QuestionQUESTION: Hello, I did a bone head thing and preasure washed my motor. It started but was missing, lacked power and check engine came on. I drove it at low highway speeds for 30 miles and it cleard up the missing, but the check engine stayed on. The garage cleared the codes and I thought it was okay, but the turbo will not engage. I check the dist. cap for moisture, but didn't find any. I did find a small amount of motor oil both wet and left overs from accumulation.
The check engine stayed off for a couple of days after the codes were cleared, but came back on. The car runs fine, but no turbo engagement.
Ideas???
Thanks in advance.
ANSWER: J.J.,
Some more inspection is needed. Are all the hoses connected and tight, to turbo and intercooler? Did the actuator rod on the turbo come loose? Maybe it is not the turbo at all and you have water under the plug wire caps, shorting out. If the check engine light is on what are the codes?
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the first reply.
Okay, here is what temporarily corrected the problem.
We manually check the turbo fan to make sure it was movable - its is.
We swapped out the sensor on the bottom half of the air filter housing (three hoses on this value or whatever it is), but we also found that the sensor unit on the plastic pipe that comes out of the top of the air filter housing (towards the turbo motor) wasn't attached. We had a complete pipe with sensor so we swapped that out also. We also checked the plugs, cap, and rotor - they are fine. All through this mystery the error codes are not saying anything about misfiring or turbo problems. Okay cleared the check engine and went for a test drive. Turbo was functioning - YEAH!. Next day it continued to function. Later that day I started it up and check engine light is back on and no turbo - AGAIN! So now I don't know if either or both of the USED parts we replaced both failed or if there is something else going on. Other mechanical functions are working just fine, except the turbo.
Sorry I don't have the codes or the human readable messages :(
Please HELP!
AnswerJ.J.,
Used parts do have certain questions, of which are, are they good or bad. Unless you have a way to test the parts or have taken them off a know good running car, that would be the only definite way you would know.
The turbo is more mechanical than vacuum or pressure operated. As the exhaust gases pass the turbine wheel it spins the turbo. Boost is controlled by the actuator which in turn is operated by boost pressure. Does the actuator work properly? If the line to the actuator was off (broken) then it would overboost. If all that makes sense then you might get ready to remove the turbo and have it rebuilt. Have you checked and tested all the plumbing at the intercooler? Do you have a clogged exhaust system?
