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I got P003A & P0299 codes today

LBZ: 
36K views 46 replies 9 participants last post by  GetBoosted 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

So it seems that I have some work ahead of me. I received the the codes listed below on my 06 LBZ.

A little background, when I first saw this code, I did a bunch of searching on the topic and found that if I'm lucky it's the turbo vane position sensor and if I'm not so lucky, it means a new turbo from what I found.

The turbo vane sensor was said to get replaced by the prior owner somewhere around 65k miles according to the service records (has 122k now).

So in the hopes that the issue is just a bad sensor, I went ahead and ordered a replacement turbo vane sensor (OEM) and installed that 33 miles ago and reset the codes. After I installed it, I started the car with the A/C, radio and other nonsense off and let it sit for a few minutes (heard this is how you avoid using a Tech II for the relearn process). Well, fast forward 33 miles to today, got the codes back. The vanes appear to be moving according to my Edge Insight CTS monitor so I don't know if they are stuck or not (guess not?).

I had a friend check out the code on his Snap-On Solus and it said the potential solutions are to either replace the vane sensor or replace the turbo. Now I'm guessing I'm screwed and I should prepare myself for replacing the turbo but I'm hoping (praying perhaps) that someone else has a better idea.

DTC's:
  • P003A (boost control position not learned)
  • P0299 (engine under boost)

The truck runs and drives fine from what I can tell (my first diesel). It is making boost and it's not puffing smoke or anything to indicate a bad turbo. However I can't really tell if it's laggy or not because I'm used to running (non-vvt) turbos on gas engines so lag is relative I guess since I'm used to not getting boost until midway through 4k RPM in that car.

Anyway, please help if you can.

Thanks,

Chris
 
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#2 ·
My LBZ at a little over 100k had similar issues, the techs said it was a bad sensor, as it checked out testing on a tech-2.. I ended up getting a cheetah turbo as it was not much more then a reman replacement, and was direct fit. AFAIK it IS possible to clean the turbo, but will you get 1k or 100k out of it is the big question.
 
#3 ·
I would prefer to not replace the turbo just because I know that will be a slippery slope for me. I've had 5 turbos (K03 -> K04-015 -> GT2860RS -> GT3076R -> Comp CT2-5156) on my car so far so I can't help myself once I start down that path it seems.

The Cheetah turbo you are talking about is the 63mm wheel one I'm assuming? Sounds like that is a nice stock replacement if I do end up having to go that path.

Never heard of cleaning the turbo though... so I did a quick search and it seems like you have to pull the turbo (CHRA at the very least) so I'm guessing you're right that if you are getting in that deep then perhaps replacing it makes more sense.

Perhaps I can take it to the local dealer just to have them run the relearn process on it with the Tech II just to see if that's all it needs (long shot I know) since when I replaced the sensor, I did not do that process. I have read mixed reviews on whether or not that's required so perhaps I'm just an unlucky one.
 
#4 ·
Chris
Do you have both codes after replacement turbo vane position sensor?
If yes, try relearn procedure.

How do you drive your truck? (ease or hard). Most people driving trucks hard
(like you stole it) do not have that problems.

I drive my van normally but at least once a day I'm getting rpms to the red line it's called "Italian tune-up"
to exercise fully my turbo vanes and get all soot burnt out(so I know they work:HiHi:).

I had similar problem but I had shortage in wires, after replacement I did not have to do relearn procedure, I guess I was lucky .
Brass Metal Copper
 
#5 ·
Do you have both codes after replacement turbo vane position sensor?
If yes, try relearn procedure.
I did get both codes after the replacement sensor :-(. I'll see if I can get an appointment with the local dealership to hook the truck up to a Tech II and see what's going on.

How do you drive your truck? (ease or hard). Most people driving trucks hard
(like you stole it) do not have that problems.
I recently purchased the truck from an older gentleman and I am guessing he wasn't hot dogging the truck judging by the condition and maintenance on it. And I have been very easy on the truck as well since owning it. lol, that ends today though because you're not the only person recommending that from my research. Sounds like you have to give them a good beating from time to time to keep the build up down.

