Six Signs That A Boost Leak Is a Problem (and How to Find it Easy)

Does your vehicle feel slower than usual? Is there a flashing check engine light on the dashboard? There is a high chance that your car has a boost leak.

Many strange symptoms can be caused by a boost leak. These symptoms are important to look at in order to determine if there is a leak. So what exactly is a booster leak and what are some of the symptoms that can be seen? Let’s take a quick look at the signs:

Boost Leak Symptoms

Loss of power, check engine lights on the dashboard and loss of torque are two of the most obvious signs of a boost-leak. Signs such as a slow turbo spool or poor fuel economy and the emission of black smoke from your exhaust pipes during acceleration are also signs that you may have a boost leak.

Although these are not all of them, they can be helpful to have a glance. Below is a list that explains the most obvious symptoms of a leaky boost.

1. Slow turbo spool

A turbo increases the amount of fuel and air in a piston, which results in increased horsepower and performance. However, before the turbo ‘kicks in,’ it’s turbine needs to spin very fast. The turbo is not responsible for boosting your car until that occurs.

This is often referred to as the Turbo Lag. turbo spools Send fuel and air into the cylinder. This could indicate a boost leak. It is very simple: a boost leak can cause a slower turbo to refill its boost pipes.

2. The loss of power

The turbo pumps more pressure to the boost pipes while you accelerate, which gives the car more power. It will take more time to fill the pipes with pressure if there are boost leaks. The pressure will also be lower than normal.

It can lead to a dramatic loss of engine power. You may lose your entire turbo pressure if the leak is large.

3. Verify Engine Light

The car's sensors are all monitored by the checkengine light. This includes the boost pressure sensor.

If there is anything wrong with the turbo boost pressure, which will be wrong if you have a boost leak – it will light up the check engine light.

You should check your OBD2 scanner if there is a check engine warning light.

4. The Exhaust produces Black Smoke

The MAF sensor is used to measure the volume of the air coming into the engine. The MAF sensor will measure the amount of air that is lost if there are any leaks in the pipes connecting to the engine.

The result is a poor mixture, and in many cases, an excessively rich one. Black smoke will come from your exhaust pipe if the mixture is too rich. Black smoke is a sign that your boost has leaked.

5. Poor Fuel Economy

Same applies for fuel consumption concerning the boost leakage and measurement of MAF sensor.

This might not be distinguishable very easily, but if you keep an eye on your car’s average fuel consumption, you will catch a boost leak easily.

A problem is when your vehicle consumes more fuel that it should. In such cases, a boost leak test may be useful.

6. Poor Idling

Only if your car has a mass airflow sensor, MAS/MAF. MAF is a sensor that measures how much air leaves the turbo and enters the engine.

Your car might have trouble idling if there's a large boost leak. Leakage can cause the car to stop or stall.

This is not a common problem with idle problems caused by a boost tube leak. However, it's more likely if the leak is located behind the throttle body.

What's a boost leak?

A boost leak refers to an air leak that occurs in the intake pathway just before the engine's cylinders. It is basically a loose clamp or damaged hose that cannot handle the turbo boost’s pressure.

Ignoring a boost leak will eventually reduce your turbo’s life and in turn the car engine’s life.

However, the ECU calculates fuel-to-air ratio; however, air can leak along the route and the ratio may be incorrectly calculated.

This is because diesel engines can tolerate a higher fuel-to-air ratio. But petrol engines can be sensitive. Therefore a boost leak inspection is necessary for your car’s optimal performance.

How do you find a boost leak?

There are two options: either go the difficult or easy route to finding the leak.

An EVAP smoke machine is a great way to quickly find a leak. It is easy to find boost leaks with this device.

Smoke is used to pressurize the boost pipes. If there's smoke coming from the engine bay it could be a boost leak.

A small workshop is worth the investment. Here are my top EVAP smoking machines recommendations: Top EVAP Smoking Machines.

It is difficult to spot a boost leak visually. Make sure to inspect all of the boost pipes, hoses and connections.

If you own an air compressor, you can pressurize your engine boost pipes using compressed air. Be very careful, though – because engines run very well on pressurized air!! Ensure the wheels are in the air so it won’t start going forward because of the pressurized air and be very careful with the pressure.

Boost Leak FAQs