Hello, my turbo currently is toast. It is shooting burned oil through the exhaust causing the car to smoke like a train. I need to either have it repaired (pay for the labor to remove, repair, and put it back in) or purchase a new turbo and pay to have it installed. I have looked online and the kind of turbo my car takes seems to be pretty rare.

My car is a:
2006 Volvo S60 T5 Sport Sedan 4-Door 2.4L 2401CC with 185,000 miles

Some of the turbos I have seen on ebay that are compatible with my car will actually not work according to 2 Volvo shops I have spoken with. I have been told by both that I need a turbo that fits a R model (even though I am certain mine isn't a R model). I am told I need a turbo with the part number 8603692 that is a K24 which was also used in the S60r and V70r.

I currently owe about 2,700 on the car with a 3.5% interest rate. To purchase the turbo that I have been linked is at a minimum $865.00. The labor to take out my old turbo and install a new one is about $700. I am wondering if it is worth spending over 1500 on the car, if I should try to trade the car in and get a new car, or if there is a better third option such as paying a place to take my old turbo out and taking it somewhere to have it repaired and then have it reinstalled.


Thanks!

 

Rebuilding a turbo is something that any competent shop can do. There are kits which essentially take all of the internal wear parts and seals and those come in the kit. Since the turbo has to be removed either way, I would suggest having yours torn down for an inspection. If the housing is damaged, then you will need another turbo.

Your turbo is very common.

 

Check our the ARD web site (ardideas.com). They have good turbo related content. For the Volvos, generally they all use the Mitsubishi TD04 turbos - there are some minor differences in the output flanges and orientation between car models but the housings are all similar. The different models are numbered based on the pumping capacity of the impellers so if you have a 16T (commonly used on the T5s), you can rebuild and swap out the impeller to upgrade to an 18T or even larger capacity. They have a good Youtube vid showing the bench work for rebuilding the turbo.