Technical Knackered Turbo?

[Dave UK]

Just after a bit of advice as haven't had the best luck with garages recently!

Driving my car today and it sound like a jet plane everytime I accelerated. Power was there, however it just made an awful whooshing sound.

Took it to the garage and just had a call back. They said the Turbo is knackered and looking at £500 for a reconditioned one.

Does this sound reasonable? I was hoping it would be something simple like a pipe which I read on here after I briefly googled.

If it is the turbo, then its going to be farewell to my car unfortunately.

 

[g8rpi]

Hi,
Obviously the garage has seen it and I haven't, but it does sound more like a busrst hose or intercooler rather than a failed tubocharger. Have a look yourself, but watch out for belts and fans if it's running. A small strip of rag tied to a stick can help find leaks in hidden corners. If rag flutters there is air flowing.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[Dave UK]

Thanks Robert.
If it wasn't for the sound then I wouldn't have noticed anything wrong with the car.

I've got a new garage who seem really decent and honest, but there 25 miles away. Think I might take it to them tomorrow for their opinion.

Had a run in with this garage the cars at now about 5 years ago. They said it needed a new turbo at £1000....turned out the wastegate was seized and that's all the issue was. Seem to be running out of garages near me that aren't cowboys!

 

[MrDerv]

I'd second Roberts post, having had this issue with an old vectra. Was a perished and split hose in the end, even though a garage told me the turbo had gone.

 

[cmosfxx]

+1 to check intercooler pipes. Sometimes it's hard to spot the split under no pressure.

 

[flisko]

I'd second Roberts post, having had this issue with an old vectra. Was a perished and split hose in the end, even though a garage told me the turbo had gone.

ofcourse they will tell you turbo is dead, alot of money for them in parts and labor+ they will resell old turbo

 

[Dave UK]

Thanks for the replies.

Picked it up and paid the £70 for nothing.

Took it upto another garage, who gave it a quick spin and said it sounds like the intercooler pipe.

Put it up on the ramp but couldn't see anything obivious. Said the sound is coming from an area they can only get to by removing the bumper. Said it should either be a leaky bit of pipe, or the actual intercooler, but won't be able to tell until the bumpers off.

Booked in for the 30th as go away on holiday tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Dave UK]

Got my car back. Turned out to be the 4" S pipe from the intercooler that had a big split in it.

Garage contacted Fiat who said they have since modified that part and it costs £250. They then went on to say that they could supply the original part for £120 but couldn't guarantee it would fit and there would be no returns available. Garage queried how it wouldn't fit if its the original part with no alternations which stumped Fiat a bit!

Garage then found some pipe in the workshop which they managed to alter slightly to fit. All in £115.

Pretty pi££ed off that I paid the other garage £70 for a duff diagnosis. Took my old 1.3 Multijet to that garage in 2009 and they diagnosed a faulty turbo @ £1000. Took it elsewhere for a second opinion and was a seized wastegate that cost me £20.

I really don't have much luck the amount of times ive been ripped off by local garages.

 

[Cadabena]

Really glad you got it sorted mate Dodgy garages really are the small minority, but it takes just one bad experience to tarnish the name of all of them!

 

[Dave UK]

Thats true, just that this is the second dodgy garage in the space of about 4 months i've had to deal with.

Luckily now I seem to have two good garages I can use. Would have taken the car to the first good garage, however its 26 miles away and with a spilt pipe I would never have made it there!

Just goes to show, always worth getting a second opinion sometimes.

 

[g8rpi]

Hi,
Glad you got it sorted. You can put details of the garages you used, good and bad, in the garages section of the forum. This may help others choose. Just be factual, not emotional about the bad ones.

Robert G8RPI.