Learn all about Turbo Engines

What are the most attractive features of cars? Speed ​​and power are in the eyes of many without a doubt, just look at TV shows or even movies about high-speed cars and you will realize it. This is in addition to car races and championships, which reflect the idea of ​​the great importance of the strength and speed of the car as a whole. However, when it comes to cars that use turbo engines , or even super sports cars, not everything associated with them is necessarily positive. There is a trend to reduce the machines’ fuel consumption and rely on less powerful engines, and here the turbo came as a solution to give the car the required power and speed when necessary, but the turbo engine also has drawbacks, and we will mention both advantages and disadvantages.

What is the role of the turbo in the car?

A turbocharger is a power booster device connected to a vehicle’s exhaust. The turbocharger has two separate ports, the exhaust, and the intake. The turbocharger shaft has a small turbine installed on both ends. There is one turbine in the exhaust port, and another in the intake port. Hot exhaust gases quickly exiting the engine spin the turbine into the exhaust port. The shaft transmits rotation to the intake turbine. The intake turbine pushes more air into the engine. As more air enters the engine, the car’s computer adds more fuel, which increases engine power. Well, that’s basically how it works, but what about the advantages and disadvantages?

A guide to Turbo engines

Turbo engines advantages

When the engine is turbocharged, it is theoretically smaller and lighter than an engine that produces the same power without a turbocharger. Therefore, a turbocharged car often offers better fuel economy in this regard. Plus, you get more power from the same smaller engine, which takes advantage of wasted exhaust gas, which means you don’t lose anything by relying on the turbo…
This is where the turbocharger gets another big advantage. When it works well, it can save fuel! Or at least that’s what car manufacturers claim, and since they burn fuel by consuming more oxygen, they usually burn fuel cleaner, resulting in less environmental pollution. It can be said that turbo engines are more environmentally friendly than ordinary ones.

Turbo engine disadvantages

We said you get more power with a turbocharger, right? Well, more energy means more energy is produced per second. This means that you have to put in more energy when using it. So you have to burn more fuel, even if you are saving fuel due to using a smaller engine. In theory, this means that an engine with a turbo is no more fuel-efficient than an engine without it. This may not be a fundamental flaw but it is something to keep in mind.
You may be wondering… why aren’t all engines turbocharged then if they can help with fuel consumption and make use of more power from the same engine? After all, more power for the same engine size sounds great on paper at least. Well, on one hand, we talked about the fuel consumption, which is not always good, especially when using a turbo that needs to burn more energy, and therefore there are better economical options than relying on a smaller engine equipped with the turbo.
Another very important note is reliability. When you add a turbo to an engine, you’re just adding another layer of mechanical complexity to an ordinary engine. So many things can get worse with additional breakdowns, and therefore they require maintenance more often, which means a higher operating cost. When you switch to a turbo, you want to get more out of the same engine, however, by having more you also get higher pressures and temperatures, which causes some parts to fail faster.

Are you looking for Turbo engines features? we hope that this article covered all of your questions! follow us on Motorwheels to get all the latest car listings, or on Motorwheels blog to read amazing blog posts weekly, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.