Has your turbo failed? Are you looking at a very expensive repair?

We know how frustrating it can be when this happens, especially when it feels like you're having the same problem over and over.

We hear it all the time—VGTs break too easily, and they're too expensive to fix. But what people might not know is that often it's not a fault with the turbo at all. What you're seeing is the result of a bigger problem in your engine.

Today, I'm talking about some of the issues you might see with your VGT and what you can do to extend the life of your turbo.

3 COMMON PROBLEMS WITH VGT TURBOS

When you have problems with your Variable Geometry Turbocharger (or VGT), you're often seeing a symptom of the problem in a different part of your engine, your turbo is just taking the brunt of the damage.

That's why it's important to identify the root cause of any failure to help prevent it from happening again, saving you time and money.

There are a number of common issues you might notice with your VGT turbo.

1. Internal Damage Might Be The Cause Of Your Vgt Problems

You might have internal damage. One of the easiest ways to check this is to look at the sector gear.

You have to remove the actuator to do this, but then you'll be able to move the sector gear by hand. If everything is working as it should, it should have a pretty large range of motion, about 12mm.

You can put a template on to check, and the gear should run from mark to mark. If it doesn't, there's likely a problem inside the turbo, and it'll need to be taken apart to see what's going on.

If you can easily move the sector gear, then it's more likely that you have a problem with your actuator, not the turbo itself.

2. Check For A Damaged Shroud Plate

A damaged shroud plate is damaged, or if you have bent fins, the fins won't be able to travel through the plate properly. This can be caused by carbon, debris, or coolant contamination from your EGR system.

As we mentioned, it's often a symptom of a larger problem in your engine which will need to be solved to prevent future turbo damage.

3. Are You Noticing Higher Oil Consumption?

You might notice that you're having higher oil consumption than is normal. This could be caused by issues with your VGT. A bearing might have failed, you could have hot shutdowns, or you could be contaminated by carbon.

You could also have a blocked crankcase filter that is causing excessive pressure, which pushes oil out of the turbo.

You might notice that we mention carbon build up a lot. Carbon can build up in your engine, and once it hits your VGT system, you'll begin to see expensive problems.