I get boost... eventually

[Squidbait]

OK, I know I need to get a boost gauge spliced in, and when it stops snowing/raining/freezing, I will.  I've got a '96 Golf TD, and while it runs fine, the turbo seems to kick in late.

I get boost, I think. I can feel it in my seat-of-pants accelerometer, but it comes at about 2800 rpm, rather than the 2500 most people talk about.

Could this be indicative of an exhaust leak?  I don't feel anything waving my hand behind the manifold and turbo, and I don't see/hear anything to suggest one there.  I've got a bit of soot on the lower firewall, but I'm assuming that's from the flex pipe?

I've been through a lot of the troubleshooting threads, and I've seen discussions of no boost, low boost and too much boost, but I haven't seen anything about late boost. 

I realize that without giving you guys some numbers from what's going on under the hood I'm asking you to shoot in the dark, but I'd welcome any WAG's to direct my troubleshooting once the weather improves for my wussy shade-tree mechanic butt. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

being more laggy than normal could be a stuck wastegate, exhaust manifold leak, bearings starting to go out..

my vote being the stuck wastegate.. K03 turbos are pretty notorious for this i guess..

[macka]

check the shaft play on your turbo. If its not moving at all your getting coked up inside the turbo, and you'll have found your source of lag.

[Squidbait]

check the shaft play on your turbo. If its not moving at all your getting coked up inside the turbo, and you'll have found your source of lag.

Is there a way to do that without removing the turbo?  Being a giant wuss I'm not looking to do much under the hood until the temperature's up in double digits.

[macka]

pull the rubber elbow and wiggle the retaining bolt in the middle of the turbine. If it has zero play, then you know where to look for the problem.

[R.O.R-2.0]

pull the rubber elbow and wiggle the retaining bolt in the middle of the turbine. If it has zero play, then you know where to look for the problem.

any properly operating turbo will have a LITTLE shaft play..

just not a ton..

[nathan_b]

turn the fuel screw up ( 96 I assume is an idi...) Can't build boost without fuel.

Also, LDA functional, so much that can cause problems... Timing right?

is it a tdi or no?

[Squidbait]

turn the fuel screw up ( 96 I assume is an idi...) Can't build boost without fuel.

I plan on doing the "Make your 1.9 Faster" mods once I get a boost gauge installed, and I can tinker under the hood without freezing my fingers off or getting soaked or snowed on... yes, I'm a wuss. 

Also, LDA functional, so much that can cause problems... Timing right?

Too true.  Not having the sheckles for one of Giles' pumps, I'll have to tweak the timing myself.  Anyone in the Hamilton ON area with a dial indicator and adapter? (and a heated garage? see above  )

is it a tdi or no?

Nope.  IDI AAZ with a K03, no a/c but cruise control.

[R.O.R-2.0]

you need to fix your problems before you try and make it faster.

[nathan_b]

But I thought his only problem was "seat-of-pants accelerometer" not fast enough, or not enough boost low down. Do you have a tach? if not how can you tell a 300rpm difference??

anyways, what turbo do you even have, maybe someone put a t3 or k24 on it or something.

[Squidbait]

you need to fix your problems before you try and make it faster.

Yes, you are quite right.  The "make it faster" stuff is not a priority.  Making sure all the bits are functioning properly is.

[Squidbait]

But I thought his only problem was "seat-of-pants accelerometer" not fast enough, or not enough boost low down. Do you have a tach? if not how can you tell a 300rpm difference??

anyways, what turbo do you even have, maybe someone put a t3 or k24 on it or something.

Well, not fast enough being not enough boost to match highway speed without using the whole merge lane...

I have a tach.  I can feel the car surge and see the revs jump when the tach sweeps past the 2800 mark.  That said, it's not much of a surge.  It's not neck-snappinig, maybe not even coffee-spilling. Now I'm wondering if it's actually mild boost, or I'm just hitting the HP peak in the power band.

See, I finally got a day where everything came together: not working, not raining, not freezing.  So I pulled the elbow, and there is no wiggle, and the impeller is very hard to turn with my finger.

Anyone got a K03 lying around gathering dust?

[R.O.R-2.0]

K03 should spool around 1800, not 2800... a K03 is tiny. you really should check to see if your wastegate is stuck..

a T3/K24 usually spools by 2500, and they are WAY BIGGER than a K03

if you have no exhaust leaks, then your wastegate is stuck open..

[Squidbait]

K03 should spool around 1800, not 2800... a K03 is tiny. you really should check to see if your wastegate is stuck..

a T3/K24 usually spools by 2500, and they are WAY BIGGER than a K03

if you have no exhaust leaks, then your wastegate is stuck open..

I thought the turbo should spin freely?  Is it supposed to be stiff?

I'm not looking for a hotrod, or at this point a major project (which switching from the K03 would be, since I'd have to replace the exhaust manifold and fab a new downpipe, no?).

I can watch the wastegate actuator arm move, but without having the turbo off, I can't tell if the wastegate is stuck or not, can I?

[R.O.R-2.0]

you cant watch the actuator move unless its got enough boost to make it work.. how are you building boost and watching your wastegate actuator? or unless you move it yourself, witch might not make it act like it does under operation..

and i never suggested you should install a T3 or K24, i was just comparing the 2..

you get the spool up times of a much bigger turbo, with a little tiny one..

and yes, the turbo shaft should spin freely, and have a little bit of play..