I was wondering if anyone could tell me some signs to tell if your turbo is leaking. Some of my buddies think its a possibility. How can I test it to see if it is? Also I've been getting really bad mileage, I know I'm not going to get the best signs I'm surrounded by hills and interstates but could someone help me out with this? Thanks.[sm=smiley18.gif]

 

Check to see if the intercooler boots are loose. the clamps often work loose and this will cause you to loose boost resulting in poor mpg's and performance loss. Good Luck

 

while you are under there, carefully remove the intercooler plenum pipes and closely inspect the boots on the turbo side and the intake side.

minelooked ok untill I removed them for a closer look.

good luck!

 

A buddy of mine saidI waswet stacking because I always have white smoke coming out of my exhaust and how do I know if I am wet stacking or not? What would I be looking for exactly when I remove the plenum pipes?

 

Wet stacking is a condition iside the cylinders from idleing in the cold. Something different.
Turbos are lubricatd with engine oil. If it is worn and the seals are leaking you will burn that oil. You should see a lot of oil residue on your compressor wheel (front fins) when you take the intake hose off. (the one from the air filter). You may also find oily residue inside your plenums and boots. While you have the intake hose off try to wiggle the compressor wheel side to side and in and out by holding the nut in the center. You should only have minimal play in and out and none side to side. Be careful not to bend any of the fins.
You may be looking at a rebuild or a new turbo if it's blowing oil.

 

Yeah the boots can fool you. I had a hairline crack in one of mine and you could not see it unless you took the boot off and bent it. When the boot was bent you could see the crack plain as day.