How can you tell you turbo has take the dirt nap?

[Fnjeep314]

I have an 05 OBXT and my wife and I were driving home and I was passing cars, so I was in sport mode and the revs were getting up to about 6K. Well as we were 15 miles or so from home, I go to get on it again, and there is no power. The trans upshifts and I can hear the motor revving up to about 5K but there was minimal acceleration. It basically felt like it was my wifes 2.5i. So can I assume that my turbo croaked? I just changed the oil yesterday to Mobile 1 5w-30 and a brand new filter. I checked the oil and it is still clean and full. I dont know what could have happened. I have read about a screen on one of the oil lines to the turbo that can get clogged up. I dont know if that could have happened. Could I still drive it at lower rpms? I only need my car for one more week before I leave for 3 weeks. Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

[ehsnils]

First check that no hose has come off from the intercooler or something like that making the air leaking out. Sometimes hoses do pop off.

 

But don't drive the car if it's the turbo since you may run the risk of spreading metal particles around the inner parts of the engine causing secondary damage.

 

If possible - try to access one end of the turbo and check if it rotates easily by using a finger or a pin to rotate the turbine. If it's grinding or is stuck you have a dead turbo.

[Fnjeep314]

Yea, thats what I was thinking. I checked the turbo inlet hose last night and it was on and attached. I tried moving it with a screw driver to get to the turbine and the hose would not move at all. Strangely I didnt see a clamp on the inlet side. Isnt there supposed to be one?

 

Now if the turbo is dead, what subarus can I get one from? Can I source one from every subie (except STi)?

[joeleodee]

You'll need to check more than just the turbo inlet hose. The vacuum lines beneath the intercooler are notorious for popping out and causing loss of boost. Also another possibility is the bypass valve on the intercooler that leads to some of the aforementioneed hoses. Happened to me all the time. From the sounds of it, this would be your most likely cause and best case scenario. If it does happen to be the turbo, the stock replacement would come from an 05-06 Legacy GT or OBXT. It is called the VF40. The turbos from STIs and WRXs will not fit. The 09+ WRX would fit but would require proper tuning to run correctly. The VF46 from the 07-09 Legacy GT and OBXT will also fit, but I'm not sure if the restrictor pill needs a change for it to run properly. Perhaps someone else can chime in.

[Fnjeep314]

Ok. I will check some of the hoses today. Another thing that makes me think it was the turbo is I never heard my turbo spool anymore. I can usually hear it spool when I get on it, but there was nothing last night. Hopefully it is just a hose.

[BL_Soldier]

Hope its not your turbo buddy. Used replacements are fairly cheap on like craigslist. I'm about to replace my stock-replacement with a vf-52. I'll keep an eye on the threads. Maybe my oldie can be your newbie:)

[Fnjeep314]

So can anyone tell me what an upgrade to the stock VF40 is going to be? Is the stock turbo a 16G or 18G? I come from the Garrett turbo side of the house, so I can tell you about GT and KKK turbos all day long!

[robbie_R]

Aren't the G series turbos out of Mitsu's? You can use any LGT OBXT turbo or 08+ Impreza WRX/GT but not sure if injectors and tuning would be required.

[AShoe]

The stock turbo is an IHI VF-40. 2008+ (I think) WRX's have VF-52, which is a mild upgrade from stock, and will bolt right in. There are several companies that make "stock replacements" that will also bolt right in, Like the forced performance HTA-68. Anything other than the VF-40 will require tuning.

[Fnjeep314]

Ok cool! Now who and what kind of tuning would be needed? Would a simple AccessPort tuner work, or would there need to b something more custom? Forgive me, coming from the Audi/VW world, the Subie tuning world is so totally different. I am not a modding/tuning noobie, just trying to learn a whole new platform.

[moncur_6]

If you want to spend money you can by an AP or you could contact Infamous about e-tunes or other guys that do the same thing.

[ClimberDHexMods]

Ok cool! Now who and what kind of tuning would be needed? Would a simple AccessPort tuner work, or would there need to b something more custom? Forgive me, coming from the Audi/VW world, the Subie tuning world is so totally different. I am not a modding/tuning noobie, just trying to learn a whole new platform.

 

You can

a) read a lot and get an idea of how things work that way

b) find a good shop and/or good tuner either locally or via e-tuning

 

If you swap your turbo to something different, you will almost certainly need a custom tune. Cobb AP or OpenSource via RomRaider will work fine. Really depends on what your tuner recommends. A tuner is the most important choice you will ever make with modifying your vehicle. Mess that up and you're in for a world of hurt. Good luck.