I took my car at RPM racing (to find out what the heck was causing the smoke/burning oil), turns out my K24 turbos with about 2000 miles were shot. They sent them back to Imagine auto, Stephen at IA has sent them to Borg Warner to see if they will warranty them (hopefully this will all be done quickly).
Has anyone else had their turbos go bad? How many miles did they have on them before going bad? Did warranty cover it? Etc. tia.

 

Have them check for any pressure leaks. If there were any the turbos would have to overwork to produce requested boost. Also check your BPV's and upgrade them if they are still stock. With turbos anything can happen. Sometimes they last more than expected and othertimes ????

Make sure whoever drives the car understands proper warmup and cool down requirements.

 

I would also check the turbo oil lines for coking (burnt oil buildup) and blockage. Obviously poor oil flow will kill the turbos pretty quickly.

 

Number one problem with turbos is hot shut downs. Shut a car off without a minute cool down period and you roll the dice. Some get away with it and some don't.

Number two biggest issue. Installing turbos and not preoiling or pressurizing the system. The system spins and starts and there is a few seconds of no oil in the turbo. In either case the shaft is burned and the turbo receives damage. How long it last from their is anyone's guess.

Both cause the same issue and will wipe a turbo out.

 

I don't know if it as much a problem with the newer turbos, but on my 964, it was critical to allow for complete warmup prior to getting on the boost. This has been a particular problem with the k27 and k29 hybrids. I burned up a k29 after only 1500 miles and was told that it was most likely secondary to not allowing the car to warm properly. Since that expensive experience, I have always allowed the engine to warm completely to operating temperature prior to WOT. I have had no problems in 8000 miles on my R Turbo.

 

So what does one do? Video tape the install to prove a proper install and video each shut down. This really puts the customer in a bad situation, I trust the work of RPM as I trust Imagine auto, bottom line here is, if Borg Warner does not warranty the turbos, I'm the one who gets f*cked. It will be impossible nor would I even think RPM did a bad job with the install, I drive in NYC and hardly push the car not to mention I only put about 2000 miles on these turbos. It seems to me, there is always an excuse and the customer gets f*cked. I'm holding out hope that my turbos will be warrentied.
I’ve heard great things of the Porsche tuning community, I hope to have great things to say at the end of my experience.

 

Ron,
If the shaft is blued then there is no way around the fact it is abuse. Bluing does not occur when proper procedures are put in place. If they fail and the shaft is not blue then KKK/BG will pick up the tab. If it is blued then they will call it install error or hot shut down. Burning the shaft is not an issue that occurs by only driving the car. It is something that is induced from heat or lack of lubrication. The procedures are clear and this is why we place instructions in every box of turbos. Pull the fuel pump fuse and turn the key over until oil comes out of the drip tanks. Wait 20 miles before full boost. I don't think anyone is saying a video tape needs to be used, but these instructions must be followed to a T. They are simple and takes another 10 minutes of work. Ask Pierre, we did his turbos Fri.When I ask shops if they do these procedures and they say I can't remember or not sure then I question if they were done. It should be done on ALL turbos. Not just one or two. Pushing the car and boost have nothing to do with the health of the turbo. The install and the cool down does.

 

Do all Turbo companies have this policy? The down time is killing me.

 

Is that true with stock turbos too? Does cooling down means idling for a min or is normal driving (25mph) good enough?

 

Yes. The biggest failure of turbos is not the components its the lack of oil or excessive heat. Normally the only time seals become an issue in a turbo is if it was rebuilt and a generic seal used rather than a factory seal.

 

So the cooling fan that comes on even when the car is parked is not sufficient to cool the turbos?

 

No, the fans cool the engine bay not the turbos. The only source of cooling for the turbos is oil. If you come to a stop and shut the car off even driving like Ms. Daisy the oil is still building temperature. You stop and the temperature continues to rise destroying the shaft or coking in the turbo. Even a simple minute of sitting will allow the oil to cool down and extend the life of the turbo. Some cars combated this like the 951 by installing water into the turbo and a little pump that ran after the motor was off to dissipate heat. The Audis like the 5000s did the same thing. It wasn't uncommon to see these last 100K with no rebuild. 911s including the old stuff I have seen crash as fast as a dry start up after install and backing out of the driveway.

 

Agree 100%.

You should definitely find a shop that will pull the fuel pump fuse, crank the ignition switch, check the oil pressure and oil lines and make sure oil is coming out (get rid of the air in the system) before turbo install. This will ensure that your turbos are well lubricated (thus increased longevity).

If you dont want to take the risk, do it yourself!

 

I AGREE I NEVER WONDERED HY NO ONE WOULD INSTALL A TURBO TIMER ON EUROPEAN TURBO CARS..

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO INSTALL A TURBO TIMER ON A 996TT OR AND AUDI A4 1.8T?

 

Sometimes on cold start up my Turbo's almost sound as if they are starting "dry". That is you can really hear them for a second or two and then they quiet down. I am always worried about this hurting them. I have the hybrid K16's and really like them (thanks Kevin).