I took it out over lunch today and after work and had a bit of fun for it hoping I could break up any excess carbon in the turbo but no such luck. Had fun though so I guess that's a silver lining. I did notice that the highest percentage I saw on the vane position sensor during the drive was 86% even at idle (I'd expect that to be 100% but I'm not sure)... lowest was 0% when I dropped the hammer on the truck so I'm thinking that the solenoid is hung up or the sensor needs a re-learn.

So my next steps are to call the dealership to set up a date with a Tech II and also see if I can pull the cap off the vane solenoid and make sure that the piston moves freely in there. Perhaps there is some rust or carbon build up in there that I can free up with some light tapping if it won't go all the way in.
 
#6 ·
Ok I ran into a pretty crappy snag and now my truck is down for the count. Please help if you have any suggestions.

I pulled the cap off the turbo actuator to see if I could move the piston inside of it (following what I saw within other threads, thread #1 & thread #2) and I found that the piston that pushes on the vanes in the turbo will not budge at all. Once I found that it wouldn't move I figured ok, now I know what the issue is and it probably means that the vanes are frozen. So I go to put the cap back on and I cannot for the life of me get it to seat past where the snap ring sits. I'm guessing this is because it won't move so there is air pressure in there that I cannot seem to overcome when I'm trying to get this thing in there.

So what do I do now? If I can't get that cap back on, I'm dead in the water. If I can get a way to pull the piston out a bit then I should be able to put the cap on but I have not a clue how I can do that with the turbo and everything still attached to the truck.

Please help.
 
#7 ·
Had another thought after looking over the way the actuator works. I think it could be hung up just because the o-ring is so tight in there. Not really sure how the oil flows into that chamber there so I can't say for certain.

Anyway, if I pull the actuator, is there any way to work the piston lose from that side of the turbo?
 
#8 ·
Never played with hydraulic piston yet but maybe piston is in position or maybe try energize solenoid with key ON position?

The piston cap should go in with some oil/grease on the o-ring
(but too much grease will prevent you from actually pushing cap all the way in) just a thought.
 
#9 ·
Never played with hydraulic piston yet but maybe piston is in position or maybe try energize solenoid with key ON position?
I actually tried that. Also tried starting the truck but not letting it run. Like just cycling the starter to see if that would get it back into position but no such luck.

I didn't want to get the truck into a running state w/ that cap not on there because I wasn't sure of what bad things that would end up doing. Does oil flow into that chamber once the car is running? There was a small bit of oil in there when I pulled the cap but not a ton.

The piston cap should go in with some oil/grease on the o-ring
(but too much grease will prevent you from actually pushing cap all the way in) just a thought.
This may be the issue why I can't get it in there. I did use quite a bit of grease to try to get it to slide in there. I'll clean it off, remove the o-ring and clean the channel and then re-apply a bit of oil to it and give it a go again over lunch today (if the weather holds). That's a good point.
 

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#10 ·
Small update, got everything back in place (big thanks guys... I must have had too much junk on it binding up the cap).

Vanes are still not showing higher than the mid 80% range at idle so something is still stuck in there.

So now for next steps...
* Does replacing the vane actuator solenoid make any sense to do?
* Do I start saving for a new turbo?
* Do I pull the turbo and attempt to clean it?
* Take it to the dealer so they can identify the issue as either the actuator or the vanes themselves in the turbo?
* Any other ideas?

Any thoughts or comments on next steps?

Thx again for the support on this everyone.
 
#12 ·
Vanes are still not showing higher than the mid 80% range at idle so something is still stuck in there.

So now for next steps...
* Does replacing the vane actuator solenoid make any sense to do?
* Do I start saving for a new turbo?
* Do I pull the turbo and attempt to clean it?
* Take it to the dealer so they can identify the issue as either the actuator or the vanes themselves in the turbo?
* Any other ideas?

Any thoughts or comments on next steps?
Sounds like partially stuck turbo vanes, I think there is somewhere on this board procedure how to tested the solenoid.

I don't know if relearning procedure will help if vanes are partially stuck.

If it was me, I would keep driving hard for at least two tanks ( if you don't have issues driving with codes)
with some good fuel and fuel additives plus some two stroke ash-less oil.

If this doesn't help try clean turbo, can be done but that is me YMMV.
 
