# GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone?



## 99B5ondubs (Aug 8, 2008)

I just put a testpipe on it, with new universal O2 sensors, MAF is not having a problem, but the O2 sensors were giving me a P1196,P1198 code, I put the old O2s back on and no codes, But my turbo is still glowing red after driving the car normally, i let it cool down before shutdown...dont worry!
Other than the testpipe and i removed the airbox and put a k&n filter inplace, theres nothing else modified...


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## themachasy (Jan 28, 2006)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (99B5ondubs)*

pull your battery leads for like 10 minutes, it'll reset the ECU so it adapts to the correct o2 sensors, should cure it.


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## -Khaos- (Dec 22, 2003)

define "normal" driving.


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## 99B5ondubs (Aug 8, 2008)

*Re: (-Khaos-)*

Im using a code reader so i can erase any codes, is that the same as pulling the battery?
Normal driving is using the tiptronic to keep the rpms as low as possible around 2400 rpms and still glowing red


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## T3hD0gg (Jan 28, 2007)

A glowing red turbo would mean you're running pretty hot because you're running lean. How are your CTS readings under normal driving?


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## Bug_racer (Oct 13, 2002)

*Re: (T3hD0gg)*


_Quote, originally posted by *T3hD0gg* »_A glowing red turbo would mean you're running pretty lean.

I second that 
or a misfire


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## GLI_jetta (Jan 3, 2006)

*Re: (T3hD0gg)*

when i ran my car hard for a while... i would see it glowing red behind the manifold....


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## velocity196 (Feb 19, 2006)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (99B5ondubs)*

cool take a picture


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## Golfmk3_18 (Sep 22, 2004)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (velocity196)*

running rich = less heat = no glowing turbo
you sound like you have a lean condition, probably due to the test pipe : 
The air is flowing past your 02 sensors too fast and they are not reading the correct oxygen percentage in your exhaust gases, therefore causing the car to run lean and throwing codes...


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## 99B5ondubs (Aug 8, 2008)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (Golfmk3_18)*

what can i do to fix it without gettin rid of the pipe?


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## mescaline (Jul 15, 2005)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (Golfmk3_18)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Golfmk3_18* »_running rich = less heat = no glowing turbo
you sound like you have a lean condition, probably due to the test pipe : 
The air is flowing past your 02 sensors too fast and they are not reading the correct oxygen percentage in your exhaust gases, therefore causing the car to run lean and throwing codes...

Don't make up stuff please. You actually suggest SLOWING DOWN exhaust gases? lol
You're running lean probably, typical causes bad coolant temperature sensor (CTS), MAF, faulty O2 sensor (unlikely), faulty fuel system (injectors, pump...again unlikely).
Are you sure you are not just driving the car little harder? Its very easy to light up turbo and manifold


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## 99B5ondubs (Aug 8, 2008)

*Re: GLOWING RED HOT TURBO 1.8T, TOO RICH??? anyone? (mescaline)*

Nah im running the car at 2k steady for a couple miles and pop the hood and its glowin... MAF not in trouble, and i actually cleaned it twice and its still fine, o2 sensors could be a possibility, they are old i believe they have all 145k on them, I changed the oil and plugs and ignition module along with the test pipe all at the same time, the turbo started getting hot after all that was done...


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## -Khaos- (Dec 22, 2003)

have you checked the oil feeds?


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## carcrazy699 (Oct 7, 2007)

my turbo glows after a hard run but not if im driving at 2k that sounds really weird


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## -Khaos- (Dec 22, 2003)

In my experience it's either running very lean, or it's being starved of oil.
I've gone through it via PM with the OP, but in case someone ever reads this thread in the future with the same symptoms... There it is.


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## MkIVwarrior (Mar 9, 2007)

*Re: (-Khaos-)*

addition of a 4 bar to help rectify the lean out issue? anyone else think this might be a start?


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## green02turbo (May 13, 2008)

I hate to go against what people say here on this forum but lean mixture makes for high combustion temperatures and slightly elevated EGT's. Being slightly rich will cool the combustion temp and in turn EGT's. BUT when you run super rich, the exhaust is still burning comming out of the cylinder and into the manifold and turbo. When the WAY rich mixture hits the really hot cat substrate it does what it's supposed to do. Combust! this is really true with Secondary Air injected engines. Running lean never burned any cats up. WAY rich will do it everytime. I would know. I'm a Smog Tech here in california. Also, retarded timing coupled with rich mixture tends to heat the cat very nicely too.
I've also seen camshaft timing that was off enough to run, albeit lean- the computer tries to add more fuel and with the very combustable exhaust of air and fuel, the cat gets red hot.


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## -Khaos- (Dec 22, 2003)

yeah rich + low timing heats things up, that's what our cars do on warm up.







Also antilag can be seen that way (and we all know it's harsh)...
But for this to be a too rich mixture... at or around 2000 RPMS? That's UBER rich. I seriously doubt it.


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## green02turbo (May 13, 2008)

BOV staying open under no load conditions will do it. Many things can let an engine run rich.


