A6 1.8T Turbo gone!

[Morris]

My mechanic has just told me my turbo is shot. However he hasn't had a proper look just can recognise that the problem is located to the turbo which I believe is correct. However I'm not sure if it needs total replacement or just parts. The symptons are smoke blowing out the exhaust in vast ambundance. Can anyone tell me how much they think it may cost to change the whole unit and get it fitted?

[mark1holman]

Hi

i have just replaced my turbl for a6 1.8t. audi quoted £900 + vat to supply only. i eventually got a new turbo from a company in birmingham for £390. my local garage charged in total with new vacum pipes, oil feed pipe and dump valve £500 to fit it.
but read my post on 29/01/07 power problems and cutting out before you get work done. i am still having problems and am booked in for test drive with audi tomorrow.

regards mark

[Morris]

Hi read your power problem post and the symptoms sound very similar to the ones I am experiencing. I have a USB VAG COM interface winging its way to me as we speak so will let you know once I have run the diagnosis. In the meantime I would be very grateful if you could keep me abreast of your progression. Cheers

[mark1holman]

hi its mark.

Audi did test drive thought it was MAF, anyway getting new one fitted friday if it fixes probs costing £75 with 2 year warenty if does not fix it then they are replacing old MAF and doing full diagnostic check.

getting good deal as i played hell about them telling me to renew turbo when problem was probalbly faulty MAF fitted 2 months ago.

regards

mark

[Morris]

Good on you. You deserve a good deal if you've been misadvised.

Thanks for keeping me updated. So are they sugessting that it might just be the air filter? I've decided that I'm going to stagger the repairs I make as I'm on a fairly shoestring budget. First I'm going to change the oil feed pipe and do an on going diagnosis. Has the smoke coming out the exhaust abated?

[i_asad]

Hi,
I've the same problem, very heavy grey-ish smoke all over. Due to smoke & noise as if something was broken in the engine & the fact that car was reving to 5k rpm & not going that fast which scared me big time, the mechanic diagonosed that Timing Chain was broken, so he opened the whole engine, changed the timing chain & then said the car is still smoking heavily, so he changed the catalitic converter & the down pipe & chared me £550. While doing that he also said the turbo charger is gone which will cost me hell lots which I really can't afford. After reading lots of comments, I've realised that it was never the timing chain, it was the turbo charger all along. Now is there anyone who can give me advise on how to change the turbo charger myself?
Thanx.

[Peter D]

An A6 1.8T has a timing belt not a chain and if it had gone it would have taken quite a few valves with it. Something here does not add up. Regards Peter

[i_asad]

Ya, that was the wierd part, (1.8T Auto) AEB Engines have both Timing Chain & Belt, I've seen that in the Audi Manual & have confirmed that with Audi in Wimbledon as well. This was for a very limited period only, after which there are only Timing Belts in the new engines.

[Peter D]

Yes there is a chain linking the two camshafts together at the back of the engine but if that snaps there are very serious consequences and if really worn and it breaks it chews through the engine casing and the stalled camshaft leaves at least four valves open to severe damage. Regards Peter

[i_asad]

Ya, very true. That's what I came to know as well but only after he had done that work & charged me £550. Really impressed with your information & knowledge about these engines. So it is pretty clear then that was not the problem all along. U c, its really hard to trust people if one doesn't possess enough knowledge about engines & understanding symptoms. I've got to be more careful next time. Now, at the moment the turbo is disconnected, the car still runs fine with less pick up but I can smell slight smoke while driving. Any recommendations as to what I should do to get that fixed with minimum bill as I'm already tapped out of cash/budget (almost)?

[Peter D]

How have you bypasses the turbo particularly the exhaust. ?? Then a turbo pops it's seals it tend to leak oil into the the boosted side of the airway and you may have oil in the pipes and the inter cooler down in the N/S wing. Disconnect the pipe and check for oil dripping out. It is best to remove and clean the pipes and cooler to avoid contaminating the throttle body and creating excess carbon deposits on the back of the inlet valves due to burning the oil and the burn oil can kill your cat. Regards Peter