B7 A4 turbo replacement thread

[a1dan_87]

Hey! Figured I could make a separate post for this now that I've started, and boy do I have some discoveries!

So the turbo went on Friday, loss of power and lots of smoke under boost/engine load. Attached pictures below might confirm some issue with the turbo and not necessarily the head gasget?

To my knowledge the valve gasget has been replaced before. I noticed the heat shielding next to the turbo and intake is really beat up, along with a bolt missing from the exhaust manifold (part number?)

Also, CEL came up after the supposed turbo went out.

Secondly, taking the airbox/intake out, I noticed the inside of the tubing before the turbo/after the MAF is wet with a LOT of oil. (see attached pictures. Section of plastic around and before MAF is dry as a bone.)IMG_20181022_162629.jpegIMG_20181022_162608.jpegScreenshot_2018-10-22-07-14-00.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

Guess what! I can now write a short horror story in just a few pictures, after removing the intake. You can see by the zoomed out photo that there is a MASSIVE amount of oil pooling just before the turbo and towards the end of the intake.

I assume it's still the turbo, as the last 6 inches of tubing before the physical turbo has oil in/on it.

IMG_20181022_163844.jpegIMG_20181022_163726.jpegIMG_20181022_163713.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[Jet08]

It looks like the pcv line from the valve cover to the tip has contributed, I would confirm that the pcv system / valve cover is good before assuming the turbo is the issue, a damaged oil seal in the turbo would not place oil on the intake side - remember it is all sucking from the intake side.

[a1dan_87]

It looks like the pcv line from the valve cover to the tip has contributed, I would confirm that the pcv system / valve cover is good before assuming the turbo is the issue, a damaged oil seal in the turbo would not place oil on the intake side - remember it is all sucking from the intake side.

Alright. I did replace the PCV before the oil consumption issues started to get worse, would that PCV line be the silver/shiny tubing in the photo leading to/near the turbo?

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[lumberwood]

Wouldn't the vaccum under non-boost operation suck oil into the intake side of the turbo?

Agree check the valve cover and PCV before deciding its the turbo.

It looks like the pcv line from the valve cover to the tip has contributed, I would confirm that the pcv system / valve cover is good before assuming the turbo is the issue, a damaged oil seal in the turbo would not place oil on the intake side - remember it is all sucking from the intake side.

- Corey

[Jet08]

When the engine is running always negative pressure on the intake side, when engine is off neutral pressure.

Al1dan, the pcv system is on both sides of the engine including the silver tube which there are 2 different types depending on VIN one has a check valve and the other doesn't and is matched to the pcv valve on the inlet side of the engine. At a guess it is possible you have an early 2.0T and have the late model pcv kit they different enough that you could be pumping oil straight in to the inlet side of the turbo, I would check.

[a1dan_87]

When the engine is running always negative pressure on the intake side, when engine is off neutral pressure.

Al1dan, the pcv system is on both sides of the engine including the silver tube which there are 2 different types depending on VIN one has a check valve and the other doesn't and is matched to the pcv valve on the inlet side of the engine. At a guess it is possible you have an early 2.0T and have the late model pcv kit they different enough that you could be pumping oil straight in to the inlet side of the turbo, I would check.

Awesome! Thank you, I will pull the PCV parts on both sides (new valve too)/or check it's part number. It definitely wasn't going through oil like this (found where it was going) until immediately after I replaced the PCV.

However, the oil leakage is bad. The was visible amounts of it sputtering out of the exhaust and onto the ground (wondering if I'm going to need to be taking the turbo/cats/and/or anything else out to possibly clean?)

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[EvolutionArmory]

Early cars take the empty PCV breather tube with the check valve on PCV valve itself.

Late cars have the check valve in the PCV breather tube and have no check valve in the PCV valve.

Make sure you have the right PCV valve combo in your car. My car is an early build so I have a blank tube and run the R revision PCV valve.

If you are absolutely sure you have the correct PCV set up in your car, your next step would be to make sure your valve cover is not broken or cracked on the internal PCV passage. It’s a very common issue if you have the silver valve cover but not just exclusive to the silver ones.

Only after those issues are ruled out should you start looking at your turbocharger.

