Loss of power

[Buckster]

So yesterday while driving along I found I had a loss of power at low revs, engine light came on. Power picked back up at high revs and engine revs freely enough, I checked the wastegate arm and it is still attached. Will disconnect the battery to see if it clears but I don't have an OBD reader right now so cannot read the codes, will pick one up in the next couple of days. Seems like a turbo issue though. Any suggestions?

[Ocracoke]

It could be a turbo issue - any smoke coming out of the car when under acceleration/high revs? I'd also do a compression check as well if you haven't done so already.

[10:45PM]

So yesterday while driving along I found I had a loss of power at low revs, engine light came on

Turbo isn't effective/boosting at low revs, it only starts to come on boost circa 2250/2500rpm
What level of "low revs" are you talking?

PS: This is a petrol right ?

[Buckster]

It's running like a champ again now after the battery disconnect so highly unlikely to be a compression issue, engine light has gone away. It is petrol and by low revs I mean under 4K. May be a plug putting the electronics into some sort of limp mode, or maybe a dicky boost control solenoid?

[10:45PM]

Engine lights usually go away with a battery dis, and so does any chance of finding out what triggered it , until the next time obviously.

It can be a number of things and circumstances that may have caused it.

It's worth at some point pulling all six plugs to get a state of health of the engine, just so you can eliminate it.

[Buckster]

Can you suggest a reasonably priced OBD II reader? I did have one but it seems to have been lost in one my house moves.

[Buckster]

Solved. It recurred so I had a play around with a few things, all was fine after I disconnected the MAP/ FAP sensor, so I will order one off fleabay and swap it.

[tolsen]

Can you suggest a reasonably priced OBD II reader? I did have one but it seems to have been lost in one my house moves.

Invest in a delphi DS150E. Can read most systems on a Smart 450 and also adjust clutch and code keys if yours is made after 2003.

[Buckster]

Well tha saga continues, changed the MAP sensor but the problem came back after a couple of days, had a good delve and found a pipe split from the boost output to the waste gate solenoid, while I was there it looks like the turbo pipework is pretty messed up in general so this afternoon I will be replumbing the pipework. There is a receipt from a little while before I bought the car for a leaking rocker cover replacement and I suspect a few pipes were removed and replumbed incorrectly and it is now manifesting. I don't really understand as an average mechanic should be able to negotiate around this motor, it is a fairly standard turbo installation. I am guessing it is just laziness because it is all in a small space, there is a nice film of oil around there now thanks to the turbo pipework being all over the place, it is amazing how far a tiny drop of oil goes.

[tolsen]

Perhaps rusty turbo oil pipes with pin holes. Just repair by brazing and apply good protective paint.

[Buckster]

The metal pipes are fine, the waste oil pipe was not fitted to the TIK pipe correctly, that is where the few drops had come from, the other pipes were taking convoluted routes all over the place, whoever put them on had mixed a couple up, it is amazing that the car was running as well as it was, it is a lot smoother now. I still need a couple of hose clips to finish it all off but I am nearly there now.

[Buckster]

Still a few problems, mainly with the wastegate, there is some damage to the plastic body on the end of the actuator, while I was working on everything I did spot a crack in the manifold as well so I think I am going to suck it up and fit a new turbo unit, I can see me spending a day every few weeks playing around only to end up replacing it anyway at some point.

[heinkeljb]

Crack in the turbo manifold needn't be a reason to change it. Depends on how bad it is when you drive at a steady pace up a hill with the turbo producing boost. If the crack is bad,then the "pulsing" in power will be very obvious and produce a change in speed, if the crack is not too bad, then the change in speed is not noticeable, but with a boost gauge you will see the boost drop a bit.
Not actually a terribly big or difficult job to change so could be done when ever.

John

[Buckster]

Since I wrote that it looks like I can get a new wastegate actuator so I will probably go that route, as you say, there is no pulsing so the crack in the manifold may not even be all the way through. Thanks for the info.

[Buckster]

Got my new wastegate actuator, looks like a good quality unit but still have to fit it, came from a supplier in Latvia, British companies could not be less helpful.