I have a 2002 TD5 Disco 2 and would like to attempt some repairs myself. How difficult is it to service the turbo unit? It's been lagging like hell lately and leaving me in some embarrassing situations when needing a quick exit from a junction etc. the car has just had a service so I'm assuming it must be the turbo. Any advise much appreciated.

I have the same year and had similar problems recently. I cleaned the MAF and MAP and sensors and seemed to do the trick. Takes a couple minutes, so maybe try that and see if you notice a difference.

Also make sure you are getting power to the MAF sensor as broken feed wire is a common problem. It made pickup much better after I ran a new wire to mine.

Servicing the turbo is fairly straight forward. Non vnt turbos dont tend to suffer like the vnt mechs do.

The cartridge or CDHA (the centre of the turbo with the bearings and oil feed etc) comes away from the hot and cold side by undoing the bolts around the 2 edges.
Best to make sure you take note of the orientation on the cold side etc so it all lines up again nicely.

You want to be checking the compressor wheel and exhaust wheel for pitting and/or wear to the leading edges of the turbine fins.

Check for play in the bearings, anything more than a slight up and down felt is a sign of a worn bearing. Any side to side movement is sign of a new turbo or imminent failure.

Check the waste gate to make sure it seats correctly, and moves freely.

Check the actuator to make sure it moves freely. If it appears to not hold pressure (using a pump or syringe) or you suspect it does not have free movement then it will need replacing.

If all looks ok but the turbo itself is coked up, oily etc. A good clean with an old tooth brush and white spirit on the compressor housing wont go a miss.

Its not as scary as it looks!

Much appreciated gentlemen, many many thanks.

If your unsure then get some pics up on here and we can see if its worn or not.

Before you do anything else, give your MAP a thorough clean - I use aerosol brake and clutch cleaner.

The MAP or Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor is situated on the inlet manifold and held in place by 2 x 8mm (from memory) bolts.

Remove the bolts, unclip the electrical connector and remove the sensor away from the car for cleaning. Use an aerosol cleaner but DO NOT poke anything down the tubes of the sensor, unless you are bustin' to buy a new one?

Once cleaned and dry, replace in car and go for a test drive.

Good luck

Dave