#15 ·
I run amsoil diesel additive and amsoil synthetic oil, have had no codes or turbo problems in 341,000 miles.
 
#18 ·
Just a small update. Still putting miles on the truck and the code is still coming back. Got EFI Live hooked up so I took some logs. It looks like the overall variance between the actual & requested vane position is normally very close however there are some cases where the variance is quite different.

I'm going to continue putting miles on the truck and see how it goes.
 

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#19 ·
Chris, thanks for sharing logs, I need to get one /EFI LIVE / for myself one of these days. This is great tool to have.

I'm not a expert but your logs looks good to me , expect like you said on the beginning of the log, looks like actual position of the vanes stays in 65%.
At one point probably WOT gear up-shift you got 100% vanes open.

Did you took the log when the engine was cold at the beginning?
Does the horizontal line represents time in seconds or other value?
 
#20 ·
No problem on sharing the logs. Figured it helps to elaborate what my truck is doing.

The truck was warmed up for about 20 minutes. Warmed the truck up for a bit before logging. I could have warmed it up for longer though truth be told. And the horizontal line is just the frame # so it just gives start to finish.

I took another log. This time, I let the truck get good and warm. I took a trip and started logging towards the end of the trip so the truck was warmed up for sure this time. 80 miles and about an hour of driving time. That said, the variance overall is looking pretty low between the desired and actual vane position except for in specific spikes as shown.

All graphs are shown over RPM this time instead of time. Also, you'll note in the data log that the EGR is never opening. That's on purpose. I disabled it using EFI Live (that's the only change I've done to the stock tune). It's not blocked off but it is software disabled.

I'm going to continue to put miles on it and then I'm thinking that it may make sense for me to find someone to hook the truck up to a Tech II to do the re-learn on the truck.

Thoughts?
 

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#24 · (Edited)
If you look at "desired" and "actual" they are offset from each other but otherwise map (or follow) each other perfectly (in post #20). I wouldn't instantly assume the log is reporting exactly what is happening. There may be something wrong with the DAQ or software issues.
 
#25 ·
Checked the truck with a Tech II and it looks like the vanes work as expected from 0% to 70% then they stop responding.

So I'm going to try to see if I can break things loose by running the truck a bit more and perhaps crack open the vane actuator piston again and give it some love.

If all else fails I guess I'm looking at pulling the turbo. Stinks.
 
#30 ·
I would at least make sure that oil lines are not obstructive and clean if you don't change them.

They are the "live-lines" of the turbocharger.
 
#31 ·
Yes, I'm aware. However a blocked oil line would demolish a turbo so the truck would gernade the turbo with a quickness if that was the case so I'm not terribly concerned that the lines are blocked. Plus during the first prime of the turbo, lack of oil pressure would be apparent before I start the truck.
 
#32 ·
Just closing out this thread since I have come to a resolution. Figured it would help others later with searching.

Replaced the turbo and now the codes are gone and the requested vs actual vane position matches up as expected.
 
#33 ·
Pics of the stock turbo. You can see the carbon build up around the vanes. It's actually causing them to stick when I attempt to move them by hand.

Excuse the oil. I sprayed the holy heck out of the turbo with penetrating oil before attempting to open it up to save time and aggravation.
 

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#34 · (Edited)
Thanks for update and sharing pics.

Hard to tell from pics. but inside the turbo doesn't look so bad.

I see you decided to keep old turbo and probably clean up, and keep on shelve for future.

Can you tell how much and where did you get new one?
 
#35 ·
Thanks for update and sharing pics.
No problem.

Hard to tell from pics. but inside the turbo doesn't look so bad.

I see you decided to keep old turbo and probably clean up, and keep on shelve for future.
Inside of the turbo is actually really good. zero shaft play, no burrs or signs of contact, no cracks, etc. Turbo has 123,193 miles on it and it looks a heck of a lot better than I was expecting. I'm going to keep it as a spare in fact since it still looks great inside after I clean it up.

Can you tell how much and where did you get new one?
Got a new turbo from Mark at Danville. This one to be exact, Garrett Power Max Stage 2 GT3794va BatMoWheel - Danville Performance. $1,850 + s/h. Not stock but not over the top either. And still cheaper than what the dealership wanted for one (to be fair a stock LBZ turbo can be found cheaper especially if you don't mind sending in a core).

