When I listen to you I feel like I'm in a collage classroom listening to the best professor on the subject. Thank you so much for giving us your valuable time.
You are the “ gold standard “ of RUclips automotive videos. The explanations are very much appreciated. I’m retired from the automotive biz. We drive Toyotas because they will give us the least amount of problems. I would suggest anyone who owns a Lexus or Toyota listen and learn from this man. Thanks for the vids. 👍
So in short: onerous government CAFE regulations have ruined automobile engines and dramatically raised their cost, maintenance and complexity while at the same time reduced their reliability.
This is hands down the best automotive channel on RUclips. I even told my 66 year old father who worked 40 years in the automotive trade about and he loves it!
Yes many RUclips videos reviews don’t go this indebted on vehicles they review. One of the best channels on RUclips. The car care nut could save many from choosing a more problematic issues.
I worked at a nuclear power plant for 23 years. Our 2 standby emergency generator sets were 2 1000 hp Caterpillar V12's coupled tail to tail with generator between (yes, one ran backwards). Each engine had 2 turbos, one for each bank. In our training, we learned that turbo speed and power is a function of unburnt fuel, yes, the fuel is still burning in the exhaust turbine, and turbos run at 80,000 to 200,000 rpms under full load/ engine speed. Our exhaust piping was too long (back pressure) due to building design, and I have seen the cast iron housing literally glowing red hot due to that. It meant down rating the gen sets by several hundred kilowatts. We had to disassemble and inspect each turbo every 3 months, then they had to pass emergency startup testing weekly. These gen sets would go from shutdown to full rpm/ load within 4 seconds. Each engine had 2 air starters at 250 psi air pressure to achieve 4 second load pick time. One time an intercooler leaked cooling water into intake manifold, causing 8 of 12 cylinders to be hydrolocked. That engine did not turn 3 degrees when they did the weekly test. This incident caused full overhaul/inspection of each engine. It was astonishing when I pulled out the precombustion chambers/injectors and saw standing water in the piston tops!
The wise Car Nut said it best, maintenance. I have a 2016 Cummins Ram diesel. I drop the oil plug every 4,000 miles, no exceptions! Ram recommends 10,000 mile intervals, that’s why the dealer shops are full of broken down trucks. I have 211,000 miles on my Ram, zero issues. But I maintain it to a very high level. Nobody does maintenance of any kind anymore. Such a shame not to take care of your vehicle with the new car prices as high as they are.
While I whole heartedly agree with frequent oil changes, comparing a turbo diesel with a turbo gas engine is like apples and oranges. I would prefer a turbo diesel vs a naturally aspirated diesel, but I have no desire to own a turbo gas engine. One of the primary issues I have with the current turbo gas engines, is the requirement to pull the engine to service the turbo, when it fails.
@@rc666lol my uncle never did on his Toyota 22r back in the 1980’s trucks lasted well over 100k!!! Alvin would say oh hell just add a quart of 30 weight!
Owned and ran a number of BMW turbos diesel and petrol for past 25 years. No issues . Tip is to follow gentle warm up throttle on cold start and to allow the engine to idle for one minute on shut down to cool down the engine oil and turbo cooling effect . Great review .
We do just that with our helicopters. Upon returning from a flight, the pilots run the rotor blades at the equivalent of a fast idle for several minutes to circulate cooled lubricants through the engine and transmission.
My 24 GMC Canyon 2.7 has an electric pump that continues coolant flow to turbo after shutoff for this reason. Also motor oil goes from filter straight to turbo first for cleanest oil. GM did a smart thing with the 2.7 High Output motor.
Bottom line, no these new turbo engines are not going to last as long as the previous generation. That's why I purchased a late 5th gen 4runner instead of a new turbo version. Don't ever buy a used turbo vehicle. You have no record of how it was driven or how it was maintained. To make one last longer let it warm up after start before driving, let it cool several minutes before shutdown, keep your foot out of it when driving, perform maintenance at least at half recommended intervals. In other words to make your turbo vehicle last baby the crap out of it.
I truly enjoy your videos. I'm almost 60 and have owned many vehicles which I maintained properly. I've never had a engine failure. Just bought a 2.5L turbo vehicle and look forward to many miles ahead.
Same, one of my regular cars I recently bought is a Ae111 corolla 1997 with a 1.6 4afe engine. One owner car 34,000 miles when I purchased it. I'm confident his will out live any new corolla mechanically with ease.
Why? Turbos aren’t an indicator of unreliability. Toyota has legendarily reliable turbo vehicles going back decades that people even tune! and trust their life to all over the world.
PLEASE create a video on CVTs... driving conditions that shorten their lives, how to drive to lengthen their lives, maintenance. Good CVTs and not so good CVTs. Thank you for all you do for us!!!
The only CVTs worth buying are eCVTs found in some hybrids (Toyota uses them). Unlike your typical belt-driven CVT which lasts maybe 120k miles, eCVTs use planetary gears. In short, they’re far more durable than typical belt-driven CVTs.
I’ve got 382,000 miles on my 2014 Toyota Corolla CVT without any issues. But I change out the fluid every 35,000 miles. Don’t trust their lifetime fluid bullshit.
By far this is the BEST mechanical engineering review of all pros and cons of turbo vs naturally aspirated. Again, I've learned so much more about turbo engines, especially when a turbo doesn't do much during cruising speed. Thank you again for all your hard work, sir!
I've had multiple turbo cars since the 80s models. I've broken some and learned a little for the others. If you drive turbo cars hard, you really need to change the oil every 2500-3500 miles / 6 months. and let it cool down properly. Taking it real easy the last 10% of the way home and letting it idle for a few minutes before turning it off usually achieves this easily. Meanwhile, I can beat up on my N/A vehicles all day and change oil every 5k/ 6 months. I am going to so miss these N/A era cars!
Turbo timers can help with this problem as it keeps the oil circulating from the turbo to prevent it from collecting and burning in the hot side of the turbo overnight as it cools.
The problem is that company downsize their engine and drop a turbo on them. Add a 4000 lbs suv on top and you don't have to be a genius to know that you will get problems with it
Diesel turbos work better than their gas counter parts. They are driven differently. Turbos in a gas truck towing, hope you are going a short distance. Or you are changing your oil after each tow. Watch TFL truck and see them kill trucks with turbos.
Your "cool down" comment about turbos reminds me of a story when I first started with my company 30 years ago. One day I came into work and people were clapping, high-fiving me and smiling all the way to my desk. I was clueless and thought I was being pranked. What actually happened is a manager that treated me (and many others) like dog-pooh for years had his car catch on fire and burn to the pavement at work. They laughed and thought maybe I did it because he treated me the worst of all of us but no.. he treated his turbo car like he treated his underlings. He ran them hard and never let up. Turns out he ran the turbocharged car one too many times hard all the way to work and parked without letting it cool down. It ignited at 7am in the parking lot about 30 minutes after he arrived and about 30 minutes before I arrived. Good times.
@@simonr23 Did you read it? I guess it was not a "benefit" story but more of a cautionary tale of not letting the engine/oil/turbo cool off before turning the ignition off. Be safe.
Thanks for the explanation! I was an automotive tech for GM for 20 years and no longer do it. I watch your videos and love that you explain everything in detail. This is great because I love to stay up with the knowledge of the automotive world. I also never really learned the correct difference between a twin scroll or sequential turbo. Every day with nothing learned is a day wasted. Thank you a million times over for teaching me something new!!
In addition to reducing turbo lag, twin-scroll technology reduces exhaust back pressure. The air-fuel mixture is still burning and expanding as it exits the cylinder. The continued expansion in the exhaust manifold, continuing after the exhaust valve closes, spins the turbo. However, almost immediately after one exhaust valve closes, the next one opens. Because the exhaust manifold is still full of pressurised, burning material, crankshaft power is required to push-out the contents of the second (and all future) cylinder. Twin-scroll turbos use two separate exhaust manifold passages. After the 1st passage's exhaust valve closes, the next opening valve fills the 2nd (empty) passage. By the time the 3rd valve opens into the 1st passage, that passage is empty, with no back pressure. The nozzle from one passage is aimed at the outer portion of the turbine blades for maximum torque while spooling up. The other nozzle aims closer to the axle for sustaining maximum turbine spin. Understanding the ability of small engines to not need turbo boost in steady state driving,, depends on realizing a car needs less than 20 hp to maintain 60mph on a level surface .
This is only true on engines with many cylinders feeding into the turbine though. twin turbo V6's only have 3 cylinders feeding into each turbine so the exhaust pulses are spread out enough that the twin scroll isnt buying you anything. Twin scroll is really only going to be benficial in a 4 or 6 cylinder feeding a single turbo.
Another turbo tip: When ambient temps are low, you must run the engine long enough to heat up the whole engine and turbo. If not, the water vapor in the exhaust will condense on the inside of the piping and housing. That water will cause parts to rust and significantly reduce the life of shafts, bearings, housings, and oil. It also leaves a spot that is only water to reduce startup lubrication, corrode AND freeze. I didnt know that was a thing until my buddy's turbo died during the winter. He literally cried, and i didn't blame him.
Moral of the story: GOOD FREAKING LUCK if you're stupid enough to buy a used vehicle with a turbocharged engine. LIKE HELL you can possibly believe that the previous owner(s) have done the kind of extra maintenance these engines require.
@@tom_hoots there's as many if not more cars w/ turbocharged cars in the last decade, so used turbo cars are quite the norm. It's not like the options are the same as the 90's. With that said, you can be fine w/ a used turbo engine if you do your pre-owned homework
Very good video. A couple of comments: I have owned 3 turbo cars in my life. The latest has almost 180,000 miles on the original engine and turbo and shows no sign of wearing out. I have never had any problems due to the turbo in any of the cars I have owned. But, I change the oil (synthetic) every 5,000 miles. That is a key to keeping turbo cars running without fail as you correctly point out. One clarification, I heard you say the inlet gas gets hot because the turbo is hot. That is true, but the main reason the inlet gas gets hot is because it is compressed by the turbo. The compression adds work to the gas which is converted to heat in the compression. Even if the turbo is completely cold, the gas would still get hot due to the compression. The primary role of the intercooler is remove the heat generated by the compression from the turbo, not the just the heat absorbed from the hot turbo itself. Thanks again for a good video.
What is the problem with the intake air being hot? Why does it need to be cooled? It's already compressed so cooling it so it is compressed more doesn't make sense to me. In the old days, high temp combustion used to created Oxides of Nitrogen which was a pollutant and thus attempts were made to lower combustion temperatures. Might that be the reason?
The trick to turbocharger reliability is give the turbo a chance to slow down before switching off the engine. NOT doing so, causes the bearings in the turbo to run dry. That causes bearing failure. I drive slower before parking. Then reverse into my drive way. Then disconnect my phone from the charger. Then unbuckle my seat belt. Then open the door. Then get out of my car. ONLY then do i switch off my engine. That few minutes allows the turbocharger to slow right down or stop. Think of the Turbocharger being a race horse. After the race you do not just stable it. You let it cool down gradually. When the horse is no longer hyper, it is relaxed and pampered then stabled.
