What are the symptoms of a broken turbocharger?
2 Answers
When a car's turbocharger fails, the symptoms include: decreased vehicle power, incomplete fuel combustion, severe carbon buildup in the engine, increased fuel consumption, burning engine oil, blue or black smoke from the exhaust pipe, engine shaking, and a sharp noise during rapid acceleration. Here are the specific reasons for these symptoms: 1. Blue smoke during driving or idling is due to poor sealing of the turbocharger impeller shaft; 2. Increased fuel consumption or higher engine oil consumption is caused by severe blockage of the engine's exhaust gas recirculation pipe; 3. Abnormal engine noise during driving accompanied by significant blue smoke from the exhaust pipe is due to wear or aging of the piston rings, cylinder walls, or valve seals; 4. Abnormal noise when accelerating or decelerating is caused by a cracked turbocharger air duct.
Hey, I just had a turbo issue! The most obvious symptom was the sudden loss of power. Even with the pedal to the metal, the tachometer climbed sluggishly, but the speed wouldn't increase, making overtaking particularly dangerous. It felt like driving an old naturally aspirated car—the previous sense of acceleration was completely gone. If you listen carefully, you can also notice abnormalities: sharp metallic grinding noises from the engine bay or hissing sounds like air leaking. Turbocharged cars already consume more oil, but if you suddenly notice the oil level dropping unusually fast, along with some blue smoke from the exhaust, it's likely the turbo's oil seals are failing, causing oil burning. In the worst cases, the dashboard will light up the engine warning light, as the electronic system detects insufficient turbo boost pressure and triggers an alert. If you smell a burning odor, stop the car immediately—it could mean the turbo is severely overheating.
