Turbo #4 currently being installed...please help!

[Blue Moon Sonic]

Funny you mention that.
I tried Moog's swaybar links and they failed much faster than the improved OEM plastic ones. I'm now back on a new set of OEM's. The Moog's are crap in my opinion.

That's actually really weird. Must've gotten a bad set. They are definitely not perfect. Though, I'll still take increased turn in response from the moogs vs. the oem.

 

[Crumbi]

The BNR WGA keeps the p0299 from coming back, but requires a tune.

Is the p0299 code bad or is it okay to have on? I am going to start getting stuff done but will probably go a year between getting the WGA or just getting the upgraded Turbo. Will it be bad if that code comes on and I ignore it?

Thanks!

 

[Blue Moon Sonic]

Is the p0299 code bad or is it okay to have on? I am going to start getting stuff done but will probably go a year between getting the WGA or just getting the upgraded Turbo. Will it be bad if that code comes on and I ignore it?

Thanks!

The code you are getting is an under boost code and throws the car into limp mode. The code is bad. Like really bad. You need to replace your wastegate before you cause further damage to your turbo or worse, your engine.

 

[EVOX_SPEED3]

Is the p0299 code bad or is it okay to have on? I am going to start getting stuff done but will probably go a year between getting the WGA or just getting the upgraded Turbo. Will it be bad if that code comes on and I ignore it?

Thanks!

Are u tuned? Or are u getting the code on stock ECU? If stock that is a bad sign, Def take it in for warranty work so they can determine the cause, if tuned clear the code, then flash to stock and see if the CEL comes back on.

The cause of mine was PCV, and waste gate being stuck. Either way, it's a pretty easy fix. Good luck man.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Tesseract_Indeed]

That's actually really weird. Must've gotten a bad set. They are definitely not perfect. Though, I'll still take increased turn in response from the moogs vs. the oem.

I will be trying the ZZP Set for ****s and giggles soon, so long they fit with Megan racing lowering springs. I will be doing Megan Racing Springs and ZZP sway bar end links and DDMWorks rear brace at once. Hoping for a big difference.

 

[mja]

I'm on my 4th turbo also. This last one is by choice, BNR gtx.

I might be the rare example of having these issues in a hot, but humid environment.

From what people have described in the past, the original most common blown turbo issue was the camshaft cover (valve cover) diaphgram blowing due to a crappy PCV system setup. After the redesign of that part in '13, cam cover was a less common source of blown turbos. Since then, these issues frequently come from improper pcv or vacuum function. What's worse is the PCV and BPV weak points are both at the intake manifold. The vacuum diaphragm for the BPV solenoid/vacuum lines are underneath the intake, hot oil droplets circulate the intake charge from the crappy intake manifold valves and collect in the diaphragm. I could see that line easily condensing water from an intake charge and freezing.

More to the point, just about every sensor in the intake lines/cam cover except MAF is susceptible to this wonderful crankcase venting system, where in the cold the condensing of water on hot oil would be more pronounced. It'd be a nightmare for a dealer to track this down.

I really wish some aftermarket company would make a non-****ty intake for our cars with a separate and decent vacuum diaphragm for the BPV solenoid. I'm so paranoid from these issues in the past, I consider it regular maintenance to check the BPV solenoid lines for oil, check BPV function, and replace the intake manifold and cam cover every 2 years (300$ diy). It's overkill yes, but I've had zero turbo failures since. 'Bypassing the bypass' mod in this case a bandaid for a more serious issue.

Other common blown turbo causes - broken BPV, stuck wastegate actuator... BNR now sells beefier versions of both of these. Our turbo is oil & water cooled so water pump/coolant issues and changing the oil less frequently esp. in cold weather can cause a bearing to go. edit - any other vacuum leak source could cause problems too, piston rings or valves not sealing, etc.

 

[mja]

My apologies for the delayed response & thank you all for the feedback. Since my original post, my Sonic has been back to the dealership 2 more times. Turns out the dealership did not replace the turbocharger again, so I’m still on #3. I was informed that turbo #2 was never verified to be faulty; the “flowchart” recommended a turbo replacement.

