QuestionWhile driving home from work I felt my Stagea loose power the accelerator felt dead it was still driving but had no balls, It was very slow to come onto boost and only made about 0.1bar, and there was an unusual smell. I turned my stereo down and heard a ticking noise kind of like a playing card in a bicycle spoke, I drove the last 200meters or so home popped the bonnet and got out to inspect the car.
There is no smoke in the exhaust even under acceleration, the ticking noise varies in speed depending on rpm going from a steady beat at idle to really fast like a machine gun under acceleration, and the smell was gone.
I think the noise is coming from the rear passenger side of the engine (exhaust side near the turbo) and sounds high up (near the head) but I'm not sure.
The car is only 6 weeks into its last oil change and is sitting at the top of the prestart range on the dipstick, the radiator is full and the engine was running cool.
There is no evidence of water in the oil or oil in the water.
I only checked the compressor wheel of the turbo while it is still on the car but there is minimal shaft play and seems to spin freely.
Please any ideas would be greatly appreciated I don't want to start the car again until I work out what it is.
AnswerMark,
Sounds like the turbo is blown since you do not have more than.1 bar. You say the turbo spins freely. But, is the waste gate stuck open. Check the diaphram and the connections as well as the gate itself. The ticking makes me think the other side of the turbo has sustained damage and a blade has come off or something has damaged the works. Now, you could start the car and listen to see if it is not engine related. But, from the sounds of it the issue resides with the turbo.
