Does a low whistle equal a turbo problem?
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From: NJ where fun comes to die
Does a low whistle equal a turbo problem?
I test drove an 02 F350 with 33k today. It starts well, and runs well. The trans seems to shift right. But at about 1300 rpms I started to hear a low sounding whistle. It is the worst at 15-1600. It continues up past 2000 but not as loud. It is in all the gears at that rpm. The only thing I could think of was a turbo problem. Our 01 doesn't have the sound or any of our other trucks. Without the radio on it is annoying. Could it be the turbo, and how much is a turbo worth? Thanks for any help.
Last edited by trike1946; Mar 20, 2007 at 06:16 PM.
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From: Fulltime RVer
One or more very small chips on the corners of the turbine blades (from having touched the case, they're very brittle) will cause this type of noise. I've described mine as more of a whine, a little like a siren. If this is the source of the noise, the turbo bearing is worn.
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From: Wilmington, NC
Just to throw this out there. I have an '02 CC that also emits a low whistle but it comes from the air going past the tow mirrors. It took awhile to track the source of the sound. I have read of others that have the same problem.
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From: NJ where fun comes to die
johnsk, I could see that happening. I have had ladders on the roof make a noise, but our 01 is the same truck with the same mirrors, and it doesn't make the noise. So I have to lean to the turbo. When I test drove it and the noise started, my partner said "do you hear a siren somewhere". It would change with the rpms. My question is though, why would it go bad in only 33k? A new turbo must be about $900.00 I would think. Are there rebuild kits for it, and is that a good idea over a new one?
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From: Fulltime RVer
Originally Posted by trike1946
ernesteugene, that is the exact sound. Like a whine or even a siren. Which side would the chips be on? Or can it be either?
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ernesteugene's advise is good. He helped us determine that the turbo on my son's truck was damaged. The "siren sound" statement was right on the mark. When we took the old turbo apart to determine what was wrong, the exhaust turbine was way bad. Multiple chips and bent vanes. He had 190k on it so we weren't upset. Yours at 33k is a little young to be having problems. I bought a Ford rebuilt from a dealer just because that was the best deal that we could get at the time. (Had connections.) Maybe not quite the best turbo but it came with a warranty, unlike used ones. The new turbo is definitely quieter than the old one and even though it had a different intake wheel than the original, the power seems to be ok. He hasn't done a lot of "testing" yet to see if the performance is the same but at least the truck is back on the road. After we saw how bad the wheel was, he was glad that he had quit driving the truck till he got the new turbo.
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Originally Posted by trike1946
My question is though, why would it go bad in only 33k?
Failure at 33K might be explained if previous owner ran dirty oil, and made a practice of turning the engine off when the turbo was still hot. This can literally bake (coke) the oil in the turbo bearing. That bearing relies on a flow of oil to cool it, and that turbo housing holds heat like a cast iron stove. When I pull in at rest stops, I always open the hood and keep the engine running to let the turbo cool.
Another reason I don't think turbo failures are uncommon is that the Ford dealer where I got mine was a fairly small one, and he had several in stock! I've always had to wait a day or two for dealers to order even the most basic part, it seems that they don't want to keep anything on the shelf unless the sell a lot of them!
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A bad turbo at 33k miles is due to improper oiling.....and when peopledo this, it drives me nuts (diesel tech) first off.....let the glowplug light go off on the dash before you even attempt to start it...glowplugs are there for a reason. Secondly, it's advisable to let the vehicle warm up for AT LEAST five minutes.This is to let the oil pressure secure itself and flow throughout.(ie you're engine oil,most times, is tied into your turbo) also...after going over 1500 rpm you should also let the truck idle from 5 to 15 minutes to let the truck and turbo cool down.You don't do these things...especially the latter, crap will happen.As for a new turbo...upgrade a little bit from that garret POS to something a few MM's bigger faster spool up and so forth.
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Originally Posted by farmdad
ernesteugene's advise is good. He helped us determine that the turbo on my son's truck was damaged. The "siren sound" statement was right on the mark. When we took the old turbo apart to determine what was wrong, the exhaust turbine was way bad. Multiple chips and bent vanes. He had 190k on it so we weren't upset. Yours at 33k is a little young to be having problems. I bought a Ford rebuilt from a dealer just because that was the best deal that we could get at the time. (Had connections.) Maybe not quite the best turbo but it came with a warranty, unlike used ones. The new turbo is definitely quieter than the old one and even though it had a different intake wheel than the original, the power seems to be ok. He hasn't done a lot of "testing" yet to see if the performance is the same but at least the truck is back on the road. After we saw how bad the wheel was, he was glad that he had quit driving the truck till he got the new turbo.
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From: NJ where fun comes to die
Well I went back today to the dealer (not a Ford dealer). His best mechanic said that is how they sound. So I got him to get the keys to the 02 next to it and the 03 next to that. Neither made the noise. So he said well this one sounds that way. So I am looking at another one. An 02 F350, cc, lb, 4x4, drw, Lariat with 38k. It starts better and runs better. A few bucks more but the amount of low mileage 7.3s are less and less, and I am in need of another truck. I will try and close the deal tomorrow.
Thanks everyone for your help with the other one.
Thanks everyone for your help with the other one.
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Originally Posted by flareside_thunder
A bad turbo at 33k miles is due to improper oiling.....and when peopledo this, it drives me nuts (diesel tech) first off.....let the glowplug light go off on the dash before you even attempt to start it...glowplugs are there for a reason. Secondly, it's advisable to let the vehicle warm up for AT LEAST five minutes.This is to let the oil pressure secure itself and flow throughout.(ie you're engine oil,most times, is tied into your turbo) also...after going over 1500 rpm you should also let the truck idle from 5 to 15 minutes to let the truck and turbo cool down.You don't do these things...especially the latter, crap will happen.As for a new turbo...upgrade a little bit from that garret POS to something a few MM's bigger faster spool up and so forth.
I explored various upgrades before I went with the rebuild, but with my early 99, I needed new pedestal, up-pipes, etc.. which I considered, then I figured I should upgrade the intakes on each head to the newer 3" versions versus my 2" to get the full benefit from the new turbo, then I was told my early 99 intercooler would be the bottle neck, then....I decided that I would save all that $ toward a new truck, but the 6.0's never worked out so I kept driving my old 99, and now the 6.4's are looking even worse, so I guess I'll stick with what I've got for a little (or a lot) longer!