Cracked turbo pipe/ extra loud turbo whoosh?

GBG

New Member
Messages
10
Hi everyone,

I'm a bit of a newbie here and have just introduced myself on the newbie forum. To cut a long story short I have a 2001 3200gt manual and am English but work in Sweden and have the 3200 with me in Gothenburg for the summer months.

I've had the car 18 months and it has been flawless, just the very occasional CEL and a new battery and clutch. Anyhow, today I was on a German autobahn near Essen having made good progress from Calais early this morning. Coming out of some roadworks I accelerated from around 40 to 80mph, the usual sound of the turbos spooling up an the induction noise coming in a c. 2500 rpm. Then suddenly the in induction noise doubled, sounding very much like someone sucking their teeth loudly.

I pulled over immediately and checked the car over, no fluids of any type leaking and no obvious signs of a broken or loose pipe or holed air box. However, Everytime I gave the throttle a prod enough to spool up the turbos this extra loud induction noise would emerge.

Against my better judgement I carried on my trip- if I tried accelerating beyond about 2500-3000 rpm this extra loud induction noise returned and the performance would be reduced. As you can imagine I was feather lite with the throttle but other than this noise the car was as normal- oil pressure good, water temp as usual and no leaking when I stopped. I did another 300 careful, gentle miles to my overnight ferry from Kiel to Sweden.

It sounds and feels to me like a loose or cracked pipe involved with the turbo- and hopefully not something more serious, particularly as the car seemed to be fine with my driving it effectively without ever spooling up the turbos.

I haven't had a hance to inspect the engine with anything more than a torch but will be able to get into the engine bay properly when I get the car intoy garage tomorrow when the ferry arrives in Sweden. Is there a common place where a crack or loose pipe might occur or is it a case of a full inspection?

The car was serviced at my usual indie in Sussex last week, just a light post winter/ pre trip service, new fluids/ inspection etc so again I can't imagine (or at least hope) that nothing major could have gone majorly wrong in the couple if hundred miles I've done since this morning.

Many thanks for any help you can provide and sorry for the boring story, just wanted to explain it properly.

Cheers
 

Almichie

Junior Member
Messages
799
Sounds like you have a boost leak - a split in a flexible pipe you cannot see perhaps? Revealing itself only when there is enough pressure to pass through it. That would also explain the reduced performance
 

SteveM

Member
Messages
540
I suggest checking all the flexible hoses. The one onto the throttle body came loose once on mine which was an easy fix.
 

GBG

New Member
Messages
10
Thanks for the advice guys, going to have a decent look around this evening and will keep you updated
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
Does this noise only occur when you are out on the road? Get some one to rev the engine while you listen with the bonnet up, see if you can work out where its coming from. Being a turbo there is quite a list of places an induction noise could be coming from. intercoolers, the cover under the plenum chamber might also cause this, air filter covers are not well fixed, and there are the hoses directly off the turbos which do perish with heat and age.
 

GBG

New Member
Messages
10
Thanks for all the input everyone, its all fixed now. After an hour with my head in the engine bay with a torch, I found the disconnected pipe. A pipe coming off the underside of the nearside air box had become disconnected due to a corroded jubilee clip. A new £1 clip and 5 minutes of reconnecting it got it back as new. Thanks again!