Is this a boost leak?

ryanz1243

ryanz1243

Greenie N00B Member
I replaced my turbo with a BNR S1 recently and while this noise didn't happen at first it's developed after ~900 otherwise flawless miles. I'm fairly certain it's a boost leak, but I'm relatively new to turbo vehicles and wanted others thoughts. Thanks

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Sorry for not replying sooner. I don't have a log and since I'm on campus I don't drive my car very often. Right now all I have is that sound, but I do know it is reaching normal boost levels (~14 psi), no CEL, and no other noticeable symptoms.

Really what I'm getting at is does that whistling sound sound more like a boost leak where I'll have to go thru and tighten everything or do a more comprehensive leak test, or does that sound like a more serious issue?
 
Did you get an intake? That just sounds like the ko4 with an intake on it. Spooly boi sounds. If you don't see any issues with LTFT or AFR at WOT then just keep driving it. I don't hear anything unusual.
 
Okay I'll keep that all in mind and update this thread down the line if I do anything to fix it.

Also this sound developed over time, it didn't happen for the first 400-500 miles I put on the turbo.
 
you may not have noticed the sound immediately as you would have been more focused on "did i fuck up something major and am i about to blow my motor"
 
Sounds normal to me. Temperature can play a role too. The turbo in my car is much louder around 40 degrees
 
Hello All, I'm back again with an update.

I've fixed the issue. This sound was not normal. It actually was an exhaust leak from where the exhaust manifold meets the turbo, to fix it I loosened the 4 studs and then torqued them down to 45 ft-lb which is just a bit more than what I'd done last time (40 ft-lb) according to the Corksport turbo install guide. This silenced that ridiculous noise that had gotten deafeningly loud since I recorded that clip.

Now I have to deal with a different issue, the car keeps cutting boost resulting in violent jolting. I am getting my AP V3 tomorrow so I may try my hand at a proper datalog, but I am new to that. There was a thread on another forum where someone fixed a similar issue with changing how the wastegate duty cycle functioned, so perhaps I'll try that, but right now from my limited tools, it is not hitting normal boost levels (it will grow boost, but very slowly / doesn't want to).
 
Pull your negative battery terminal to reset the tune, this may help with WGDC stuff as an exhaust leak is going to negatively affect spool, and now that it's fixed, it's probably working a LOT better.
 
I actually had the battery completely out of the car several times, I forgot to mention I did a boost leak test before deciding to do an exhaust leak test and so had to remove the battery and intake tract to get to the turbo. Then when I get all the stuff back on it started having this issue, so I got the battery back out to make sure I hadn't messed anything up. So it's had plenty of time to reset to the stock tune.
 
Okay, the issue is a Cylinder #1 misfire (P0301). I suspect bad spark plugs. When I pulled the coil & plug there was a slight liquid buildup and a lot of white gunk around the hole, so perhaps a bad coil seal let water in and killed the plug. I ordered ITV-22's yesterday and they will come in Monday, but for the meantime I'll try to clean up the area and reseal everything and see if it's still misfiring.
 
Another update. Cleaned up spark plugs and everything is running really well now! I'll get my AP in and see stuff about logging and fuel trims, but this is a really good state for the car to be in.
 
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