Things You Should not Do in a Turbocharged Car

by IndianAuto Team | 21/09/2018
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Most diesel cars are turbocharged, so it is important to take care of your turbocharger to enjoy a smooth ride. Here are things you shouldn’t do in a turbocharged car.

Turbocharged engines are becoming increasingly popular to deal with today’s strict emission norms. A turbocharger is an expensive spinning gadget that induces compressed air in the combustion chamber. It expands the output of the engine, helping car makers to squeeze out more power from smaller engines. Turbochargers are used in all diesel cars and numerous modern petrol autos in India as well as in the world. With a large number of turbocharged vehicles on the street, there are things you should avoid when using a turbocharged car. Here are tips you should bear in mind to protect your turbocharger.

 

1. Driving hard on a cold engine

 

car dashboard front view

Try not to run your car hard immediately after you turn it on

 

A cold engine should not be run hard. In turbocharged engines, the engine oil greases up the engine and protects it from any damage. But your engine needs to warm up to let engine oils spread evenly, and that process takes time. If the engine oil does not reach its ideal temperature, it will not be thin enough to cover all corners of the engine.

If you're driving an auto with a temperature checker, watch out for the engine temperature. In case there is no engine temperature measurement device, drive at a moderate speed and keep the engine RPM minimal to slowly warm up the engine. Most modern autos do not need idling to warm-up, but older models do.

 

2. Turning off the car suddenly

 

car emissions back view

Try not to turn the car off suddenly after driving

 

A turbocharger is operated by the exhaust gases. The hot exhaust gases and the high turning rate of the turbochargers make them amazingly hot after a drive, causing a ton of engine oil to burn and lose its properties. Additionally, when you kill an energetically driven auto abruptly, the remaining exhaust gases inside the charger can gradually erode the turbo and reduce its life expectancy. To guarantee the turbocharger stays greased up and free of the unwanted exhaust fume, you ought to keep the turbocharged vehicle idling for a while or drive it at a lower RPM before shutting it down.

 

3. Lugging the engine

 

a traffic jam in an indian street

Try not to lug your engine by traveling slowly

 

When you drive a car slowly at a higher gear, you are lugging the engine. In a turbocharger, the exhaust gases are used to create a high spinning speed in order to forcefully induce air inside the motor. If the turbocharger does not rotate at a specific RPM, it won't work properly and the engine will create less power. Consequently, the auto cannot get the maximum power that the engine is supposed to create.

In diesel autos, in order to drive slowly in higher gear, the accelerator needs to be pressed continuously to keep the motor alive. This makes the engine running rich with fuel, but this fuel cannot be burnt due to low air in the combustion chamber. In long run, this process will damage the combustion chamber.

 

6. Using cheap fuel

 

 An Indian petrol station angle view

Try not to use cheap fuel

 

For the sake of your turbocharged vehicle, always make sure that you purchase fuel from a well-established petrol station. A turbocharged car can be damaged by spurious or adulterated fuel. Adulterated fuel does not ignite properly and makes engine knock, which might affect the performance of the turbocharger.

 

7. Using full throttle as exiting a corner

 

a car takes a corner

Try not to use full throttle while coming out of a corner

 

The most ideal approach to handle a corner in a turbocharged auto is by regulating the throttle gradually. You should never press the accelerator to the floor while taking a turn on a turbocharged vehicle. All turbocharged vehicles have a postponed reaction because the power output surges as soon as the turbo kicks in totally. This makes many cars understeer or oversteer. In case the front and back slip angle of an auto don't remain equal, it will begin to slide and can go out of control.

Read more tips and guides from IndianAuto:

>>> 5 things that Indian car occupants should not do in a car with airbags

 

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