MajorCommonEngine

Toyota Chaser: 1JZ-GTE turbo seal wear and blue oil smoke on the boosted 2.5

1JZ-GTE turbo seal wear and blue oil smoke on the boosted 2.5 is a common engine fault on the Toyota Chaser on the 1996–2001 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $900 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 7 documented faults on the Toyota Chaser.

Vehicle: Toyota Chaser
Engine: 1JZ-GTE
Years: 1996–2001
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Chaser as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Chaser faults7 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Turbocharger yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

On the single-turbo VVT-i 1JZ-GTE Tourer V the CT15B turbocharger's oil seals harden and wear with age, and many NZ imports have been hard-driven or over-boosted, accelerating the damage. Oil is drawn past the worn seals into the intake, showing as blue smoke on deceleration or when the throttle is reopened, with oil film building in the intercooler piping. Aged valve stem seals on both the GE and GTE add blue smoke on cold start-up.

What you would notice

Blue/grey smoke on deceleration or when getting back on the throttle
Puff of blue smoke on cold start-up
Oil film or wet residue inside the intercooler and boost pipes
Rising engine oil consumption between services
Whistling, chuffing or shaft play from the turbo

How to check it

Where to look. CT15B turbocharger on the exhaust side of the 1JZ-GTE; intercooler piping across the front

Warm the engine and watch the exhaust on a trailing throttle and on hard re-application for blue smoke. Pop the intercooler-to-throttle piping and feel for wet oil pooling. With the engine off, check the turbo shaft for excessive in-and-out or up-and-down play by hand. Inspect the oil for level and condition and ask about boost levels if the car has aftermarket engine management.

Parts involved: Turbocharger.

What it costs to put right

$900 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Is the turbo standard, and what boost pressure does it run?”
“Does it smoke on start-up or when you lift off the throttle?”
“How much oil does it use between changes?”
“Has the turbo ever been rebuilt or replaced, and when?”

Now check the Toyota Chaser you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Toyota Chaser buyer questions

Is 1jz-gte turbo seal wear and blue oil smoke on the boosted 2.5 serious on a Toyota Chaser?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Chaser. On the single-turbo VVT-i 1JZ-GTE Tourer V the CT15B turbocharger's oil seals harden and wear with age, and many NZ imports have been hard-driven or over-boosted, accelerating the damage. Oil is drawn past the worn seals into the intake, showing as blue smoke on deceleration or when the throttle is reopened, with oil film building in the intercooler piping. Aged valve stem seals on both the GE and GTE add blue smoke on cold start-up.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Chaser?

$900 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Chaser years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1996–2001 Toyota Chaser. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.