While the emissions reason is valid, fuel economy is the main thing. However, it's not quite that simple. If you have a vehicle with a 2.0L turbo engine and are cruising on the highway at 70 mph, the engine is likely revving relatively low and there won't be too much load on the engine (so the amount of boost will be minimal). This would enable your vehicle to get decent fuel economy, and use less fuel than if you had a 3.0L V6 or 4.0L V8 in it. But that is only part of the story. The real factor is power. If you are driving around town and applying an amount of throttle requesting 200 HP, your engine will burn the amount of fuel required to produce that much power regardless if it is a 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder or a 3.0L V6 or a 4.0L V8. The whole "no replacement for displacement" is key. Back in the muscle car era, you'd have a 5L V8 with 350 hp. Now, you can simply use a 2.5L Turbo 4 cylinder to make the same power. How do you do that, it's half the displacement? Simple, dump twice the air and fuel into so you are using the same amount of air and fuel as the 5L V8. This is why when you look at the real world fuel economy numbers of most modern small turbo vehicles, they aren't really that great. The reason is these small (and not very powerful) engines are often running on boost to make the power people want, which in turn isn't really saving them any fuel. If you want a 250 hp vehicle, it won't matter if it has a 3L V6 or 1.5L Turbo 3 cylinder. It is going to take the same amount of fuel to make 250 hp. The "hope" is people won't often want so much power, so these smaller engines, when not in boost, won't use much fuel, which in term makes them "better on gas". But that's only the case if you keep them out of boost, which is harder in these modern cars since their engines are very small and purposely undersized. That makes them decent on fuel economy when the loads requested are low (like cruising on a highway at 60 mph), but most people don't drive like that.
The fundamental part that you are missing is that a larger NA motor has pumping losses if its not using all of its available torque. The throttle plate is closed, which puts the intake manifold in vacuum, and the pistons have to pull against that vacuum, which works against the engine's rotation. A smaller displacement motor will operate closer to WOT to make the same amount of power. That means the throttle plate is open more and the manifold wont be in vacuum. The engine is not fighting itself. Throw a turbo on there and that engine can not only operate with no manifold vacuum at light loads but still produce power at higher loads. Its the same reason most V8's are displacement on demand now. You run a 5.3L V8 as a 2.65L in a half ton truck and runs closer to WOT just traveling down the freeway so the engine is not fighting a vacuum in the manifold. Once both engines are close to WOT then the difference goes away because now you are up against the energy contained in the fuel. At some point the fuel is your limiting factor.
@@MarkBush-en5cz No question there is more energy in diesel vs gasoline, but gasoline burns cleaner, so diesel engines require so many more parts to clean the exhaust.
As a South African Mercedes Benz specialist, been working in the trade qualified for almost 15 years. Now working at an independent shop and own business from home. I can agree, oil changes is the easiest way to save a motor. Use decent oil, but rather change it more frequently. I personally drive a 95 2.2 SEI Camry Manual and a 96 Astra F.. With those 2 I don`t need a modern car. My toyota is my go to for daily and for long trip use. the astra F is for fun and stuffing around. Keep the good advice going and good luck with your shop. This is the 7th video I`ve seen and want to thank you for the good input expert advise that you give not only to viewers , but to customers instead of just taking what they or other shops said at face value. Merc also has a 20000km service interval, we set it down to 15 minimum, but recommend 5 to 10 k oil changes. The Stealerships only expect the car to last the warranty period.Thanks again for proving there are good mechanics out there, not just trying to scoop your cash. we take pride in what we do.
One of the biggest reasons there is a lack of maintenance, I think, is because a large majority of people lease their cars instead of buying them, because of the high price of modern vehicles. When I was in high school, early 80's, my neighbor bought a new Chevy Silverado 4x4 for $18,000. It was a extended cab with a 8 foot bed. When people lease their vehicles, they don't worry about long term effects from lack of maintenance, but the 2nd and 3rd owners end up having to pay for it. It took me 5 months to find the truck I wanted, spec'd the way I wanted it. No turbo, a v6 with leather and HID headlights in my price range. A 2022 Nissan Frontier SV crew cab 4x4. And then I drove 7 hrs to go buy it. I saved $14,000 over new price. I change the oil and rotate the tires every 3-3.5k miles. I never in my life thought I'd ever buy a Nissan, but it fit the bill when nothing else did, and I love it. Change your oil, people.
My brother and I bought new F150 TwinTurbo eco-boost trucks in 2012. Until I told it out getting a deer, my head 250,000 miles with no problems, he still driving his with 350k. The first thing we thought we’d be doing, possibly timing chain? Frequent oil changes. And we never really ran them hard. Always enjoy and learn from your channel.
Excellent video. Very informative. I purchased a 2024 Honda Accord EX last year which has a 1.5 L 4cylinder turbo-charged engine. It drives better than my previous vehicle, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C350 which had a naturally aspirated V6. The turbo on the Honda is coolant/oil cooled and has no noticeable turbo-lag. I drive conservatively so the turbo is probably not spinning at a high rpm most of the time, and I change the oil every 5K miles.
Good video. Having worked for 2 major automakers as an engineer (and then in finance), I completely agree with your explanation. I have avoided owning any turbo-equipped vehicle because 1) I didn't need the additional power and 2) I didn't want to deal with the added complexity. Now my vehicles are all electrified (hybrid, PHEV, and EV) so I am getting my boost from electrons instead of turbos. Also, your bit about maintenance is spot on. When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, we were constantly changing oil, repacking bearings, replacing mufflers, doing brake jobs (drum brakes, front and rear), putting on snow tires, etc. Had to do a valve job after only 5 years or so. Yes, cars were simpler back then, but they actually required much MORE maintenance, which we were aware of and which we did do.
Great explanation. Many don't seem to realize that modern turbocharged engines are designed from the start to use a turbocharger, with beefier blocks, rods, cooling systems and so on. Once most realize this they should realize that life expectancy isn't reduced, IF maintenance is done properly. That is the only real caveat.
This is a truly relatable masterclass by an expert! I have a 2008 SAAB 9-5, bought new in 2012 as a GM leftover after they cut SAAB loose. Paid $17,000 for a $38,000 car. It's been incredibly reliable. Now have 136,000 miles. I change my Mobil 1 full synthetic every 3,000 miles and also have a turbo timer for proper shutdown. Since new I have rarely gunned the engine...only on ramp type acceleration. The turbocharger is a single scroll Mitsubishi TD04, a quality turbo. I was told by my SAAB master tech that if properly cared for, I can get 200k to 250k miles out of the turbo.
I blew the turbo on my ‘98 9-3 convertible in a traffic jam. Lots of smoke, most oil burned in no-time. Called the shop owner who said: ‘drive over here no problem’. I drove the 20 mile to the shop without a problem. You could hear the valves clicking without oil. Mechanic: ‘the engines are so tough, you van drive a good while witbout oil, slowly’. New turbo was 1200 euros including work, not too bad.
One of my bosses at an old job had a Subaru Legacy 2.5GT (auto) as a daily driver with almost 250k miles on it and the turbo was so worn out it no longer made any boost, the air just blew right through it. I bring this up because he never really beat on the car, it was just driven like a normal car and maintained by an owner that had no idea what it meant to have a turbocharged engine, and that turbo was so reliable that when it failed it wasn’t a catastrophic failure that sent chunks of metal flying into the pistons, the clearances just got too broad and it stopped doing what it was supposed to. He continued to drive that car for several more years up to about 300k miles before finally trading it in without ever replacing the turbo. They can be reliable, it just depends how reliably you treat it
Agree 100% with you on oil changes. I've driven the same 18 wheeler for 800k miles with the original engine and turbo with zero turbo issues, although I'm not a mechanic I'm sure on time oil changes have played a big part. Love your videos my friend, keep up the good work!
I believe the turbo works better with the Diesel because the Diesel most of the time under load has a lower exhaust gas temperature than a gasoline engine under similar load.
I completely agree with you! I drove large fire engines for twenty plus years with many different environments and driving conditions. It doesn’t matter if it is a Cummins or a Detroit, the way that the engine is configured with transmission (preferably Allison) and the cooling system is going to make or break the engine, turbo and all. It took due diligence to preserve the integrity of the engine with constant monitoring of all of the functions to get the maximum effort out of it especially when you are on scene at different RPM’s (pumping of water, battery maintenance for the generator, or idle) for possibly hours on end. We had to change out many of the fluids based off of hours that it ran, but also how long it had been sitting in the barn (engine heaters will eat away at radiators if the engine does not get out and circulate the fluids). The problem that I have with turbo engines in smaller vehicles is that it seems that vehicle manufactures just slapped a turbo onto the existing engine and not changing the actual structure of the engine to be able to handle the additional pressure and heat to be able to last a long time like a large overland diesel engine. Yes, you are meeting emission standards, but at what cost? More oil and fluid changes (more liquid pollution), more blown engines (like the six cylinder Tundra) which makes for more waste, or just junking the whole vehicle because it cannot be mechanically saved. I am a firm believer in being able to test out a mechanical device extensively to make sure that the mass market can be assured that it works properly in the real world, but the reports are coming back from all manufacturers that the turbo engines are not meeting those expectations which concerns the people who purchase their vehicles wanting to keep them for the long haul with minimal repairs with scheduled maintenance.
Thank you dearly for this video. We purchased our 1st turbocharged Toyota, and i like knowing how everything operates. You're seriously THE MAN. You are continuously keeping countless amounts of people educated on their vehicles.
I had a 2002 Saab 9-5 with the low pressure Garrett turbo that was known to fail at around 100,000kms. I changed the oil with synthetic around every 5000kms (mixed driving, not that much highway). When I sold the car it was still on the original turbo and the car was almost at 200,000kms. It was an amazing engine that would get 5-6l/100kms when cruising on the highway. But lots of power and almost no turbo lag. Change the oil often, don’t beat on it, and you don’t have to worry about turbos.
Yep I can’t wrap my head around the new oil change intervals, I have a rule 5k or 6 months which ever comes first!! During Covid I did oil changes at 10 months 850klms as we weren’t driving much. The old saying, “you can pay me now or pay me later” is the reality! Excellent video, thank you for the explanation.
Great explanation. The main reason for turbocharged small displacement engines is to generate "good" fuel economy numbers on the unrealistic EPA fuel economy and emissions test cycle. When you decrease the decrease the displacement and number of cylinders of an engine, it will consume less fuel at idle and low-RPM/low load conditions. This can "bump" the fuel economy up on the EPA "city" part of the test cycle. But, when the vehicle is running at higher speeds and at heavier load, the small displacement of the engine won't create enough power without turbocharging. But, turbocharging allows the engine to burn more fuel--more power but higher fuel consumption, often as much fuel consumption as a larger displacement engine with more cylinders without turbocharging. Turbocharging puts huge physical stresses on an engine which WILL wear and destroy the engine much faster IF the engine is not properly engineered to withstand the additional stresses. Many turbocharged gasoline engines are NOT properly designed to last. Turbocharged diesel engines will generally last much longer than turbocharged gasoline engines because the diesel is already designed to withstand the higher pressures caused by the diesel's higher compression ratio. Were the EPA regs actually designed to be realistic in mirroring real vehicle use (they are not), turbocharging would be seldom used in gasoline-fueled engines.
