Turbo questions from a non turbo guy...09 WRX.

BACKGROUND. As some of you know My wife drive an 09 WRX. She loves it, me not so much. It has over the last 4 years run low a few times on oil within one week it can drink 3 quarts of oil. Normally the only sign has been a P0011 passenger side variable cam timing. I try to keep a close eye on it as possible. Last month the P0011 came back oil was clean and level was fine but did a change with my normal K&N filter and Castrol Edge (seems to drink less then other oils). The dam light would come up offten enough that the I/M readyness was keeping us from inspection that was due today.

CURRENT ISSUES Last week I pulled the drain plug, let it drip while I pulled the filter and then moved top side pull the air box to TB rubber tube to gain access to the VVT solenoid. It looked clean but i made sure to clean it anyway while cycling power to it. Due to a bracket blocking my path i could not pul the oil line to the turbo off the VVT near the top mount, nor off the bottom of the turbo that banjo is stuck. I used compressed air and a rubber stopper on the blow gun to push air into the VVT solenoid hole hoping to push any oil gunk out of the cam works, then replaced the solenoid, replaced the intake hose. Then moved under the car and pushed air in to the oil filter mount untill the oil stopped flowing out the pan I'd guess i got close to another quart out. This time i used Mobil 1 oil 0w-20 as it was cheap and thinking was thiner might clean the VVT works better plan to run it only a week or two. Well light has stayed off! I got the inspection done! Now at long idles i can see smoke out the exhaust and just as i think it builds boost (no gauge err.) We hear a howel out the exhaust but might be turbo? could be a hose i bumped? Any ideas on WTF it is? It's not drank any oil yet... Wheres the PCV on this system could that be messed up. Sorry for the whole page post..

How many miles on it? Turbo seals, depending on the turbo, only last about 50K miles. It's a "feature."

114,000 miles and one payment left on the loan. New OEM turbo kit with gaskets and oil lines looks to be about $1500 or rebuilt unit with the same gaskets and lines it $1100. we'd do new for that little price difference unless someone can tell me the rebuilt is somehow better.

Call up either Magestic Turbo in Waco, TX or G-Pop Shop in Springdale, AR and ask them how much to rebuild your turbo. I have used both of them. G-Pop Shop rebuilt the one on my RAV4 3SGTE for five bills and the one that's going on the Europa for four bills. They are like new when you get them back. I last used Magestic over ten years ago on the Esprit and it was about three and a half bills back then. G-Pop Shop is big in the tooner DoRiftO community, and Magestic is just big.

Anyway, hundred K? You got your money out of that turbo. It's shot. You can check it by pulling the intake off and grabbing the end of the wheel (the nut) and wiggling. There should be zero up and down/side to side movement and zero (new) to very slight in and out movement.