Ok so my 03 golf has been going on and off of limp mode It's actually under boosting. I have noticed thats the vanes on the turbo are sticking so I like to know if any one has attempted to clean there turbo?

like thats http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/Drivbiwire_VNT_repair_procedure_small.pdf

Yep, i've done mine twice so far! pretty scary at first but it turns out there's only 8 pieces !!


The hardest part is separating the turbo since it's all rusted together.

make sure you mark everything so you know where it goes when you re-assemble.

I've pulled mine apart as well - then decided it was all too far gone and replaced with a new one.

I've heard that just coating the hot side with Easy Off Oven Cleaner loosens all the crap up. Then just start it up and let it smoke like a chimney for a few minutes, and you're done.

I did the oven cleaner (Easy Off Heavy Duty) after warming up the car. It was easy enough for me to do as the EGR has been deleted so I just removed the EGR block off plate and sprayed in there. While the oven cleaner was soaking though I used a long prybar and worked the actuator on the turbo pretty much non-stop for 10 minutes to ensure that things loosened up.

I was not having limp mode issues, but I was having spikes, and a slight stick in the actuator movement. After doing the oven cleaner procedure, no more spikes and the actuator movement seems good now.

Make sure to put the oven cleaner in the hor/exhaust side and NOT the intake side

The easy off method is tempting so basically spray in turbo true Egr let sit wile moving actuator and then start car to get rid of all the easy off?

Its because you work at the Electrical and plumbing store.

Here is the thread (kinda long so you can probably skip some of the posts) http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=246287

If you still have the EGR intact on your car, the other users are taking of the 3 downpipe bolts and inserting the oven cleaner in that way. Not sure if thats easier, but I prefer to be above nasty chemicals rather then below.

Try it this monday and it worked only this I discovered the actuator is sticking too so got to change that too.

Actuator are not that expensive anymore, around $100 I paid for the last one ordered from the US.

The hard part is getting it set properly, but if you have a vacuum pump like a Mityvac you will be all set.

Keep doing a good weekly rip like getting into the throttle going onto the highway for example. Clean out all the crud and soot hopefully.

The Easy-Off method works awesome. Just take the downpipe off (3 bolts) and spray, and work the actuator back and forth with your hand and a short wrench or a vac pump. I usually end up using half the can. Then bolt it back together (I reuse the gasket) and drive it like Fangio.