Turbo problems - advice needed

antinomy · 12-02-2020, 08:59 AM

Greetings, your advice much appreciated - we're suddenly caught out of our depth with our E84 X1 diesel.

Stuck in rural France with advice from a mechanic that the turbocharger has blown and needs replacement - we experienced loss of power when accelerating accompanied by a loud, high-pitched whistling. Local garage quotes fully 6500 Euros ($7800) for the job, a major chunk of the vehicle's remaining value ... Relatively low mileage (100k miles) and recent service.

Three questions:
any problems using reconditioned parts to replace the turbocharger;
what kind of labour and other costs would you normally expect;
is it safe to drive the car (slowly) in this condition for about 50 miles or is there a risk of further damage?

Any other experience or ideas? many thanks in advance....

DoofyTheNut · 12-02-2020, 08:12 PM

1. That number seems WAY too high, even for a BMW dealership. I would seriously check around more for a quote.
2. I would take it somewhere and have them diagnose the car. Check and see what’s actually wrong.
3. You’re totally fine using reconditioned parts as long as you’re fine with no warranty on them.
4. I would say yes to driving for 50 miles, but I’m no expert, so I would assume you’re fine but just be careful. Safety is more important than anything.

If you need to, I would just sell the car and buy another. That quote is absurdly high, but if you really need to spend that much I wouldn’t go through with it.

SharpAndCunning · 12-10-2020, 08:38 AM

I have to agree, that quote seems absurdly high. So high in fact, I would wonder if the shop even wants to do the job.

I understand you are in rural france and there may not be too many options for a place to go. But that's almost the price of an engine replacement. I would absolutely try and find someone else to do it. I don't know much about the diesels in these, but a turbo replacement is not often all that hard. Sure, it's time consuming, but I would say the average person with tools should be able to do it.

I'm not sure on driving it. If you do need to, I would drive slowly. NO HARD STARTS. Try and stay in low RPMS.

12-02-2020, 08:59 AM	#1
antinomy Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW X1, BMW 325d Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Geneva, Switzerland iTrader: (0)	Turbo problems - advice needed - E84 X1 diesel Greetings, your advice much appreciated - we're suddenly caught out of our depth with our E84 X1 diesel. Stuck in rural France with advice from a mechanic that the turbocharger has blown and needs replacement - we experienced loss of power when accelerating accompanied by a loud, high-pitched whistling. Local garage quotes fully 6500 Euros ($7800) for the job, a major chunk of the vehicle's remaining value ... Relatively low mileage (100k miles) and recent service. Three questions: any problems using reconditioned parts to replace the turbocharger; what kind of labour and other costs would you normally expect; is it safe to drive the car (slowly) in this condition for about 50 miles or is there a risk of further damage? Any other experience or ideas? many thanks in advance....
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12-02-2020, 08:12 PM	#2
DoofyTheNut New Member 4 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2014 X1 xDrive35i M-Sport Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: North Carolina iTrader: (0)	1. That number seems WAY too high, even for a BMW dealership. I would seriously check around more for a quote. 2. I would take it somewhere and have them diagnose the car. Check and see what’s actually wrong. 3. You’re totally fine using reconditioned parts as long as you’re fine with no warranty on them. 4. I would say yes to driving for 50 miles, but I’m no expert, so I would assume you’re fine but just be careful. Safety is more important than anything. If you need to, I would just sell the car and buy another. That quote is absurdly high, but if you really need to spend that much I wouldn’t go through with it.
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12-10-2020, 08:38 AM	#3
SharpAndCunning Lieutenant 100 Rep 433 Posts Drives: 2014 X1 35i Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: . iTrader: (0)	I have to agree, that quote seems absurdly high. So high in fact, I would wonder if the shop even wants to do the job. I understand you are in rural france and there may not be too many options for a place to go. But that's almost the price of an engine replacement. I would absolutely try and find someone else to do it. I don't know much about the diesels in these, but a turbo replacement is not often all that hard. Sure, it's time consuming, but I would say the average person with tools should be able to do it. I'm not sure on driving it. If you do need to, I would drive slowly. NO HARD STARTS. Try and stay in low RPMS.
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