What are the symptoms of a faulty car turbocharger?
2 Answers
Symptoms of a faulty car turbocharger: blue or white smoke from the exhaust pipe, decreased power, increased fuel consumption, higher oil consumption, unstable turbo pressure, abnormal noises, high water temperature, unstable engine speed, and ineffective turbocharging effect. Here is additional information: 1. Poor sealing of the turbocharger impeller shaft: Symptoms: Blue smoke from the exhaust at idle, varying in intensity. No blue smoke while driving, but oil consumption is noticeable. 2. Severe clogging of the exhaust gas recirculation pipe: Symptoms: Blue smoke from the exhaust at idle and while driving, worsening when accelerating, with significant oil consumption. 3. Wear or aging of piston rings, cylinder walls, or valve stem seals: Symptoms: Heavy blue smoke from the vehicle, abnormal noises from the turbocharger turbine end, and oil leakage from the turbocharger turbine end. 4. Cracked turbocharger air duct: Symptoms: Abnormal 'fluttering' noises when accelerating or decelerating.
Last time my car had a turbocharger failure, which gave me a real headache. Driving felt like dragging a rock, with sluggish acceleration when stepping on the gas. Overtaking used to be easy, but now it takes several seconds to respond. On the highway, I heard a sharp whistling sound, really piercing, like metal scraping. When parked, blue smoke came from the exhaust with a burning oil smell, and fuel consumption skyrocketed from around 8 liters per 100 km to over 10 liters. Turbo lag was especially severe at low speeds, making starts painfully slow. Although the dashboard showed no warning lights, the engine sound was off. A friend suggested checking the lubrication system, saying oil passage blockage might have damaged the turbo. Delaying repairs could affect the engine too, leading to even costlier fixes. In short, symptoms include power loss, abnormal noises, blue smoke, and high fuel consumption—getting it fixed ASAP is the best move.
