Friday 2 May 2008

Immobile but light

10st13.8 last night before bed and 10st13.6 this morning. Don't know why but its good. However, on the way to work my beloved car exploded! Bugger. Its had a turbo fault for some time (an overload valve kicks in and suddenly you've no boost), but you key the car and it resets and is all fine. Only this morning it did it accompanied by a cloud of white smoke, and then a repeat when you restart. So, got off the road, on the bus on the way home now.

7 comments:

pascal said...

bad luck dude! I'm sorry to hear. I've currently got some intermittent fault with the brakes (eek!) but it goes away with a restart (sometimes).

Hope you can find a cheap replacement turbo, and that nothing else is ruined. Sometimes shards of broken turbo make it into the engine (my fingers are crossed for you!).

Paul Bennett said...

Bad Luck. I'm not clued up on how much a re-con'd turbo will be for a VAG car...Where did the smoke come from?

dobbin said...

Cheers boys. I hope it doesn't come to turbo replacement, although todays latest failure was undoubtedly catastrophic. I remember pricing up a hybrid turbo for a mates G5 years ago, and I'm sure that was 1800!!! so with VAG on top, you can only be talking more money surely. Plus, that was about 10 years ago when I used to mess with cars. Bloody hell. Never used to have these problems with my shitty old Pug!

So, the smoke. Well, in my eyes, there are three types of smoke you get coming out of cars : black = fuel, blue = oil, and white = water. It was white smoke, but it smelt oily (car is diesel remember) and appeared to come from round the back of the block, which makes me think its in some way exhaust feeding turbo related. Turbo venturi is driven by exhaust right? then that sucks air in inlet manifold, so if turbo/exhaust coupling has died then you would get some, but not all, exhaust in engine bay? thats what I think has happened, but its a theory rather than fact.

Am in AA, but didnt have relay (the bit where they get you home) and want it recovering to my mechanic at the end of my road who knows all about the problem so far, so have added relay but cant use it until tomorrow. Currently, it is parked up on Wentworth Way.

Dave Mason is driving to the tor tomorrow!

pascal said...

Just to put your mind at ease, you can get K03 turbos fairly cheap if you get a reconditioned one and trade yours in (if it is your turbo). If you need a link let me know, but you're only looking at £200-300.

Paul Bennett said...

That sounds like good beta keith. I'd expect to pay similar for a replacement fiat unit.
I found a website earlier that had symptoms regarding turbo problems but I can't find it again. Everything you've said seems to make sense and if its the exhaust side of the turbo that has failed there's surely little chance of any engine damage.

dobbin said...

Just been back to have a look at it (in her car) and it smells of oil inside, but there is no sign of any liquids leaking out underneath it, and the dipstick shows theres no oil in - which is bad, but could perhaps be because of the clouds of oily smoke (which was the wrong colour) this morning? god I hope so. It wont turn over at all now. Doesnt even try - like the engine is physically stuck or has siezed!!! I am seeing the worst of course, an engine siezing wouldnt manifest as a big cloud of exhaust emitted smoke first of all, i wouldnt have thought anyway.

Cheers for turbo beta. I actually phoned somewhere this afternoon, and they said £300, so I dont know what that hybrid thing was all those years ago.

Paul Bennett said...

hmmm the dipstick is a bit worrying, when was the last time you put oil in it? Im assuming (as you like cars) that you're on top of things like this? My parents A3 drinks oil, absolutely drinks it, it always has.
Having said that you can't have not had any oil in it to start with as they show you a big red oil can if they're running low, not just a warning light.