A turbocharger typically helps a car get better gas mileage because a smaller engine can be used to get the same amount of performance. Expect a turbocharged engine to be about 8% -10% more fuel efficient that the same engine that is not turbo equipped.
Are turbocharged engines more fuel-efficient than naturally aspirated engines? In theory, turbochargers can boost the efficiency of an internal combustion engine by anywhere from 10 to 30 percent.
Modern turbocharged engines typically will get the same amount of milage lifespan as normally aspirated engines, if they are properly maintained. Specifically, oil changes are critical to proper maintenance of a turbocharged engine. Use good quality synthetic motor oil and never stretch the interval.
No. today's turbochargers are designed to last the lifespan of the vehicle. The truth is, boosted engines require the same amount of maintenance and care that a naturally aspirated engine does. Does a turbocharger decrease the life of an engine?
Cons of a turbocharged engine
Affordability: Cars with turbocharged engines are typically more expensive than vehicles with standard engines because may need to use premium gas in your car. Reliability: Turbocharged engines may not be as reliable as standard engines. Engines with more parts have more that can go wrong.
“Generally speaking, turbocharging is a great idea. It's a smaller engine, but you're still getting a decent amount of power,” says Mike Quincy, autos editor at Consumer Reports. “The idea with a smaller engine, especially a four-cylinder, is that you're going to get decent fuel economy without giving up power.
Turbos Reduce the Lifespan of an Engine
One of the most common turbo myths is that running boost will damage your engine over time. Again, it all comes down to design.
Pro: You get more efficiency with turbo engines, saving money in fuel costs. Con: Turbo lag can occur when you try to accelerate quickly, a slight delay in the delivery of power due to the turbine taking time to spin up. Pro: A turbo engine produces higher torque numbers in the lower rev range for faster acceleration.
The turbo itself doesn't save gas, but using the smaller engine does. Turbos are often used together with direct injection. Direct injection shoots computer-controlled squirts of fuel into the combustion chamber inside the engine cylinders. The high pressure and precise control produce more thorough burning.
Is a turbo engine better than a normally aspirated engine? Yes, a turbocharged engine is better than a normal engine in terms of performance and efficiency. A lower capacity turbo engine can produce the same amount of power as a higher capacity NA engine.
Although the car will move with a blown turbo, it would be far more preferable to stop driving it and have the car taken to the garage to have the turbo repaired or a replacement installed. The longer the blown turbo is left without repair, the more damage can be caused to the car's engine.
Turbocharged cars are more likely to break down and are more expensive to repair, according to data from the UK's leading car warranty supplier, Warranty Direct. It found the average incidence rate of turbo failure to be 27.8 per cent – around 2.5 times that of engine failure overall at 11.3 per cent.
Turbos are designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle (or around 150,000 miles); however, it's possible for them to wear out over time depending on how hard you drive the car and the original build quality of the turbo.
A good turbo charged engine will easily beat a bad naturally aspirated engine for reliability. Turbo diesel trucks commonly exceed 250,000 miles before needing a rebuild, and sometimes pass 500,000 miles. That's pretty reliable!
Driven carefully, turbochargers do offer efficiency gains. But that efficiency can quickly disappear if you don't drive with discipline. A turbocharged engine turns into a fuel-hog under hard acceleration, because the large volume of air being pumped into the cylinders must be matched by a larger volume of fuel.
For all turbo petrol engines 95 octane petrol is recommended.
Supercharger or turbocharger
A turbocharger works with the exhaust system and can potentially give you gains of 70-150 horsepower. A supercharger is connected directly to the engine intake and could provide an extra 50-100 horsepower.
Engines equipped with a turbocharger(s) will consume more engine oil than normally aspirated engines (non-turbocharged). The additional oil that is consumed in a turbocharged engine is mainly due to the turbocharger lubrication requirements.
This means a good 3-cylinder engine should last for at least 170-180K miles with good care. The difference is that a smaller 3-cylinder engine has to work harder to accelerate the vehicle compared to a 4-cylinder engine. That's why some V8s, for example, last for over 500,000 miles.
The turbine in the turbocharger usually spins at speeds between 80,000 and 200,000 rotations per minute (rpm) — that's up to 30 times faster than most car engines can go. And since it is hooked up to the exhaust, the turbine also runs at very high temperatures.
Diesel engines operate at a relatively low engine speed compared to gasoline engines which can help to extend the life of the turbocharger, but on the flipside of the coin, the turbo on a diesel engine will produce much higher boost pressure than on a gasoline engine.
The turbocharger doesn't boost the engine all the time. If you're driving moderately, the air drawn in at atmospheric pressure is enough, and the engine operates like it's naturally-aspirated.