2017 Buick Encore Turbo Failure

[Again]

You fixed everything that broke so it should be good now. My Encore still runs like new. When are getting your new Encore?

 

[TMClose]

Due yourself a favor and trade it in. This engine will not withstand highway speed commuting. I have a 2016. First turbo will blow. Then vacuum seals. Then premature timing chain replacement. $3500 goes puff For me just past the power train warranty. Call Buick care and watch them yawn at you. I have spent 5 times $ on engine repair on this POS in last 10k than all the other 1M miles put on all other cars I have driven. Great car. Awful engine if you use the turbo at all

this is happening to me with my 2016. 73 k miles. i bought the extended warrenty. expired at 70k. turbo problems.

 

[G-818241]

The encore is much happier with premium fuel.. Feed it well and it has very adequate power and better mpg as well.

For example checking my OnStar app on my phone I see that my wife drove about 40 miles of mixed driving yesterday and got 34 mog.

Not too shabby for a vehicle rated at 30 mpg highway by the epa

I have seen close to 40 mpg highway with Chevron premium fuel.


Jeff

I’ve loved my 2018 Buick Encored preferred. I get 28 city and 38 hwy. unfortunately I took it for my 30 K service Wednesday and yesterday the check engine light came on so I drove straight to the dealer and they told me it needed a turbo. I’m still not quite sure what that means but he said it’s covered. Is that the whole engine or just the turbocharger attached to the intake? I’m waiting for him to call me and explain it better but the guys hard to get a hold of I text my salesman that I bought it from and he said they’ll take care of me and it’ll be as good as new. So I’m assuming it’s the whole engine? I need to stop worrying but I think my extended warrantees to 55,000 miles.

 

[Again]

I’ve loved my 2018 Buick Encored preferred. I get 28 city and 38 hwy. unfortunately I took it for my 30 K service Wednesday and yesterday the check engine light came on so I drove straight to the dealer and they told me it needed a turbo. I’m still not quite sure what that means but he said it’s covered. Is that the whole engine or just the turbocharger attached to the intake? I’m waiting for him to call me and explain it better but the guys hard to get a hold of I text my salesman that I bought it from and he said they’ll take care of me and it’ll be as good as new. So I’m assuming it’s the whole engine? I need to stop worrying but I think my extended warrantees to 55,000 miles.

Your turbo is part of the exhaust manifold.
I can't see your turbo being bad at such a low mileage. What was the code? Bet you it was P0299.

 

[asdx1234]

2013 Buick Encore AWD Premium 99,000 Miles.

I was going to start a new thread but will just post on this one. I have posted this on another GM forum but got zero replies.

About two weeks ago I got a Check Engine Light Code PO299 I did nothing and it went away in two days.
It came back a week later with a solid check engine light.

The car runs and drives fine full power no missing or anything. I have searched and found where I should replace the wastegate which I have ordered. I could only find one of these on ebay (less than 30$) none of the large chain stores sell this item. It was easy to remove, taking the heatshield off was the hardest part. It requires an 8mm socket and has 3 bolts. The wastegate has Two 10mm bolts, and you need a small pair of needle nose pliers to remove the retaining clip holding the wastegate to the turbo.

I also ordered the boost solenoid from ebay (less than $20), and will change this too if I can locate it.
I think it is on the metal part of one of the intake pipes, not far from the wastegate but I am not sure if that is it.

The wastegate is below. I am thinking this is the problem. As you can see it is very rusted, and the shaft does not move well.

If all of this fails then I will be replacing the entire turbo assembly. I seen them on ebay for like 200$.
Note I will not be changing it I will be paying my mechanic to do it.

 

[Again]

Make sure you don't have a leak between the turbo and throttle body.

 

[asdx1234]

I was just reading through some threads here and seen that. I will definitely check it.

I was just about to replace the throttle body since I found a new one online for less than 100$ and have it.
I was also going to replace the water pump due to the mileage and I have one of those too.
The alternator and starter as well plus new belt I have all of that here on hand.
And after reading I guess I will be replace the intake gasket/pcv too.

I was about to take a trip out of town, but I will be driving my 2013 chevy spark which has just been the most dependable car I have ever owned. Several hours on the interstate in it is not real fun though, but I will be paying little to nothing for gas in exchange for comfort.

I still like the buick just sad I can't drive it on my trip it is such a comfortable riding car.

 

[asdx1234]

So I replaced the wastegate part, and the check engine light is off. I will see if this fixed it. It looks good so far. It took a while to get this part. It was not hard to change out. Making sure to adjust it to the same height as the old one was the only challenge, and the new one did not come with the little metal clip to hold it to the turbo so I had to use the old one.

Maybe this could help someone else reading about the PO code for the turbo though. It is a heck of a lot less expensive to replace the wastegate, and it does not take much mechanical skill to do it.

I did notice that my coolant is possibly leaking a very small amount. I filled the bottle up a while back, and it is now dropped some. Not much but enough for me to wonder if that is just the level it sits at or if it is leaking.

