Hi everyone, first post and all that, although I have been reading for the last month. This is because I got my VRS about a month ago. After having 2 coil packs fail on the drive home from the dealers I was a little worried....

Anyway, the problem I have now is that I think the turbo is being a bit naughty. It's been fine but when I started the car to drive back from work it sounded like my exhaust had a hole in it. I then noticed I was waaaay down on power and when the turbo was supposed to kick in, my car sounded like a spitfire plane. It's got worse too on the drive to my house and now is REALLY loud when on boost but almost silent as soon as I let my foot off the accelerator.

I have no warning lights on the dash or anything and have poked around in the dark to see if a hose is lose but I cannot really see much.

I would imagine (and hope) it's a problem with the engine manifold to the hot side of the turbo and not anything super serious? Does this sound reasonable, is it a common problem, and can I access anything if I crawl under the car or should I wack it into a garage?

Thanks.

You got it from a dealers, take it back to them. I assume you have a warranty

I do yes, but the dealers is over 300 miles away (long story) so assuming it's not going to cost a fortune I would rather just pay to sort it myself, especially as the weather is not ideal for travelling at the moment.

intercooler pipe popped off? That would explain the noise and lack of power. Could be where is goes into the intercooler down at the front behind the bumper in the wing sort of area where you can't really see it.

Jaesus lad,Never take a chance...Take it back...Surely it has to be worth it?

If I'm correct,and you go at it,and you don't sort it,,you'll void the warranty....

Just My 5 cent worth...

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to bodge it, I do want to sort it properly. I was thinking I would have a look for loose pipes / gaskets etc. first of all and then if I can't see anything it would be easier to take it to a garage closer to here rather than do a 600 mile round trip and potentially lose a days pay if they can't fit it in Saturday.

I do want to check that it doesn't sound like something serious as otherwise I'd be straight to the dealers with no messing aroun. Yeah I would technically invalidatge the warranty but they wouldn't know I had taken it to a garage to get it fixed.

Anyway, the problem I have now is that I think the turbo is being a bit naughty. It's been fine but when I started the car to drive back from work it sounded like my exhaust had a hole in it..

This bit sounds completely normal to be honest. It uses a secondry air pump on cold start to pump air in to get the cat up to temp quicker, it's supposed to be tfor enviromental reasons. It the pump that makes the noise which sounds quite rough until, although having said that I belive the pump can loose its rivets which makes it stupid loud.

Some cars get a bit arsey when the pump is running and like too kangeroo down the road and losing power, where as others are completely fine. Bit of an unsolved mystery as to why some do and some don't,

although having said that I belive the pump can loose its rivets which makes it stupid loud.

Just losing one of these rivets can make the car run rough at start up and sound like a spitfire for the first minute or two.

Definately worth taking the drivers side wheel off and checking the boost pipes around the intercooler haven't come off.

Mine popped off last November as I hadn't secured it tightly enough after I took the intercooler off to clean it. You could hear the turbo really loudly (normally sounds like a quiet whistling but with the pipe off it sounded like a spitfire as you say which was great fun until I realised it was sucking in unfiltered air... ) It was totally gutless for the rest of the drive home.

Wheel off, bit of jiggling pipework and a brand new hose clip sorted it out

Cheers for the replies. I took it to the local Skoda garage and told them I think one of the turbo related pipes has come off / split etc. and can they check.

A while later one of the guys came back and said there is a fault with the coolant temerature sensor, which will cost £70 to replace. I said I really don't think that is the cause and asked if he has checked for loose hoses. He the took it for a test drive to hear it and came back and said he thinks the cause is the sensor causing pinking. I still wasn't convinced but told them to do it.....

He came back and said "It's definately better but I think the manifold is to blame and that will be expensive". Great.

I've just checked my receipt from the dealer I bought it off and it says I have a one months warranty, which has now just expired.

I'm going to take the wheel off as suggested and see if I can see anything.

Right, taken the wheel off and it's not the intercooler hoses. I noticed I could smell a lot of exhaust fumes from under the bonnet too.

Are there any decent garages around the Reading area that can take a look? I'm reluctant to take it back to the Skoda garage as the guy said if it's anything to do with the manifold it will cost a fortune.

Exhaust fumes could mean manifold although I'm not in which context. Did they scan the car for fault codes???

the guy said if it's anything to do with the manifold it will cost a fortune.

That's probably because they will put a whole new manifold on it at Skoda prices. You should be able to get it cheaper through an independent, or even buying it online. That's assuming it needs a new manifold. Could just be the bolts holding the turbo to the manifold are loose. As Fatty said, did they do a fault code scan and what did it come out with?

Yeah they scanned for fault codes and the coolant sensor problem was thrown up. The guy said it cannot be a loose pipe or anything leaking as otherwise there would have been a fault code for low boost. This was before he took it for a drive to hear the noise though and before he said it's probably the manifold.

I'm hoping it is just loose bolts as when the car is cold it is very loud on tickover but then becomes quieter as it warms up (so I assume stuff is expanding to close the gap). It's almost silent when it's ticking over warm but as soon as I accelerate I can hear it blowing and when the turbo should kick it it is really loud.

I had a split breather once which didn't show a code, it just went into limp mode, but no codes.

So you never know but if yours is amking a huge noise then it's more than a split breather I guess.

It was the bolts holding the manifold to the tubo that had come loose. I'm a bit dissapointed with the Skoda garage as I specifically told them to check that and by the looks of it they read the fault codes only. Won't be going back there again then.

That's good news, an easy fix then. Does it feel better to drive now?

I'll answer that when it comes back from the garage! I certainly hope so as I was taking it real easy so the turbo didn't kick in.

Hiya mate.

I see you're now sorted, and those of us who thought "turbo hose popped off" weren't right as such, but weren't a million miles away either.

I don't see any blame attaching to the place you bought the car from, but I really think you should drop a factual post about the symptoms, their diagnosis and the actual problem on the relevant local to you dealer's thread in the "Review Centre" (top menus).

I have found increasingly that since mechanics became "technicians" if they cant find get a code they are lost as to the cause of problems. Not true in all cases but it seems more common in dealerships.

Ian

Just got it back from the garage near where I work. The total cost of the repair was £0.

Just got it back from the garage near where I work. The total cost of the repair was £0.

Result !!!!

I've had a similar problem for about a year, neither the dealer or any independant garage I can find seem to be able to help. I just put up with it......it's kinda intermittant but annoying.

:(