2021 PB Turbo issue?

[Stroodle96]

Hello,
Some context. I have a 2021 Powerboost XLT that I tow a camper with about every weekend. My wife and I are on a 1 year trip around the country in our camper. We average about 3-4hours every weekend towing, 1 weekend we did 12 hours.

The problem:
I have noticed the turbos gets stuck in what we started calling "squeaky squeaky" mode. It's not often and it happens both at the beginning of trips and after hours of towing with no breaks. I have not noticed it when the engine is cold, but it gets up to temp really quickly so that is not to say it wouldn't if the engine was cold long enough.
This has been happening for months and started to notice it more now that we have not been to listening music as much. It's not very loud and even quiet music drowns it out.
I first noticed the problem by looking at the boost gauge and watching it sometimes get stuck fluttering rapidly. I was finally able to have my wife capture it on camera while I was driving and will post that as well.

The fix:
To get it to stop I can accelerate hard or let of the gas for a few moments, then it seems to go away for a while. Sometimes it happens 2 or 3 times in a trip sometimes not at all, or I just don't notice it. It seems to happen at least once in a 1.5+hour trip. I double the dealer will be able to reproduce this since the turbo only does it when towing that I have seen.

Has anybody else noticed this? I'm assuming it's not normal. Is this something I should get checked out at a dealer?

Edit: will also add I always tow with the highest grade fuel at the pump. Pretty much every fill up is with 91 or higher. Only once did I tow with 87 because we were in the middle of knowwhere on E and that's all they sold.

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[Stroodle96]

Here is the video. Sorry for the rough recording. You need to turn the volume way to hear the squeaking.

 

[Tosh]

I have never encountered the symptom recorded in your video. I tow ~ 5000 lbs with mine, over mountain passes, and have not experienced this. I'd say it's not normal, but I'm not an expert.

My best guess is the blow-off valve. A dealer may not be able to reproduce it without towing your trailer, but I think your video is pretty useful. Show it to a service manager and see what he/she has to say about it.

 

[Stroodle96]

I have never encountered the symptom recorded in your video. I tow ~ 5000 lbs with mine, over mountain passes, and have not experienced this. I'd say it's not normal, but I'm not an expert.

My best guess is the blow-off valve. A dealer may not be able to reproduce it without towing your trailer, but I think your video is pretty useful. Show it to a service manager and see what he/she has to say about it.

Sounds good, do you think it can wait till the next oil change? Or should I be concerned it could cause worse damage?

 

[PB2021]

Are you certain that is coming from the turbos? I have noticed very slight movement of the turbo boost gauge at times when driving. (Can’t recall if while trailering or otherwise but I’ve seen that) I have never heard a noise like that though.

 

[Stroodle96]

Are you certain that is coming from the turbos? I have noticed very slight movement of the turbo boost gauge at times when driving. (Can’t recall if while trailering or otherwise but I’ve seen that) I have never heard a noise like that though.

I can't be certain because it doesn't happen unless the truck is under load. But the noise and boost gauge rapidly move at the same pace so that's why I am assuming it's the turbos. In the video the movement does looks slight, but that mostly because it's shaky video. It's a significant and very rapid movement of the boost gauge back and forth continuously for several moments. You can see it even out for a second as I accelerated then went back to the squeaky noise.

 

[Tosh]

Sounds good, do you think it can wait till the next oil change? Or should I be concerned it could cause worse damage?

If your next oil change is coming up, like in a few weeks, it can probably wait. If it's months away, then I wouldn't wait.

My previous turbo car (single VGT turbo, no blow-off valve) had a failing control motor for about 1000 miles before I had it repaired, and no detectable damage resulted. However, I didn't tow with that car.

 

[Karytas80]

Share your video with the service advisor and ask him/her to share it with a tech. That's what I did to prove my turbo was bad from the factory and even a tech could hear it not normal when my service advisor kept telling me it was normal hybrid sound. Mine was making more obvious flapping like sounds at ideal and I could smell the gas fume whenever the engine kicks in but no CEL or any lights. Good luck!

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