Lack of power on 1.8 turbo petrol

[The Stagg]

..Apologies for being a timewaster. It turns out that the warning light which looks like a flashing red thermometer (which is the same as the water temp gauge above it) is actually a water temp gauge ! I don't have an owners manual, but I can't think why i'd got it in to my head that this was an oil pressure gauge, I MUST have seen something somewhere to make me think that. TW*T! ...Still, its good news tho, a coolant top up will solve that. It also explains why its only been coming on on cold mornings...

[passat boy]

have you checked the condition of the flexi exhaust downpipe under the drivers side seat area of undercarriage.they tear from constant flexing and are costly to replace(+-£180 at quickfit) this would give you a rattle like sound with a bit of rattlesnake type noise only on deceleration as ive found on my passat 1.8t 1998 aeb.remove the throttle body thick black pipe and clean the throat out with a clean lint free cloth,any carb cleaners etc will remove lube in throttle bushes accelerating wear and giving you another costly expence.there is a vacuum hose from the inklet manifold to turbo valve that wears and loss of pressue causes power loss.check the other vacuum hose sort of top right of inlet manifold(short 10cm lenght)this affects fuel pressure at low speeds mainly if leaking.

[passat boy]

..Apologies for being a timewaster. It turns out that the warning light which looks like a flashing red thermometer (which is the same as the water temp gauge above it) is actually a water temp gauge ! I don't have an owners manual, but I can't think why i'd got it in to my head that this was an oil pressure gauge, I MUST have seen something somewhere to make me think that. TW*T! ...Still, its good news tho, a coolant top up will solve that. It also explains why its only been coming on on cold mornings...

Do you require a user manual Stagg? i got one from a american site for free but as it's 300 pages it's best to download and some little bits differ but it's mainly cosmetic bits like swithches or the keyfob.

Passat boy

[gresty]

You are definatly on the right track about your turbo. What happens is the wastegate actuator's diaphragm wears out and becomes useless. With the actuator rod chattering about, this prematurley wears away the bush for the wastegate flap on the inside of the turbo. With actuator and bush worn and flap flapping about = no boost or little boost at high engine speed. Had mine recon'd at a firm called Midland Turbo. They even came to my house to pick it (FOC)up and delivered it back after repair(FOC). Once you get the turbo sorted you will notice a big difference. I did and almost cr*pped myself!! All in all the recon was a little cheaper than actually buying a recon unit.

[The Stagg]

Thanks for all the input folks. After having a look around the turbo we decided it was best to send it to midland turbo, the wastegate was obviously shafted and there was a lot of oil in the downpipe again (had already emptied it once.) They decided i needed a new unit (no surprises there) and I had it fitted two days ago. It feels much better and has more torque at low revs. I've been told it will loosen up a bit more with some use and power will improve further. Does this sound right? Its better but still doesn't feel quite how i remember it. Would it benefit from (yet another) plug in to some diagnostic equipment, or should i wait?