VW TDI Turbo Whistles: Troubleshooting Guide

hi everyone,

Okay, first of all, please feel free to criticize me harshly in this thread for asking such a 'childish' question, but I just have to ask it.

I have a Volkswagen Golf 3 Variant TDI with a 1Z engine and 90 horsepower.
I've often wondered why I can't hear the turbo, not even a hint of it, especially when driving at full throttle and with the window open.

'I then asked a certified automotive technician, who wasn't from VW but worked at an independent workshop, and he insisted that you don't typically hear the characteristic turbo whistle in VW cars. However, if you do hear it, the turbo is about to fail.'

Okay, so I also have a Golf 3 limousine TDI with 90 horsepower, also with a 1Z engine, and there's a subtle whistling sound you can hear under full load and at a certain RPM.
Is the turbo about to fail, or is this normal behavior?

Okay, in short:
Does a subtle whistling sound occur in normal turbo operation, even in the first generation VW TDI engines?
2. Perhaps the sound is less noticeable in the Variant model because the rear is longer?
3. Automotive master mechanic, perhaps already deaf in this (relatively) high frequency range?



kalle

Then he should probably listen to my ALH .

or even a few CDIs...

Find out how a VTG turbocharger and a wastegate turbocharger are constructed.
Perhaps then you'll understand why VTG loaders make significantly more noise...
keyword: turbine inflow

CU Gremlin.

hi everyone,

Okay, first of all, please feel free to criticize me harshly in this thread for asking such a 'childish' question, but I just have to ask it.

I have a Volkswagen Golf 3 Variant TDI with a 1Z engine and 90 horsepower.
I've often wondered why I can't hear the turbo, not even a hint of it, especially when the engine is under full load and, of course, with the window open.

'I then asked a certified automotive technician, who wasn't from VW but worked at an independent workshop, and he insisted that you don't typically hear the characteristic turbo whistle in VW cars. However, if you do hear it, the turbo is likely about to fail.'

Okay, so I also have a Golf 3 limousine TDI with 90 horsepower, also with a 1Z engine, and there's a subtle whistling sound that can be heard under full load and at a certain RPM.
Is the turbo about to fail, or is this normal behavior?

Okay, in short:
Does a subtle whistling sound occur in normal turbo operation, even in the first generation VW TDI engines?
2. Perhaps the sound is less noticeable in the Variant model because the rear is longer?
3. Automotive master mechanic, perhaps already deaf in this (relatively) high frequency range?



kalle

'Whistling is normal, and no whistling is also normal, I think. I currently have a Vento under my care that whistles quite loudly (it might also be because there's no sound insulation). My 1Z doesn't do that (it only whistles quietly, and a bit louder when it's cold). It's quite different. You don't need to worry. The VTG turbochargers have a nice sound; they really howl.'

Best regards, WarLord.

The VTG loaders have a nice sound; they really howl.


yes yes yes

CU Gremlin.

Gremlin wrote:

WarLord wrote: The VTG loaders have a nice sound; they really howl. yes yes yes

Hi,

I rarely hear mine, and only faintly when I do. My wife's ALH Ibiza's sound is completely inaudible to me.

But it's better this way than having a loud sound and weak acceleration – like with teenage tuning: the smallest engine, but the thickest exhaust pipe .

Hi,

I have to agree with Ulf... the only thing I hear from the charger is a slight humming sound when the engine is very cold, and you give it just a tiny bit of gas, building up maybe 50...100 mBar of pressure. But that quickly disappears... once the oil temperature is above 20...25 degrees, there's nothing more to hear.

"At top speed, something is making a noise... but I'm not sure if it's the turbocharger. I think it's more likely the wind or the general engine noise, because the ASV (agricultural self-propelled vehicle) is quite loud at full throttle and 4400 RPM."

When exactly do you hear these noises?

Not because I want one too... I just want the box to be quiet.

