What to do if you are having a Turbo Problem

Jun 03, 2022 Turbo Direct SA, Chris Kambouris, diagnosing turbo problems

What to do if you are having a Turbo Problem

By Chris Kambouris Turbo Direct SA Founder and CEO

This could well be the turbocharger itself, or perhaps something within the engine causing the problem so it needs to be checked first before replacing the turbocharger, many turbos can be repaired, and parts replaced. 

Many vehicle owners and workshops have little knowledge of turbochargers and the correct procedure in troubleshooting and identifying the problems and true causes of turbo failures, so it is advisable to get expert advice from officially trained personnel. This is invariably from the company that holds the official agency for all the brands of turbochargers installed as original equipment OE into the vehicle. 

The OE turbocharger fitted to the vehicle when it was displayed on the showroom floor can be replaced, at approximately 50% less than the vehicle agents charge for the identical unit. This excludes cars that are still under warranty - as they may or may not have the cars turbo covered in their service or maintenance plan. 

What usually happens to the out of warranty vehicles is that the car will arrive at the workshop and several things could happen.

1. The turbo is replaced at excessive cost, without checking what caused the turbo to fail in the first place - which could be several reasons originating from the engine itself. Without an accurate diagnosis, the turbo problem could well still exist with the replacement of the new unit, causing another expensive failure.

2. Without an accurate diagnosis of the failure, the turbo could be repaired with replacement parts, with a lack of the correct experience, knowledge, and equipment and this could be a recipe for disaster, leading to yet another failed turbocharger and/or engine, intercooler and related sensors in its path should the turbocharger fail catastrophically. 

3. The owner will find a new cheap Chinese knock-off turbo which is manufactured to incorrect tolerances and/or materials which will not last another service life, costing him/her more money in the short term. Often these turbochargers do not include any form of warranty, and where warranty claims are processed, the result is a “report” claiming dirty oil, foreign object damage, lack of lubrication and so on – never have we seen a warranty being honored by the knock off importers due to their extreme lack of knowledge about turbochargers in the first place. 

4. Other bad options are fitting a reconditioned/service exchange unit which has not been reassembled with genuine parts. Or the unit has essentially been media blasted (sand blasted) and your old parts have been sold back to you (this is in essence what a service exchange turbocharger consists of) In the case of VNT (variable nozzle turbine aka variable geometry) turbochargers,  

TurboDirect S.A have direct access to Genuine VNT parts direct from the manufacturer, guaranteeing you the very same part replacement as used in the first fitment to your brand new vehicle. The equipment and intellectual property related to the calibration of these types of turbochargers are not published into the public sector, and because of this, no original repair parts are available for the repair of these turbos. This includes 99% of the diesel-powered passenger vehicle and bakkies on our roads today. 

We have invested in the most advanced electronic test benches in the world, including the design of our own in-house manufactured test rigs which are able to provide critical operational information about the turbocharger, which we utilize in ALL VNT repairs we conduct, making the difference between a reliable, renewed service life and another expensive turbocharger failure. 

5. Some turbo repairers may use Chinese copied internal parts inside the turbocharger to repair/recon or build a service exchange turbocharger. Beware of repaired, service exchange turbochargers for passenger vehicles utilizing any form of variable geometry technology, contact us for a list of reputable turbo repair outlets and fitment workshops in your area who are registered with the TRO (Turbo remanufacturers organization). 

The solution is to obtain the correct technical information from the officially appointed importers and agents for the specific turbocharger. Ensure that the diagnosis of the failure is obtained from qualified persons with the technical expertise, training, and qualifications before proceeding any further. This diagnosis will determine the path to rectifying the problem and may involve additional work to the engine prior to repair or replacement.

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• Turbo Direct SA, Chris Kambouris, diagnosing turbo problems