Hi,

New to the forum. Have an '05 Baja turbo w/ 110,000 miles. While on road, the cruise dropped out, check engine light came on (figured an engine code needed checking) However the turbo was not "spooling up". Got home made a service appointment which will be on 1/26. However I went to drive the car yesterday and about a minute after starting the exhaust smokes like crazy. This is a foul, oil buring type of smoke. Not the sweet smelling quickly dissapating coolant leak kind of smoke, but heavy acrid piss-off the poor guy behind you smoke. Smoking lessens significantly after about 15 minutes of driving. Still no turbo, temp appears to be fine, engine idles OK. anyone venture a guess before I see my Subaru dealer on Monday. Also based on the limited info, am I destroying my engine by commuting to work? Many Thanks.

Yeah I wouldn't continue to drive it. Oil smoke is not good to be coming out of the engine. There is a chance that the turbo went and that it's leaking oil down onto the exhaust, but still I wouldn't continue to drive it. Get it checked ASAP

Thanks Bratman,

In looking over all the posts it seems like my problem could be a seized bearing in my turbo resulting in a wrecked oil seal and resultant burning of oil. Some poor fellow suffered catastrophic engine failure from the oil loss and a $10,000 rebuild. Does this senario of a seized turbo sound plauseable? Anyone out there know what I should brace myself for in terms of cost should the problem be a failed turbo?

CHECK YOUR FLUIDS IMMEDIATLY!

 

If your turbo is sucking up the fluids in the car you can blow the engine.

 

 

Get the car towed to the dealer.

 

How many miles are on it?

 

 

nipper

He did say 110,000miles.................

 

Definitely could be the turbo. I wonder how likely it is to be the PCV valve? I really suggest if you want to drive it, that you check the oil and make sure it isn't burning at a HUGE rate. Just make sure the oil is full before going to the dealer. Hope all goes well!

I think you blew a seal or a cooling line on the turbo. Check fluids as stated!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT DRIVE THAT CAR!!!!!!!!! I drive semi and have had this happen twice to my turbo......no turbo whine, copious amounts of piss off the poor guy behind you smoke. You blew a turbo. The oil pump will continue to pump oil into the exhaust side of the turbo, into the cat and out the tailpipe. You may have killed the cat by continueing to drive it along with your o2 sensor post cat. STOP DRIVING THE CAR!!!!! Have it towed to your repair facility.

+all the above. Sorry, friend, but you most likely have a very serious turbo problem. DO NOT DRIVE THE TRUCK.

I'll guess $2000-3000 depending on if you blew the cat

 

if too much to fix and you want to sell it private message me

Thanks for all the advice and warnings. I checked the oil level this evening and was 1 quart down after an oil change right before all this occured. I have a feeling my semi driving friend may be correct in his observation that the cat is probably ruined as well. Bummer!

I'll guess $2000-3000 depending on if you blew the cat

 

if too much to fix and you want to sell it private message me

 

Boy it doesnt take long for the vultures to circle in these parts

 

 

 

 

nipper

Maybe not. How far did you drive it after the cruise dropped out. You also may have just shortened its life.

 

 

 

nipper

When the check engine light came on I figured it was only a sensor gone bad. The lack of turbo was troubling however. I ended up traveling 100 miles (In the middle of a 200 mile trip) before I smelled the baked oil aroma. The smoke started the next day.

When the check engine light came on I figured it was only a sensor gone bad. The lack of turbo was troubling however. I ended up traveling 100 miles (In the middle of a 200 mile trip) before I smelled the baked oil aroma. The smoke started the next day.

 

sounds like you spared you engine from a horrid death

Yeah just DO NOT drive it anymore! I think the motor is fine but you'll obviously need to replace the turbo

Thanks again for all the advice. I'll get the Baja over to the dealer Monday and post the diagnosis and repair total. Serenity now.

Well the diagnosis was correct. The turbo went south from oil starvation. Who knows if the local jiffy lube dropped the wrong weight oil instead of the 5w-30 or if it was the turbo's time. The wrench at the dealership didn't have a lot of experience w/ 110,000 mile turbo units so who knows. Thankfully the cat was spared The total: $2500.00. With care and a switch to synthetic oil maybe I'll get another 110,000 miles.

Well the diagnosis was correct. The turbo went south from oil starvation. Who knows if the local jiffy lube dropped the wrong weight oil instead of the 5w-30 or if it was the turbo's time. The wrench at the dealership didn't have a lot of experience w/ 110,000 mile turbo units so who knows. Thankfully the cat was spared The total: $2500.00. With care and a switch to synthetic oil maybe I'll get another 110,000 miles.

 

Ouch........$2500, but better then replacing the entire engine. At least you dodged that bullett.

Yeah that's a lot! I bet you could have found a good used one of a wrecked car, or that someone upgraded from for a lot cheaper! But I understand the need for you car as well! At least it's good to go! Good luck with it!!

Sorry about the blown turbo and the expense of getting it replaced. Might ask the mechanic whether they checked and cleaned the turbo oil supply line screen? Likely not the issue here, but it'd be a shame to toast a brand new turbo for lack of checking/cleaning that screen.

Good point on the oil supply and screen filter array. The wrench at the Dealership is replacing all of the associated screens and hardware along with the turbo.