How To Clean a Turbo Without Removing It | car care tips (2023)

FAQs

What is the best product to clean turbo? ›

JLM Turbo Cleaner is one of the best Turbo Cleaners available on the market right now. It is an inexpensive product, easy to use and removes dirt and soot extremely effectively.

Cleaning your turbo prevents you from replacing it ! Over time, carbon deposits accumulate and the engine efficiency decreases as the consumption increases. With Bardahl products, you will prevent your turbo from seizure. Cleaning a turbo is within everybody's reach!

However, for cleaning your exhaust gas recirculation valves specifically, we recommend using an EGR valve cleaner spray. For gasoline engines, we recommend Wynn's 28679 turbo cleaner spray.

Machine-wash is possible but always use a wash bag, a delicate cycle and lukewarm water (max. 30° C).

A clean rag can be used temporarily to block the intake port but it is crucial that it is removed before reassembly. The finest of dust, sand and dirt particles can have a severe impact on the turbo, causing pitting, scoring or even total fracture of the compressor wheel fins that could result in catastrophic failure.

Most failures are caused by the three 'turbo killers' of oil starvation, oil contamination and foreign object damage. More than 90% of turbocharger failures are caused oil related either by oil starvation or oil contamination. Blocked or leaking pipes or lack of priming on fitting usually causes oil starvation.

Wynn's® Turbo Cleaner effectively removes deposit buildup from the compressor wheel and the turbine without dismantling. Use this valuable formula to extend the life of the turbo, remove deposit buildup and restore lost fuel economy. Wynn's® Turbo Cleaner is formulated for both diesel and gasoline turbocharged engines.

High Mileage Fuel Injector Cleaner

It's safe to use in turbocharged and supercharged vehicles. Best of all, there's no need to use it with every tank; it's recommended once every 3000 miles.

Clogs and blockages are often caused by poor or insufficient maintenance and/or lubrication, which can lead to leaks, increased oil pressure, engine block damage and other problems.

Does dirty oil affect turbo? ›

Similarly to Foreign Object Impact and oil starvation, oil contamination can cause rapid and total turbocharger failure.

Neglecting the engine air filter in a turbocharged vehicle could result in catastrophic failure of the turbocharger system. This failure could happen as a result of foreign object damage or extreme heat – both of which would likely involve a severely clogged engine air filter.

What causes turbo whistle? Turbo whistle is the sound of the compressor inside the turbocharger speeding up (also known as 'spooling up', which is why it kicks in at the boost threshold (when the turbo starts to kick in) as you accelerate up the rev range.

Lubrication is essential for turbochargers, which rotate at extremely high speeds to boost the engine's power by forcing more air into the combustion chamber.

What is carbon cleaning? Carbon cleaning is a process of removing soot, or carbon, from your engine. These deposits, made of unburnt hydrocarbons end up clogging your engine as well as other parts such as the EGR valve, Particulate Filter or even the turbocharger.

However, if you start to hear a loud, whining noise - a bit like a dentist's drill or police siren - it's a potential symptom of turbo failure. As the fault gets more serious, the noise will get worse. If you notice a whining from your engine, you should get a professional mechanic to have a look at your car.

Ideally, your turbocharger should last roughly the same time as your vehicle. Specifically, most turbochargers need replacement between 100,000 to 150,000 miles. If you stay on top of car maintenance and scheduled oil changes, your turbocharger can potentially last beyond that.

The short answer is that you can still drive your car with a blown or damaged turbo. However, the longer you drive it in this state, the more damage the engine will have and the more expensive repair bill you will get.

Engines with high compression ratios or turbochargers often require high octane fuel found in premium gas for optimal performance and fuel efficiency. However, the majority of cars on the road today are optimized to run on regular gas.

No. today's turbochargers are designed to last the lifespan of the vehicle. The truth is, boosted engines require the same amount of maintenance and care that a naturally aspirated engine does. Does a turbocharger decrease the life of an engine?

