11 Tips to Teach You the Correct Use and Maintenance of Turbochargers

by MOU YONG HONG on December 01, 2021

The turbocharger uses the exhaust gas discharged from the engine to drive the turbine. No matter how advanced it is, it is still a set of mechanical devices. Because it often works at high speed and high temperature, the temperature of the exhaust gas turbine end of the turbocharger is above 600 degrees, and the speed of the turbocharger is also very high, so in order to ensure the normal operation of the turbocharger, its correct use and maintenance are very important. Mainly we have to follow the following methods:

1. After starting the car engine, do not step on the accelerator pedal quickly and run it at idle speed for three minutes first. This is to increase the oil temperature and improve the flow performance so that the turbocharger can be fully lubricated, and then the engine speed can be increased. Start driving, this is particularly important in winter, at least need to warm up the car for more than 5 minutes.

2. After the engine has been running at high speed for a long time, it cannot be turned off immediately. The reason is that when the engine is working, a part of the oil is supplied to the turbocharger rotor bearing for lubrication and cooling. After the running engine suddenly stops, the oil pressure drops to zero rapidly, the oil lubrication will be interrupted, and the heat inside the turbocharger will also It cannot be taken away by the oil. At this time, the high temperature of the turbo part of the turbocharger will be transferred to the middle, the heat in the bearing support shell cannot be taken away quickly, and the turbocharger rotor is still rotating at a high speed under the action of inertia. This will cause "seizure" between the turbocharger shaft and the sleeve and damage the bearing and shaft. In addition, after the engine is suddenly turned off, the temperature of the exhaust manifold is very high at this time, and its heat will be absorbed into the turbocharger housing, and the oil staying in the turbocharger will become carbon deposits. When this kind of coke accumulates more and more, it will block the oil inlet, causing the shaft sleeve to be short of oil, and accelerate the wear between the turbine shaft and the shaft sleeve. Therefore, the engine should be idling for about three minutes before stalling to reduce the turbocharger rotor speed. In addition, it is worth noting that turbocharged engines are also not suitable for long-term idling, and should generally be kept within 10 minutes.

3. Be careful when choosing engine oil. Due to the function of the turbocharger, the quality and volume of the air entering the combustion chamber are greatly improved, the engine structure is more compact and reasonable, and the higher compression ratio makes the engine work more intense. The machining precision is also higher, and the assembly technology requirements are stricter. All of these determine the high temperature, high speed, high power, high torque, and low emission characteristics of the turbocharged engine. At the same time, it also determines the working conditions for the internal parts of the engine to withstand higher temperatures and greater impact, extrusion, and shear forces. Therefore, when selecting a turbocharged car oil, it is necessary to consider its particularity. The oil used must have good abrasion resistance, high-temperature resistance, establish a lubricating oil module, and have high oil film strength and good stability. Synthetic or semi-synthetic engine oil can meet this requirement. Therefore, in addition to the original factory-specified engine oil, high-quality lubricants such as synthetic engine oil and semi-synthetic engine oil can also be used.

4. The engine oil and filter must be kept clean to prevent impurities from entering because the matching clearance between the turbocharger shaft and the shaft sleeve is very small. If the oil lubrication ability decreases, the turbocharger will be prematurely scrapped.

5. The air filter needs to be cleaned on time to prevent dust and other impurities from entering the high-speed rotating compressor impeller, resulting in unstable speed or aggravated wear of the shaft sleeve and seal.

6. It is necessary to frequently check whether the seal ring of the turbocharger is sealed. Because the seal ring is not sealed, the exhaust gas will enter the engine lubrication system through the seal ring, which will dirty the oil and rapidly increase the pressure of the crankcase. In addition, when the engine is running at low speed, the oil will also be discharged from the exhaust pipe through the seal ring or It enters the combustion chamber and burns, resulting in excessive consumption of oil, resulting in "burning oil".

7. The turbocharger should be checked frequently for abnormal noise or unusual vibration, and whether there is any leakage in the lubricating oil pipe and joint.

8. The turbocharger rotor bearing has high precision, and the working environment requirements for maintenance and installation are very strict. Therefore, when the turbocharger fails or is damaged, you should go to the designated repair station for repairs, rather than to the ordinary repair shop.

9. To keep the air filter clean, compared with ordinary engines, turbocharged engines have higher requirements for cleanliness. Because if impurities enter the compressor impeller, it will cause unstable speed or aggravate the wear of the shaft sleeve and seal.

10. The engine oil is kept clean, and turbocharged engines have relatively high requirements for engine oil, which must be kept clean. In addition, if the engine oil deteriorates, replace it in time. Otherwise, the lubrication capacity of the oil will decrease, which will cause insufficient lubrication of the turbocharger bearings and damage, increase maintenance costs, and even cause premature failure of the turbocharger.

11. The turbocharged engine is not good for leaving the car and turning it off immediately. After the engine is started, it is best to run at idle speed for a while, so that the lubricating oil can fully lubricate the bearings and play a good role in protecting the engine. In addition, after the engine has been running at high speed for a long time, it should be idling for 3-5 minutes and then turned off. Otherwise, the oil retained in the turbocharger will overheat and damage the bearings and shaft.

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