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Getting my car ready for the summer and doing a boost leak test. After a couple of goes where I kept losing pressure I checked my coolant level to confirm it was as low as it looked. It was, I finished my last test and got no pressure... odd... turned off the air compressor and heard a gurgling sound by my passengerside turbo. Pulled off the hose and water came out, looks like legit water uncoloured and I found this crap all caked in the opening. I had noticed that there was evidence of water and dirt through the intake and into the plenum which was obviously a bad sign. I had work done a little over a year ago and barely drove it last year. Any thoughts besides the fact I assume I'm looking at a rebuild?
The oil tank has a breather that connects to the intake. When your coolant water is getting into your oil it can over fill the oil tank and start dumping into the intake. Take off your oil filter and if it looks like a rotten milkshake you are leaking water into your oil. This is caused by a leaking head gasket that can blow back down into the water jacket which then blows water down into the crank case. It is possible that the heat exchanger is leaking and mixing it up, but this is a rare failure. 98% chance you are looking at a rebuild either way, sorry man.
See that was my first thought, but in talking to some of the mechanics I work with, who have experience with turbo chargers, the residue doesn't add up as coolant doesn't congeal into this white residue. It's also only in one side and the water that came out looked like nothing but water, no colour.
Based on the water and dirt plus the residue im wondering if the intake behind the engine isnt damaged. The car laboured after coming out of a car wash at one point so it would sort of add up.
Very puzzling. Even the mechanics are at a loss at this point.
Did you take out your oil filter? Simple way to eliminate this possibility. I thought the goop might have been a result of the turbo chopping up the coolant oil mix but maybe I'm wrong. I don't have any idea what else it could be.
