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Turbo failure?

I have a 98 A4 TQM with about 125k miles on it. It's got the base level Wetterauer chip in it. The other day, while driving, the chip popped out of its base. The engine died, and after having it towed to the dealer, this problem was discovered and fixed. Easy. However, the service tech heard a noise he was unfamiliar with. They showed me the noise, which was awful--lots of clunking at low rpm and some whining/metal grinding at higher revs. It wasn't a huge noise--you had to listen to it for a bit. Anyway, the tech looks it over for another day and tells me there's metal in the turbo, and it's going to fail at any time. At first the service consultant tells me this isn't lethal--the car will lose power but will still be driveable. Later, the tech says that if the turbo fails it will do so colossally, shredding the engine with shrapnel, thus rendering my car a paperweight. Both recommend either shelling out $2000 parts and labor for the repair or buying a new car.

My questions then, for any of you wise enough or experienced enough with turbo failures, are these:

  1. Does this price sound right for a dealer replacing the turbo?
  2. Should I get a second opinion (I am going to)?
  3. Is the failure scenario they report likely and or correct in its potential destructive power?
  4. Can I drive it like a granny and keep the turbo from engaging to prolong its life? Buying a car at Christmas time is not a happy prospect.

Thanks in advance, Eric

Reply to
Eric Grunden
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I am not an expert on Turbos but I think they are telling you porkies, if the turbo wheel was to shatter the worst it could do would be wreck the intercooler, the air produced from the turbo goes through 1 or 2 coolers before it goes back into the engine, this works like a radiator but for air, the hot air is pushed through the cooler which lowers the temp and pushes it back into the engine.

1 IC on the 150/163bhp A4 and 2 x IC's on the 190bhp
Reply to
Ronny

It's not pushed 'back' into the engine. It's pushed into the engine and there it can cause a lot of damage into the cylinders.

Ronald

Reply to
reply

And on a side note, if you car is chipped, now might be a good time to splash out on a K04 upgrade turbo, both will cost less then the dealer, if you went the Garret T25 route you would need injectors and a new Cooler but all in would prob be less than the dealer is quoting for a new K03.

Reply to
Ronny

Would you like to explain how ?

And it is recycled air taken from the exhaust so it is pushed back into the engine.

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Reply to
Ronny

A bit padantic though don't you think, and are you still saying the turbo pushes the air straight into the engine or does it go via the cooler?

If it goes via the cooler, then how will this allow the engine to ingest parts of the turbo?

Please explain... That's what the op has asked

Reply to
Ronny

Eric, there is no way you should have that done at the dealer, first and foremost.... There are plenty of independent specialist shops (where do you live?) that can do the job. You can drive the car easily to get it to another shop, but I would not wait too long. Regardless of the results of the debate about where the parts would go it the impeller breaks up, I think it's safe to say that if it DOES break up, SOMETHING will be damaged which will cost you more money than a relatively simple turbo replacement..... So, drive it easily to another shop.

Dan D '04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6 Central NJ USA

Reply to
Dano58

The Intercooler does not have a lot of resistance, particles fly just trough. BTW I was not the one stating that thexhaust fumes are lead into the enigine here. So please stay friendly.

As to the otherc thread: nothing against people changing their synthetic oil after any 10 miles drive. Nor against changing the cambelt every new moon but, it's not neccesary. And: a worn cambelt is easy to spot sometimes even easy to hear since parts tend to slap against the casing.

Ronald

Reply to
reply

I can only comment from experience on query point #4. I recently drove my 2001 A4 some 440 miles in a day on Interstates from Ohio to NJ with a failed turbo to have it replaced (under warrantly) at my dealership. Yes, you can drive that way, but you will absolutely hate it.

Reply to
Robin Nelson

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