[EvolutionArmory]

And if you’re getting oil going through your exhaust it would be easy enough to check the turbocharger for a leak. Pull the front O2 sensor and stick a bore scope in there. If you have a mess in the hot side, it is probably the turbo.

[a1dan_87]

And if you’re getting oil going through your exhaust it would be easy enough to check the turbocharger for a leak. Pull the front O2 sensor and stick a bore scope in there. If you have a mess in the hot side, it is probably the turbo.

I'll see if I can get that done when I work on the car next. But there's definitely oil before the turbo, and a faulty PCV system makes sense- possibly that I didn't get the right valve when I replaced it. I think we have had the valve cover replaced before as well

However I also noticed that, again, the exhaust is visibly shooting out liquid oil (you can see it as it falls and dots on the pavement behind the car)

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[EvolutionArmory]

It wouldn’t surprise me if both your PCV and turbo were faulty. I hope that isn’t the case.

[a1dan_87]

It wouldn’t surprise me if both your PCV and turbo were faulty. I hope that isn’t the case.

I guess we'll see. I'll probably have the turbo out before dinner tonight to have a look at it. I'm hoping that it isn't both for sure, hoping PCV fault didn't douse the intake side and cause issues with the hotside/exhaust

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

Okay so: upon a closer look, it makes much more sense that this could be directly related to the PCV.

It was the morning after I replaced the PCV that the owner of the car went on a 200+ mile drive to a soccer game, and that's when it first drank a ton of oil.

On the first zoomed out picture, there is visible oil leakage/sludge under the silver wrinkle tube where the light is.

Edit: got the silver hose off, it definitely has been having oil coming through it (PCV hose) IMG_20181023_154425.jpegIMG_20181023_154510.jpegIMG_20181023_154450.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[joepickems]

i would assuse its pvc related if right after replacing the pcv you had oil issues. whoever fixed the car put the wrong part in. take it back and have them to the job correctely. keep us updated, great way to show us with pictures what is going on...

[a1dan_87]

i would assuse its pvc related if right after replacing the pcv you had oil issues. whoever fixed the car put the wrong part in. take it back and have them to the job correctely. keep us updated, great way to show us with pictures what is going on...

Yea. I also noticed a terrifying leak that seems to be coming from the seal on the transmission. Where it connects to the engine on the passenger side of the car the entire upper outside of the trans is covered in a visibly thick, black, sludgy oil

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[lumberwood]

Did/can you take a pic of this?

The vacuum pump and cam chain housing are common sources of oil leaks. Especially the vacuum pump. Both are on the back of the motor, overhanging the transmission bell housing.

- Corey

[Jet08]

Now I will say that I am a pessimist but if the pcv was incorrect then it is possible that the pressure in the crankcase as a result of the wrong pcv has blown the rear seal.

[a1dan_87]

Did/can you take a pic of this?

The vacuum pump and cam chain housing are common sources of oil leaks. Especially the vacuum pump. Both are on the back of the motor, overhanging the transmission bell housing.

- Corey

I wouldn't be surprised. I didn't work on the car yesterday, But I will try to update the thread with a picture of it as soon as I get home today. It's hard to see from the engine bay, but Im going to be jacking the car up to finish removing the turbo- and ill get pictures then

[canadianA4B7]

Now I will say that I am a pessimist but if the pcv was incorrect then it is possible that the pressure in the crankcase as a result of the wrong pcv has blown the rear seal.

This is exactly what happens when crank case is over pressured. Iabed now offers a billet rear main seal. It carries a hefty price tag but I would not every worry about it after putting it in. And correcting PCV. My can froze years ago luckily it only blew the seals on turbo.

[a1dan_87]

This is exactly what happens when crank case is over pressured. Iabed now offers a billet rear main seal. It carries a hefty price tag but I would not every worry about it after putting it in. And correcting PCV. My can froze years ago luckily it only blew the seals on turbo.

Yep, that's my fear. On the passenger side oil has been definitely flowing out of the valve cover through the PCV tubing and down into the turbo just before the turbine intake side. And oil has been spewing out of the exhaust (visibly in liquid form, as stated earlier)- which makes me think it might be PCV issues AND blown seals on the turbo. I wiped it up, but it looked like the seal on the valve cover may be gone as well. I really don't want to have to do that as well, but there's a chance the turbo seals are blown, that the valve cover seals have blown, and I need to re-install a proper PCV valve/search for other various vacuum leaks.

