Sticking vanes-Re-con turbo-price?

[pricey2k9]

Hi all, Im 99% sure that my car is suffering from sticking vanes in the turbo.
It is a 2002 Mk4 Golf tdi 130 (ASZ).
I make a 20 mile journey to and from work every day via motorway and the car seems to run like crap (not as nippy) for the first 10 miles each way. Surely it should run sweet if a little more grunty when cold??
However if I floor the car for a few miles on the hills it seems to have the power restored.
It did go into limp mode once a few months back but hasn't done it since. I guess the car must run better after this because of the vanes in the turbo freeing slightly after a good run. (Would I be right in saying this?).

So im looking to purchase a replacement turbo and was wondering if anybody has had a similar experience and could maybe point me in the right direction.

Does anybody have an idea how much new/reconditioned units cost and where a good place would be to start looking. (Part number would be handy also)

Ive seen Midland turbos mentioned a few times on the forum? Does anybody have any feedback/prices for them.

In the meantime ive bought a can of 10k de-coke spray from halfords, its a longshot (fingers crossed) but perhaps it can help free the vanes for a while until I get a replacement...will post back results asap.

Sorry for the long thread guys and Thanks in advance for any help...its always much appreciated.

[phil miller]

Hi mate a recon turbo from AR turbos is about £350 iirc it is poss to decarbon it yourself, i dont have there number on me at the moment but if you google them you will find there details bud

[STEWY L]

i would spend the money on a fault code read,
it may only be a faulty temp sender,or vacume hose.
it would make more sense to spend money on a code read than
pouring magic potions into the tank.
regards,
stewy.

[pricey2k9]

Like I said I was 99% sure it was the vanes in the turbo sticking.
The first thing I checked was the boost pipes and all seemed fine and having recently had a new n75 valve too It was more than likely it wasn't that.
Ive owned these cars in the past and everything pointed to sticking vanes.
Anyway guys just to update you, today I used the 10k boost de-coke spray ("Magic Potion") and the result was fantastic, the car is now feels way more responsive and way more powerful. It only took 10-15 mins to do and immediately afterwards I could feel the change. It isn't poured into the tank either, it's sprayed down the inlet (after MAF) directly into the turbo while somebody revs the car to between 2000-2500rpm for a minute, then let the car idle for 5 minutes and repeat until can is empty. I did it 3 times and can was empty. The 3rd time lots of carbon and crap poured out of the exhaust and then cleared completely after about 30 secs. I then took the car for a blast up the motorway and the car was pulling like a train.
I think if sticking vanes are noticed quick enough then this stuff is well worth a shot at 20 quid, Im going to do this again next week and again every 10k , may save shelling out on a turbo as my turbo seems in good condition. I'm going run the car hard at least once a week also for a few miles to work to prevent the turbo coking up again (common problem with these cars). Im also planning on blanking off the EGR valve completely but that's a story for another day lol.
Sorry for the huge write up guys but hopefully this can help a few people in the future.
Pricey2k9

[STEWY L]

Like I said I was 99% sure it was the vanes in the turbo sticking.
The first thing I checked was the boost pipes and all seemed fine and having recently had a new n75 valve too It was more than likely it wasn't that.
Ive owned these cars in the past and everything pointed to sticking vanes.
Anyway guys just to update you, today I used the 10k boost de-coke spray ("Magic Potion") and the result was fantastic, the car is now feels way more responsive and way more powerful. It only took 10-15 mins to do and immediately afterwards I could feel the change. It isn't poured into the tank either, it's sprayed down the inlet (after MAF) directly into the turbo while somebody revs the car to between 2000-2500rpm for a minute, then let the car idle for 5 minutes and repeat until can is empty. I did it 3 times and can was empty. The 3rd time lots of carbon and crap poured out of the exhaust and then cleared completely after about 30 secs. I then took the car for a blast up the motorway and the car was pulling like a train.
I think if sticking vanes are noticed quick enough then this stuff is well worth a shot at 20 quid, Im going to do this again next week and again every 10k , may save shelling out on a turbo as my turbo seems in good condition. I'm going run the car hard at least once a week also for a few miles to work to prevent the turbo coking up again (common problem with these cars). Im also planning on blanking off the EGR valve completely but that's a story for another day lol.
Sorry for the huge write up guys but hopefully this can help a few people in the future.
Pricey2k9

pity you hadn't told us of the previous checks/replacements in your post.
i perhaps wouldn't have suggested looking at the things you had already checked????
this stuff you have sprayed into the inlet?
does it smell much at all?
it sounds like water to me, i'm not being funny here, but it sounds like
pure tap water,which would have exactly the same affect should you be able to get it in there.
i have, in the past, soaked pistons in water overnight in order to wipe them clean rather than scrape them,i swear by it, and if you ever pull a head off after gasket failure,
you often find a cylinder washed clean of carbon,
pleased it's sorted,
regards,
stewy.

[pricey2k9]

It didn't smell an awful lot if im honest but I really do doubt that it was water, I imagine its similar to carb cleaner just with added chemicals because its very effective. It made a massive difference and as I said I'm going to do it again next week to remove any remaining crap. I think it's also a good idea to use it every 10k-15k to help maintain freedom of the vanes (just my opinion).
Oh and sorry I didn't mention the past checks/replacements, my bad.
Pricey-2k9