Turbo quit in '87 300
 

While driving down the road I think the turbo quit working. Now the car struggles to maintain 70mph on the interstate. and fuel usage has gone way up.

The car still starts easily and idles smoothly, and there is no smoke.

How do I diagnose the issue?


Thanks,

look into boost gauge
 

id look into reading what boost was being produced from the turbo. it is pretty simple to install a boost meter.

perhaps though, i would first look into plugged-up filters like the air and fuel filters.

If one of the boost lines running from the intake manifold to the switchover valve, to the ALDA has blown off (from an improperly clamped fitting), then that may be the culprit.

Fuel usage goes up considerably, and there is almost no smoke whatsoever.

I fixed an '87 300D for someone that was similar. Could barely get out of its own way.

Cleaned all the boost lines and ran it around town in second gear around 4000rpm for a while. Runs like a bat out of hell now. :)

what makes you condemn the turbo and not the rest of the system that typically clogs? clogged fuel filter or loose or leaking pressure line will make it shift funny too at times.

nevermind, I'll give you $500 for it with a blown turbo :D

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will check the fuel filters, and the pressure line.

$500? This is my wife's car we are talking about.... that is nowhere near enough to put up with the greif I would catch if I sold her "baby"

Followup
 

I finally had the time and mindset to delve into this problem and found it to be a bad vacumn line on the pressure switch that is located on the drivers side fender next to the WW fluid.

Thanks all for the suggestions

You made your wife drive around for over 3 months with no turbo, terrible fuel consumption and probably drove slower than a 200D for a bad vacuum line? That's brutal :P

Are you kidding? I am too well fed to do that to her.... she drove the 240 or my truck.