AUTONEWS

Are turbos engines durable and reliable?

Smaller displacement turbocharged engines can return excellent fuel economy if driven carefully, but are still capable of producing lots of power on paper. For this reason, automakers have begun to use them in order to meet these increasingly strict emissions standards and deliver customers the same levels of engine power as before or sometimes even higher.In this post, we are going to briefly describe to you how to turbocharged engine works and answer common questions consumers have with regards to turbocharged (sometimes called forced induction) engines. Turbo engines can be found in all types of vehicles these days, including trucks and SUVs, so we're hoping this post will arm you with the knowledge you'll need when you go shopping for a new or used modern vehicle.There is one small issue with this process: air gets hot as you compress it and heat robs your engine of power. The compressed air must be cooled before it enters your intake manifold, then. To remedy this, the compressed air will pass through a heat exchanger, sometimes called an intercooler, on its way to the intake manifold. An 'air-to-air' intercooler will cool the hot compressed air using the flow of the outside air as you drive along. There's also a 'water-to-water' intercooler, which uses cold water to cool the compressed air.

Pros and Cons of a Turbocharged Engine
Because a turbocharger enables a small engine to produce more power, manufacturers can downsize their engine displacement. A smaller engine is typically a bit better on gas than a larger one, which contributes towards some fuel savings. Turbocharged engines also use the engine's hot, expelled air to spin to compressor wheel and draw in outside air, reducing the amount of waste produced. For these reasons, a turbocharged engine can be more efficient than a naturally aspirated one when driven carefully.A turbocharged engine's efficiency can quickly fall off if you begin to drive aggressively, however. In order for an engine to operate properly and not break down, it must achieve the proper air-fuel mixture ratio in the combustion chamber. A turbo will force more oxygen into the engine, especially under heavy throttle, so the engine will also burn more fuel in such a scenario.Turbochargers also increase the atmospheric pressure in your engine. When dealing with high engine pressure, you run the risk of experiencing 'pre-ignition' - which is when raw fuel ignites before the spark plugs can ignite it. Accelerate hard with a turbocharged car and the engine pressures will spike immensely, increasing the chances of pre-ignition. Modern engines come with a knock sensor and software that help prevent pre-ignition by detecting it and spraying additional fuel into the chamber, contributing to further reduction in fuel economy.
For this reason, many modern-day turbocharged engines will also take premium gas. Higher octane gas has a higher resistance to pre-ignition, making it well suited for use in small, high-compression turbocharged engines. You can find out which gas is appropriate for your vehicle by checking the owner's manual, but if it's a modern-day turbocharged engine, there's a good chance it takes premium gas.While many modern-day engines are quite reliable, turbocharged engines do come with some additional componentry in the way of the turbocharger itself, the intercooler and all the piping required to deliver the compressed air to the engine. This could make engine repairs or maintenance more expensive when compared to a naturally aspirated engine, but like reliability, this will vary from vehicle-to-vehicle. It's best to research reliability ratings and repairs costs for the turbocharged vehicle you're looking at, these figures vary from model to model. You have no problem with turbocharged car being unreliable, though - the technology has come a long way since the 1980s.
To recap, these are the pros and cons of a turbocharged engine:Pros:More power and torque from a smaller engine-More torque low in the RPM range-Can provide better fuel efficiency when driven very carefully.Cons:Fuel economy can tank when driven aggressively-May require premium fuel-Can raise repairs costs



What is a Supercharged Engine?
Both a turbocharger and a supercharger are meant to achieve the same goal: increase engine power by forcing air into your vehicle's engine.
The turbocharger uses spent exhaust gasses to spin the compressor wheel and deliver compressed air to the engine. A supercharger, however, is attached to your engine's crankshaft by a belt. The belt spins two screw rotors within the supercharger, which compress air and feed it into the engine. The air escapes through a discharge route on the bottom of the supercharger. You can see how this works in the gif below.

We hope this article answered all the questions and concerns you have about turbocharged engines.

How Can I Spot a Turbo Failure?
Because the turbocharger is such a critical component, it may be obvious if yours fails. The first sign of a minor or minor turbo failure will likely be light engine on your vehicle's dashboard.A turbocharger that has failed completely, meanwhile, may make a loud whirring or buzzing noise. You will also experience a loss in power and if your turbocharger is leaking oil, blueish smoke may begin to emanate from your exhaust.Some vehicles are equipped with a 'boost gauge' that tells you how much pressure the turbocharger is producing. If the value displayed on the gauge under throttle is less than it is usually at a given RPM, there may be an issue with your turbocharger.What is a Supercharged Engine?Both a turbocharger and a supercharger are meant to achieve the same goal: increase engine power by forcing air into your vehicle's engine.The turbocharger uses spent exhaust gasses to spin the compressor wheel and deliver compressed air to the engine. A supercharger, however, is attached to your engine's crankshaft by a belt. The belt spins two screw rotors within the supercharger, which compress air and feed it into the engine. The air escapes through a discharge route on the bottom of the supercharger.