turbo problems?

07-alhambra · Apr 27, 2010

hi there, i recently had my 07 alhambra go into "limp mode".its a 115 tdi.
i was travelling at around 70-80 mph up a hill,when i lost all power.
car has been at dealer,where they tried a boost control valve,maf sensor and air flow sensor.
none have worked.problem still there,only when car is pushed.
now i have been told i could have a sticking turbo.the car has only 27,000 on clock.
i have the car from new and its been serviced properly,proper filters oils and so on.
can this be the case?

volvic · Apr 27, 2010

first off welcome to the forums..

secondly sticking turbo was my first thought... (thats if the 115tdi had a vnt turbo?) it doesn't really matter if the car has low mileage, it has more to do with how the car is driven. I give mine a heated blast at least once a week to try and blow all the crap out of the system.

The turbo can be sent away to be cleaned, or i think there's a cleaning product that can be applied...

someone else will confirm..

good luck!

sssstew · Apr 28, 2010

yeah agreed, sticky turbo vanes. needs cleaing, theres loads about it in this TDI section. and yes the 115 does have a VNT.

07-alhambra · Apr 28, 2010

thanks for your welcomes and replies,
looks like my fears are true.i have read somewhere on this forum about some kind of cleaner that can be used,or are they worth buying?also would driving the wheels off it free it up,
this is how the problem showed up in the first place.
whats really annoying is that this seems like a bad design of a turbo to me.
if you have to constantly drive it hard to stop it from clogging up.
i have a 23 yr old sierra with 100k on clock,and it has the same turbo still to this day.it is only used during summer and it never gave any trouble.
the alhambra is a great family wagon ticks all the boxes for our needs,but this is looking like it could be a constant problem.
whats SEATS view on this?

volvic · Apr 28, 2010

its only a problem with diesels since soot is produced and passed through the turbo. as far i know porsche are the only manufactuers that use vnt turbos on petrols.(as petrols run much hotter than tdi, the porsche turbos are made of metals that can cope with extreme temps) when a vnt works it truely is amazing compared to a regular turbo.

if it were my car i'd try to drive for at least 30mins at 60-70mph in a low gear so the revs sit between 3k - 4k. < thats just what i'd try and hope it works, i take no responsibility if you were to try this and something breaks. you could try millers fuel additive to help the combustion and produce less soot at the same time...

from memory the cleaning kit and labour shouldn't cost more than £150...

07-alhambra · Apr 28, 2010

i don't think il risk trying to free it up by driving it hard,just in case i blow it.better to get it cleaned up.not a good start to diesel ownership,this is my first diesel motor.
thanks for all the prompt and honest advice guys

cheers tom

sssstew · Apr 29, 2010

yep, get the innotec cleaner kit and give it a go, had several good reviews/results by people on here.

and no taking the wheels off will not work, the turbo only works when the engine is under load.

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turbo problems?

07-alhambra

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volvic

It's just water

sssstew

Editing your spelling

07-alhambra

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volvic

It's just water

07-alhambra

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sssstew

Editing your spelling

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