Mark was great btw. I'm really glad I went to him and he will get my business next time around when I need more fun things for the truck.
 
#37 ·
Truck feels great now. Biggest improvement I've felt so far is at low speeds and when it's cold. I think that was when it was sticking the most so it felt like the truck was choking. And no check engine light staring me in the face so that's great.
 
#38 ·
Did you do the install of the new Turbo yourself, and is there a re-learn process for the new one? Also, do you know any of the Specs on that specific model of Turbo from Danville?

I have the P003A code now as well, have a vane sensor on its way but sounds like I could be headed toward a new turbo also.Thanks for the great info in this thread!
 
#39 ·
Did you do the install of the new Turbo yourself, and is there a re-learn process for the new one? Also, do you know any of the Specs on that specific model of Turbo from Danville?
Shop installed the turbo for me. I'm neck deep in my track car and didn't have the garage space at the time :-(.

They ran a re-learn on it using the Tech II however I have read on this forum that other guys have done it without doing the re-learn and it worked just fine. According to the forum, the vane sensor uses a base map if the re-learn doesn't happen.

Here's the size of the turbo:
* Compressor - 64mm inducer / 94mm exducer
* Turbine - 68mm inducer

I have the P003A code now as well, have a vane sensor on its way but sounds like I could be headed toward a new turbo also.Thanks for the great info in this thread!
If you were local, you could try out my spare vane sensor just to try it but I see you are from Canada :-(.
 

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#40 ·
GetBoosted,
Thanks for the documentation, this is very helpful. Like many others I'm looking at the same scenario. When I find a suitable shop out here in Eugene/Springfield, Oregon I'll be putting in a new Garrett stage 1 turbo. How much louder is your truck with the new Garrett?
 
#41 ·
No problem. Hope it helps others out.

The truck is pretty loud now. But to be fair, at the same time I went to a 4" MBRP exhaust and a 3" MBRP downpipe too so with the windows down, it's loud. With the windows up, it's barely louder than stock.
 
#42 ·
Thanks GB, what a great effort on your part and benefit for me.

I've gotten this code and also p2563 a few times over the last year. The first time right after an oil change. I over filled it but decided to let it ride. About a week later I got the code. I don't know if that was the cause but someone on a forum suggested that the extra oil on the cylinder walls/rings which occurs as a result of overfilling can cause significantly higher oil losses to the combustion side and therefore deposits on the vane components which are difficult to remove if not permanent. I thought it made sense and just wanted pass that along after reading your posts and the replies.

Anyway, thanks again. People like you are what make the internet great.
 
#43 ·
Not a problem. Glad this helped others. For what it's worth I was able to clean up the old turbo to get it so the vanes function as they should again so if someone is running into this problem they don't need to replace the turbo.

I'm still glad I replaced the turbo because the Powermax is awesome but just throwing that out there since you can save a bit of coin if you are in the same boat I was and you pull the turbo off and clean out the crud from the turbo.
 
#44 ·
. . . the Powermax is awesome but just throwing that out there since you can save a bit of coin if you are in the same boat I was and you pull the turbo off and clean out the crud from the turbo.
Isn't "Powermax" Garrett's generic term for a series of turbos? I know you added the Batmowheel but other than that; is your new turbo OEM stock? If not how does it differ from stock OEM?
 
#46 ·
Oh!. . . that is quite interesting. I didn't know you could make such big dimensional changes and still fit it into the stock housing. That is something I am very interested in. Yeah, even though the dimensions might be a little off, thanks for sharing the information. I didn't think there was room for turbine changes. Its worth talking to Danville.
 
#47 ·
That's quite common to find turbos with the same or very similar housings having different internals. I believe the GT4094va uses the same housing as well... just depends on how they design the cartridge. Another example of this would be a GT28 type turbos for gas engines. You can get a GT2860RS or GT2871R and its the same externally. Or GT30... tons of options there too.

Anyway, I spoke with Mark at Danville and he was very helpful. Really glad I went with those guys.
 
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