How does turbo Cleaner work? ›

This product is applied through the air inlet and is a strong cleaner. This quickly and drastically removes all soot, carbon and other contamination. This product is often used for performance cars make the cars run smoother in gas consumption and to get as much power out of the engine as possible.

The trade-off is that turbocharged engines have a higher compression ratio than non-turbo engines. That means they're more prone to detonation and more likely to need premium gas.

However, remember this: when a premium fuel engine runs on regular fuel, there's a risk of combustion of the fuel mix before the spark plug even lights up. This causes a phenomenon called knocking, which is likely to damage the engine.

Turbocharged engines do need to cool down before they are turned off. But in nearly all driving conditions, the engine does not reach temperatures that require a deliberate cooling down period.

Drive your car gently for the last minute or two of the drive, or let the car idle afterwards for at least 60 seconds. By letting it run. the oil will continue to circulate and cool down the turbo. One of the main reasons your turbo will die is because of oil “coking”.

Do not use Sea Foam Spray on a turbo-diesel engine (TDI)

Sea Foam works to safely dissolve harmful deposits from fuel injectors, intake valves, and chamber areas after years of untreated buildup. It works very well to overcome performance problems caused by fuel residues and deposits.

For the first dose, simply install when you have a full tank of gas. It's that simple. From there, many experts will probably tell you that you should add a fuel injector cleaner to your gasoline every time you fill your tank up.

The turbine in the turbocharger usually spins at speeds between 80,000 and 200,000 rotations per minute (rpm) — that's up to 30 times faster than most car engines can go. And since it is hooked up to the exhaust, the turbine also runs at very high temperatures.

Turbocharged engines do need to cool down before they are turned off. But in nearly all driving conditions, the engine does not reach temperatures that require a deliberate cooling-down period. Switching off when the engine is very hot stops the circulation of oil.

Do you need to warm up a turbo car? ›

1: Warm your car up before driving – let the engine run and bring the oil up to temperature. “Absolutely. If you're concerned about the age of your car, or you've modified it, that would be a sensible thing to consider.” 2: Don't switch the engine off immediately – let it cool down.

Service it regularly

As part of your service, make sure they change the oil (using suitable, high-grade oil) and replace the oil filter, to help protect your turbo from damage through oil contamination. *Tip* Prime the turbo and purge all the air from the oil system as you would when fitting a new or replacement turbo.

Most modern turbochargers employ a plain bearing system to control main shaft movement and oil is needed to lubricate these two components. The bearings rely on a film of motor oil under high-pressure to support the main shaft while ensuring that there is no contact between the shaft and the turbo housing.

An industry leader in proven turbo performance

Mobil 1 oils are setting the standard for turbocharged engine performance and protection. For years, ExxonMobil has run its own Thin Film Oxidation Test, which simulates a turbocharger's harsh operating environment.

"With its superior resistance to deterioration, AAA's findings indicate that synthetic oil is particularly beneficial to newer vehicles with turbocharged engines and for vehicles that frequently drive in stop-and-go traffic, tow heavy loads or operate in extreme hot or cold conditions."

When soot, carbon, rust and other forms of corrosion build up in the turbine housing, it can cause the vanes that direct exhaust gasses across the turbine wheel to seize up. Depending on which position the vanes get stuck in, you'll either have great response down low but no top-end power, or vice-versa.

Sticking Vanes

The VNT Turbo Vanes will close thereby giving a rapid boost and response time. They also lower the LAG prone to the wastegate type turbochargers.

The vulcanised rubber though can revert back to it's original state under certain conditions. It happens when the stronger polymer crosslinks get snipped and the molecules revert back into their original small chains. Once that happens you're stuck with rubber that has become sticky and tacky.

Lubrication is essential for turbochargers, which rotate at extremely high speeds to boost the engine's power by forcing more air into the combustion chamber.

How do you tell if a turbo is seized? ›

Neglecting the engine air filter in a turbocharged vehicle could result in catastrophic failure of the turbocharger system. This failure could happen as a result of foreign object damage or extreme heat – both of which would likely involve a severely clogged engine air filter.