Blown turbo?

Tiarnon · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:50 pm

Hi, my CRD has been sitting for a while after what I believe is a blown turbo. I had started and allowed it to idle one very very cold morning, it was warmed up and I took off for work. I was half way there (1/2 mile distance total to work) when I noticed some smoke which was odd. When I went to accelerate the last time into the parking lot I realized there was a lot of smoke and pulled it in to stop. I had oil dribbling out from the front of the Jeep, oil dripping from the exhaust pipe, and a hot oil smell. Never made any funny noises or a hive of angry bees.

So it's been sitting next to my garage ever since because it's been too darn cold. I went out today (coldest day in a week, ironically) and took out the air box and removed the intercooler and air box hoses to find the impeller thing and I couldn't find discernible play in the turbo. As far as I could tell (so much stuff in the way) the vanes didn't look chewed up either. I can see that there is dried oil around the turbo. I ended up pulling my ehm hose off and there was some thick pooled oil in there as well that came oozing out. Had oil (not a lot, but a short standing bit in the bottom) in the hose running from the intercooler to the turbo on top as well that dripped out after I'd pulled it off its connection to the intercooler.

I guess my question is is it possible my turbo ISN'T blown? I'll be taking it to my diesel mechanic friend to be looked at very soon. Anything I should have him looking for? Does this sound like it could be something else?

Mountainman · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:10 pm

The experts will correct me if I'm wrong, but sounds like there's a good chance that you the oil was simply overfilled (the full mark is too much). What the oil level at now? The turbo spins smoothly?

thermorex · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:31 pm

The Best thing I can suggest would be to see where the oil came from, looking for the oil trails. Could be, in my opinion, the rear shaft brass "bearing" or the retaining clip on the exhaust side of the turbo, since you said you saw oil on the exhaust pipe (so, did you see oil on the pipe close to turbo, or inside the muffler?), but it may be as well the air to turbo hose, which is known to crack. But as I know, the air to turbo hose (the one from air filter to turbo) shouldn't cause smoke since you already have an ehm and the crank case oil vents through ehm. Unless you overfilled with oil and ehm blew on the exhaust. Could be the pressure line of oil to turbo, or where it connects to turbo. You really need to take some of the accessories out to look where could it came from. How's your oil level, did you loose a lot of oil? If your turbo doesn't have more than 1/32 play, and there is enough oil in the engine, start it up and see where it leaks, but have somebody in the driver seat while you do that to quickly turn off the engine if necessary.

Btw, with ehm or provent, and a good turbo, there should be no oil in the intercooler hose (turbo to intercooler), unless that oil has been there previously of running ehm/provent. An oil wet inside turbo to intercooler hose, under those circumstances, suggest the turbo leaks oil on the compressor side.

Tiarnon · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:10 pm

I saw oil on and around the turbo, don't know about on the exhaust pipe. I had oil dripping from the exhaust outlet at the rear of the vehicle, a small (4-5" diameter) slick of oil from the exhaust.

The engine had not had an oil change in the recent future, and had been filled with the proper amount + additional to cover using the FL1A filter, I believe it was an extra half quart to compensate. It's been a while since I needed to look that information up but I did my due diligence beforehand. The oil loss is a very important fact I forgot to include. Upon returning to the vehicle after the incident I checked the oil and was way down on the dipstick. I ended up adding 2 quarts + part of another in the parking lot to bring the fill level back to a cold fill level on the dipstick.

I have the EHM ran down the driver side of the engine and it terminates slightly above the lowest point comfortably underneath so it didn't have anything to drip onto. I don't know why I decided to pull it off to check to be honest, but it did have oil bubble out of it when I did. And the intercooler->turbo hose may very well have had oil in it from before my GDE Eco tune/EHM, but I have had my GDE tune for at least 10,000 miles, I'd believe residual oil from pre-tune would have been picked up with air flow over that time. This is (relatively) fresh oil that was in the line.

What circumstance would cause the turbo to leak oil out to dribble under the front of the vehicle like it did? It was a significant amount that pooled. And is it safe to operate the engine with a potentially failing turbo? If I can I'll try to get a picture of the vanes/front housing, though I'm not sure how I'll get focus on it.

Thank you so much for your reading, time, theories, and most of all direction on the issue.

joelukex4 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:54 pm **Posts:** 386

[quote="Tiarnon"]Hi, my CRD has been sitting for a while after what I believe is a blown turbo. I had started and allowed it to idle one very very cold morning, it was warmed up and I took off for work. I was half way there (1/2 mile distance total to work) when I noticed some smoke which was odd.

OMG. 1/2 mile to work!! I don't start my CRD unless I am going to drive 20 miles. I would not even start a gas engine for that distance. Assuming it was as cold as you imply why would you even try to start the engine for that distance. I hope you do have any major issues but diesels are made for long distance travel and should not be started for short distance and turned off. Keep it for the road and get a short distance commuter.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:08 am

You may want to pull the intercooler and see if it has a lot of oil in it? :roll:

If you find a lot of oil in the intercooler, you most likely have a failed turbo bearing since you have the ehm, the turbo bearing is the only place oil could come out of the motor and make its way into the intercooler...
If the intercooler does has a bunch of oil in it, it could get sucked into the motor and cause uncontrolled increase in RPM's. :grim:

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:39 am

Our turbos do not have seals. Check axial and radial play of shaft and report.

DOC

thermorex · **Posted:** Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:10 am

Based on what you said, it seems the oil comes from outside of the turbo, so it could be some leak from the pressure line. Having oil inside the exhaust leads me to believe the turbo seals/bearings may be bad, especially the exhaust one. You won't know till you start digging and remove some accessories to have a better view. As long as there is enough oil in the engine, you may start it, but keep in mind that if you have a severe leak on the compressor side (the one that pushes air in the intake), you can have a runaway diesel which will destroy the engine (even if you turn it off and cut the fuel, the oil that the turbo will blow in the engine will keep it running, and it will increase the rpm till all oil in the engine is consumed, leading to engine self destruct). If you must start the engine, make sure you take out the intake turbo hose and have a thick piece of wood or a steel plate handy, so you can cover the intake to cut the air, should this happen. Normally, the FCV should do this when you cut the ignition, if it works, but don't count on it.

Blown turbo?

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