Have you been experiencing odd car issues? You might not know it, but your vehicle could have a turbocharger that’s causing the problems you’ve been noticing.
Like any component of your vehicle’s engine, your turbocharger is also susceptible to failing. It’s a component that forces air into the combustion chamber, giving your vehicle more power when you press on the gas pedal.
But, sometimes, it can have some trouble. Check out the common signs of turbocharger failure you should know.
Poor Sustained Acceleration
Have you noticed reduced power in your vehicle lately? Turbochargers, or turbos, play a role in your car’s acceleration.
Turbo lag is an occurrence that’s inherent to the device and isn’t indicative of a problem. The turbo only needs a few moments to get up to speed. Still, there are ways to get rid of turbo lag if it bothers you.
But if you see a sustained lack of acceleration, there could be something else going on.
Bad Fuel Efficiency
Turbochargers also help improve your car’s fuel economy. How? They reuse exhaust gases for their injection air, saving you gas as you accelerate.
But if you note that you have to go to the gas station to fill up more often, you might have a faulty turbocharger. Usually, this can mean that raw fuel is leaking without the turbo burning it off.
Excessive Exhaust Smoke
Did you know that turbochargers also help reduce the amount of exhaust smoke your vehicle produces? They do! If your car spits out an excessive amount of smoke, this can be a symptom of an ailing turbo. More specifically, you could have a cracked turbocharger housing, causing oil to drip into your exhaust system.
Colored Smoke
The color of smoke coming from your exhaust can help you diagnose the problem. Blue smoke is indicative of oil leaking into the exhaust. But if you see black smoke, that’s more likely a result of a clogged air filter or a faulty fuel injector. Your turbocharger depends on the air filters and fuel injectors to provide that extra air, making this an urgent issue.
For either reason, you’ll want to visit your mechanic sooner rather than later. In fact, you don’t want to ignore any of these common signs of turbocharger failure that you should know. The sooner you resolve the problem, the less extensive the repairs will be.
