Hi!
I have a 1997 VW Passat 1.9 TDI 110bhp 150k miles. 4 times now, always after a long journey of 200 miles or so, the turbo will stop working. Its always after stopping the car, say at a service station, and then when its restarted it is completely gutless and has no turbo boost at all (cant hear the turbo winding up or anything).
The first time it happened,i stopped the car and restarted, then it was fine again. The second time it didnt fix so quickly, it was the next morning it started fine. The third time it lasted 2 weeks before it went back to normal.
Today, it did it after only a 20mile journey, and sorted itself out a few hours later. Im waiting for the day it doesnt fix itself...
The car is drivable without the turbo, but only reaches 80mph veryslowly and im buggered when I hit a hill.
Something that may be important in helping diagnose it is that when this happens, the engine revs to around 2000rpm all by itself when started, only momentarily, then settles back to a normal idle.
The only info I can find that may explain the problem is the vanes getting jammed in the turbo, then freeing themselves.
Anybody any other advice or ideas?
Thanks in advance!