I also had that check engine light, and was told that the code it was giving has given people a LOT of trouble in the past.

[lumberwood]

Which P-code are you getting?

- Corey

[a1dan_87]

Which P-code are you getting?

- Corey

It is P0089 Fuel pressure regulator 1 performance

Someone told me in another post it's a pretty nasty source of trouble

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

Did/can you take a pic of this?

The vacuum pump and cam chain housing are common sources of oil leaks. Especially the vacuum pump. Both are on the back of the motor, overhanging the transmission bell housing.

- Corey

Hey Corey! I got some photos.

These are all taken from the engine bay, and from both sides of the catalytic converter (at least that's what I'm convinced it is, piping right after the turbo).

The catalytic converter is a good reference point in the photos, and if it's a photo where you can't see the cat Then the image was taken from the right side, If you were facing the engine from the front as you work. IMG_20181026_152123.jpegIMG_20181026_152127.jpegIMG_20181026_152132.jpegIMG_20181026_152139.jpegIMG_20181026_152148.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[lumberwood]

Hi Dan,

In that 4th pic, it does look like you have oil dripping down onto the bell housing of the transmission. Hard to say from just photos if this is the only source of oil in the area, but definitely worth taking a closer look at the brake booster vacuum pump.
With a cold engine, try reaching behind the motor, under the back overhanging cam chain housing, to feel the underside of the pump for liquid oil. A mirror can be very helpful here, to look before you reach - you may be able to see it clearly and save yourself a dirty arm.
As ever, photos of what you see there even of just the reflection in the mirror are usually helpful.

Cheers

Hey Corey! I got some photos.

These are all taken from the engine bay, and from both sides of the catalytic converter (at least that's what I'm convinced it is, piping right after the turbo).

The catalytic converter is a good reference point in the photos, and if it's a photo where you can't see the cat Then the image was taken from the right side, If you were facing the engine from the front as you work.

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

- Corey

[a1dan_87]

Got the Intercooler piping off! Should I be cleaning the piping or chasing the oil through anywhere?

Lots of oil came through the turbocharger outlet straight into the first Intercooler.IMG_20181027_121646.jpegIMG_20181027_121716.jpegIMG_20181027_121742.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

Turbo is out!

Hotside/exhaust side of the turbo looks okay. No shaft play or anything, turbine seems okay, along with coolant/oil lines.

There was probably about 2-3 cups of oil sitting in the turbocharger outlet before the Intercooler, and you can see there was plenty left in the turbo outlet. Exhaust manifold isn't incredibly sooty and dirty, along with the inside of the CAT seeming clean.

It was also obvious this had been done before on the car, some of the bolts holding the coolant/oil lines on were stripped, along with at least 3 of the bolts on the exhaust manifold having been only HAND TIGHTENED.

Some of the other various bolts were stripped and only hand tightened. My step dad who I worked on the car with refuses to believe that anything other than the turbo seals have blown, while it's obvious there are PCV issues with oil. (wet intake, wet breather tubes coming from valve cover, etc)

From under the car I noticed, to my concern, looking up into the inside of the Intercooler I could see that on the inside it was literally dripping oil. I'm guessing that with the amount of oil flooding into the turbo, both intercoolers and a lot of related piping are pretty saturated. Step father car buddy is convinced it's no issue and if there is oil still in the piping it'll just blow though.

Thoughts?

IMG_20181027_143508.jpegIMG_20181027_143434.jpegIMG_20181027_143717.jpeg

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

Wouldn't the vaccum under non-boost operation suck oil into the intake side of the turbo?

Agree check the valve cover and PCV before deciding its the turbo.


- Corey

Corey! Would you have any idea if/about what it would take to have a turbo 'inspected' to double check on what level if any its messed up. Recently I've come to hope that the turbo is actually okay and its an issue with the cheaper-to-fix valve cover and related PCV system.

I don't want to replace it if it just needs to be 'cleaned' and is good to go, all while the pcv system has been flooding it with oil. I don't want to replace a good turbo and have issues continue because of the pcv system.

