DV6TED4 turbo exhaust leak

[xsara92]

Hi
I believe my turbo has a minor leak of exhaust gases which are flowing up through the turbocharger area, if that sounds feasible.
The evidence I have is a repeated blackening of the turbo VGT actuator at the front. I also hear a slight (intermittent) whine when accelerating, but power feels fine.
I can relieve the symptoms by spraying WD40 on the VGT when the engine is cold (an AA mechanic demonstrated this originally). This seems to null the whining noise, for a while. Sometimes I get boost faults and on at least two occasions, the WD40 spraying switched off the MIL light (hence unlikely a complete coincidence).
The engine is 20 years old and still performing really well. 50-55mpg. In 8 months of driving I've covered 13k miles and the MIL has only occasionally come on when using a bit too much power. I do get MIL under one other condition, e.g. in Ireland recently driving up long hills in poor weather. I think this is the air mixer valve, but I'm not so bothered about that as its faulty operation hardly holds the engine back, and it always sorts itself out within a couple of hundred miles (so far).
Engine oil has been changed on schedule.
My question is, for anyone interested in these things - how much is a turbo leak worth worrying about, for an old engine. I invested in the car (new clutch) so I feel somewhat committed for the near future.
Is this something a garage could actually do anything about, for a reasonable charge? I assume turbo would need removing for a start to do any work.
Thanks.
* One more bit of context, my turbo was manufactured in 2016 (so at least one new turbo has been needed since car manufacture in 2005) - I don't know when the installation / replacement was done, unfortunately. AA man claimed that the turbo actuator had not been changed along with the rest of the turbo (seems
** My EGR valve could be faulty, but I don't think I have enough symptoms currently to justify replacement.

[mickthemaverick]

Hopefully one of our DV6 experts will pick this up and give you some thoughts. Good luck

[MattBLancs]

Not an expert but plenty of experience with my wife's 206 with the DV6.

Exhaust leak immediately after the turbo (there's a clamp on turbo outlet, ahead of the route down the front of the engine) - could induce high exhaust back pressure from a DPF that's beginning to block.

Looking at the "live data" in Diagbox would give an indication.

I found being heavy with the throttle (e.g having fun in a little torque rich fairly light 206! Or a long continuous steep hill climb on motorway) could sometimes trigger the Anti Pollution and I think "Unblock Diesel Filter" (which reads as fuel filter but means DPF) to gone on - I think if the car was getting ready for a regen, the extra boost pressure (in heavy throttle use) was enough to convince it if a problem and raise the fault.

There is also on some DPF a large seal around the circumference of the DPF where the catalyst (top piece) and bottom piece (the actual DPF) meet.

It is as a bit sooty around this area when I split the two on the 206

[xsara92]

That's a good point, I'm not sure if I have a DPF on this car..
Car is listed as Euro 4 not Euro 5 so I suspected I didn't have one. However, my garage did claim that they had repaired a loose bracket for the DPF! Would not have expected them to misidentify a part. However perhaps they meant the catalytic converter only.
Perhaps I should upload my VIN.

[xsara92]

Were DPFs fitted on some older cars but in the end did not meet the higher Euro 5 standard?

[MattBLancs]

Yes, my wife's 206 is DPF equipped but Euro 4 (according to Parkers)

Think, being 2004, it is ahead of the euro 5 standard coming in to force

[xsara92]

That is interesting because, I've read so much about the issues faced by DPF diesel owners (even more so for the Euro 6 'improvements'.)
I do a fair amount of urban driving but got to say I've yet to get a MIL while urban which might suggest a clogged DPF (would expect this by now?)
I really do need to get a diag box when I have a bit more cash

[MattBLancs]

A couple of photos:

How sooty the 206 dpf was,

The two sensing pipes (unfortunately blurred) in the background - these only present if you have a DPF

[MattBLancs]

Marked up image

[xsara92]

Thanks for uploading the pics Matt.
Here's my turbo.

Don't think I have the pipes so I guess its non-DPF? But not sure 100%.

[MattBLancs]

Don't think I have the pipes so I guess its non-DPF? But not sure 100%.

I don't think so from that picture, but could be hiding well - if your camera was maybe 25-50 towards the back of the car looking straight down the front is be sure.

However another question that night give confirmation:
Have you removed the big heat shield (that covers turbo and all down that front section) ?
As if you have, then you would have to have unscrewed the DPF connection to get the heat shield out the way - I'm 99% sure the pipes reach through the heat shield itself