Car Turbo

Turbocharger increases the power of the engine piston. Due to the turbocharger, the amount of air-fuel mixture entering the engine increases. Turbocharger is widely used in diesel engines, although its use in gasoline engines lets to achieve higher capacity. Exhaust flow drives the turbine, the turbine drives the turbocharger. So, we speak about the turbocharger operating on exhaust.

Turbochargers increase the capacity. But today this is no more an important reason to use this part. The main goal is to reduce fuel consumption and emissions and to preserve the capacity. This is one of the reasons of using turbocharger in vehicles with gasoline engines. Faulty turbocharger results in capacity reduction. Also this can increase fuel consumption. Sometimes there is only a temporary capacity reduction. In this case it is necessary to diagnose the vehicle in the service centre.

It is not easy to diagnose a faulty turbocharger. In modern cars trouble-shooting is performed with the help of special instruments. Minor failures can be easily repaired. A complete turbocharger replacement is required in case of a serious damage. If there is a failure, it is necessary to drive to the service centre. If you search shock absorber, oil dipstick, heat exchanger, water pump, wiper motor, window screen wiper or any other spare parts, you will find them in our internet shop. There is a wide assortment of spare parts for different car models in our online store of car parts.

How to detect turbocharger malfunction

First of all remove the connecting pipes and check, whether there are lubricant traces on them. After that inspect the blades of the turbocharger wheel to make sure that they aren't damaged. To reveal the breakage of the component, move the shaft at first in axial, and then in the radial direction. In the first case the maximum permissible level of displacement  is 0.05 mm. When the shaft is moved up and down, it shouldn't touch the blades. Inspecting the part, make sure that the body is intact, and there are no cracks on it. For more detailed check apply to a service station as a specialized stand  will be required for this.

You can notice that the turbocharger requires diagnostics by the following signs:

• the component noises excessively;
• the engine power decreased;
• the consumption of fuel and lubricant is increased;
• lack of torque;
• the car stalls when accelerating;
• exhaust gases are of blue or black colour;
• the electric equipment is out of order.

Causes of turbocharger malfunctions

Faultless operation of the turbocharger is possible only in the conditions when all elements of the engine, exhaust and the fuel systems are operable. Otherwise, the component may break down prematurely. If operational conditions are observed, average lifetime of the turbochargers is designed for 150000 operational kilometers for gasoline and 250000 – for the diesel power units.

One of the most widespread malfunctions of the turbocharger is mechanical damages of the impeller blades. Usually they are caused by foreign objects getting into intake or exhaust line. There may be debris of spark plugs, engine pistons, valves, air filters, torn off fragments of seals, nuts, bolts and other elements, negligently left in the intake manifold, for example during repair. The impeller blades can break down as a result of rotating shaft skewing caused by wear or destruction of the bearings .

Also lack of oil in the system is dangerous for the turbocharger elements. Usually it is caused by failure to timely refill the engine pan with it, depressurization or clogging of the oil-supply hose, long-term non-use of the vehicle, and also by incorrect engine start in cold weather. Usage of soiled or poor-quality oil increases abrasive wear of the turbocharger components, clogging its channels by cocking products.

The soiled elements of the intake system, including air filters, usage of low-quality fuel, loose connection of the connecting pipes, installation of non-conforming components mostly become a cause for turbocharger overheating. This may lead to destruction of the rotor and the shaft, as well as bearings corrosion.

Replacement of the turbocharger

If the component can not be repaired it should be replaced. To do it, follow the next recommendations:

1. Replace the air and oil filters and the motor oil.
2. Dismantle all the blind caps from the new component which is to be installed in the place of the previous one.
3. Clean all the pipelines connected to the turbocharger.
4. Use new gaskets of high quality.
5. Follow all the recommendations and requirements stated in the technical documentation.

After the new turbocharger is installed, start the engine and check tightness of joints. We remind you that the engine should operate on idle during the first 2-5 minutes.