Turbo working?

[boatey]

i Have the ZD 30 in a 2006 4x4 which has done 155,000klms. I tow a 2 t caravan. i can not do any form of hill start without going into low range but when moving will happily cruise at 90klms/hr in 4th gear. hills slow me down to 60klms/hr.
I do not feel any turbo lag or cut in, How do i know the turbo is working okay? am I getting normal power or is this below the normal for this vehcile. ? My garage has checked all the basic components and say is as expected.
Where should i start to give myself more power? new to diesels and do not have the expereince to help with the decisions.

 

[FatBoy89]

Chip and exhaust

 

[bods]

If you want to make sure the turbo is working the easiest way is to get a boost gauge. If you want more performance, then do the above suggestion but, I'd also recommend getting a Pyro / egt gauge to keep an eye on the exhaust temps if you put a chip in. If you do chip it you can also wind up the boost a bit to get more power but you need to keep SN eye on the egts so you don't end up melting the engine internals...

 

[loveit]

If u are towing u need a boost gauge and exhaust gas temp gauge asap! As for hill starts as far as im concerned first gear is too high when towing heavy loads from hillstart.... U will have to use low no other choice

Ps when towing heavy loads u wont feel boost kick in at all

 

[Old.Tony]

The D22's boost doesn't kick in hard like the D40's, it's actually a rather smooth transition which I didn't mind at all (my D40's auto gearbox absorbs much of the 'kick' when the turbo comes on to full song).

A boost gauge is very valuable, I don't know if you can get that info from the ECU with a bluetooth adapter + smartphone software (eg Torque).

If you want more power, a chip is going to provide you with the largest single gain of all, but fitting an EGT gauge is almost vital especially considering the loads you are talking about. Talk to Robert at www.chipit.com.au and see what he can do for you. Those chips aren't cheap but they do a good job and look after the engine too (meaning that they cut back on the performance-boost when the temps get too high).

How large are your wheels? If they're taller than standard, then your final drive ratio has been altered and it will feel like the car is much heavier (slower acceleration, harder to climb hills). We noticed it straight away in our D40 when we went from 255/70R16s to 265/70R16s (a 2% change). I'm going back to standard size on the next set of tyres.

 

[tweak'e]

sounds like somethings wrong. should be able to do hill starts with 2 ton. tho steep hills will require low range.
however highway driving depends on aerodynamics more than anything. we have towed 1 ton load and not been able to get above 80km/h compared to usual 2-3 ton loads and cruise 100km/h easily.
don't forget its going to be slow on the hills, you have the horse power of a corolla !

chipping it will help BUT you need to make sure the engine will survive the extra fuel. big exhaust is a must and intercooler highly recommended. plus the gauges as mentioned above.

 

[joshman]

Firstly, I'd read up on the EGR blanking mod, there's plenty of threads on this forum that explain what it is, what the benefits are and how to do it, and simply put, the reason is that it should help eliminate a lot of the low rev "boggyness"

next, i'd be looking at a chip and exhaust. Northside4x4 and CHIPIT are two of the big boys in the chip department (both are forum members, do a search to find them) And look into Beaudesert Exhausts for a 2.75" dump pipe and exhaust.

Then, if you're really keen for more power, look into the 80 series airbox mod and an intercooler.

don't forget about a snorkel either.

 

[boatey]

thanks for all the replies. I all ready have a snorkel fitted and the wheels are 265/70 x16. I have a turbo timer which is set for one minute
Sounds like the next job is to fit the guages to see what is going on with the motor. will then look at the EGR mod, Due to the number of Klms on the car i do not want to over invest in the motor but sounds as though the chip and exhaust are also on the list. will give the intercooler a miss at this stage.
Thanks everyone

 

[ben85]

probably better off doing the intercooler first, as a bit of insurance if the turbo compressor wheel lets go, which has been known to happen.

egr blank and egt probe can be done at same time if you want.
you will need a blanking plate, with a thread tapped in for the probe, pretty neat and easy way of doing 2 jobs at once. probe sits in the manifold that way.

 

[loveit]

if you want to see if turbo is working ....get one of these....i just whacked one on mine and god dam you hear the turbo

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/300805474757?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

PS: not sure if can be used with a snorkel...

 

[unkn0wn]

I agree 100% with everyone who has mentioned a boost gauge and EGT..

To get more power from a turbo car,
you need intake mods...that pre/cleaner bypass looks like a good mod (as long as you don't do lot of driving in dusty areas)
exhaust mods, turbo LOVE free flowing exhausts. Smash a 2.5 or 3inch exhaust on that baby and you will notice the difference.

To get more power from a diesel, more fuel.....this is where your EGT comes in...get a chip and then adjust your tune based on your EGT'S
While you're doing this, you might want to do the EGT block-off and push some more boost through the engine.

Depending how serious you want to go, look at your diff ratios, perhaps get a slightly higher diff ratio....this will give you more power....but you will be doing more RPM @ cruising speeds.

If you get really sick of it, you may wish to look at getting a Patrol with a 4.2 turbo motor.....or chev diesel 6.5l or something with some serious grunt.

 

[Dave]

From what I read on my phone yesterday about this post.

Sounds normal, just drive it hard. ZD30's love a flogging.