Yes rockymountain. If you’re correct (which you are) the turbocharging for most cars is a bit of a scam. Any normal to heavy on the gas driver uses slightly more gas with a turbo. Only librarians save gas with a turbo, as compared to a bigger engine without turbo.
it's also less efficient under partial load than an NA engine, due to exhaust impediment. Turbo is not making any useful boost. Secondly enrichening for safety margins causes higher fuel consumption for given amount of power than NA when operating in an efficient range for each engine.
Also, back in "the good old days" nobody would buy a used car that had anywhere close to 100,000 miles on it. Those cars were worn out junkers that, maybe, were good enough for student transportation. In the good old days it was common to have cars broken down on the side of the road. In the good old days you could smell a Ford's burning oil before you could see it. You could smell a Chevrolet's unburnt fuel before you could see it. They don't make 'em like they used to, thank Zarquon! Cars were junk and then Toyota embarassed the industry out if its complacency.
Thanks to the excellent videos from the Car Care Nut, I was able to avoid buying a turbocharged vehicle & ended up buying a fantastic 4Runner and a V8 Lexus convertible. I hope these will be my 'forever cars'. THANK YOU, CAR CARE NUT!
Just got a new Ram 1500 with the new engine in line 6 twin turbo and when I got to the dealer the other day to change the oil at the first 500 miles they called me crazy. I gave them the advice of follow The Car Care Nut.... and this is not the first time that happened to me, it also happen with the first oil change of my wife Highlander.... Thank you for making this videos!
Ahmed, GREAT VIDEO! As usual. I always learn so much from you even though I'm not a Toyota owner the things you talk about are often common across multiple makes. Keep up the good work and may the Lord bless you as well!
Do you use synthetic or conventional oil? I've heard (hearsay) that it's a waste for changing full synthetic oil less than every 10,000 mi. Thanks in advance
@@1fastwgn Are you sure full synthetic every 3750 miles? How did they arrive at 3750? Any formula? Where is study that show that 3750 is the magic number?
For people that have no technical knowledge of cars, this was a very good video. Although I haven't been a mechanic for 2.5 decades, I still do some of my own maintenance. As soon as I saw the title of the video, I said it's all about oil changes. I have an F-150 with the EcoBoost engine. I also have an RV I tow in the summer. The two things I do to maintain the engine. 1. I religiously change the oil at 5K miles with a quality full synthetic oil and filter. Don't go by the manufacturers recommendations. They are designed to get you to buy another car. 2. When I'm towing my RV, when I pull over to gas up or take a break, I always let the engine run for a couple of minutes after coming to a stop. It allows coolant and oil to circulate and cool down to prevent heat soak.
In both Europe and Asia, it’s common to see cars taxed by displacement. Turbo chargers allow manufacturers to build tax friendlier cars, higher compression, higher horsepower, for smaller displacements.
In France, they just tax straight by grams of CO2 emitted per km. And well that results in a GR86 ~200 hp being taxed the full 60,000 euro penalty. While Cayenne Turbo Hybrid ~700 hp is taxed 0 euros just because the electric motor it comes with.
Thank you for producing this very effective content of turbo charge. I just retired a 2005 Honda Accord with 310k miles and did NOT replace it with another Accord due to turbo. Bought a 2024 Camry instead.
One of the best decisions you've made. Keep your engine oil full synthetic, our shop uses Pennzoil Ultra Platinum engine oil along with Wix XP engine oil filters.
Dear Car Care Nut! I would suggest changing the name of your video to something that truly describes the amazing and informative content contained within. This is really a condensed, engineering 101 course on how turbos work, and their practical application in modern cars. A better, more attention grabbing title for those interested in this subject could be: "Understanding Turbochargers: A Deep Dive into Their Functionality and Reliability!" Just a thought. My second comment is Nooooo!!!! I love turbochargers! :-). They are so much fun when on boost! I especially like the old school ones that give you a kick in the seat when they scroll up. I had a 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo and that car was so much fun and a blast to drive! - Keep up the great work! Respectfully!
We have a 23 sequioa we have about 35k miles on with the twin turbo. So far it has been great and on a day to day basis the turbo barely does anything, maybe 5 psi for 30 seconds getting up to highway speeds. Combining the hybrid with the turbo takes A LOT of stress of the turbo and engine since it can accelerate you instead of needing the turbo. We are still doing 4000 mile oil changes on it, but if you are getting one of the new turbos I would suggest one of the Toyota hybrids because i think they will last A LOT longer than non hybrids. And for those that think hybrids from Toyota are not reliable there are priuses going 500k+ miles regularly.
I know a guy who bought a very poorly taken care of second generation Prius to drive until it died. He ran it for another ten years after he bought it!
@@BeefNEggs057 Toyota makes hybrids that will outlast the heat death of the universe. You hate should be reserved for BEV from shit companies like tesla.
115k miles on my 2018 Hyundai Elantra with a turbocharger. Just had a shop inspect the turbocharger, no oil/coolant leaks or consumption. Full synthetic oil with a 5k miles intervals. I take it easy on cold starts and I do let it cooldown for 30 secs - 1 minute before shutting it down. No engine bogging, I downshift accordingly.
Currently own a Turbo diesel, a naturally aspirated gass pickup and a twin turbo gass car. While the naturally aspirated truck has been very reliable, so have both turbo vehicles. The turbo diesel is incredibly efficient too, getting 22-24mpg highway in a 7k lbs truck. While I understand some people’s hesitation to get turbo powered cars they are very efficient and reliable as long as you keep up with maintenance. My gass pickup only gets 13 mpg.
Living at 7400' elevation, we love our turbo engines! We have P2 and P3 volvo's for daily driving. Great power at elevation, and Volvo's implementation seems to be ahead of its time on the reliability. Over 150K miles on both of those volvo's on original engines and turbo's and they both still run great.
Call me crazy, but I actually kind of like having some turbo lag. My first turbo car was a 1991 MR2, and I loved that sudden kick in the pants when the turbo kicked in and spooled up and you had that sudden rush of acceleration with the engine screaming right behind you. Had me grinning all the time.
You're referring to a sports car where the turbo is used to enhance performance and add to the driving experience. The turbo lag gives it character. The pinnacle of this was the Ferrari F40. This video, however, mostly focused on turbos that are used for efficiency in economy cars that are not meant to be exciting to drive.
@@MikeKayK Yup. And it's true...turbos in an econobox that people buy just because it's efficient is going to be a bad idea because those people are going to be the least likely to properly care for the maintenance.
@@mikeydude750 Funny you should mention that. The first time I downshifted and floored it to pass someone on the highway, I darn near rear-ended them. Damn that car was fun.
I've owned 4 turbo vehicles: 2003 golf TDI, 2012 TDI Jetta, 2016 Fiesta ST, 2019 Jetta. I have put 200k miles on turbo vehicles, and the ones i bought used have had 450k miles combined on them before i got them. Never a turbo problem. Oil changes at factory recommended intervals with oil that meets the spec.
I dont know about the toyota gas turbos but Acura RDX 2007-2012 model has a super reliable engine for a turbo You can still find them in good condition with 500k miles used and running, this is a metric I use to see what cars have good longevity and durability
Another tip: Turbo engines in cold climates or winter, you MUST warm up the car. The engine oil should be warm so it can flow into the turbo when it spools. If you don't warm up, you're forcing thick oil (high viscous) into the turbo that will cause overheating (wear and tear of the moving parts) and fuel efficiency loss.
@@Japplesnap He wasn't referring to the pressure, he was referring to the fact that warmer oil has lower viscosity than that same oil when it's cold, so it not only flows more easily but creates a more effective lubricating film between moving parts. It might be "ok" but it's not optimal until the oil is warm.
@@MikeKayK Oil pressure is the only thing that matters. If the oil pressure is good, the temperature (and viscosity) is irrelevant. Cold oil lubricates just as well as warm oil at a given pressure.
More precisely the emissions problem with larger engines is unburnt fuel. What happens is some fuel gets into the tiny spaces (crevice volume) between the pistons/bores and even the head gasket area, and doesn't burn completely. Sone gets burnt by the catalytic converter but out the tailpipe goes the rest. By reducing the amount of cylinders in an engine, you reduce the crevice volume and thereby unburnt hydrocarbons. You add a turbo to get back the power you lost by shrinking the engine
Every Semi you see hauling tons have Turbos, they last a million miles, because they're maintained like the care nut, notes at the end of this presentation
Really well-said and easy to understand video for the masses. This is what I always tell people when reliability in cars is mentioned: Cars are only as reliable as the way their owners treat them. Many of the people who rebuff anything turbocharged are the same people who get the cheapest oil or oil change they can, and let the odometer stack far beyond 10k between those changes. Anytime you add a moving part to an engine, you add an additional wear point that needs to be accounted for in maintenance. Whether that's turbocharging, variable compression, or a more efficient fuel injection system. You cannot escape the consequences of neglecting maintenance.
Smaller turbo engines have the benefit of effectively being a smaller engine in the lower RPMs when the turbo hasn't spooled up for efficiency, but has the benefit of a larger displacement engine when needed as the turbo spools (forcing more 'displacement' into the cylinders)
So glad none of my toyotas have turbos. I have well over 335,000 miles on my 2009 Corolla, runs like a top, my 2009 Venza has half that...but also runs like a top. No school like old school
THANKYOU for explaining how it works and how to maintain the “New” Turbocharged engines. Many don’t have any idea the how to treat their Turbo engines. Now they should !
using a turbo as a band-aid for a way too small engine for the application is a really bad idea. and the general public is far too lazy and/or too cheap to properly maintain boosted engines. i never recommed my customers to buy anything with a turbo
The maintenance remark is SPOT-ON! 99% of all owners can't even change their oil on a regular schedule, so it's just another layer of failure. Besides, its a "TURBO"; what are the odds most will drive around with their toenails in the fan blade?
@@JollyGiant19 putting a turbo on a 4 cylinder and stuffing into a full size pick-up is idiotic. a turbo on a large diesel is a whole different animal, but the modern ones that are loaded with emissions crap are equally absurd. both will break the bank when they inevitably have major issues. escpecialy as the general public doesnt follow maintnece properly.
Turbos are for performance and industrial applications only. These types of engines are built to withstand the extra pressure and heat, as opposed to taking an otherwise normal low displacement engine and slapping a turbo on it. For the average consumer, the extra power and fuel economy become redundant once maintenance costs start adding up.
Many,many years ago as a young teenager I had gotten a 1962 Corvair spider. I was schooled very well on changing oil every 3000 miles and a five minute start up and shut down procedures. If one came off the highway and the turbo was red hot, it took fifteen minutes idling to cool down so as not to cook the oil. I never had any problems with the engine.
In today's age, the question is more so what has more moving parts / increased complexity (1) a turbo 4 cylinder engine or (2) a naturally aspirated V6 but with cylinder deactivation, mild hybrid system or start/stop
@@chibbyylolvery true, a single turbocharger really just has one moving part. Even a regular DOHC V-configuration engine has two additional cams, all the associated valves and valve springs, potentially an extra chain or belt along with tensioners, extra injectors, plugs, catalytic converter etc.
@@chibbyylolNot a fan of turbos personally but you have a valid point. I would love to see some type of study with all the different technologies used to improve efficiency and how they affect reliability/longevity.