[lumberwood]

Corey! Would you have any idea if/about what it would take to have a turbo 'inspected' to double check on what level if any its messed up. Recently I've come to hope that the turbo is actually okay and its an issue with the cheaper-to-fix valve cover and related PCV system.

I don't want to replace it if it just needs to be 'cleaned' and is good to go, all while the pcv system has been flooding it with oil. I don't want to replace a good turbo and have issues continue because of the pcv system.

Hi Dan, is there a turbo specialist in your area? I've seen "G-Pop Shop" mentioned on the forums a few times as an option, they rebuild turbos. This could be a pretty decent alternative to a new turbo, but I can't speak from personal experience.

If the oil seal is the issue, I don't know of a way to inspect that yourself... Apart from checking/replacing other parts like the PCV and valve cover, etc. to eliminate other possible causes of the issue. Have you pulled the valve cover off yet?

[a1dan_87]

Hi Dan, is there a turbo specialist in your area? I've seen "G-Pop Shop" mentioned on the forums a few times as an option, they rebuild turbos. This could be a pretty decent alternative to a new turbo, but I can't speak from personal experience.

If the oil seal is the issue, I don't know of a way to inspect that yourself... Apart from checking/replacing other parts like the PCV and valve cover, etc. to eliminate other possible causes of the issue. Have you pulled the valve cover off yet?

Not yet, I'll have to figure that out. Oil has definitely been being sucked into the turbo/intake through the PCV system (refer to previous photos and replies).

Clips on the coil pack harness are broken (2 of 4) and I couldn't get it off, that was the only thing stopping me from just doing the valve cover myself already.

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[a1dan_87]

New turbo is in! Sorry for letting the thread die, the job of getting a turbo was placed on the owner of the car. (They had a loaner they liked, so the A4 became a forgotten project)

So far the car runs well, im going to track oil consumption on a very close level. If I catch wind of ANY more oil being drank at an abnormal rate, im going to push to garage the car and work out what needs to be done with the VC and PCV-Valve.

The car started fine with some strange whining, but it went away once all fluids were checked, topped off, checked, and re-topped off, along with letting the car idle for a minute or so. I'll keep this and my other thread relating to this (@https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/830356-Insane-oil-consumption-after-PCV-Valve-Fix?p=13491043#post13491043) updated over the next week or so as to what happens with the car. Drove it, and it seemed to go well. It wasn't smoking under boost, and the exhaust isn't spewing oil anymore (for now.) The VC could be fine, or it could have drowned the last turbo and could push this one over the edge if I dont keep an eye on it.

I will be tracking the oil consumption VERY closely, as said above. I'll keep anyone interested updated.

[canadianA4B7]

Where’s your original turbo? I’ll inspect it for ya

[a1dan_87]

We've got it sitting in the garage, waiting to be tossed.

[canadianA4B7]

We've got it sitting in the garage, waiting to be tossed.

I’ll pay you to ship it to my USA address

[a1dan_87]

I’ll pay you to ship it to my USA address

I can look into it! I'll shoot you a DM later today.

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[audia4love3]

did u replace the turbo for no reason i.e. still boosting and all..?

[a1dan_87]

did u replace the turbo for no reason i.e. still boosting and all..?

It's hard to tell honestly. I wasn't the one who got it home, I switched cars with my step dad. He said the car was down on power and would smoke under boost, but other than that it drove fine. We got back up to 55-60mph from the side of the highway, because a tow truck couldn't get to us.



Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

[dalmation53]

It's hard to tell honestly. I wasn't the one who got it home, I switched cars with my step dad. He said the car was down on power and would smoke under boost, but other than that it drove fine. We got back up to 55-60mph from the side of the highway, because a tow truck couldn't get to us.



Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Audizine mobile app

Dont reply to him he is ahotboy15 with his 4th account.

Sent from my Vivo One Plus using Audizine mobile app

[TWiST]

How did you guys determine it is for sure him?

[Jet08]

I think you can tell from the accent it is ahotboy

[EvolutionArmory]

How did you guys determine it is for sure him?

He posts a new screen name that is days old but is familiar with people who have been here for years.

Plus he’s a fucktard. He gives himself away very easily.