Turbo/Supercharger Service and Repair
Does your car have a turbo or a supercharger? Don’t know? Let our experts at All Auto help you! In years past, a vehicle with a turbo was most likely a sports car or a diesel truck but times have changed in the auto industry. Today many vehicles are equipped with turbo chargers and most consumers are unaware of what that could mean for the performance of your engine.
What is a turbocharger/supercharger?
A turbocharger, or colloquially turbo, is a turbine-driven forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine efficiency and power output by forcing extra air into the combustion chamber. This “extra” air is sourced from the engine exhaust on the way out to the tailpipe.
Today turbochargers are found on all types of automobiles. From the family sedan, to a powerful diesel one-ton pickup truck, turbochargers make it possible to get more power out of an engine without adding size to that engine. With smaller engines, there is usually an increase in fuel efficiency, but a decrease in power. Adding a turbo to a smaller engine creates more power when needed, but also allows for more efficient fuel consumption due to the smaller capacity of fuel. For example, many Ford F-150 pickup trucks now utilize a 3.5 liter V-6 engine with a twin turbocharger. This produces more horsepower and towing power than the old F-150 with a 5.0 liter V-8 but does not sacrifice in fuel efficiency!
The point is many vehicles on the road today have turbochargers installed either by the factory, or as an addition to an existing motor. In the past, turbochargers we often only found on high end sports cars and muscle car enthusiasts that wanted to add a few more horsepower to their engines, but today turbos are present in many cars. When you have a turbo charger on your vehicle, you may experience problems in the following areas:
• Damaged blade caused by contamination from dirt or other particles entering the turbine or compressor housing.
• Low power or boost caused by a gas leak or blocked cooler restricting air injection.
• Whistling caused by an air or gas leak.
• Sluggish or seized turbocharger resulting from oil breakdown and degradation.
Don’t let a turbo charger problem become the reason for bigger problems for other parts of your engine! How do you know you have an issue? These are some of the symptoms you may have when you have a turbocharger issue:
• Acceleration issues. Since prime power is one of the turbocharger’s primary functions, keep a keen eye on your gas pedal
• Check for burning oil. Another sign of turbocharger failure is burning oil
• Irregular or excessive exhaust smoke
• Check engine light
• Shrieking Noise
Turbochargers have come a long way since the old days of unreliability, and today they are very sturdy, useful, and efficient. But, like any moving part, they are prone to have a failure of some type eventually. If you experience any of the symptoms above make sure you have one of the technicians at All Auto diagnose your vehicle to make sure your turbo is working properly! If we find any issues, we will thoroughly explain your potential issues and come up with an affordable and timely solution to get your vehicle running smoothly once again!
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