AMD. Like everything else in the automotive world, there are going to be good turbochargers, average turbochargers and bad turbochargers. One thing all 1,170,000 of us can agree on is that turbos require a 'boost' in maintenance frequency. 😉
Long time watcher and Toyota nut for the last 15 years .Thank you for your advice we own CVT Corolla and I have an RZ Camry. Love both cars.Had a 90s Corolla manual before and an old Camry 2Lt. Toyota fan for life!
The difference in used oil between my old Honda v6 after 5k miles and my Honda turbo 4cyl after 3k miles is shocking. The cashier at the auto parts store where I dump oil assumed I didn't keep up with oil changes because it smells horrible. I'm not planning to keep the turbo car past 60k miles... it doesn't even get very good gas mileage and the start/stop is annoying. Sad to say, this is car feels disposable. As always, thanks for the great video CCN!
I don't understand the point of it, was thinking of the RDX but it gets terrible gas mileage. Somehow toyota can make a non-turbo 4 cylinder that gets 35mpg... went with the RAV4. I don't care if it is a boomer car.
I get 23-24mpg in the RDX, mostly highway. First 1000 miles was 20-22 mpg. Stop/Start can be disabled with a button, but must be pressed every time the car is started. I haven't tested it explicitly for mpg, but it seems to make little difference in my case. I feel the safety risk of losing all power while stopped in an intersection waiting to turn is not worth it. I don't want to be distracted toggling it on and off. Rav4 seems like a good choice, maybe my brother will get one... I'd love it if they made it quieter. I drove the hybrid crv, and the drivetrain was not acceptable to me with 4 adults in the car... hard to judge the power delivery.
@@JohnnyBoy919 turbo 4 is RDX, the v6 is a tlx prev model (this engine has a recall that I'm still waiting for...). I've learned not to take good drivetrains for granted!
Oh my, The Car Care Nut you just took me back to school where I learnt about engines. Very very educational, you are the man and I thank you. I have learnt a lot about turbos.
Thank you, I’m about to buy my first car with a 2.4L turbo. I really didn’t know what this meant or how to take care of it of it. Thanks for educating us newbies on how to maintain it and get the most miles out of it. 😄
It's simple. With turbo-charging, manufacturers can get more horsepower out of smaller displacement engines. That's the why. Will they be reliable? If: 1) Engine components are made more robust to withstand the additional loading. 2) Cooling systems are sufficient to dissipate the additional heat. 3) People change the oil often enough to protect the higher temperature, higher stress engines. 4) People allow the turbo-charger to cool off before shutting down the engine. That's alot of ifs.
1. Turbo engines are overbuilt to handle additional stresses from boost. 2. All modern turbo engines are built with the cooling necessary for boost. 3. Yes, oil change intervals shouldn't be ignored on a turbo engines, but that's true of naturally aspirated engines too. 4. No need to allow the engine/turbo to cool on modern turbo cars. They continue to pump coolant and/or oil through the turbo automatically after the engine is shut off when it was being run under heavy load. You no longer need to worry about coking on the turbo compressor/turbine shaft. Today's turbo engines are almost bulletproof.
@@TXAG81 Yet turbocharged engines were popular since the 1990s when emissions standards were nothing like they are today. Turbos give smaller, more economical engines big power when you need it, but good economy when you don't. That's always been the purpose of turbo engines.
@@Japplesnap Are you absolutely certain on that 4th point of yours? I'm pretty sure that shutting down an engine while the exhaust manifolds are still glowing is a really bad idea. Still, you may very well be right because otherwise every yahoo that drives his car hard would destroy the turbos in the first week.
Turbocharged engines can be perfectly reliable if they’re built to last. I have a 1983 Mercedes W123 300D Turbo Diesel with half a million miles on the original engine, much of which has been run on waste vegetable oil and with a compound sequential turbo set up (bigger turbo feeds directly into smaller sequential turbo for better efficiency & power).
In my opinion, turbo on a diesel is a perfect marriage, turbo on a gas engine, not so much. I prefer larger displacement running direct injection with high compression on a gas engine for longer life and lower long term expense.
Dr Car Care Nut Should be teaching in universities! It’s one thing to have so much knowledge about something, but to be able to convey that knowledge, experience, wisdom in such detail and in a way that the simplest person can walk away knowing everything about the subject….is absolutely an art, a craft that this man does very, very well! Thank you for sharing
This gentleman is not just a mechanic, he is a true educator.
He is a god for me
Personality and tone of voice with how we are spoken to is just as important as the subject for the way many of us learn.
Yes he is
I am amazed❤❤❤❤
A stand up guy just like his father. He is an OK guy. A fucking marine.
When I listen to you I feel like I'm in a collage classroom listening to the best professor on the subject. Thank you so much for giving us your valuable time.
Yes!
he is not that good. A professor he is not.
@@gosman949 He's better than you. And I like him for what he does.
@@gosman949he actually is professor from Harvard.
@@timradde4328 I am an educator, so I know what I'm talking about!
You are the “ gold standard “ of RUclips automotive videos. The explanations are very much appreciated. I’m retired from the automotive biz. We drive Toyotas because they will give us the least amount of problems. I would suggest anyone who owns a Lexus or Toyota listen and learn from this man. Thanks for the vids. 👍
I love my FIAT 500. Vote for Kamala!
removed from youtube project farm is the gold standard above all
Not knocking you but EVs will give you the least amount of problems, not Toyota
@RUclipsPseudonym
Have you ever tried to change a flat tire on an EV?
@@dmimcg80 IQ voter.
The only problem with this excellent video is that this man's shop is not in my city.
It’s worth the 20hr trip
20hr flight for me
40 minite drive for me
Agree, unfortunately he's not even in my state, lol
I know!! I bet many of us have Map quested to see how far away we are!!
One of the best down to earth explanation of turbos on RUclips
Can somebody point the time stamp where is this question (Why Do Most Modern Cars Have Turbo Engines?) answered?
@@joesmith7377 ruclips.net/video/zthdvOkkMmU/видео.htmlsi=NbhxZuxTgBrQqV-e&t=123
@@joesmith737721:34
@@joesmith7377 3:50 Emissions is the reason given.
ruclips.net/video/zthdvOkkMmU/видео.htmlsi=uddqnlEn0s0e-gi8&t=230
@@joesmith7377 21:33. Emission, emission, emission. Just like the auto start-stop feature.
So in short: onerous government CAFE regulations have ruined automobile engines and dramatically raised their cost, maintenance and complexity while at the same time reduced their reliability.
This is hands down the best automotive channel on RUclips. I even told my 66 year old father who worked 40 years in the automotive trade about and he loves it!
Yes many RUclips videos reviews don’t go this indebted on vehicles they review. One of the best channels on RUclips. The car care nut could save many from choosing a more problematic issues.
Scotty Kilmer without the BS or click bait.
2nd next to Scotty Kilmer. Close 2nd.
@@bobfox2733I hope car care nut open a shop in my area. 😊
TCCN Automotive services 1:37 my 2004 V6 SLE Solara.
I worked at a nuclear power plant for 23 years. Our 2 standby emergency generator sets were 2 1000 hp Caterpillar V12's coupled tail to tail with generator between (yes, one ran backwards). Each engine had 2 turbos, one for each bank. In our training, we learned that turbo speed and power is a function of unburnt fuel, yes, the fuel is still burning in the exhaust turbine, and turbos run at 80,000 to 200,000 rpms under full load/ engine speed. Our exhaust piping was too long (back pressure) due to building design, and I have seen the cast iron housing literally glowing red hot due to that. It meant down rating the gen sets by several hundred kilowatts. We had to disassemble and inspect each turbo every 3 months, then they had to pass emergency startup testing weekly. These gen sets would go from shutdown to full rpm/ load within 4 seconds. Each engine had 2 air starters at 250 psi air pressure to achieve 4 second load pick time. One time an intercooler leaked cooling water into intake manifold, causing 8 of 12 cylinders to be hydrolocked. That engine did not turn 3 degrees when they did the weekly test. This incident caused full overhaul/inspection of each engine. It was astonishing when I pulled out the precombustion chambers/injectors and saw standing water in the piston tops!
fascinating
That’s an interesting setup. I wonder why they didn’t go with a wider exhaust pipe to alleviate the back pressure.
I didn't know normal engines could run backwards. I heard some marine diesels could do it.
Nice! How's the pay working in a nuclear power plant?
Thank you for that info. And I am moving away from nuc plant😲isn't cooling kinda important in nuc reactors.( sarc)
Not that I want a car with a turbo, but if it’s unavoidable I will happily drive and maintain it according to your instructions. Thanks!
The wise Car Nut said it best, maintenance. I have a 2016 Cummins Ram diesel. I drop the oil plug every 4,000 miles, no exceptions! Ram recommends 10,000 mile intervals, that’s why the dealer shops are full of broken down trucks. I have 211,000 miles on my Ram, zero issues. But I maintain it to a very high level. Nobody does maintenance of any kind anymore. Such a shame not to take care of your vehicle with the new car prices as high as they are.
This guy knows. I'd rather pay for oil than things that rely on it.
While I whole heartedly agree with frequent oil changes, comparing a turbo diesel with a turbo gas engine is like apples and oranges. I would prefer a turbo diesel vs a naturally aspirated diesel, but I have no desire to own a turbo gas engine.
One of the primary issues I have with the current turbo gas engines, is the requirement to pull the engine to service the turbo, when it fails.
I never change oil.
@@azpete6436So the issue isn’t turbos, it’s bad engineering.
@@rc666lol my uncle never did on his Toyota 22r back in the 1980’s trucks lasted well over 100k!!! Alvin would say oh hell just add a quart of 30 weight!
Owned and ran a number of BMW turbos diesel and petrol for past 25 years. No issues . Tip is to follow gentle warm up throttle on cold start and to allow the engine to idle for one minute on shut down to cool down the engine oil and turbo cooling effect . Great review .
Like Germans, you must have a problem for every solution.
We do just that with our helicopters. Upon returning from a flight, the pilots run the rotor blades at the equivalent of a fast idle for several minutes to circulate cooled lubricants through the engine and transmission.
Diesel! Much better...
My 24 GMC Canyon 2.7 has an electric pump that continues coolant flow to turbo after shutoff for this reason. Also motor oil goes from filter straight to turbo first for cleanest oil. GM did a smart thing with the 2.7 High Output motor.
Bottom line, no these new turbo engines are not going to last as long as the previous generation. That's why I purchased a late 5th gen 4runner instead of a new turbo version. Don't ever buy a used turbo vehicle. You have no record of how it was driven or how it was maintained. To make one last longer let it warm up after start before driving, let it cool several minutes before shutdown, keep your foot out of it when driving, perform maintenance at least at half recommended intervals. In other words to make your turbo vehicle last baby the crap out of it.
I truly enjoy your videos. I'm almost 60 and have owned many vehicles which I maintained properly. I've never had a engine failure. Just bought a 2.5L turbo vehicle and look forward to many miles ahead.
My strategy for dealing with this question is to never buy a car having a turbo engine.
Amen!
Same, one of my regular cars I recently bought is a Ae111 corolla 1997 with a 1.6 4afe engine. One owner car 34,000 miles when I purchased it. I'm confident his will out live any new corolla mechanically with ease.
Every year that passes this becomes harder.
Why? Turbos aren’t an indicator of unreliability.
Toyota has legendarily reliable turbo vehicles going back decades that people even tune! and trust their life to all over the world.
