Proper Care and Maintenance for Your Turbocharger

Posted on: 14 January 2019

An aftermarket turbocharger can significantly improve your vehicle's performance by utilizing exhaust fumes to generate more power. Many turbochargers are installed as aftermarket parts, which can make the process of adding a turbocharger to your vehicle quite costly.

It's important that you know how to properly maintain and care for your turbocharger in order to maximize its lifespan in the future.

Always Warm Up Your Car

One of the most simple things that you can do to improve the performance of your turbocharger is give your vehicle time to warm up before you put it into drive and take off. Since exhaust fumes power the turbocharger, you need to give your vehicle time to circulate oil throughout the engine and exhaust system.

Waiting just a few minutes after turning your key could extend the life of an aftermarket turbocharger significantly.

Use Synthetic Engine Oil

The type of oil that you put into your vehicle can have a direct impact on the performance of your turbocharger. The turbocharger relies on engine oil to help dissipate the heat generated by the exhaust-powered turbine.

The added strain a turbocharger places on engine oil reserves can cause the oil to break down a lot faster than it normally might. Synthetic oil products are more durable and robust than their non-synthetic counterparts, so you should only use synthetic engine oil in a vehicle equipped with a turbocharger.

Cool Down Your Vehicle

Just as it is important to warm up your vehicle before driving it, you need to give the vehicle time to cool down before you turn off the engine after a long drive. The longer you operate your vehicle, the hotter the turbocharger will become. Engine oil needs time to circulate through the turbocharger and dissipate heat.

If you just turn off your engine immediately after parking, you run the risk of having your vehicle's engine oil cook into a sludge. Giving the vehicle time to cool allows enough oil to circulate through the turbocharger to bring it to an acceptable temperature for shutdown.

Caring for a vehicle with a turbocharger requires that you pay close attention to the performance of your vehicle You can extend the life of the vehicle's turbocharger by opting to warm up and cool down your vehicle and keep the reservoir tank filled with synthetic oil. Take action to help preserve your aftermarket turbocharger so that it can continue to function well into the future.

If you do not yet have a turbocharger, look into purchasing one, such as a Dodge Cummins 5.9 Upgrade Turbocharger, for example.

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