boost dropped after a pop last night...

[peterkin]

i was bringing the car home from a friends house, when all of a sudden i mash on it the boost rockets to 19 psi. i hear a slight pop, the boost drops to like 14 psi and the car is rich ( because of the boost drop ). it's not knocking, but the turbo is whining like a supercharger instead of whistling. it's whining really, really hard but only making 14 psi at WOT.

before i heard this little noise, that turbo was whistling after that it started whining really loud. the ecm threw a code 51, which is a PROM error.


when i got home i started checking hoses on the intercooler ( no dice ), started checking vaccum hoses ( no dice ). it sounds like a leak, but i can't find one.

i also started having ecm problems when i got home too, that all started yesterday with the chip carrier on the board in the ecm. i turned the car off after checking hoses, tried to start back up and the check engine light stayed on the and the car idled fast and lopey. i pulled the chip out and it didn't change anything.

i go out this morning and the car runs fine other than the turbo whining and not being over 14 psi when it was originally set at 19.

could this be an electronic problem in the ecm, chip, or with the boost solenoid or something? i didn't find any leaks at all. i don't get it.

 

[jastrckl]

next thing I'd check is shaft play in your turbocharger. make sure it isn't hitting the housing and all that fun stuff. good luck.

 

[SuperSix]

Maybe something chewed up the turbo, or as said before, check the shaft play.

Could me a popped IC hose too.

 

[peterkin]

yeah, i could check the turbo. that sounds reasonable. a pop, then low boost. something could have gone through it. god i hope not though.

 

[tangofox]

Maybe check to see if you blew a header gasket (if you have one).
I had one on my DS header and if blew on #1. I had low/slow boost and the car wouldn't idle well. Also would stall or hesitate. I removed the gasket and put the header back on sans gasket. and now shes back to her ol' self. It also changed my o2's on the scanmaster. Hope its not your turbo, but I'd check that just to make sure.

 

[peterkin]

i don't use gaskets, thanks for the reply though. i'm going to check the turbo this afternoon when i get home.