Just picked my 97 Aero up after a starter replacement (second one in 12 years which is not so good, last one only lasted 3 years!).
Enginewas running base boost and ran like a dog (and not like "Bolt" either).
Popped the hood to find that both of the clamps around the rubber elbow at the throttle body and throttle end of the interooler exit tube were loose and actually had allowed the elbow to come off the intercooler exit tube!
Amazing that the engine ran more or less normally with these huge air leaks. That Trionic absolute barometric pressure sensor really works. I am amazed I was getting ANY boost. I hope the turbo wasn't overspinning but I think the ECU senses the air leak and controls the wastegate accordingly because the boost was pretty steady at base boost level maximum.
Still, this tells me that the very first thing you must look for when your engine reverts to base boost is air leaking both upstream and downstream of the turbo as either type of leak will cause base boost symptoms. I guess that's the very first and second things you must look for!
Enginewas running base boost and ran like a dog (and not like "Bolt" either).
Popped the hood to find that both of the clamps around the rubber elbow at the throttle body and throttle end of the interooler exit tube were loose and actually had allowed the elbow to come off the intercooler exit tube!
Amazing that the engine ran more or less normally with these huge air leaks. That Trionic absolute barometric pressure sensor really works. I am amazed I was getting ANY boost. I hope the turbo wasn't overspinning but I think the ECU senses the air leak and controls the wastegate accordingly because the boost was pretty steady at base boost level maximum.
Still, this tells me that the very first thing you must look for when your engine reverts to base boost is air leaking both upstream and downstream of the turbo as either type of leak will cause base boost symptoms. I guess that's the very first and second things you must look for!