Hi I have just bought my first zx today its a twin turbo model. The seller told me before I bought the car that it was not boosting, this didn't put me off too much as it was a bit of a bargain.

 

However I obviously want to try and sort the problem out and was wondering if anybody has any ideas of what is the likley cause or any checks I can do to try and diagnose the fault. Any help would be great :)

No boost as in not going past zero normally means at least one seized turbo, a boost leak to cause zero boost would be so serious that not only would you hear it the car engine would not run well even at idle.

 

So looks like you will be taking the engine out then:cry:

 

Sorry

 

 

Jeff TT

No way of unseizeing it without taking it off then? would I not get at least some boost if just one turbo was siezed or does one not work without the other?

no, if one doesn't work, none do

no, if one doesn't work, none do

 

Not quite true......

 

If one is siezed, the other one can still work, but can only flow enough air for 150hp (think about it ;))

nope, because the balance bar regualates the air between the two, so if one isn't boosting the other goes straight out the back

What do you mean? straight out the back?

If one turbo is siezed you will not get any boost at all.

I had this on mine passenger turbo siezes and couldn't get above 0 psi.

 

Engine pull and turbo replacement.

 

You should have asked here first before you bought the car. it would have saved you £1k.

No way of unseizeing it without taking it off then? would I not get at least some boost if just one turbo was siezed or does one not work without the other?

 

You might be lucky and find it's only one seized turbo and be the passenger side. In which case you can replace with a used one and not have to drop the engine. But wouldn't advise.

 

The Z is not a car that can be maintained on a shoe-string.

 

Hope you get it sorted.

This is the same problem I currently have with Eliza :(

So the future is not looking good at the moment, combined with paintwork problems and a couple of serious dents, this may look like the end of Eliza.

And as I no longer have anywhere that I can break her, then it looks like she'll probably be scrapped, as I'm sure no one would buy her as she is :cry:

"Always look on the bright side of life................"

This is the same problem I currently have with Eliza :(

So the future is not looking good at the moment, combined with paintwork problems and a couple of serious dents, this may look like the end of Eliza.

And as I no longer have anywhere that I can break her, then it looks like she'll probably be scrapped, as I'm sure no one would buy her as she is :cry:

 

Don't break it! I can't believe your car has gotten into that state after all the care you've given it.

What do you mean? straight out the back?

 

wastegate, out ito the exhaust

 

the boost pressure will not build up, air will spin the blades but you wont get boost

PS. This photo's always made me laugh. Looks like you're trying a nurse a boner. :rofl:

 

what hes trying to say is that any boost the working turbo generates will be lost through the duff turbo since the balance bar is there to equalise pressure on both side of the engine, all the boost will be lost through the siezed blades. Which means you'll get atmospheric pressure in the manifold (0).

Basically a case of findout which is siezed then you can look at how much of a job it is to replace. Although if one is knackered then other probably isnt far behind...

 

So in that case, pop the engine out and go from there :)

Si,

I don't want to break her if I can avoid it, but like everything else these days, I've got to find the money from somewhere to pay for the repair. I really do love owning and driving her, and I'm still actively pursuing ways to have her sorted out.

 

PS. This photo's always made me laugh. Looks like you're trying a nurse a boner. :rofl:

 

 

I prefer the next one, the one where I have my weapon out!!! ;)

I wonder, do you still count it as a bargain after reading this thread?

Just out of interest. How much did you pay for it and what else does the car have on it ?.

 

Everything else in good condition ?. i.e. seals, sub frame, arches etc ?. No rust ?

The balance bar help to even things out, also the passenger side turbo feeds the drivers side cylinders and vice versa!

back to diagnostic...could the fella not just blank off the balance bar to see which tub is seized...or is it easier just to ram some cloth up the tailpipe and force the pressure down one side / tub?

back to diagnostic...could the fella not just blank off the balance bar to see which tub is seized...or is it easier just to ram some cloth up the tailpipe and force the pressure down one side / tub?

 

 

No mate one turbo feeds the opposite bank, a proper way to confirm it, is to pull off the downpipes and look at the turbine wheel!

I wonder, do you still count it as a bargain after reading this thread?

 

Thats what i wondered, hope he was given it!!! As it will cost as much as a working Z to repair!!!

 

 

Are there any other symptoms? Can't just have low boost can it? rough idle, coughing etc?

 

As stated by Mark, If one tub is duff then it will not be boosting the opposite bank of cylinders, then that turbo is not going to be spooling up fast enough to boost the cylinders with a duff turbo!! not sure how you'd find which one was dead, lol

wastegate, out ito the exhaust

 

the boost pressure will not build up, air will spin the blades but you wont get boost

 

Ah I see where you're coming from now.

 

 

What I mean is 1 stock turbo cannot supply enough air to put the engine into positive boost anyway, so it's always going to be in vacuum or '0', not higher.

 

I've done 3~4 tubs now so i know those symptoms LOL

 

 

Another way to check which turbo has gone is to loosen the 2 rubber tubes that go to the inlet manifold, fire the engine up, and pull one off. You will need to give it a bit of throttle to keep it from stalling but you will feel air rushing out of the pipe that comes from the I/C on the side with the working turbo.

 

As FunkySi says, L/H turbo is FAR easier to replace than R/H. Last time I replaced my L/H it took me 5 hrs start to finish.

 

On my red car the R/H turbo is gone at the moment and I've built an engine to swap into it over the Christmas break.

cmm-racing........ I see you're from Preston. Andy Duff is very close to you up that way, it might be worth him having a look but I guess it won't be good news.

 

http://www.zxtreme.co.uk

i've got the same problem with mine at the minute. mine is passenger side turbo, but luckily the turbos are under warranty still so should hopefully be sorted foc (minus pulling engine).

the way i found out which 1 it was, was to just pull the actuator feed pipe off the i/c and pop a boost gauge on an give it a lil rev.

anyway, hope u get it sorted mate

Thanks for all the replies. I bought the car for £675 bodywork is pretty mint apart from small bubbleing on rear arches has had a full rebuild with oversized pistons etc about 20k miles ago which I have reciepts for. full stainless exhaust, turbo timer, thatcham 2 alarm/immob. decent 18" alloys, black leather interior in good nick, UK car. It still starts and drives fine, really smooth. Mot till summer next year.

 

Don't know weather its worth having a go at fixing it or just selling it, I build race cars for a living and have done a few engine swaps/conversions in the past but that zx engine bay looks pretty daunting, last thing I want to do is get stuck half way through and have it in peices on the drive for the next 2 years. Can you get a haynes maual for ZX's, so I can have a read and see what is involved?