Man you made it sound so complicated. 😂😂😂😂
PLEASE create a video on CVTs... driving conditions that shorten their lives, how to drive to lengthen their lives, maintenance. Good CVTs and not so good CVTs.
Thank you for all you do for us!!!
The only CVTs worth buying are eCVTs found in some hybrids (Toyota uses them). Unlike your typical belt-driven CVT which lasts maybe 120k miles, eCVTs use planetary gears. In short, they’re far more durable than typical belt-driven CVTs.
@@hsewthey didn't ask for opinions but actual facts from a mechanic ...
@@truckercowboyed2638 He didn't give an opinion. He stated fact.
@@truckercowboyed2638here are the facts. Good cvt’s:
Bad cvt’s: all of them
I’ve got 382,000 miles on my 2014 Toyota Corolla CVT without any issues. But I change out the fluid every 35,000 miles. Don’t trust their lifetime fluid bullshit.
Reliability is suffering. Not will, IS. You always bring a good conversation and leave it to consumers to decide. Thank you
By far this is the BEST mechanical engineering review of all pros and cons of turbo vs naturally aspirated. Again, I've learned so much more about turbo engines, especially when a turbo doesn't do much during cruising speed. Thank you again for all your hard work, sir!
Turbos do not last forever. Average life of a turbo is what, about 100K miles??
That's why turbo engines save gas - you don't need that much power for cruise.
I've had multiple turbo cars since the 80s models. I've broken some and learned a little for the others. If you drive turbo cars hard, you really need to change the oil every 2500-3500 miles / 6 months. and let it cool down properly. Taking it real easy the last 10% of the way home and letting it idle for a few minutes before turning it off usually achieves this easily. Meanwhile, I can beat up on my N/A vehicles all day and change oil every 5k/ 6 months. I am going to so miss these N/A era cars!
Change the laws and defund the EPA.
I always treated my NA engines nice anyway so turbo is just better for me in every way. Now I actually have to be nice to it 😂
The Mustang still has a N/A V8 with the 5.0. It’s 500hp all natural.
Turbo timers can help with this problem as it keeps the oil circulating from the turbo to prevent it from collecting and burning in the hot side of the turbo overnight as it cools.
@timschultes6467 Exactly. Why have a turbo, when you can achieve good power with N/A
In glad you did this. So many people forget Toyota has had turbos for ages, including the Hilux. Nobody says the Hilux turbo is bad
Does t mean the avg turbo in other cars is good. They are still Toyota for a reason
Diesel solid engine and turbo. Not petrol downsizing engines
The problem is that company downsize their engine and drop a turbo on them. Add a 4000 lbs suv on top and you don't have to be a genius to know that you will get problems with it
No. My whole 1975 Hilux was bio-degradable.
I never sold mine. I just used a broom and swept it up into the trash can.
One small piece of junk!
Diesel turbos work better than their gas counter parts. They are driven differently. Turbos in a gas truck towing, hope you are going a short distance. Or you are changing your oil after each tow. Watch TFL truck and see them kill trucks with turbos.
Your "cool down" comment about turbos reminds me of a story when I first started with my company 30 years ago. One day I came into work and people were clapping, high-fiving me and smiling all the way to my desk. I was clueless and thought I was being pranked. What actually happened is a manager that treated me (and many others) like dog-pooh for years had his car catch on fire and burn to the pavement at work. They laughed and thought maybe I did it because he treated me the worst of all of us but no.. he treated his turbo car like he treated his underlings. He ran them hard and never let up. Turns out he ran the turbocharged car one too many times hard all the way to work and parked without letting it cool down. It ignited at 7am in the parking lot about 30 minutes after he arrived and about 30 minutes before I arrived. Good times.
Karma is a patient bitch, isn’t she? 😂
after 30 mins ? That took too long time to ignite
It makes sense to run a car hard but its clear from this story that abuse was his MO
lovely story, but unrelated to benefits of cooling down the turbo before shutting off the engine.
@@simonr23 Did you read it? I guess it was not a "benefit" story but more of a cautionary tale of not letting the engine/oil/turbo cool off before turning the ignition off. Be safe.
Thanks for the explanation! I was an automotive tech for GM for 20 years and no longer do it. I watch your videos and love that you explain everything in detail. This is great because I love to stay up with the knowledge of the automotive world. I also never really learned the correct difference between a twin scroll or sequential turbo. Every day with nothing learned is a day wasted. Thank you a million times over for teaching me something new!!
In addition to reducing turbo lag, twin-scroll technology reduces exhaust back pressure.
The air-fuel mixture is still burning and expanding as it exits the cylinder. The continued expansion in the exhaust manifold, continuing after the exhaust valve closes, spins the turbo. However, almost immediately after one exhaust valve closes, the next one opens. Because the exhaust manifold is still full of pressurised, burning material, crankshaft power is required to push-out the contents of the second (and all future) cylinder.
Twin-scroll turbos use two separate exhaust manifold passages. After the 1st passage's exhaust valve closes, the next opening valve fills the 2nd (empty) passage. By the time the 3rd valve opens into the 1st passage, that passage is empty, with no back pressure.
The nozzle from one passage is aimed at the outer portion of the turbine blades for maximum torque while spooling up. The other nozzle aims closer to the axle for sustaining maximum turbine spin.
Understanding the ability of small engines to not need turbo boost in steady state driving,, depends on realizing a car needs less than 20 hp to maintain 60mph on a level surface .
This is only true on engines with many cylinders feeding into the turbine though. twin turbo V6's only have 3 cylinders feeding into each turbine so the exhaust pulses are spread out enough that the twin scroll isnt buying you anything.
Twin scroll is really only going to be benficial in a 4 or 6 cylinder feeding a single turbo.
Another turbo tip: When ambient temps are low, you must run the engine long enough to heat up the whole engine and turbo. If not, the water vapor in the exhaust will condense on the inside of the piping and housing. That water will cause parts to rust and significantly reduce the life of shafts, bearings, housings, and oil. It also leaves a spot that is only water to reduce startup lubrication, corrode AND freeze.
I didnt know that was a thing until my buddy's turbo died during the winter. He literally cried, and i didn't blame him.
This is very common most notable ford 3.5 eco boost. Condensation buildup.
Moral of the story: GOOD FREAKING LUCK if you're stupid enough to buy a used vehicle with a turbocharged engine. LIKE HELL you can possibly believe that the previous owner(s) have done the kind of extra maintenance these engines require.
No short trips!
@@tom_hoots there's as many if not more cars w/ turbocharged cars in the last decade, so used turbo cars are quite the norm. It's not like the options are the same as the 90's.
With that said, you can be fine w/ a used turbo engine if you do your pre-owned homework
Just stay away from turbos and your life will be less complicated😂
Very good video. A couple of comments:
I have owned 3 turbo cars in my life. The latest has almost 180,000 miles on the original engine and turbo and shows no sign of wearing out. I have never had any problems due to the turbo in any of the cars I have owned. But, I change the oil (synthetic) every 5,000 miles. That is a key to keeping turbo cars running without fail as you correctly point out.
One clarification, I heard you say the inlet gas gets hot because the turbo is hot. That is true, but the main reason the inlet gas gets hot is because it is compressed by the turbo. The compression adds work to the gas which is converted to heat in the compression. Even if the turbo is completely cold, the gas would still get hot due to the compression. The primary role of the intercooler is remove the heat generated by the compression from the turbo, not the just the heat absorbed from the hot turbo itself.
Thanks again for a good video.
What is the problem with the intake air being hot? Why does it need to be cooled? It's already compressed so cooling it so it is compressed more doesn't make sense to me. In the old days, high temp combustion used to created Oxides of Nitrogen which was a pollutant and thus attempts were made to lower combustion temperatures. Might that be the reason?
@@IsItTrueThat Hot air is not as dense as cold air.
Less oxygen is found on hot air. The engine will make less power because of that.
@@IsItTrueThat because knock mitigation. Hot air under pressure has a higher chance of knock.
Absolutely right man turbo engine has fun to drive 4 inline Toyota makes
The trick to turbocharger reliability is give the turbo a chance to slow down before switching off the engine.
NOT doing so, causes the bearings in the turbo to run dry.
That causes bearing failure.
I drive slower before parking.
Then reverse into my drive way. Then disconnect my phone from the charger. Then unbuckle my seat belt.
Then open the door.
Then get out of my car.
ONLY then do i switch off my engine.
That few minutes allows the turbocharger to slow right down or stop.
Think of the Turbocharger being a race horse.
After the race you do not just stable it.
You let it cool down gradually.
When the horse is no longer hyper, it is relaxed and pampered then stabled.
How does that work with cars that turn off at red lights - the so called stop-start system?
@@LapinDebogues I turn off the start/stop every time I start the car. It just unnecessarily degrades the starter motor and battery
@@LapinDebogues
If you are in stop start situations the Turbo is not engaged.
(Engine revs are to low)
Yeah I take my time shutting off mine as well. This is why some people have turbo timers on their cars. I used to have one on my built srt4
Think
While the emissions reason is valid, fuel economy is the main thing. However, it's not quite that simple. If you have a vehicle with a 2.0L turbo engine and are cruising on the highway at 70 mph, the engine is likely revving relatively low and there won't be too much load on the engine (so the amount of boost will be minimal). This would enable your vehicle to get decent fuel economy, and use less fuel than if you had a 3.0L V6 or 4.0L V8 in it. But that is only part of the story. The real factor is power. If you are driving around town and applying an amount of throttle requesting 200 HP, your engine will burn the amount of fuel required to produce that much power regardless if it is a 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder or a 3.0L V6 or a 4.0L V8. The whole "no replacement for displacement" is key. Back in the muscle car era, you'd have a 5L V8 with 350 hp. Now, you can simply use a 2.5L Turbo 4 cylinder to make the same power. How do you do that, it's half the displacement? Simple, dump twice the air and fuel into so you are using the same amount of air and fuel as the 5L V8. This is why when you look at the real world fuel economy numbers of most modern small turbo vehicles, they aren't really that great. The reason is these small (and not very powerful) engines are often running on boost to make the power people want, which in turn isn't really saving them any fuel. If you want a 250 hp vehicle, it won't matter if it has a 3L V6 or 1.5L Turbo 3 cylinder. It is going to take the same amount of fuel to make 250 hp. The "hope" is people won't often want so much power, so these smaller engines, when not in boost, won't use much fuel, which in term makes them "better on gas". But that's only the case if you keep them out of boost, which is harder in these modern cars since their engines are very small and purposely undersized. That makes them decent on fuel economy when the loads requested are low (like cruising on a highway at 60 mph), but most people don't drive like that.
Yours is one of the very few comments here from somebody who understands turbocharging.
Excellent info, thanks.
The fundamental part that you are missing is that a larger NA motor has pumping losses if its not using all of its available torque. The throttle plate is closed, which puts the intake manifold in vacuum, and the pistons have to pull against that vacuum, which works against the engine's rotation.
A smaller displacement motor will operate closer to WOT to make the same amount of power. That means the throttle plate is open more and the manifold wont be in vacuum. The engine is not fighting itself. Throw a turbo on there and that engine can not only operate with no manifold vacuum at light loads but still produce power at higher loads.
Its the same reason most V8's are displacement on demand now. You run a 5.3L V8 as a 2.65L in a half ton truck and runs closer to WOT just traveling down the freeway so the engine is not fighting a vacuum in the manifold.
