Weird 2004 S60R turbo noise? Topic is solved

jerwhit9 · Post by **jerwhit9** » 12 Jul 2019, 14:52

Hey y'all!

So I recently got a 2004 S60R and there's been a lot of work done on it since I got the car.... New Cam gears, timing belt change, fluids change, general tune up, etc. Just today I started noticing a noise that sounds like a "whoooo" when I'm about half-full throttle (traffic around here sucks

). I'm thinking this is turbo related for a few reasons...
1. The car burns oil (about a qt every 3k, the car is around 175k)
2. The car will NOT make this "whooo" sound if I'm driving conservative.
3. This sound will start around 2500-3000 rpm, right around when the turbo kicks in.

Other than that, the car runs great, no issues. Doesn't feel slugish, clutch doesn't slip, shifts easy, etc.

Any thoughts?

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 14 Jul 2019, 17:28

Hey jer whit... MDK here. So I read your post and... it's the impellers on the turbo. Needs to be rebuilt or replaced. I've got a 2004 S60 R and the turbo is leaking oil into the intercooler. Not making any noises yet. Erie Volvo in whitesboro New York has a used turbo charger on their eBay motors store for 375$. At least it was there yesterday. Today is 7-14-2019. rolling on

jerwhit9 · Post by **jerwhit9** » 14 Jul 2019, 17:58

Thank you MDK, would this throw a P0299 code?

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 14 Jul 2019, 18:19

Yep.. PO 299 code is "low turbo output"

jerwhit9 · Post by **jerwhit9** » 15 Jul 2019, 19:16

@MDK, thank you for all your help!

Post by **SuperHerman** » 15 Jul 2019, 20:40

Point of clarity - if the impellers are damaged the impeller part has to be replaced during a rebuild. I assume MDK did not mean the impellers are damaged, rather the oil is leaking into the impeller side and causing issues (build up). The only way to know this is to start pulling stuff off so you can see the blades or just remove the turbo. There is a small split ring washer which is the oil seal - not much there for what it does and for how long it does it. As this washer (really a metal seal) wears over all the miles it allows oil to leak through.

I don't trust used turbos - I bought a used turbo from a scrapper and had it installed. It smoked like crazy. I paid to have the work done as i was in a time crunch. Supposedly the turbo had 88k on it. When I removed it myself and broke it down it was the ugliest carbon/oil/sludge mess I have ever seen in a turbo. More likely it had 388k and the oil was never changed. Having enough of rebuilding, which usually is not that difficult, I ordered a Mellet turbo out of England. I think I bought it off Ebay, and it showed up in under a week. Price was very competitive and I have not had any issues with it. Erie does have a good reputation and I have had good experiences with them, but it is the labor that is the killer. It is not a fun job.

Before spending a penny, unless you are going to buy the entire assembly (intake, turbo, diaphragm you need to visually confirm your waste gate flap is functional, there are no cracks in the manifold (where the waste gate sits), and the diaphragm is functional). I learned this the hard way on my XC90 T6. The waste gate flapper arm was binding and the turbo was old on Bank 2 only. So just replacing the turbo didn't solve the problem. In the end, I could have spent the $1200 for the entire assembly and been ahead.

You can take the turbo off to visually check the waste gate flapper and seat. May need a mirror. You can use a vacuum to test the diaphragm to see if it functioning correctly.

Usually it is just the turbo and a rebuild, cartridge or used assembly solves the problem. On the first 6 turbos I have done in my life that was the case. It was number 7 that bit me - so I share my experience.

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 16 Jul 2019, 15:37

Good word... super Herman! I do trust Erie VOLVO.. it's a complete assembly including the exhaust manifold... used of course. Volvo's are sooo specific...ahh