2017 - 150BHP Euro 6 - Seized Turbo - Not getting Oil

[Mat_tickner]

Hi, Hopefully someone can help. I have a 2017 Euro 6 150BHP T6 Transporter.

Now, i haven't had the van long and i like to stay onto off servicing and making sure they are in tip top condition.
There was an oil pressure warning light on the van (the red oil can light, i believe this is the high pressure oil sensor) however there was plenty of oil in the engine.

On a scan it came up with:
P029900 - Turbo/ Supercharger Underboost
P164D00 Reduced oil pressure switch malfunction
and a few other unrelated ones

Well, I found out very quickly, that the turbo was seized, so i purchased a second hand part to replace it.
Well after stripping everything down (what a time consuming job) I wasn't convinced the turbo was the cause of the problem, but a problem caused by oil starvation.

So drained the oil and removed the sump. This highlighted a lot of thick oil in the bottom of it.
While the sump was off, I thought it would be prudent to replace the belt driven oil pump (although this didn't look to be the casue of the issue) i did it anyway.
Removed the old filter, now this was all twisted and looked like it had been sucked into itself.
I removed the oil pressure sensor on the oil cooler to make sure oil was being pumped - and it was.
I then loosed off the oil feed pipe to the turbo (the one at the top) and nothing was coming out.
I then loosed off the bottom feed and no oil was coming out of here either.
I'm no longer getting the red oil can warning light and neither am i getting any codes up while scanning it.

So now I'm a little stumped as i don't know what to do.
My knowledge level doesn't go any further and would appreciate any help or information on the oil pressure side of the engine

I don't want to put everything back together - if i need to take it all apart.

 

[DaveD]

A sad tale, you don't say how many miles it has on the clock or if the vehicle came with a full service history.

 

[Mat_tickner]

Its got 70,000

Its got VW Stamps and independent stamps on the service history

 

[DaveD]

Its got 70,000

Its got VW Stamps and independent stamps on the service history

OK so not high mileage and good SH. I agree with your assessment that the turbo probably failed as a result of oil starvation, it's interesting that you say the sump contained a lot of thick oil in the bottom of it, of course oil quality is every bit as important as quality. I wonder if the oil was contaminated, for example if it has had repeated failed regens resulting in diesel contamination, or if the wrong oil was used at the last service. Others more knowledgeable than me will no doubt advise, but I wonder if an oil analysis might assist in identifying the cause of the turbo failure? It may also give an indication of other damage which might have occurred as a result of the oil starvation, such as damage to big end and main bearings.
It isn't uncommon for vehicles suffering turbo failure to suffer another turbo failure soon after the first is replaced because the cause of the problem wasn't rectified so I think you are very wise to investigate this as fully as possible.

edit; do as much research as possible, I suggest you start with this; turbo

 

[bluezie]

Diesel contamination normally thins the oil, but if it's done mega miles without an oil change, the soot level in the oil will rise until it turns to sludge, hence the blocked and collapsed filter, low oil pressure, and turbo failure. This is my gut feeling as to what's happened, if it's been on long life servicing, and missed an oil change, that could be enough to sludge it up
I'd be looking deeper into the service records, and the possibility that the van has been 'clocked', what is the service history?
If you have VCDS, you can check the calculated mileage in the engine ECU against the measured mileage in the instrument cluster. There shouldn't be more than a couple of percent difference between the two, if there is, it's been clocked.

 

[Eeyore.boater]

Remove the pipe. Place some absorbent material around the area. Use an aerosol solvent cleaner with the small extension tube to clean out the oil feed hole. Remove any threaded adaptor to give any muck the best chance of getting out. Messy, but worth a try.