It appears that the turbo seals are leaking oil into the turbo and causing the car to smoke at idle and slow driving speeds. How hard is the replacement of the turbo? Mechanic wants $1,500 to do it, but it doesn't look that complicated just to look at it.

Thanks,

Steve

Steve, you need to check the end play in the shaft first. Do the blades touch the sides? If not, you need to address a very common problem in the B230FT and that is excessive crankcase pressure. Get a new oil trap (under the intake man. 2x3x4 black plastic) and clean out all crank vent hoses. You describe classic symptoms for oil hanging up in the turbo becuse it can't fall back to the oil pan with the crankcase pressure pushing against it. I've talked myself out of dozens of rebuild jobs as a result of dispensing this advice.

I thought the turbo didn't have an oil trap.

Rick

The oil trap, or oil air seperator, is located under the intake manifold. It's bolted to the block by the two rearward cylinders (1+2??). The breather hose that crosses over the valve cover eventually routes into it.

Brendan

'90 745t m46

On my 1990 b23ft, "The breather hose that crosses over the valve cover" has some kind of junction in it (on the exhaust manifold side of the engine) that has a connector plugged onto it. What is that? A sensor? A solenoid? It's full of gunk and oil. I am planning to clean it out, but I'd like to know what it is.

That's the "flame trap" that turbos don't have.