Once both engines are close to WOT then the difference goes away because now you are up against the energy contained in the fuel. At some point the fuel is your limiting factor.
Gasoline = 10 HP/gallon/hour
Diesel = 20 HP/gallon/hour
No way to get around the limit of the fuel.
@@MarkBush-en5cz No question there is more energy in diesel vs gasoline, but gasoline burns cleaner, so diesel engines require so many more parts to clean the exhaust.
The car nut mechanic is the best top of the line mechanic on RUclips.
As a South African Mercedes Benz specialist, been working in the trade qualified for almost 15 years. Now working at an independent shop and own business from home. I can agree, oil changes is the easiest way to save a motor. Use decent oil, but rather change it more frequently. I personally drive a 95 2.2 SEI Camry Manual and a 96 Astra F.. With those 2 I don`t need a modern car. My toyota is my go to for daily and for long trip use. the astra F is for fun and stuffing around. Keep the good advice going and good luck with your shop. This is the 7th video I`ve seen and want to thank you for the good input expert advise that you give not only to viewers , but to customers instead of just taking what they or other shops said at face value. Merc also has a 20000km service interval, we set it down to 15 minimum, but recommend 5 to 10 k oil changes. The Stealerships only expect the car to last the warranty period.Thanks again for proving there are good mechanics out there, not just trying to scoop your cash. we take pride in what we do.
One of the biggest reasons there is a lack of maintenance, I think, is because a large majority of people lease their cars instead of buying them, because of the high price of modern vehicles. When I was in high school, early 80's, my neighbor bought a new Chevy Silverado 4x4 for $18,000. It was a extended cab with a 8 foot bed. When people lease their vehicles, they don't worry about long term effects from lack of maintenance, but the 2nd and 3rd owners end up having to pay for it. It took me 5 months to find the truck I wanted, spec'd the way I wanted it. No turbo, a v6 with leather and HID headlights in my price range. A 2022 Nissan Frontier SV crew cab 4x4. And then I drove 7 hrs to go buy it. I saved $14,000 over new price. I change the oil and rotate the tires every 3-3.5k miles. I never in my life thought I'd ever buy a Nissan, but it fit the bill when nothing else did, and I love it. Change your oil, people.
Leasing is another form of renting. 😂NO THANKS ✋
Leasing is more expensive than buying lol,idk why you think leasing is cheap.
Man I want that Nissan so bad what is the total price
Man I hope it works out for you. I have seen so many horror stores on those exact trucks. Good luck!
"a large majority of people lease their cars instead of buying them" This is factually incorrect. Only about 1/4 of consumers lease their cars.
A co-worker had a turbocharged 1987 Buick Grand National. 3.8 liters and crazy-fast, he got 300,000 trouble-free miles from that car.
Outlier. Those old Buicks were bulletproof
@@despairfollows591what about the countless million mile turbo engines out there?
I believe the Grand National has a Super Charger
@@thunderbird66613 no it doesn't, it has a turbo engine
My brother and I bought new F150 TwinTurbo eco-boost trucks in 2012. Until I told it out getting a deer, my head 250,000 miles with no problems, he still driving his with 350k. The first thing we thought we’d be doing, possibly timing chain? Frequent oil changes. And we never really ran them hard. Always enjoy and learn from your channel.
my 2011 MAZDA Speed 3 with 200.000 miles still running strong all stock , Mazda are very reliable cars, I never issues with turbo in my speed3.
Same. My clutch came and went, but the turbo is still a very good time.
wow,
same here my Pajero 2011 with 200k miles too🎉
I had a 2013 speed 3 and pulled just as hard at 50k miles as it did at 125k. Great car.
Holy shit I haven't seen one of those in a while. One of my exes bought a Mazdaspeed protege when we were together. It was a fun little car!
Excellent video. Very informative. I purchased a 2024 Honda Accord EX last year which has a 1.5 L 4cylinder turbo-charged engine. It drives better than my previous vehicle, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C350 which had a naturally aspirated V6. The turbo on the Honda is coolant/oil cooled and has no noticeable turbo-lag. I drive conservatively so the turbo is probably not spinning at a high rpm most of the time, and I change the oil every 5K miles.
Good comment. It is really a good engine. I find I can drive with a very light foot due to the flat torque curve. Way better than my older Subaru.
Good video. Having worked for 2 major automakers as an engineer (and then in finance), I completely agree with your explanation. I have avoided owning any turbo-equipped vehicle because 1) I didn't need the additional power and 2) I didn't want to deal with the added complexity. Now my vehicles are all electrified (hybrid, PHEV, and EV) so I am getting my boost from electrons instead of turbos. Also, your bit about maintenance is spot on. When I was growing up in the '60's and '70's, we were constantly changing oil, repacking bearings, replacing mufflers, doing brake jobs (drum brakes, front and rear), putting on snow tires, etc. Had to do a valve job after only 5 years or so. Yes, cars were simpler back then, but they actually required much MORE maintenance, which we were aware of and which we did do.
Great explanation. Many don't seem to realize that modern turbocharged engines are designed from the start to use a turbocharger, with beefier blocks, rods, cooling systems and so on. Once most realize this they should realize that life expectancy isn't reduced, IF maintenance is done properly. That is the only real caveat.
*Big* if! 😂😂😂😂😂
If turbo engines are designed properly they should be reliable.
100% true…but they typically have more parts thus more things to potentially break.
Heat and high pressure. You will not get 100k miles
@@2driverpls652 already have.
This is a truly relatable masterclass by an expert! I have a 2008 SAAB 9-5, bought new in 2012 as a GM leftover after they cut SAAB loose. Paid $17,000 for a $38,000 car. It's been incredibly reliable. Now have 136,000 miles. I change my Mobil 1 full synthetic every 3,000 miles and also have a turbo timer for proper shutdown.
Since new I have rarely gunned the engine...only on ramp type acceleration. The turbocharger is a single scroll Mitsubishi TD04, a quality turbo.
I was told by my SAAB master tech that if properly cared for, I can get 200k to 250k miles out of the turbo.
I blew the turbo on my ‘98 9-3 convertible in a traffic jam. Lots of smoke, most oil burned in no-time. Called the shop owner who said: ‘drive over here no problem’. I drove the 20 mile to the shop without a problem. You could hear the valves clicking without oil. Mechanic: ‘the engines are so tough, you van drive a good while witbout oil, slowly’. New turbo was 1200 euros including work, not too bad.
It's true. We have a family saab over 240k on the clock.
*HKS Turbo Timer for the win! TT has endured since 1982 because they just flat work!*
Actually, the best explanation of turbo function I’ve ever listened to. I wish you could be my mechanic.
One of my bosses at an old job had a Subaru Legacy 2.5GT (auto) as a daily driver with almost 250k miles on it and the turbo was so worn out it no longer made any boost, the air just blew right through it. I bring this up because he never really beat on the car, it was just driven like a normal car and maintained by an owner that had no idea what it meant to have a turbocharged engine, and that turbo was so reliable that when it failed it wasn’t a catastrophic failure that sent chunks of metal flying into the pistons, the clearances just got too broad and it stopped doing what it was supposed to. He continued to drive that car for several more years up to about 300k miles before finally trading it in without ever replacing the turbo. They can be reliable, it just depends how reliably you treat it
Agree 100% with you on oil changes. I've driven the same 18 wheeler for 800k miles with the original engine and turbo with zero turbo issues, although I'm not a mechanic I'm sure on time oil changes have played a big part. Love your videos my friend, keep up the good work!
NO COMPARISON between diesel and gas turbo engines.
I would never buy a gas turbo.
I believe the turbo works better with the Diesel because the Diesel most of the time under load has a lower exhaust gas temperature than a gasoline engine under similar load.
I completely agree with you! I drove large fire engines for twenty plus years with many different environments and driving conditions. It doesn’t matter if it is a Cummins or a Detroit, the way that the engine is configured with transmission (preferably Allison) and the cooling system is going to make or break the engine, turbo and all. It took due diligence to preserve the integrity of the engine with constant monitoring of all of the functions to get the maximum effort out of it especially when you are on scene at different RPM’s (pumping of water, battery maintenance for the generator, or idle) for possibly hours on end. We had to change out many of the fluids based off of hours that it ran, but also how long it had been sitting in the barn (engine heaters will eat away at radiators if the engine does not get out and circulate the fluids). The problem that I have with turbo engines in smaller vehicles is that it seems that vehicle manufactures just slapped a turbo onto the existing engine and not changing the actual structure of the engine to be able to handle the additional pressure and heat to be able to last a long time like a large overland diesel engine. Yes, you are meeting emission standards, but at what cost? More oil and fluid changes (more liquid pollution), more blown engines (like the six cylinder Tundra) which makes for more waste, or just junking the whole vehicle because it cannot be mechanically saved. I am a firm believer in being able to test out a mechanical device extensively to make sure that the mass market can be assured that it works properly in the real world, but the reports are coming back from all manufacturers that the turbo engines are not meeting those expectations which concerns the people who purchase their vehicles wanting to keep them for the long haul with minimal repairs with scheduled maintenance.
Thank you dearly for this video. We purchased our 1st turbocharged Toyota, and i like knowing how everything operates. You're seriously THE MAN. You are continuously keeping countless amounts of people educated on their vehicles.
AMD, I cannot express how much I love your videos. Thank you for this educational video. You covered how the turbo works and the pros and cons 👏
I had a 2002 Saab 9-5 with the low pressure Garrett turbo that was known to fail at around 100,000kms.
I changed the oil with synthetic around every 5000kms (mixed driving, not that much highway).
When I sold the car it was still on the original turbo and the car was almost at 200,000kms.
It was an amazing engine that would get 5-6l/100kms when cruising on the highway. But lots of power and almost no turbo lag.
Change the oil often, don’t beat on it, and you don’t have to worry about turbos.
My suzuki s cross station wagon di turbo gets 4.5 to 5l/100km on the highway and accelerates well (sqm 16.0)
It's funny because even just changing the oil is too much to ask for in the average driver, I'd say even most.
Yep I can’t wrap my head around the new oil change intervals, I have a rule 5k or 6 months which ever comes first!! During Covid I did oil changes at 10 months 850klms as we weren’t driving much. The old saying, “you can pay me now or pay me later” is the reality! Excellent video, thank you for the explanation.
Great explanation. The main reason for turbocharged small displacement engines is to generate "good" fuel economy numbers on the unrealistic EPA fuel economy and emissions test cycle. When you decrease the decrease the displacement and number of cylinders of an engine, it will consume less fuel at idle and low-RPM/low load conditions. This can "bump" the fuel economy up on the EPA "city" part of the test cycle. But, when the vehicle is running at higher speeds and at heavier load, the small displacement of the engine won't create enough power without turbocharging. But, turbocharging allows the engine to burn more fuel--more power but higher fuel consumption, often as much fuel consumption as a larger displacement engine with more cylinders without turbocharging. Turbocharging puts huge physical stresses on an engine which WILL wear and destroy the engine much faster IF the engine is not properly engineered to withstand the additional stresses. Many turbocharged gasoline engines are NOT properly designed to last. Turbocharged diesel engines will generally last much longer than turbocharged gasoline engines because the diesel is already designed to withstand the higher pressures caused by the diesel's higher compression ratio. Were the EPA regs actually designed to be realistic in mirroring real vehicle use (they are not), turbocharging would be seldom used in gasoline-fueled engines.
