Normally, the turbocharged engines you have in your car differ slightly from one another. The power output of turbocharged engines is considerably increased by forcing air into the engine through forced induction. Turbocharged engines must be designed to withstand greater internal pressure since air is pumped into them.
Most people don’t have an inkling of an idea of what a turbocharger is, especially when it comes to buying cars. All Nigerian drivers care about is the flex bit they don’t know, especially if they aren’t car enthusiasts who get into the nitty-gritty details of the cars they own. That is why most won’t even pay attention to the speed they can have with a turbocharged engine, which is available in most performance and luxury cars these days. Do you know which luxury car is equipped to give you enough speed to leave other cars eating your dust? Or for those who treat cars as pets, it can run in a Formula 1 race; we are sure you are doubting us, but we assure you that most turbocharged engines. That’s why you need to know more about them.
So what else sets turbocharged engines apart? What else should you be aware of if you intend to purchase a vehicle with a turbocharged engine?
- They work effectively up in the air
You may or may not be aware that engine performance is influenced by altitude. A naturally aspirated engine will perform worse if you reside in a high-altitude region since it requires more air to produce the same amount of horsepower than it would at a lower altitude. This finally means that a normally aspirated engine loses horsepower as you increase altitude.
You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that turbocharged engines will actually create more power at high elevations if you live in a high-altitude region. What this means is that It performs better if such a turbocharger is used in the air; while they have been designed for use in cars, they are at their optimum when they are flying.
- Plan on Paying For Premium Petrol
The typical Nigerian fuel contains impurities, and this isn’t going for your turbocharged engine, and one thing to know is that the typical filling stations you see around don’t usually provide premium gasoline because it is what is sold from the pump, which is available. The majority of turbocharged engines demand premium gasoline. Stick with a non-turbocharged car if you don’t want to pay the extra money, and that is even if you see any filling stations carrying it. Because of the elevated pressures inside the engine, having a turbocharged engine increases the risk of engine knock. The higher the octane of gasoline, the lower the likelihood of engine knock and misfires; hence, premium fuel is utilised to help with this.
- Turbocharged cars can get better gas mileage
You may or may not know that turbocharged cars can provide better gas mileage than a comparable naturally aspirated car. This is because air is being forced into the engine of the car, which allows the engine to breathe better, increasing gas mileage and the efficiency of the engine at low volumes.
However, if you always have your engine at high RPMs and in boost, this will actually decrease your gas mileage and the engine will use more fuel. The fact is, the more you run your engine at the higher range, the more gasoline it will consume. It’s ultimately down to how you drive if you can expect to see an increase in gas mileage by going to a turbocharged engine.
- Turbocharged engines are less reliable
This is a definite failure when it comes to cars with turbocharged engines; it would dissuade most people from even getting one. But they aren’t reliable. While turbocharged engines are designed to withstand more internal pressure than a naturally aspirated engine, they also have more parts than a naturally aspirated engines. The more parts that you have, the more chance there is for something to go wrong.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t outlier engines that, with regular maintenance, didn’t have any real issues over 200k miles. It really comes down to having more moving parts connected to your engine and the extra forces that come with turbocharging an engine.
- They are smaller internally
Turbocharged engines will typically have a smaller overall internal volume than a naturally aspirated engine with the same horsepower figures. This is because, with turbocharged engines, vehicle manufacturers are able to extract more horsepower from smaller engines. This, in turn, means that they can use smaller engines, which also have the added benefit of reducing weight.
- Turbocharged engines need extra upkeep
What you spend on your regular engine would be two times what you would spend on a turbocharged one. You should expect to take care of this engine if you want the best of it. More engine components also require more maintenance. The extra turbocharger will require more regular oil and spark plug changes, which will be part of the required maintenance.
Moreover, turbochargers can break down over time and require replacement. To keep the additional coolant clean and fluids fresh, additional intercoolers will also need maintenance. With time, extra coolant piping from the additional intercoolers may also begin to deteriorate, necessitating further costs for replacement.
- They Are More Efficient
Turbocharged engines are more efficient than naturally aspirated engines. An engine with a turbo is effectively having additional air pumped into the engine to compress the air within the engine cylinders, allowing the engine to produce more power overall.
If you drive a turbocharged car normally, you should notice an increase in gas mileage when compared to a similarly equipped non-turbocharged car. However, most people who buy a turbocharged car won’t be interested in driving efficiently.
Buying a turbocharger might seem like a headache already, but it does have its benefits. The only advice we would give is to ensure you are financially secure to be able to maintain and use the car for however long it is sustained.
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