During this dealership visit (2016-01-12), the tech performed the following: (1) a few hose clamps were found loose and tightened. Cleared DTC and test drove; P0299 came back while under load. (2) Verified that charge air bypass regulator solenoid & waste gate regulator solenoid valve performance within spec. (3) Verified Baro & MAP sensors within 0.4 PSI of each other. (4) Verified the waste gate actuator rod moves when WOT is commanded and snaps back to idle. (5) Tech found the waste gate solenoid valve was cracked, causing a vacuum leak. The valve was replaced and the vehicle was returned to me on 2016-01-14.

I drove the car home that night with no issue. The next morning as I drove to work in subzero temps, the P0299 code returned as a pending code, but the check engine light didn’t illuminate. Regardless, the issue was imminent, so back to the dealership it went (2016-01-15). This time, the tech claimed the boost pressure sensor was contaminated. This was determined after checking the following: (1) Verification of no vacuum leaks, (2) proper orientation of charge air bypass regulator solenoid valve & waste gate regulator solenoid valve, (3) tech worked with GM directly to verify the crack case pressure was acceptable and PCV return valve was clean, (4) found contamination on the boost pressure sensor, removed and cleaned intake tube and replaced sensor. The vehicle was test drove with no return of the P0299 code, therefore returned to me on 2016-01-18.

I didn’t get more than 3 miles from the dealership before the engine light came on and P0299 flashed across my Ultragauge (under high engine load; accelerating to 80mph on the interstate), so back to the dealership it went. Note that the vehicle had been sitting outside the dealership all day in single digit temps, before being returned to me. At this point, I contacted GM directly, so the dealership was forced to work with GM on my vehicle. The only maintenance performed this time was downloading 2016 software onto the ECM, per GM’s direction. The dealership put over 100 miles on the Sonic and could not reproduce the issue, note that temps had warmed up at this time. It was returned to me on 2016-01-25 with no issues since, but temps have been uncommonly warm for this time of year.

Biggest issue with the vac leak test is they're probably testing at idle or not under load = no boost, no issue with engine vac. How are they testing the closure of pcv system under boost?
My guess is theyre not, I'm not even sure how one would test for that.

 

[Tormach]

I'm on my 4th turbo also. This last one is by choice, BNR gtx.

I might be the rare example of having these issues in a hot, but humid environment.

From what people have described in the past, the original most common blown turbo issue was the camshaft cover (valve cover) diaphgram blowing due to a crappy PCV system setup. After the redesign of that part in '13, cam cover was a less common source of blown turbos. Since then, these issues frequently come from improper pcv or vacuum function. What's worse is the PCV and BPV weak points are both at the intake manifold. The vacuum diaphragm for the BPV solenoid/vacuum lines are underneath the intake, hot oil droplets circulate the intake charge from the crappy intake manifold valves and collect in the diaphragm. I could see that line easily condensing water from an intake charge and freezing.

More to the point, just about every sensor in the intake lines/cam cover except MAF is susceptible to this wonderful crankcase venting system, where in the cold the condensing of water on hot oil would be more pronounced. It'd be a nightmare for a dealer to track this down.

I really wish some aftermarket company would make a non-****ty intake for our cars with a separate and decent vacuum diaphragm for the BPV solenoid. I'm so paranoid from these issues in the past, I consider it regular maintenance to check the BPV solenoid lines for oil, check BPV function, and replace the intake manifold and cam cover every 2 years (300$ diy). It's overkill yes, but I've had zero turbo failures since. 'Bypassing the bypass' mod in this case a bandaid for a more serious issue.

Other common blown turbo causes - broken BPV, stuck wastegate actuator... BNR now sells beefier versions of both of these. Our turbo is oil & water cooled so water pump/coolant issues and changing the oil less frequently esp. in cold weather can cause a bearing to go. edit - any other vacuum leak source could cause problems too, piston rings or valves not sealing, etc.

Don't know if you have been following but another aftermarket company is working on some interesting items for the sonic. One I am watching is the intake mani that RacerX is developing (currently being tested).

http://racerxfabrication.com/sonic/intake/intake-manifold
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/for...manifold-design-development-5.html#post382399

 

[mja]

Don't know if you have been following but another aftermarket company is working on some interesting items for the sonic. One I am watching is the intake mani that RacerX is developing (currently being tested).

http://racerxfabrication.com/sonic/intake/intake-manifold
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/for...manifold-design-development-5.html#post382399

opcorn::banana:opcorn:

Thanks Tormach, links are appreciated, been a while since I've cruised around here.