Turbo / steering issues

[michelle50]

Hello everyone new here!

We're having major issues with the berlingo at the moment :'( It's a 56 1.6 desire, so not too old. It has had a full service every year too and we normally do around 16k. Although it's sitting at 88k just now.

It all started with hearing a whoosing sound when I accelerated then we lost all voomph with the car. Took it to a garage who plugged in the diagnostic machine. EGR unit was blamed. The MOT was just up for renewal too so we got this done too. Failed MOT on front track rod end/ball joint, not enough support for exhaust, back brake binding and imbalanced front brakes. Got all this fixed. EGR unit was cleaned up and made little difference. Garage came back to say that the Turbo had seized and that was the big problem.

We've got the car back now although the turbo hasn't been fixed (looking into parts eg new v's reconditioned) as in all it's still a good car. BUT... the back brakes are still making a noise - so complaints to garage there - however more worryingly the steering has been quite heavy since we got the car back. Could this be related to the fixing of the rod end or could it be an expensive power steering fault?

The cost of fixing the turbo is more than enough so would need to consider scrapping the car if costing loads more. Last year we were 1k for MOT, service because a pinion had gone and were told power steering might have been damaged because fluid had run dry but all had been super until this last bit of work had been done.

I guess what I'm ultimately asking is - do you guys think it's time to cut and run with this vehicle? And, if I am to replace the turbo - new or reconditioned?

Thanks for reading my waffle - I really am clueless and so unlucky with cars

[Ol'Jeffers]

Welcome Michelle, sorry to hear that you're having problems.
I've been down the 'spend the money or scrap it' road a few times over the years and usually it depends on how much the car has cost
you over time, if it has been generally reliable and whether or not you like the car. If you like the car then get it done because
unless you buy new (and even then sometimes!), replacing your car could get you a whole load of other problems.
Any car is repairable and although spares like the turbocharger are expensive sometimes you have to bite the bullet.
As long as you get a written guarantee a professionally reconditioned turbo' should perform as well as a new one.
If the repairer has stripped and re-built the back brakes they should not be noisy and replacing the track rod end/ball joint should not make the steering heavy.
I would also be getting a second opinion/estimate on the various repairs required and the work that's been done so far.....just in case.
I hope you can get the problem sorted out to your satisfaction.:thumbsup:

[tucker]

Personally, if it was me, I'd weigh up what the estimated repair is compared to it's realistic current value.

If it's two thirds or close, I'd look to call it quits, but would sell the car as a vehicle in need of repair and be honest about exactly what is wrong.

There will be people out there who could repair it as a DIY job and it will be well worth repairing to them, given it's still a fairly low mileage car for a diesel.