Turbo failure

[Paul70]

This is my first turbo car so I have very little turbo experience. I really want to get the car remapped but I'm running an earlier Q series turbo.

Do not want to start a TD1 discussion. Worst case I could cover a replacement turbo if needed but would really appreciate your view on the risk of the turbo failure causing engine failure due to some foreign bodies being ingested by the engine - what is the likelihood of this happening - is there a 10% risk, higher or lower?

Also is the failure usually progressive or usually instant so you could get the map removed etc.

Cheers Paul

[monkeyhanger]

I've no experience on catastrophic turbo failure, but within a week of buying my R, i'd made a decision to do a 1500 mile "run-in" oil change and went to the local dealership to get an oil filter after getting a great deal on some Castrol Edge oil of the right type.

Having a chat with the lad at the parts desk, he informs me that he's aware of 5 Rs that have come through the Scotswood Road branch of Benfield requiring a new engine after turbo failure and one of those only lasted a week.

Seems then that a catastrophic turbo failure will be quite likely to spray the insides of the engine with shrapnel and completely bugger it.

I did have a turbo go on a Polo 1.9TDI back in 2003 under warranty, but it was a case of starting the car and the turbo either worked or it didn't. Initially 1 start-up in 10 had the turbo doing nothing, then it became 1 in 4 a few weeks later when the turbo was replaced. I suspect my turbo was still in one piece at that point.

[Exonian]

You mentioned JKM in the other tuning thread Paul, go speak to them as they are about as open and honest as tuners get from my previous experience. I'm sure they'll happily go through any stories they've heard and it's not like they're scratching around trying to get new business either - they're very well established and (at least back in my mk5 days) highly respected.

I've had one or two (dozen?) remaps in the past but would hesitate on a car under warranty for obvious reasons.

Here are a couple of options - get a remap from a local well respected tuner and don't get a map with ballistic torque at low revs as a) it will feel very quick up until your clutch slips and b) even a GTI PP can only handle so much torque without the front wheels just spinning.
If your turbo goes pop make sure you have independent breakdown people tow you a tuner that can completely erase the map, which would ideally be your original remapping place. They will do this as they will tow you to a garage of choice. Then you'll have to get towed to VW. A headache but but not expensive, and at the end of the day what are the chances of it happening?
Failing that go with a tuning box.

[Paul70]

Thanks for replies guys. Good advice Exonian, I will give JKM a call. 

[kenny.c]

Whilst at GTI international this weekend I spoke to all the tuners at the show regarding turbos - remaps - TD1 flags..some interesting points came out.

All tuners are saying if you have you car flashed back to the OEM map the TD1 flag will not happen....a few tuners have deliberately remapped car - flashed back - then had the car scanned at a friendly dealer to see if the TD1 flag appears. Nothing appeared.

Both APR and Revo claim to be beta testing a "new" version of thier flashes which incorporate a "work round" for the TD1 issue so flashing back before dealer visits will not be needed.

Spoke to APR regarding the "map switching" offered on previous GTI's...looks like the MK7 ECU hasnt got the memory size required to make this work at the minute

Not that I had any real understanding of the actual failure of the turbos...but apparantly the actual shaft breaks - end result the turbine is no longer attached to the compressor. Sometimes this is all that happens....sometimes parts of the turbo on the compressor side pay a visit to the engine.

I spoke to one owner who did have APR flash.....changed to Revo after his manual clutch started slipping...it turns out the Revo map has a much more clutch freindly low end torque curve compaired to the APR.

Ken