Turbo problems?

[Jimmy T]

Yesterday my truck have no power like the turbo was not working at all so I parked the truck and shut it off and restarted. The truck ran fine after this.
Any way I checked the codes and it gave me a low boost code. I decided to reprogram to stock in case I need to take to dealership and ever since I reprogramed truck is running fine! What is going on? Does anyone think the programmer(super chip) had anything to do with it?

 

[NASCAR Mike]

Your chip could have caused the problem.

I don't have a chip in my X but I have gone through 2 turbos and I only had 5k on the engine.

The first turbo dies when the variable vanes in the turbo froze and basically fired it.

The second time, the wire that controls the electronic variable vanes chaffed on the engine and short circuited the turbo.

There are so many things that can go wrong with the turbo, it really could be anything.

 

[bushpilot]

oh my gawd !

the turbo consists of VANES and bearings...our turbo has an added
vari-vane that is actuated by a solenoid...thats it no more moving parts...
the VGT solenoid can be problematic & is dependant on the proper
operation of the ebpv & the egr valve.

its been reported that the vanes (on some trucks) have gunked up from
soot & have "frozen" or been restricted in their movement.

the turbo on our truck is the most basic device there is !

 

[NASCAR Mike]

the turbo on our truck is the most basic device there is !

Yet they keep breaking.....

 

[bushpilot]

they dont break...theres nothing TO break ('cept some bearings & the VGT vanes)....
the swapping / replacement is an issue that stems from a lack of
understanding/knowledge & training by the dealerships !

the dealers have to "let go" of the tech's to send 'em to school...and it costs
the dealers to train the techs...as soon as a tech gets GOOD at something
they BOLT <to the next dealer> thats willing to pay 'em more.

i still say the BULK of the issues in the earl 03 trucks was due more to a lack
of training & knowledge than anything else...i agree every new "anything" has
its 1st model problems...but as the techs have become more experianced (on
their own...cause i still dont think the dealerships have shelled out the money
for training of their techs) the problems have been "resolved" or repaired.

look at the number of REPEAT turbo swaps/exchanges & youll begin to get
an idea that some of these guys dont know what theyre doing...

youll still see complaints about some problems, but more often than not,
when someone gets fed up and goes to another dealer the issues are
resolved.

This LINK will show how the vanes work & what
some of the problems have been...youll see theres very little that can
go wrong w/ the turbo.

 

[BamaSixGun]

bush, i really believe he meant that they are tearing up, just maybe be using the the word "breaking" in generic terms.

but i could be wrong, but that's what i get from it.

kinda like when you say you want a "coke" to drink, but you really want a pepsi.

i may be completely wrong tho.

 

[bushpilot]

fwiw i dont like pepsi

understood and im sorry if i come off too "BOLD" but im frustrated w/
these dealers and some of the techs (the problem lies more in the
service writers and anything...theyre bs'ers and know little if anything,
other than how to boost service ticket bottom lines).

if that turbo is torn up its easy to see & discover...shaft end play (worn
or "SHOT" bearings)...damaged compressor fins...thats about all that
can be "ruined" on 'em beyond stuck vgt vanes.

now ill admit too that there are lots of things that can CAUSE the
turbo to fail <again vgt stuck, damaged bearings, or trashed compressor
wheels>...but that has to be determined...swapping a turbo likely wont
resolve some of these "POORLY DIAGNOSED" repairs.