1989 Dodge Shadow I think the turbo is dying, but not sure

I need you to check for the engine codes that are stored in the computer. THe codes will be 2 digit numbers. DO NOT START THE ENGINE:

cycle the key from the of to on position three times. THe third time, leave it in the run position. THe check engine light will begin to flash. Count the flashes. Remember, the codes are two digit numbers, so count the flashes, there will be a short pause, then it will start again. After you get the two digit number, there will be a longer pause and it will move on through all the codes. When you hit #55, that means it's done.

Let me know what you find. How many miles are you putting on the car in the two weeks? Are there any strange sounds coming from the engine? Finally, it's not a lost cause. Most of the turbos did leak.

Have you checked the CV joints?

First, I'm glad to help. I enjoy helping good people. Now for the code 12:

"Â 12 Battery or computer recently disconnected (will occur on most cars most of the time, it indicates a low / missing battery happened in the last 50 key starts. Don't worry about it

As far as the noise, a CV joint will make a clicking sound when you turn if it is bad. Also, if the boot is ripped on one side, it may be hitting something as you turn. Also keep in mind, there is a plastic belt shield on the passanger side behind the tire. It was very common for them to come loose and rub the tire. Check that too.

Now, the code 15 has me concerned. THere is a speed / distance sensor that is very easy to replace that will cause the problem you described. Have you done anything with that? Here are the directions to replace it:

Park on a flat and level surface. On a TBI car, pull the air intake hose off the airbox and move it out of the way. Then reach down behind and under the airbox, following the wires that go down that way. In the end of the transaxle just behind the bellhousing, you'll find the speed sensor at the end of the wire. (This is easier to do than describe.) Disconnect the connector by pulling the tab out from the connector body and pull the connector out. Feel around the connector for the bolt. This is a 10mm bolt. Remove the bolt, then gently pull up and/or twist the speed sensor and it will pop out. If the transaxle is not overfull and you parked on a flat surface, no transmission fluid will leak out. The speedometer pinion will be snapped onto the end of the sensor. Remove it and reattach it to the new sensor. Then reinstall the sensor, twisting as necessary to mesh the speedometer pinion with the drive gear. Put the bolt in and tighten (doesn't have to be really tight), reconnect the wire, put the air hose back in place and go wash up.
If you're slow and it is the first time, it will take a half-hour. I can do this in less than 10 minutes, having done several now.
You can test the sensor with an ohmmeter before getting a new one. Remove the sensor as mentioned above and connect the ohmmeter to the two terminals on the sensor. Rotate it. You should get 8 pulses of zero resistance, and infinite resistance in between. Anything else, and the sensor is bad. You may want to check this, and look for chafed wires, etc. Before replacing it to be sure of the cause of the code 15. I suspect the most common reason for the sensor to go bad results from the wireing coming out of the sensor, fraying and breaking. Depending on how the main harness is routed, the wire has to make a very sharp 90 degree bend right at the sensor. The junkyards are full of sensors with broken wires, but good ones can be found. This also saves you money and lets you experiment with pulling the sensors on a car you don't care about.

Let me know what you find. If everything is good here, then we need to check engine compression and reconsider the turbo. Also, make sure the crank sensor is clean.

Joe