Okay I figured out the dealer didn't check the turbo but told me it was bad and it was siezed. I took off the intake tube and the turbo spun smoothly and easily with no detectable slack. I did find the check valve by the air filter box to be partially dissentegrated. I replaced it with another check valve, but it is a smaller diameter inlet and outlet so I am not sure if this would stop it from boosting. I can't find any vacuum leak and I replaced all of the injector seals. I think I can hear a vacuum leak near the injectors or by the suction pump ( thing with all of the vaccuum outlets) but I can't tell. Guess I'll have to try spraying some carb and choke cleaner near the suspected leak. this thing is a sloth now. now the ignition module is bad, needs a new catalytic converter, no boost, ABS light on with brake light flashing, suspension noises, steering noises, leaking washer fluid, squealing coming from either the alternator or the idler puley. So far I have fixed the oil leak, rebuilt the head, which included new valve guide seals, replaced all 20 valves, new cam seals, new valve cover gasket set, replaced head gasket and associated gaskets with a full head gasket set, all new timing components including the belt idler pulley, guide pulley, tensioner, new water pump, new thermostat, new belts ordered new ignition module, replaced plastic tube from engine block, replaced t fitting to pcv valve and plastic tube on the block, replaced plastic coolant fitting on back of head, replaced all gaskets with the head gasket kit, new spark plugs, new coolant. sounds like alot but I only paid $250 for the car but stil its one problem after the other. I am keeping the faith in the car but the woman of the house aint hearing it. Hopefully after I solve the ABS, steering/suspension and boost issues this will be the end of problems for a while. Thanks again for your support everyone.

 

well you know the turbo isnt "seized" cause you it spins freely. any shaft play? ill be the first to admit i dont know much yet but everybody else is gonna wanna know a few key details. what kinda codes are you pulling and what exactly is the boost level at?

 

not pulling any codes. there was one stored for catalyst efficiency below threshold but I erased it. I do have a boost gauge I am going to hook up probably tomorrow but owning a turbo car already, and having a friend with a 2001 volvo s40 1.9t I know I should start feeling something by 2000 rpm with good torque between 2k and 3k rpm pulling strongly to a little over 5k rpm before dropping off. her car made good torque at 1900 and felt more like a small v6 by about 2k rpm. The car does pull a little at around 5k rpm but still nowhere near my friends 97 a4 1.8t at low or high rpm.