Help! Sick Stagea M35 2002 - Intake Issue Or Fried Turbo?

[luthepa1]

Hey Guys,

Well my week before Xmas is shaping up to be worse and worse. Today its my car. It has started to make a very loud industrial sounding vacumm cleaner noise shall we say... lol. And it seems to be completely insync with when the turbo would spool. Initially I thought its a intake restriction (maybe a door/flap not opening any more) but now I am getting even more paranoid that its the turbo that has shat itself.

So my car has always made a turbo spool up noise since I bought it 2+ years ago in Aug 2010. Initially I thought "oh no... I have a fried turbo". But later I found info online that this is the normal operating noise of the VQ25DET turbo setup. I hope to this day that is true. Either way the car has always behaved well in accelerating and never missed a beat and no smoke or anything. A1. I will attach before and after sound bites I have taken. Good thing I have the "before" on hand still. My car is completely stock with exception of a HDi front mount intercooler I installed my self. I checked today the intake fitting as best I could without taking the bumper and reobar off and all looks ok. Although I did notice there is a small coolant leak on the car LHS.

So today was driving home with wife and kid. I had the aircon cranked up to max as it was 30*C outside at the time. I was on a uphill slope sitting at the traffic lights. They went green and I floored it to beat the other off the line with the car locked down into 1st gear in sequential mode. Acceleration was poor but jsut thought that's the usual for having aircon on. Then at the next set of light with only a slight uphill this time acceleration was poor once again which I thought was strange AND THEN... I hear this very loud unusual sound. Best way I can describe it is like a vacuum cleaner. Or a wurring sound but not really a siren sound. My immediate impression was that the lack of acceleration was due to a choking engine from restricted intake. If the car is rolling or not accelerating you dont hear the sound but apply a little to max gas pedal (another words make the turbo kick in) then the sound is very strong a loud to hear.

I stopped at a servo to check ECU fault codes as I had a similar thing on a subaru legacy when if I accelerated in a too higher gear like 4th uphill, the ECU would sense the turbo boost not rising quick enough and go into safe/limp home mode. To fix that I would reset the ECU and all fixed. Anyway back to the stagea and the check engine light was giving me 4 groups of 10 flashes, another words 0000 - no fault. I reset the ECU anyway while in diagnostic check mode. All this did was now make the engine run rough as shit at idle now with a tapping noise going on in the intake manifold area but got better over time. I then decided after mucking around in the engine bay for a while to limp it home very carefully (hoping I have not made things worse - but now maybe good excuse to upgrade? - lol). The limp home helped idle as the ECU seems to have relearnt the air/fuel mixture I guess.

So I am posting this for advice or help. Listen to the attached sound files of before and after and let me know what you thoughts are. Is my turbo sounding fried? Or is it something thats probably stuck shut on intake or needs reset? Love to hear any kind of feedback as tomorrow first thing now I need to get this car sorted before the Xmas period.

Thanks in advance,

Paul.

Sound bite 1 - before:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/27909437/Stagea%20-%20before.wav

Sound bite 2 - Sick Stagea:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/27909437/My%20Sick%20Stagea%20M35%20Turbo%202002.mp4

Note: The sound file labelled sick stagea I took on my Galaxy S3 which saves as a 3ga file which is meant to be a mp4a file according to vlc. I have renamed extension to mp4 so it can be recognised by media players. Let me know if its not working.

[Tommy Kaira RL]

I hate to say it but that's the same noise mine made before I had to remove it. I got a GCG high flow. There is plenty more options around now. I did mine 2 Christmas ago.I know how you feel.

I did the work myself. If your handy with cars give it a go. I used a hoist but its been done without it.

Good luck

[scotty nm35]

Definitely the turbo, it sounds like the compressor is rubbing on the front housing. It's been very common lately, they are dropping like flies.

[luthepa1]

Thanks for the fast feedback guys!!! Much appreciated which makes me both happy and sad - lol. I too was thinking on the limp back home that the turbo prob in poor condition and something like the compressor rubbing on housing.

So next question... Anyone know good workshops in the Sydney north area for turbos??? I located in chatswood.

[Daleo]

Definitely turbo.

I also had the tapping, sounded for all the world like a stuffed lifter. I shit myself when it started clattering as well as the turbo failure.

New turbo time opens up a mound of options for you. Only use someone who has experience with THIS turbo.

Edit; If you're in Chatswood contact Jetwreck. He'll sort you.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Daleo

[scotty nm35]

Speak to Craig (Jetwreck), he does them pretty cheap, drive in drive out.

Unless you are doing it yourself?

[PN-Mad]

Yup, dropping like flys alright

The Silver ARX down the end of my street I noticed went past making a siren sound yesterday. Not healthy at all. I'm going to give him Jetwrecks contact number.

[luthepa1]

Not planning to do myself as underground basement parking makes it impossible (it was torture enough to put in the FMIC).

[luthepa1]

So whats up with these turbos then if I am one among a few to many now that they suddenly dropping like flies? Cheap/basic turbos?

[PN-Mad]

its well documented, your not alone.

They suffer a lot more heat due to the position of the unit, and the very restrictive dump pipe and cat converters. They run a fairly high boost for a stock nissan unit, haul a big car.

There is a very small oil restrictor that can become easily blocked with poor servicing, or oil contamination, and if it does block, staves the turbo of the oil it needs.

[bigkevracer]

So whats up with these turbos then if I am one among a few to many now that they suddenly dropping like flies? Cheap/basic turbos?

Stock turbo is a pos basically. Craig can sort you out with a highflow or use hyper gear.

[Daleo]

The good news is; you can put all of those problems behind you now, and pick up some more performance too.

[joshm35]

this noise happened to me in my aristo when my intercooler piping cam loose and popped off. Have you checked all your piping.

Edited December 16, 2012 by joshm35

[180Shauny]

they are dropping like flies.

But I don't want a new turbo, I like my money in my bank account, I don't wannaaaa!

Scotty if they are going that quick it would almost be worth getting a few rebuilt together and keeping them on the shelf?

[scotty nm35]

Everyone wants a different size though.

[Brick]

Everyone wants a different size though.

I think people would be less fussy if they could have it straight away

[bigkevracer]

Everyone wants a different size though.

I think people would be less fussy if they could have it straight away

Millions of litres of alcohol are sold on this premise every year...

[scotty nm35]

$900 is a lot of coin for me to have sitting on the shelf. If only Stao had a spare one handy...

[joshm35]

3076r will dome

[luthepa1]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that responded to my post. Its great to know there is an active community of people out there with Stagea's that are more than willing to help out however they can. Much appreciated!!!

Update: I have spoke with Jetwreck who is going to help me out in this repair. Cant say thanks enough!!! Also touching base with Scott about dump pipe and actuator.

Thanks.