try to get a Rev D with my paycheck on friday. You guys think that that should fix my problem. Again, thank you so much for your insight!

 

[golfballer78]

could probably take care of that dv and a pcv fix for a like 200 bucks together.

 

[Austin_hull]

could probably take care of that dv and a pcv fix for a like 200 bucks together.

PCV fix was just done on friday, they put the new one on, though I was having problems before and after that. I will be purchasing a Rev D DV from a forum member on payday, and I'll pray that fixes my problem! haha Out of curiousity, what would the PCV valve have to do with the turbo? I was under the impression that the PCV was part of the ignition system, particularly the oil feed/return system?

 

[Red5pade]

If the car is too cold... the ecu WILL limit boost and timing.

Still running on the factory battery? Suggest bench testing it for the no start issue.

Also sound like a dirty air filter, for the lack of power.

PCV fix was just done on friday, they put the new one on, though I was having problems before and after that. I will be purchasing a Rev D DV from a forum member on payday, and I'll pray that fixes my problem! haha Out of curiousity, what would the PCV valve have to do with the turbo? I was under the impression that the PCV was part of the ignition system, particularly the oil feed/return system?

if you stop the pressure (from a frozen pcv), then it will blow the pcv system off. i have a broken valve cover right now cause my plate had ice in it and stripped the screw out to push the plate off the valve cover. my car still ran and built boost, but it also had a ton of smoke... like uncle buck :lol:

to me it sounds like you have 2 things going on. the dv sounds like its ripped and it also sounds like you have an evap leak... somewhere... . if your car is cranking and cranking before it finally starts, try to rule the evap leak out by turning the key to the on position for about 3secs and then turn the car over. if it turns over and starts, then congrats, you have an evap leak. if it continues like it was, then idk :frown:

 

[Austin_hull]

if you stop the pressure (from a frozen pcv), then it will blow the pcv system off. i have a broken valve cover right now cause my plate had ice in it and stripped the screw out to push the plate off the valve cover. my car still ran and built boost, but it also had a ton of smoke... like uncle buck :lol:

:word: Thank you for explaining that!

to me it sounds like you have 2 things going on. the dv sounds like its ripped and it also sounds like you have an evap leak... somewhere... . if your car is cranking and cranking before it finally starts, try to rule the evap leak out by turning the key to the on position for about 3secs and then turn the car over. if it turns over and starts, then congrats, you have an evap leak. if it continues like it was, then idk :frown:

Well, guess we'll be taking care of that DV, won't we? One more question tho....what's leaving the key position in on for three seconds gonna do? :iono:

 

[Red5pade]

Well, guess we'll be taking care of that DV, won't we? One more question tho....what's leaving the key position in on for three seconds gonna do? :iono:

it will continue to prime the hpfp. when you open the door, the lpfp kicks on for a second, but if the evap has a leak, thats not long enough.... so you make it do it again.

 

[Austin_hull]

it will continue to prime the hpfp. when you open the door, the lpfp kicks on for a second, but if the evap has a leak, thats not long enough.... so you make it do it again.

so what exactly am I looking at with an evap leak then? Am I gonna need a fuel pump?? Or is there a laundry list of shit it could be?