If leaking I would suspect the turbo hoses. It looks like there is some residue on the exhaust below it, but hard to tell really. The hoses look like they are easy to swap out, but after reading here I guess not since the turbo has to come off. They are short little hoses. I am very surprised they are such a pain to fix.

I am going to be leaving that turbo heat shield off my car. I don't like it. I know it serves a purpose but I am leaving it off permanently.

I am getting my water pump changed out soon so I will wait until that is done to really start watching the coolant bottle. I will mark it with a sharpie and see if it drops any later on.

 

[asdx1234]

I am also going to replace the boost soleniod since I have it. I just can't for sure find it.

Is it right there in the piping to the left(passenger) side of the turbo down towards the bottom?
I see a connector in there.

 

[Again]

Yup

 

[asdx1234]

Yup

Ok so this did not fix the problem. It did well for a while I shut it off, and then when I started it back up.... check engine light same code replace turbo.

Car runs and drives just fine, but I would imagine soon enough it will be missing, or stalling or just having problems.

Since I am going to be changing the turbo what else should I be taking to my mechanic while the turbo is off?

I am going to assume the turbo is not going to come with a new gasket.

I know about the two coolant lines which I am going to order and have changed out.

Anything else? Any of the oil lines that are prone to failure or anything else I should be changing while the turbo is off?

Thanks

 

[Again]

Yes, the 2 oil lines. One is plastic and always breaks the other one has 2 copper crush washers on the banjo nut, one use only. They cost more than a complete new line.

I still don't think it's your turbo. Got to be something simple.

 

[asdx1234]

I have ordered everything to fix this. It cost me about 320$ for everything including the turbo which does come with a new gasket.

I got the two coolant lines and the two oil lines.

I am going today to a shop where I know the guy. He is going to "service" my cat converter so I will be able to rule that out.
Both of my O2 sensors have been changed out in the past year so it is not that.

I did notice on the intake where the PCV problem with these cars is at that someone has changed that out in the past.
I can see some silicone on the corner of the gasket sticking out which would not be factory.
Of course it could have failed again, but that will be the very last thing I look into.

This little sensor thing below was actually the most expensive item aside from the turbo. It was around 30$

I also got one of these too.

Buick Encore Charge Air Bypass Valve

 

[asdx1234]

Ok so I have all these parts now to replace, and will be doing that in time.

For now I wanted to report back on this problem.

The cat converter, and resonator were removed from the car, and a piece of pipe was put in place. I don't want to go into detail on this other than to say a new cat converter is ordered, and the cat will be put back on so everything is legal again. The resonator will not be put back on.

For anyone interested in this...

The car is NOT any louder without the cat and resonator gone. It sounds a little bit different but it is not louder.
It does not seem to have more or less power.

I was told there was an additional cat inside the exhaust/turbo assembly/large round can down there so technically the car still has a cat converter.

I have been driving the car for several days. As soon as the car was started with no cat and resonator the engine light went off.

It has not come back on, and it should have come back on by now. Before I could not drive it too long without seeing the engine light.

 

[Again]

That second can after the second HO² isn't a cat, it is a flame arrestor. Turboed vehicle all have these flame suppressors. You don't need to to put it back on but you may get some flames out the tail pipe when you let off the gas pedal. some do some don't.

 

[Bambi88]

Your turbo is part of the exhaust manifold.
View attachment 32338 I can't see your turbo being bad at such a low mileage. What was the code? Bet you it was P0299.

Yep that came on yesterday. So looks like I have to replace that turbo at 93903 miles 2018.

 

[Again]

Not for code P0299. That's a leak in the charge pipe. I worked on a 2012 Cruze yesterday ( same engine and turbo ) with 340000kms (211000 miles ) Original turbo. It had a P0299. Cleaned all the charge pipe hoses and reclamped, also changed the oil feed tube that was leaking oil for the revised version. Works fine now.

 

[Daytona@88]

Wow Again, that is pretty impressive having the original turbo with that kind of mileage. Looks like this little engines when taken good care of it are super reliable. I'm happy you clarified the information because most times people see that code and automatically think turbo replacement, I'm glad all worked out and it was a much cheaper solution than replacing the turbo. Great job!

 

[Again]

I think this one had regular oil changes and was using regular oil. The old oil feed tube was almost plugged and would barely flow. It was long overdue if not too late.

When I went to try it out I saw boost numbers close to 10 PSI so turbo is still compressing air pretty good.

 

[Daytona@88]

I think this one had regular oil changes and was using regular oil. The old oil feed tube was almost plugged and would barely flow. It was long overdue if not too late.

When I went to try it out I saw boost numbers close to 10 PSI so turbo is still compressing air pretty good.

From what I had read on other posts here, that feed tube is one of the main culprits for turbo failure mainly because like you mentioned they get plugged from not having the oil change often, maybe not in this particular case since you mentioned it had regular oil changes. I know some people go over 10,000 miles or more before they change it because they are using synthetic.
I used full synthetic on mine too but I would not dare go that many miles without fresh oil. I change mine every 5,000 miles and I know some people are going to say that’s too soon but I really don’t mind as I have done it with all my cars and thank God never had an issue whatsoever.
You know these little engines pretty good by now so what’s your take on oil intervals?