Best regards,

Jan, who never understood the concept of "sound."

Although I'm 18, I can't decide whether or not to get a loud exhaust. I'm definitely against it. Something subtle might be okay (although I wouldn't do it), but I don't like the really loud, booming sound (I enjoy cruising too much for that). The whining sound comes on when the turbo is engaged and you take your foot off the gas; you can hear the turbo whine (at least that's how it is with the 100 hp PD engine in the Touran).

Best regards, WarLord.

Deleted upon request.

Hi,

@Gustav: I'm glad that the voting in my Ibi is, by chance or design, such that it's almost never heard }.

That feedback aspect is certainly also important, but I've already integrated the LDA for that purpose.

@Warlord: I need to test that intentionally, but I haven't noticed it with the ASV yet (and I think it would have been noticeable in two years and one month).

Regarding exhaust pipes, I find the ones hidden behind the side skirts and pointing downwards to be absolutely perfect. Everything else just looks embarrassing.

Best regards,

Jan.

In the case of commercial vehicles, the sound of the turbocharger whistling is actually desirable for drivers, because 'a turbocharger that whistles is definitely doing its job.' And that is, of course, correct.

It sounds something like this, and it's not just mine. There are several ASV and ALH vehicles driving around in the company parking lot. They all have a very distinctive sound. Specifically, the sound is most noticeable in the range of 1500 to 2000 RPM. And with the broken AGR, it also howls during idling, starting from 2000 RPM, which is always a hit with the people at the front }.

I would never even think of objecting to that. You can only hear it from the outside, or with the window open anyway...

/edit: My colleague's company's employee assistance program also does that, by the way.

CU Gremlin.

Deleted upon request.

Okay, so my exhaust system with a non-functional EGR valve can also make a lot of noise. But it's mostly between 1500 and 2000 RPM; after that, some people experience increasing frustration due to a burning sound that interferes with the music.

The 90 hp TDI (I'm not sure which engine code) that is occasionally available to me can also do that, but not as well (it whistles).

And seeing the thick exhaust pipes on Papa's son's diesel car, which is lowered and has at least 255 tires, one can only feel sorry for them... especially when they try to scrape the soot off the back of the car on Saturdays. But it always reminds me that there are still people who have enough money...!

Hi,

Just so that no one misunderstands: Of course, I wouldn't mind some tolerable background noise from loading activities, and I wouldn't do anything to stop it – but also, I wouldn't do anything to provoke it.

As it is, it's perfect .

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi,

My ASZ whistles, both cold and warm, when you apply gas between approximately 1,400 and approximately 2,000/min. And then it sighs, quite disappointedly, when you immediately release the gas ...

My colleague's Ibiza ASV would always make a distinctive whistling sound as she drove past in the parking garage. The statement that you only hear the turbocharger when it's faulty doesn't exactly flatter the "expert" being quoted as being particularly knowledgeable about diesel engines. He should simply listen carefully, for example, in a parking garage.

@Gremlin

Sure, here's another fan of loader sounds. By the way, my comparison comes from a 100 HP PD TDI in a Touran. The other one can, as far as I know, make a similar sound, and the third one, as far as I know, can too (we have three at work).

@Roger

Is my heater also making that noise lately (it's just cold)? It's just a one-bedroom apartment, but I can still sigh. *g*

Best regards, WarLord.

diesel.gustav wrote:

On the other hand, the downstream exhaust system, including its mounting, also plays a significant role. It can shift a normally inaudible turbocharger whine from the inaudible to the audible range through a kind of "frequency conversion" and also move it from the actual engine speed range where it actually occurs. In technical circles, this is referred to as "subsynchronous whine."

Hi everyone,

Yes, I can confirm that. On my old TD, there was a crack in the downpipe, which I had temporarily patched with a simple piece of metal. The turbo whistled like a referee (a great sound). Eventually, I had to replace the downpipe, and the referee sound was gone .