On my 60 minute commute to work today I noticed an unusual whistling sound. I only noticed it because I was driving with the radio off and the windows down. Sound starts at 2100 rpms and gets louder as the rpms raise. Even when the clutch is engaged or disengaged. I park at work and start my shift to give the engine a little time to cool. So now I'm here on my lunch break, I take the intake tube out and I see oil coming from the turbo. Turbine has no play left to right, spins smoothly, I can hear a little humming. But there's a very very very small play in and out. It's my first turbo car so I have zero experience with it. Would you say that this little 113k mile old turbo is all done for?

 

Pix post. Couldn't edit original post on my phone.

 

Any modifications to your pcv system? If crankcase pressure builds up then oil can get forced past the turbo seals.

 

no mods. just basic repairs/maintenance. I had the valve cover replaced because the pvc failed about 6 months ago. also had DT oil lines installed about 2 years ago. that's pretty much it.

 

Possibilities:
1) Oil coming through valve cover driver side vent to turbo inlet pipe (between air filter and turbo inlet.) Check pcv system.

2) Blockage in pcv system causing crankcase pressure so oil gets forced back through turbo seals. Check pcv system.

3) Turbo oil seals going bad. Rebuild turbo.

4) rings are worn causing a lot of blow-by resulting in a lot of oil coming through the pcv system. Check compression. on all cylinders.

The first item is pretty easy to check. If that is clean and dry then check the rest of the pcv system. It may be that the valve cover needing to be replaced was a symptom of some other problem that didn't get resolved. If the PCV checks out OK then my guess is 3) or 4)

 

thank you! im gunna research on how to check the pcv system on this specific car. would you recommend i limp it back home, or flat bed time? the car ran normal just had that added noise.