Turbo Screech

I live in Maine so it gets pretty damn cold. The other day when i started my 05 LGT with the VF46 turbo, it screeches on and off with the idle but goes away when it is up to temperature. I'm hoping its just the cold and not my turbo going, any thoughts?? Thanks

If your turbo is screeching, then it's turbine is rubbing on it's housing. Witch ever is easiest for you. Pull off the intake hose or the down pipe & check for shaft play & signs of wheel contact. If there's any. Don't drive it.

Also check you drive belts. Worn belts will screech at start up & stop when gets warned up.

Mike

wo wo, let's not get ahead of ourselves here..

 

Cold weather hardens rubber components significantly, and I know my acc belt squeals like a pig when I start my car in the morning after a 30 or below degree night.

And the fact that OP says it seems to dissipate after the car warms, sounds like belt noise to me.

If your hearing a whine under throttle, and obviously especially in boost, then I'd say the turbo is likely the culprit. But from what your describing, for sure sounds like simple cold hard rubber acc belt noise. Tighten it up.

 

.02

hammer just said it as I was typing my post

On and off with the idle sounds to me like the a/c compressor turning on and off, sounds like a loose or bad serpentine belt to me.

+1 to all the above. Sounds like loose/worn acc belt. I've also had my factory heashields make noise in the cold, but not a noise I'd call "screeching".

Yeah i tried to tell myself that it was the belts at first but then i listened to it with my hood up and it really sounded like it was coming from the turbo. Im also on the tail end of an oil change and one of my friends said that it could be a bad banjo bolt, could that be possibly? Maybe the bolt is starving the turbo of oil when its cold but lets it flow through while warm?

Start with the basic and less expensive stuff before jumping to the more catastrophic options. If you don't get squealing with warmer weather, it seems unlikely to me that the issue is your turbo. Start with belts. If a belt is a little loose it is more susceptible to squealing in the cold, particularly if it's an older belt that might have a bit of glazing on it.

 

Example: my 2002 4Runner had a coolant leak this summer. Oh god, it could be a head gasket. Nope. Just the stupid ten year old hose clamps not clamping anymore.

 

It can be difficult to isolate sounds. I suggest getting a mechanic's stethoscope or using a screwdriver by your ear to see if it's really coming from the turbo or somewhere else (pointy end not at your ear).

 

Eville Rich

On and off with the idle sounds to me like the a/c compressor turning on and off, sounds like a loose or bad serpentine belt to me.

Yeah.

I freak out last time my AC belt started squealing and had it towed cause i though my turbo was fucked.

It's been really cold the last two days here in the Northeast, and I started getting the same thing... a squeal / metal-metal rubbing noise upon start up, but it goes away after a second or two. I'm thinking it's the turbine fins hitting the wall.

05 LGT with the VF46 turbo

 

Your 05 LGT has a vf46 turbo?

Thanks for the input guys. Im going to check my belts today and hope that takes care of the problem. If it is my turbo it gives me an excuse to put a bigger turbo on my car haha.

 

LA LGT: Yeah my 05 has the VF 46 because the guy before me popped the stock turbo and went with an STI up pipe, an ERZ catless down pipe and decided to go with the newer stock turbo which is supposedly better.

Belts where fine. Changed the oil which happened to be cheap synthetic with royal purple. The screech almost went away but every now and then you'll hear it, not as loud now either. So im going to have to check my turbo for shaft play...

Glad I found this thread. I've been getting a screech on startup lately too. Belts are new though so I'll have to get them tightened up.

 

Thanks!

LA LGT: Yeah my 05 has the VF 46 because the guy before me popped the stock turbo and went with an STI up pipe, an ERZ catless down pipe and decided to go with the newer stock turbo which is supposedly better.

 

How long ago did the other turbo "pop"? How long has the vf46 been in. How many miles on it? I'm hoping its a belt + cold weather.

Well I bought the car about 10k miles ago. The guy before me went through a motor and the stock turbo. The motor has about 85k on it and i think he put the vf46 on before the motor blew.

 

But I tore into it tonight to check the banjo bolt to see if it was clogged, looked fine. So i took the down pipe off and check the turbo for play and it had minimal amount of play which i hear is common for a turbo with 70k or so.

 

After reassembly, I started it cold on the lift and the noise was the same but you could hear it much clearer. I put a stethoscope up to the turbo and everything sounded fine but you hear grinding in the power steering pump and a little in the alternator. Took the belt off those two things and ran the car and it still made the noise.

 

Maybe something internal?? Idk

Trans? Trans noise could sound like it is coming from the turbo. Is this an auto or manual?

Its a 5 speed manual....recommend any way to check for that??

Oh man, its so hard to describe or imagine the sound. Can you post a vid? Do you have a digicam with a decent mic? It might help us help you.

Yeah thats the thing it does it so sporadically. Ill see what i can do....

honestly man, I think your going through hell and back to track down a fairly insignificant noise, but those could also be famous last words, so do let us know what the outcome is.

 

IMO, cold temps + rubber = hardening = more potential slip on the pulleys. Not to mention (i think it was mentioned earlier in here), if you've got a decent amount of miles on the acc belt, glazing I would assume could also amplify the cold temps affects in regards to slippage (lol).

 

 

btw, Maine ftw! cant wait to head back up this summer for NEFR 2012