Marks951

Okay, while replacing the AC compressor I noticed quite a bit of oil on the turbo and the turbo base assembly. I have some oil in the intercooler pipes, it smokes a little when at WOT,and uses about a quart every 1000 miles. The oil is around the pressure line, behind the cold side, and all on the mount and getting on the crossmember, motor mount and that related area. Should I remove the intake and replace the pressure line O-ring and check stuff for tightness or is something else causing this? I don't want to tear it apart again, but I also don't want to rebuild the turbo and still have the problem or it not be neccessary to even have the turbo rebuilt. I am getting good boost and it even holds boost up to near redline. Any ideas?

special tool

That oil consumption is well inside spec.

Did you replace the turbo oil DRAIN seal on the motor mount when you did the turbo work?

Marks951

The oil consumption may be within spec...but the oil on the bottom of my car and garage floor is not.

special tool

what about the seal?

I thought you meant burnt, since you said "uses" instead of leaks.

Marks951

Well, after taking the intake off I can see a bit more. The pressure line into the turbo has been leaking since it had oil around it and in between the mating surfaces outside the O-ring. It also has oil on the front of the turbo inlet beneath the opening.....which is coming from? Does this mean my turbo is bad?

Tom M'Guinn

Don't know if your turbo is bad, but that o-ring on top can be changed everything in place. Since you know that is leaking, you may want to give that a shot before going to all the extra effort of pulling the turbo. There is another 0-ring at the base of the turbo -- did the oil leak down to the base, or does it look like a separate leak? Is it a stock turbo and is your oil pressure normal? "Some" oil in the intercooler pipes is normal -- is it slick and greasy in the pipes or is oil puddling up in there?

Marks951

The oil on the front of the turbo is coming from who knows where since the top of the cold side is clean. The center section has oil on top and bottom. The top O-ring is easy to change so I may just change it for now and see if it stops leaking, but the oil on the front may be from the intercooler pipes since they do have slight puddles of oil. maybe a teaspoon in each pipe. The intake ports looked slick and black and it was easy to see where the fuel had been spraying since it was the only bare spot in each port.

I don't want to take out the turbo or have it rebuilt since I started this changing A/C stuff. But if it's bad i should do it now while the intake is off. Although taking the intake off isn't too bad.