[Mk2] [Turbo] Turbo questions

[dawolf]

Went to check out a GT-S turbo today. It was a totally standard turquoise rev 2 with no engine mods at all and 70k miles on the clock. Was a very clean car inside and out and drove smoothly. It also had traction control which I'm told is quite rare. Just want to double check on several things. Everything about the car seemed spot on although I just want to check on the turbo operation.

The engine ran quietly with no strange noises. The turbo itself seemed to spool up gradually rather than a sudden kick which I what I expected, although admittedly the engine was quite cold and was running on crap 95 RON fuel. It felt a bit sluggish low down but then started spooling at about 3000rpm giving about half boost then gradually rising up to full chat at 4000rpm until the redline. There was a very small amount of grey smoke on start-up but this was probably just condensation. No visible blue smoke at all. No signs of any leaks around the turbo or engine. Oil was a healthy colour.

Do you think it all sounds okay? Bear in mind it's just running standard boost. I think I was expecting a bit more of a kick as I'm used to being in my mate's rev 3 which is heavily modded and has a bigger turbo.

Thanks.

[RyanRs]

really it shouldnt have 95ron in it at all! and it shuld be upto full running temp before you give it some!

i would imagin that the 95 ron will make it lack power if its mapped for 98ron, and if its still mapped for jap fuel, then it will definatly lack punch with 95ron, and be potentially deadly to the engine!

the mr2s tho are quite smooth while cumming on boost, feeling more like a Very lively supercharger, other than the whallop you get from a serira cosworth..

[Ian Geary]

Can you get someone to follow you when you boot it?

When my turbo seals were leaking, it was very obvious from behind (I didn't spot it when buying of course).

Look for excessive venting of oil smoke from the oil filler on tickover (but this will upset the engine idle however). This would point to worn piston rings.

SOme sellers wouldn't like it, but could you not with a 10mm socket or big screwdriver undo the throttle body air pipe? Have a look inside of oil residue (should be a trace, not a puddle). A reasonable seller should be OK with this.

As for power delivery, my CT20b doesn't have any particular surge, but from 3,000 revs pulls strongly to redline (when it's working). I think the earlier CT26 had different characteristics though.

My turbo is quite noisy, but that's mostly the HKS filter, SSQV making wierd noises coming on/off the throttle.

I'm sure you didn't, but don't ignore the chassis, wheels and brakes - they can be costly too - eg wheel bearings, refurbed calipers and shocks soon add up. Look for a smooth ride, no lurching, clunking or vibration when braking. Worn rear shocks will make the wheels bobble when putting power down.

All in all, I suppose it depends what you're paying. On a 1991-93 car I'd expect a few niggles, but would offer accordingly.

Never likes turquoise though - I've heard it's not as fast as some colours

Ian

[dawolf]

Okay cheers.

I don't think it's been using 95 RON for long, the garage have probably just stuck some in until it gets sold.

[Martin F]

i went through a simmilar dilemma when i bought my first mr2 turbo,nyway i went ahead and bought it and started regretting it within days...your head is saying "mmm" but your heart is saying "got to get the car"
its worthwhile testing a few different cars to get the feel off them,may save you spending your money on one that may not be running right.

better still, buy a rev 3...much better car,more tunning potential.

if your wanting this car longterm then make sure you get it right first time.....
i didnt and it cost me lots....!

[dawolf]

Yeah I know I have to be careful. It's probably the cleanest turbo I've seen in the time I've been looking. Even has the import documents which says A1 condition all round.

I forgot to mention, the garage sold this car to a bloke just before xmas but he sold it back to them because he ended up getting divorced in the new year and has got all the kids so he said he needed something more practical with more seats. I spoke to the bloke on the phone and he said the car was fine and there were no problems in the month that he had it, he seemed sad to have to sell it back.

[RyanRs]

yea, the mr2 i brought was sold back to the garage by the prev owner, who owned it for a month, he said it was too low for the speedhumps in his area, true , mine is very low.. but they All said it works perfect...

within the 2month, the rear dampeners packed up (Jic coilovers) , then the car got slugish, smoking etc, until 10 months later when i decided to pull it apart and found a shatterd piston!

[dawolf]

All this talk is starting to put me off buying a turbo. I thought Toyota were supposed to be one of the most reliable makes of car.

[bri0905]

The cars are reliable. But sometimes they don't get the attention they deserve from previous owners which will cause premature failure of some parts.

[Club Tropicana]

All this talk is starting to put me off buying a turbo. I thought Toyota were supposed to be one of the most reliable makes of car.

Also modding cars reduces their reliablilty (especially if they are not done properly, i.e. turning the boost right up without upgrading the Intercooler etc.), and turbo's tend to get modded - bigtime. Personally i'm not into modifying cars, and think that the 241bhp going through the rear wheels is plenty for me. Left stock and cared for, there is no reason why a turbo should be less reliable than an n/a. I was fortunate enough to get one that had never been modded (I checked it very carefully) and I think this is important when buying.

[R220]

All this talk is starting to put me off buying a turbo. I thought Toyota were supposed to be one of the most reliable makes of car.

dont let it put you off mate, i went from an n/a to a turbo and wow its just amazing. Total different league. Mine is a rev2 turbo and has not had a spot of bother in the last 6 months of ownership, and i have been giving it some for most of that time ! just got to be careful in the winter n/a's can be slippery but the extra torque achieved from the turbine can catch you out.

[Ian Geary]

The cars are reliable. But sometimes they don't get the attention they deserve from previous owners which will cause premature failure of some parts.

So you could say, the cars are reliable, but the owners aren't.

That's almost philosophical. Not bad for a Friday afternoon.


A turbo does bring more potential for problems - there's no getting away from it, and would suffer form mis-use / neglect more than an N/A car I think.


Ian