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## 99B5ondubs (Aug 8, 2008)

*Re: (green02turbo)*

i forgot to mention this car is running extremly good... no more lag and way faster spooling, im going to take off the oil lines and clean them out i dont have a BOV only the internal wastegate, unless im wrong but no upgrades have been done to the turbo system


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## mescaline (Jul 15, 2005)

*Re: (-Khaos-)*


_Quote, originally posted by *-Khaos-* »_yeah rich + low timing heats things up, that's what our cars do on warm up.







Also antilag can be seen that way (and we all know it's harsh)...
But for this to be a too rich mixture... at or around 2000 RPMS? That's UBER rich. I seriously doubt it.

Actually...i think it's totally opposite, our cars should run very lean at start up, why would you add secondary air pump to make it run rich? I think the main purpose of SAI is to make the car run very lean at cold start so it heats up faster. I could be wrong but it sounds logical


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## -Khaos- (Dec 22, 2003)

*Re: (mescaline)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mescaline* »_
Actually...i think it's totally opposite, our cars should run very lean at start up, why would you add secondary air pump to make it run rich? I think the main purpose of SAI is to make the car run very lean at cold start so it heats up faster. I could be wrong but it sounds logical









IIRC we have massive overlap when the car's warming up.


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## EdsGTI (Mar 9, 2003)

*Re: (-Khaos-)*

The car should be only turning the turbo red when you are kicking the snot out of it, if you are literally cruising 2500 rpm and its glowing id say you need to start doing some logging, oil feed/return has nothign to do with it, the turbo would have seized, the oil is not a coolant first of all and second of all has nothing to do with the turbine housing....


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## drtbmxer (Aug 19, 2006)

*Re: (mescaline)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mescaline* »_
Actually...i think it's totally opposite, our cars should run very lean at start up, why would you add secondary air pump to make it run rich? I think the main purpose of SAI is to make the car run very lean at cold start so it heats up faster. I could be wrong but it sounds logical <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/biggrin.gif" BORDER="0">

well what you think happens is in fact wrong....the cars run very RICH when you start up and this causes the cat to take longer to heat up as well as forces the cat to do extra work to meet federal emissions standards. All cars start up rich and always have, thats why cars smell like they are running rich when you first start them up esp on a cold morning....because they in fact are running rich....
secondary air pumps extra air directly into the exhaust stream to and leans out this rich exhaust gas before it enters the cat making it easier for the cat to heat up and perform its job by making unburned hyrdocarbins and CO into more CO or preferably if all works as designed CO2. The extra oxygen from secondary air allows this process to take place more readily and which in fact allows the cat to heat up quicker.....
also your codes you are getting are electrical faults only, and dont show any kind of issue with part performance, only that the wiring in both the sensor and heater circuits are bad, which could in fact be a damaged part.......as for the red hot turbo, im not entirely sure what direction im leaning on that one yet...







sorry


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## [email protected] (Apr 25, 2007)

*Re: (drtbmxer)*


_Quote, originally posted by *drtbmxer* »_
well what you think happens is in fact wrong....the cars run very RICH when you start up and this causes the cat to take longer to heat up as well as forces the cat to do extra work to meet federal emissions standards. All cars start up rich and always have, thats why cars smell like they are running rich when you first start them up esp on a cold morning....because they in fact are running rich....
secondary air pumps extra air directly into the exhaust stream to and leans out this rich exhaust gas before it enters the cat making it easier for the cat to heat up and perform its job by making unburned hyrdocarbins and CO into more CO or preferably if all works as designed CO2. The extra oxygen from secondary air allows this process to take place more readily and which in fact allows the cat to heat up quicker.....
also your codes you are getting are electrical faults only, and dont show any kind of issue with part performance, only that the wiring in both the sensor and heater circuits are bad, which could in fact be a damaged part.......as for the red hot turbo, im not entirely sure what direction im leaning on that one yet...







sorry

Ed and you are the only ones in this thread that know what you're talking about. This forum as of late has become a complete and utter repeat of misinformation.







I suggest this for all you guys that really want to help out by giving advice. Bad advice is worse than none at all.


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## drtbmxer (Aug 19, 2006)

why thank you adam from unitronic


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## hase_kind (Nov 24, 2003)

so what you guys are saying is that it's normal for the turbo to glow when it's being driven hard?....say 55-65mph up a 30 degree hill three miles long with a stage 2 revo flash? I had this happen once and have been wondering...


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## dubinsincuwereindiapers (Jan 16, 2008)

DOOOD! you do realise that you just replyed to a 3 yr old thread right?


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## screwball (Dec 11, 2001)

no, no he has no idea.


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## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

Is this the record (3years) for bumping a dead post? :laugh:


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## assassym909 (Aug 30, 2008)

this got me laughing. :thumbup: to catching this so quick..


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## One-Eight GTI (Jan 5, 2010)

LOL, we bash people for using the not using the SEARCH feature, and when they do we bash them for bringing up an old thread, I am


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## Big_Tom (Aug 19, 2007)

LOL somebody bumped 1 that wass dead for 10 years recently


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## assassym909 (Aug 30, 2008)

I wouldn't really see this as bashing, just more a heads up to keep an eye on the date of the thread/post...


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