Yes rockymountain. If you’re correct (which you are) the turbocharging for most cars is a bit of a scam. Any normal to heavy on the gas driver uses slightly more gas with a turbo. Only librarians save gas with a turbo, as compared to a bigger engine without turbo.
Excellent! 👍👍
it's also less efficient under partial load than an NA engine, due to exhaust impediment. Turbo is not making any useful boost. Secondly enrichening for safety margins causes higher fuel consumption for given amount of power than NA when operating in an efficient range for each engine.
This is why so many Toyota trucks are rotting on the dealer lots. Fine by me.
Also, back in "the good old days" nobody would buy a used car that had anywhere close to 100,000 miles on it. Those cars were worn out junkers that, maybe, were good enough for student transportation.
In the good old days it was common to have cars broken down on the side of the road.
In the good old days you could smell a Ford's burning oil before you could see it. You could smell a Chevrolet's unburnt fuel before you could see it.
They don't make 'em like they used to, thank Zarquon! Cars were junk and then Toyota embarassed the industry out if its complacency.
Thanks for transparency, I never owned turbo engines cars as got many friends having issues with even new cars like Audi, Saab, Nissan, Toyotas ….
Thanks to the excellent videos from the Car Care Nut, I was able to avoid buying a turbocharged vehicle & ended up buying a fantastic 4Runner and a V8 Lexus convertible. I hope these will be my 'forever cars'.
THANK YOU, CAR CARE NUT!
You are living my dream. Big ups 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
OK for you but not for the rest of us. You are polluting us! HELP!
@@gosman949 I have no children. Therefore, my carbon credits are through-the-roof. 😉
Just got a new Ram 1500 with the new engine in line 6 twin turbo and when I got to the dealer the other day to change the oil at the first 500 miles they called me crazy. I gave them the advice of follow The Car Care Nut.... and this is not the first time that happened to me, it also happen with the first oil change of my wife Highlander.... Thank you for making this videos!
I've owned 6 turbocharged Volvo's over 35 years and have NEVER had an issue with the turbo. Only used full synthetic oil every 5-7k miles.
AMD would love more 4Runner content - may God continue to bless you and your family
3rd Gen 4Runner
Wait until the new one comes out next year. 4runner been the same the last 15+ years
@@qpeocn New one is garbage
@JoseChung21 yeah, the new 4runners and tacomas are good examples of if ain't broken, don't fix it. But Toyota have regulations they need to abide by.
Ahmed, GREAT VIDEO! As usual. I always learn so much from you even though I'm not a Toyota owner the things you talk about are often common across multiple makes. Keep up the good work and may the Lord bless you as well!
Hands down one of the best educational channels on RUclips, not just on cars, on any subject
I have an '05 Subaru Outback XT (turbo), 190K. Running smooth and strong. Oil changes at 3,000 miles, no ifs, ands, or buts.
I guess you are being scammed. 5k miles with full synthetic is recommendations from many mechanics. Ask Scotty
Do you use synthetic or conventional oil? I've heard (hearsay) that it's a waste for changing full synthetic oil less than every 10,000 mi.
Thanks in advance
Full synthetic. Not being scammed. Even Subaru says to change it every 3,750 miles. I stopped watching Scotty Kilmer years ago.
@@1fastwgn Are you sure full synthetic every 3750 miles? How did they arrive at 3750? Any formula? Where is study that show that 3750 is the magic number?
@@thomaskim5008 Do a Google search for Subaru TSB #02-103-07. It has to do with the mesh screen in the turbo banjo bolt.
8:35 I'm so glad Toyota let us hear a bit of that turbo sound in the GR Corolla, it brings out that inner child in me every time I drive it.
For people that have no technical knowledge of cars, this was a very good video. Although I haven't been a mechanic for 2.5 decades, I still do some of my own maintenance. As soon as I saw the title of the video, I said it's all about oil changes. I have an F-150 with the EcoBoost engine. I also have an RV I tow in the summer. The two things I do to maintain the engine.
1. I religiously change the oil at 5K miles with a quality full synthetic oil and filter. Don't go by the manufacturers recommendations. They are designed to get you to buy another car.
2. When I'm towing my RV, when I pull over to gas up or take a break, I always let the engine run for a couple of minutes after coming to a stop. It allows coolant and oil to circulate and cool down to prevent heat soak.
In both Europe and Asia, it’s common to see cars taxed by displacement. Turbo chargers allow manufacturers to build tax friendlier cars, higher compression, higher horsepower, for smaller displacements.
In France, they just tax straight by grams of CO2 emitted per km. And well that results in a GR86 ~200 hp being taxed the full 60,000 euro penalty. While Cayenne Turbo Hybrid ~700 hp is taxed 0 euros just because the electric motor it comes with.
That is rational than simply charging tax with displacement. @PURENT
@@dmitripetrov5536 It doesn't really make sense, Cayenne Turbo Hybrid is a $160,000 car. GR86 is a $30,000 car.
Used to work that way in Ireland but changed to taxing by CO2 emissions about 10 years ago
Here in the UK tax was/is related to CO2 emissions rather than engine size.
Thank you for producing this very effective content of turbo charge. I just retired a 2005 Honda Accord with 310k miles and did NOT replace it with another Accord due to turbo. Bought a 2024 Camry instead.
One of the best decisions you've made. Keep your engine oil full synthetic, our shop uses Pennzoil Ultra Platinum engine oil along with Wix XP engine oil filters.
Just use 5w30 oil
@@andywade172 That's what the manufacturer recommends for my 370Z.
many Hondas have aspirated engines still. Even the six.
@@gosman949old J35 V6s were really good, but modern ones have direct injection and VCM with some long-term reliability issues
Dear Car Care Nut! I would suggest changing the name of your video to something that truly describes the amazing and informative content contained within. This is really a condensed, engineering 101 course on how turbos work, and their practical application in modern cars. A better, more attention grabbing title for those interested in this subject could be: "Understanding Turbochargers: A Deep Dive into Their Functionality and Reliability!" Just a thought. My second comment is Nooooo!!!! I love turbochargers! :-). They are so much fun when on boost! I especially like the old school ones that give you a kick in the seat when they scroll up. I had a 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo and that car was so much fun and a blast to drive! - Keep up the great work! Respectfully!
We have a 23 sequioa we have about 35k miles on with the twin turbo. So far it has been great and on a day to day basis the turbo barely does anything, maybe 5 psi for 30 seconds getting up to highway speeds. Combining the hybrid with the turbo takes A LOT of stress of the turbo and engine since it can accelerate you instead of needing the turbo. We are still doing 4000 mile oil changes on it, but if you are getting one of the new turbos I would suggest one of the Toyota hybrids because i think they will last A LOT longer than non hybrids. And for those that think hybrids from Toyota are not reliable there are priuses going 500k+ miles regularly.
I know a guy who bought a very poorly taken care of second generation Prius to drive until it died.
He ran it for another ten years after he bought it!
Nope no battery cars for me. Disposable cars with no more than 10 years before the battery goes.
@@JollyGiant19 Bet he regretted buying a Prius. Sweat box
@@BeefNEggs057Not at all, it became his “work truck” after he bought a replacement daily driver.
@@BeefNEggs057 Toyota makes hybrids that will outlast the heat death of the universe. You hate should be reserved for BEV from shit companies like tesla.
115k miles on my 2018 Hyundai Elantra with a turbocharger. Just had a shop inspect the turbocharger, no oil/coolant leaks or consumption.
Full synthetic oil with a 5k miles intervals. I take it easy on cold starts and I do let it cooldown for 30 secs - 1 minute before shutting it down.
No engine bogging, I downshift accordingly.
Currently own a Turbo diesel, a naturally aspirated gass pickup and a twin turbo gass car. While the naturally aspirated truck has been very reliable, so have both turbo vehicles. The turbo diesel is incredibly efficient too, getting 22-24mpg highway in a 7k lbs truck. While I understand some people’s hesitation to get turbo powered cars they are very efficient and reliable as long as you keep up with maintenance. My gass pickup only gets 13 mpg.
If you know how a Turbo works skip to @21:34
turbos spin well over 10-25k rpm. Look up any data sheet for a turbo and you can find its overspeed rpm which is usually over 100k rpm
Living at 7400' elevation, we love our turbo engines! We have P2 and P3 volvo's for daily driving. Great power at elevation, and Volvo's implementation seems to be ahead of its time on the reliability. Over 150K miles on both of those volvo's on original engines and turbo's and they both still run great.
Call me crazy, but I actually kind of like having some turbo lag. My first turbo car was a 1991 MR2, and I loved that sudden kick in the pants when the turbo kicked in and spooled up and you had that sudden rush of acceleration with the engine screaming right behind you. Had me grinning all the time.
For sure, I love the laggy feeling it's so fun. Can get you in real trouble if you don't know to expect it though lol
You're referring to a sports car where the turbo is used to enhance performance and add to the driving experience. The turbo lag gives it character. The pinnacle of this was the Ferrari F40. This video, however, mostly focused on turbos that are used for efficiency in economy cars that are not meant to be exciting to drive.
@@MikeKayK Yup. And it's true...turbos in an econobox that people buy just because it's efficient is going to be a bad idea because those people are going to be the least likely to properly care for the maintenance.
@@mikeydude750 Funny you should mention that. The first time I downshifted and floored it to pass someone on the highway, I darn near rear-ended them. Damn that car was fun.
Get a hybrid and put it in eco mode. You won’t hear a turbo, but it’ll do the exact same thing. Accelerate very slow until a certain point.
A great explanation in simple terms. CCN you are the best.
I've owned 4 turbo vehicles: 2003 golf TDI, 2012 TDI Jetta, 2016 Fiesta ST, 2019 Jetta. I have put 200k miles on turbo vehicles, and the ones i bought used have had 450k miles combined on them before i got them. Never a turbo problem. Oil changes at factory recommended intervals with oil that meets the spec.
I dont know about the toyota gas turbos but Acura RDX 2007-2012 model has a super reliable engine for a turbo
You can still find them in good condition with 500k miles used and running, this is a metric I use to see what cars have good longevity and durability
too bad they are so thirsty though
Another tip: Turbo engines in cold climates or winter, you MUST warm up the car. The engine oil should be warm so it can flow into the turbo when it spools. If you don't warm up, you're forcing thick oil (high viscous) into the turbo that will cause overheating (wear and tear of the moving parts) and fuel efficiency loss.
Today's turbo engines use very low viscosity oil. They get good oil pressure upon start-up even in subfreezing temps.
@@Japplesnapit's still wise to warm up the parts they function better warm than frozen
@@truckercowboyed2638 Always. But if someone doesn't, it will still be okay.
@@Japplesnap He wasn't referring to the pressure, he was referring to the fact that warmer oil has lower viscosity than that same oil when it's cold, so it not only flows more easily but creates a more effective lubricating film between moving parts. It might be "ok" but it's not optimal until the oil is warm.
@@MikeKayK Oil pressure is the only thing that matters. If the oil pressure is good, the temperature (and viscosity) is irrelevant. Cold oil lubricates just as well as warm oil at a given pressure.
