What are the symptoms of a broken turbocharger in a truck?
2 Answers
Truck turbocharger failure can cause symptoms such as engine weakness, black smoke from the exhaust pipe, oil burning, and oil shortage. If the turbocharger is broken, the truck should not continue to drive. If the turbocharger seal ring is damaged, exhaust gas will enter the engine lubrication system through the seal ring, contaminating the oil and rapidly increasing the crankcase pressure, leading to excessive oil consumption and oil burning. Relevant information about turbochargers is as follows: 1. Turbocharger: A piston-type aircraft engine uses a device to increase the intake pressure of the cylinders. Before entering the engine cylinders, the air is compressed by the turbocharger to increase its density, allowing more air to fill the cylinders and thereby increasing engine power. Engines equipped with turbochargers can not only output greater takeoff power but also improve altitude performance. 2. Automotive turbocharger: Turbocharging is a technology that compresses air before supplying it to the cylinders to increase air density and intake volume. The purpose is to increase air intake, enhance power, improve fuel economy, and reduce emissions.
I remember when the turbocharger failed once while I was driving a truck, the symptoms were unmistakable. The acceleration became terribly sluggish—stepping on the gas pedal all the way down barely did anything, especially noticeable when climbing hills. Plus, there was this weird whistling or humming noise coming from the engine bay, like something was struggling. Fuel consumption skyrocketed too; normally a full tank could cover 500 km, but it dropped to less than 400 km. After inspection, it turned out the turbo was leaking oil, burning it and producing blue smoke, which nearly damaged the engine. Ignoring it long-term could lead to other component failures like engine overheating. My advice? Get it checked at a proper repair shop immediately—delaying compromises safety and costs more. After replacing the turbo, the power returned just like new.
