[Slinky]

I feel kind of bad, making my first post a beg for help, but I'm kind of stumped. I've been browsing this board since I bought this, my first VW, a week ago. I'm just going to copypasta the video description to here... and, like it states, I had oil pressure problems from day one, which I've fixed. I plan on driving the car to my father-in-laws home garage and putting it on jack stands, searching for some kind of loose or torn hose.

2000 Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T Odd Noise No Power - YouTube

"Recently had oil pressure problems (clogged oil pickup), fixed said problems but during test drive engine makes this noise and has little to no power. Noise does not change based on vehicle speed or engine rpm, but seems to coincide with spool of the turbo, and as I said car has no power as if I'm getting no boost whatsoever. Noise occurs when sitting still while revving the engine, or going down the road while under load. Car is a manual, if that matters. Car didn't have much power before oil pressure problem, but I was told beforehand that these didn't have much power to begin with (I just purchased this car), and now has much less and the noise wasn't present before and appeared half-way through the test drive, not from the start.

I'm assuming a bad boost leak somewhere, in such a way that the escaping air is making this noise.

Edit - The noise stops when I let off the throttle, regardless of engine RPM or vehicle speed."

Thanks for any help you all can offer. I love this board so far, full of friendly, well-read people.

EDIT - Forgot to add that the noise isn't always as loud, sometimes it goes in and out, but the power doesn't change. To put it into perspective, while the car was apart, I drove my dads 3cyl Geo Metro (he's a mileage freak), and I can quite honestly say the Geo had more power than my car does now.

 

[jfoj]

Can't help you much with your noise, but I can tell you when these cars are running right they have a decent amount of power.

My Vert with a 6 speed auto gets around just fine, it is not likely my BMW M5, but it runs very well for what it is.

So maybe some others can chime in here, also search diverter valve as well, this is a common problem on these cars and i think?? if can make noise if it goes bad? I have not really focused on the diverter valve too much yet, I have been dealing with many other bigger issues for now.

 

[Slinky]

You know, I thought perhaps the "diverter valve" (same thing as a wastegate on any other car?) may be stuck open, not letting me build boost, because I rarely hear the turbo spool as I've heard in videos of other folks with these cars.

 

[Slinky]

Oh ok, after further research, the diverter valve is the same thing as a BOV or whatever they call the recirculator version, or perhaps that is the name that I don't know? lol

Only other turbocharged car I've owned was a '92 Eclipse, years ago.

 

[2004NBTURBOS]

First thing I would check would be the hoses from the intercooler. They are known to go bad with age. With that whistle sound I would check for leaks near the pancake pipe on the IC. Thats all I got, sorry. The sound starts so low in the rpm band that I wouldn't think its the diverter valve.

 

[Slinky]

First thing I would check would be the hoses from the intercooler. They are known to go bad with age. With that whistle sound I would check for leaks near the pancake pipe on the IC. Thats all I got, sorry. The sound starts so low in the rpm band that I wouldn't think its the diverter valve.

Thanks so much, I also didn't think the turbo would spool enough at that low an RPM.

 

[Slinky]

It was the turbo.. just tried to drive it from my home to my father-in-laws three miles away, started smoking like a freight train half-way there, turned around and got half-way back and the oil light came on. It burned through 5 qts of oil, that fast. Oil literally dripping from the tailpipe. Took the intake hose loose that goes into the manifold, greeted with white smoke, ran my finger inside and it's all glistening with oil. The noise stopped, though! haha Guess the turbo completely locked up.. so..

For future reference, that noise in the video equals turbo about to meltdown.

If someone had a good used one laying around.. in a month or two I'll have to money to replace it.

 

[Bob Kontak]

As a precaution check the hose that spans from left to right just above the turbo.

Would hate to see you do all this work and $$$ outlay and not catch a boost leak.

I think it is from the diverter valve and the turbo melts it over time. As the boost leaks through the reinforcement threads in the pipe it makes a vacuum sweeper noise under boost until it fully fails and a large hole is opened - then you lose boost.

See my post #15 from a few years back. It not real technical but there are pictures showing the failed hose.

http://newbeetle.org/forums/1-8-liter-turbo/45401-loss-boost-after-2800-rpm.html