More precisely the emissions problem with larger engines is unburnt fuel. What happens is some fuel gets into the tiny spaces (crevice volume) between the pistons/bores and even the head gasket area, and doesn't burn completely. Sone gets burnt by the catalytic converter but out the tailpipe goes the rest. By reducing the amount of cylinders in an engine, you reduce the crevice volume and thereby unburnt hydrocarbons. You add a turbo to get back the power you lost by shrinking the engine
I have Two naturally aspirated cars and I will NOT trade them for a turbo! 😊
I don't blame you. If you need high altitude power ok fine but for most car's forget it. I want simple reliable, keep your turbo I don't want it.
my 2007 Camry six cylinder has 71k on it and I still smile when I get in it and take off!
@@dwaynemcallister7231 Keep your apostrophe's, I don't need them.
@@Kinann Who cares?
Same, brother
I currently manage 4 vehicles. No turbo anywhere. Makes my life easier. Purchased ES350 as one of the last natural V6 cars.
Every Semi you see hauling tons have Turbos, they last a million miles, because they're maintained like the care nut, notes at the end of this presentation
Really well-said and easy to understand video for the masses. This is what I always tell people when reliability in cars is mentioned:
Cars are only as reliable as the way their owners treat them.
Many of the people who rebuff anything turbocharged are the same people who get the cheapest oil or oil change they can, and let the odometer stack far beyond 10k between those changes. Anytime you add a moving part to an engine, you add an additional wear point that needs to be accounted for in maintenance. Whether that's turbocharging, variable compression, or a more efficient fuel injection system. You cannot escape the consequences of neglecting maintenance.
Smaller turbo engines have the benefit of effectively being a smaller engine in the lower RPMs when the turbo hasn't spooled up for efficiency, but has the benefit of a larger displacement engine when needed as the turbo spools (forcing more 'displacement' into the cylinders)
It also has the advantage of weighing less and taking up less space.
It also works twice as hard wasting more fuel.
Finally turbo well explained. Now I understand why no current turbocharged car sounds as exciting as they used to.
Well, turbocharge a V8, Good sound plus more power. Most V-8 builders use a Blower
@@WillyK51 not from factory unfortunately
Still very exciting. Look at any BMW M car. Turbocharged for power, regardless of what you were told in this video.
@@MR3DDevm5 m8 some Audis have ttv8s
@@Japplesnap Nah it's for both. BMW engines are incredibly efficient.
Excellent, Clear, Concise explanation of WHY everything small engine is "Turbo" now. Well Done!
So glad none of my toyotas have turbos. I have well over 335,000 miles on my 2009 Corolla, runs like a top, my 2009 Venza has half that...but also runs like a top. No school like old school
Those first gen Venzas were great and underappreciated imo. Hard to find a used one with good mileage
Great Turbo flash course. Excellent, comprehensive and clear. Thank you
THANKYOU for explaining how it works and how to maintain the “New” Turbocharged engines. Many don’t have any idea the how to treat their Turbo engines. Now they should !
using a turbo as a band-aid for a way too small engine for the application is a really bad idea. and the general public is far too lazy and/or too cheap to properly maintain boosted engines. i never recommed my customers to buy anything with a turbo
The maintenance remark is SPOT-ON! 99% of all owners can't even change their oil on a regular schedule, so it's just another layer of failure. Besides, its a "TURBO"; what are the odds most will drive around with their toenails in the fan blade?
Does that mean turbo diesels are too small for the application? Absolutely not!
Turbos are great for enhancing peak power, it’s their whole point.
@@JollyGiant19 putting a turbo on a 4 cylinder and stuffing into a full size pick-up is idiotic. a turbo on a large diesel is a whole different animal, but the modern ones that are loaded with emissions crap are equally absurd. both will break the bank when they inevitably have major issues. escpecialy as the general public doesnt follow maintnece properly.
Is not a band-aid. It's intentional. That is how the combo works. It is not an add-on.
It's definitely a band-aid. Turbo engines use more fuel under boost.
Turbos are for performance and industrial applications only. These types of engines are built to withstand the extra pressure and heat, as opposed to taking an otherwise normal low displacement engine and slapping a turbo on it. For the average consumer, the extra power and fuel economy become redundant once maintenance costs start adding up.
Many,many years ago as a young teenager I had gotten a 1962 Corvair spider. I was schooled very well on changing oil every 3000 miles and a five minute start up and shut down procedures. If one came off the highway and the turbo was red hot, it took fifteen minutes idling to cool down so as not to cook the oil. I never had any problems with the engine.
Reliability problems topic starts at 24:27.
Thank you
@@paquesepas6696 My pleasure! ☺
more moving parts in a cars engine bay = more things that can potentially go wrong
it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out
In today's age, the question is more so what has more moving parts / increased complexity
(1) a turbo 4 cylinder engine or (2) a naturally aspirated V6 but with cylinder deactivation, mild hybrid system or start/stop
@@chibbyylolvery true, a single turbocharger really just has one moving part. Even a regular DOHC V-configuration engine has two additional cams, all the associated valves and valve springs, potentially an extra chain or belt along with tensioners, extra injectors, plugs, catalytic converter etc.
@@chibbyylolNot a fan of turbos personally but you have a valid point. I would love to see some type of study with all the different technologies used to improve efficiency and how they affect reliability/longevity.
It's not rocket appliances
yet hybrids are way more complicated then turbos, yet hybrids last significantly longer. sounds like you need to re-think your argument there bud.
As a DIYer, this Chanel continues to urn me into a bonafide mechanic all while growing a passion to work on cars. In my case, Toyota 4X4s.
I personally wouldn't buy anything with a turbo myself but if you do you had better make damn sure that thing is covered under your warranty.
I agree! If I need power from my Corolla, I downshift and punch it. Naturally aspirated and I love it!
AMD. Like everything else in the automotive world, there are going to be good turbochargers, average turbochargers and bad turbochargers. One thing all 1,170,000 of us can agree on is that turbos require a 'boost' in maintenance frequency. 😉
Long time watcher and Toyota nut for the last 15 years .Thank you for your advice we own CVT Corolla and I have an RZ Camry. Love both cars.Had a 90s Corolla manual before and an old Camry 2Lt. Toyota fan for life!
You were reading my mind ! I’ve been hoping you would talk about this !! ❤thank you !😊
The difference in used oil between my old Honda v6 after 5k miles and my Honda turbo 4cyl after 3k miles is shocking. The cashier at the auto parts store where I dump oil assumed I didn't keep up with oil changes because it smells horrible. I'm not planning to keep the turbo car past 60k miles... it doesn't even get very good gas mileage and the start/stop is annoying. Sad to say, this is car feels disposable. As always, thanks for the great video CCN!
What honda vehicle do you have with the turbo? Also do you have the option to turn the auto start/stop feature off?
I don't understand the point of it, was thinking of the RDX but it gets terrible gas mileage. Somehow toyota can make a non-turbo 4 cylinder that gets 35mpg... went with the RAV4. I don't care if it is a boomer car.
I get 23-24mpg in the RDX, mostly highway. First 1000 miles was 20-22 mpg. Stop/Start can be disabled with a button, but must be pressed every time the car is started. I haven't tested it explicitly for mpg, but it seems to make little difference in my case. I feel the safety risk of losing all power while stopped in an intersection waiting to turn is not worth it. I don't want to be distracted toggling it on and off.
Rav4 seems like a good choice, maybe my brother will get one... I'd love it if they made it quieter. I drove the hybrid crv, and the drivetrain was not acceptable to me with 4 adults in the car... hard to judge the power delivery.
@@EverythingIsPhysics were both honda vehicles the rdx? One of them a v6 and the other turbo 4 cylinder?
@@JohnnyBoy919 turbo 4 is RDX, the v6 is a tlx prev model (this engine has a recall that I'm still waiting for...). I've learned not to take good drivetrains for granted!
Oh my, The Car Care Nut you just took me back to school where I learnt about engines. Very very educational, you are the man and I thank you. I have learnt a lot about turbos.
One of the reasons why I have decided to go with a Rav4 2.5L NA instead of a Honda CR-V 1.5T.
I do like that Honda has their turbos mounted at the front of the engine. Plenty of air flow to supplement the oil and coolant and easy of access.
Turbo 101 from Prof. AMD, love it, thanks
Best explanation on RUclips when it comes to the subject matter of turbo engines/FI. Great calm teacher as well. Love it!
Everyone who says they’ll never buy anything with a turbo is giving “old man shakes fist at cloud”
Oil changes every 5k and now 3k and 190k miles on original turbo/engine and still runs great.
Thank you, I’m about to buy my first car with a 2.4L turbo. I really didn’t know what this meant or how to take care of it of it. Thanks for educating us newbies on how to maintain it and get the most miles out of it. 😄
It's simple. With turbo-charging, manufacturers can get more horsepower out of smaller displacement engines. That's the why.
Will they be reliable? If:
1) Engine components are made more robust to withstand the additional loading.
2) Cooling systems are sufficient to dissipate the additional heat.
3) People change the oil often enough to protect the higher temperature, higher stress engines.
4) People allow the turbo-charger to cool off before shutting down the engine.
That's alot of ifs.
1. Turbo engines are overbuilt to handle additional stresses from boost. 2. All modern turbo engines are built with the cooling necessary for boost. 3. Yes, oil change intervals shouldn't be ignored on a turbo engines, but that's true of naturally aspirated engines too. 4. No need to allow the engine/turbo to cool on modern turbo cars. They continue to pump coolant and/or oil through the turbo automatically after the engine is shut off when it was being run under heavy load. You no longer need to worry about coking on the turbo compressor/turbine shaft. Today's turbo engines are almost bulletproof.
AMDexplained the manufacturer’s motivation to turbocharge - - tighter emissions standards. Thanks to our over-reaching EPA and our bloated government.
@@TXAG81 Yet turbocharged engines were popular since the 1990s when emissions standards were nothing like they are today. Turbos give smaller, more economical engines big power when you need it, but good economy when you don't. That's always been the purpose of turbo engines.
Moral of the story is just stay away from turbos unless you’re a semi truck driver😂
@@Japplesnap Are you absolutely certain on that 4th point of yours? I'm pretty sure that shutting down an engine while the exhaust manifolds are still glowing is a really bad idea. Still, you may very well be right because otherwise every yahoo that drives his car hard would destroy the turbos in the first week.
Turbocharged engines can be perfectly reliable if they’re built to last. I have a 1983 Mercedes W123 300D Turbo Diesel with half a million miles on the original engine, much of which has been run on waste vegetable oil and with a compound sequential turbo set up (bigger turbo feeds directly into smaller sequential turbo for better efficiency & power).
In my opinion, turbo on a diesel is a perfect marriage, turbo on a gas engine, not so much. I prefer larger displacement running direct injection with high compression on a gas engine for longer life and lower long term expense.
Dr Car Care Nut
Should be teaching in universities!
It’s one thing to have so much knowledge about something, but to be able to convey that knowledge, experience, wisdom in such detail and in a way that the simplest person can walk away knowing everything about the subject….is absolutely an art, a craft that this man does very, very well!
Thank you for sharing
tunedbyai AI fixes this. Turbo engines offer performance, reliability.
More parts, more chance to break. That's the rule I live by
Simply put you are correct. The less parts usually the better and simpler