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reading these comments shows me that the many people still think that manufacturers just build an engine and go "what the hell, just bolt a turbo on it!"
They aren't less reliable and really don't require anymore maintenance(I really cant think of anymore maintenance Ive had to do simply because it was a turbo motor). Ive got 194k miles on my 03 WRX and I can guarantee you Ive spent way less on non-maintenance repairs than a lot of NA Subaru owners have(especially 98-06 owners with the 2.5 motor). Like any other car, as long as you follow your maintenance intervals, the car should last a long time.
that being said, I don't really have a preference. Ive got an LL Bean Outback with 3.0 6cyl in it and really like that engine(just don't like the 5EAT that's paired with it)
I put 300k miles over 17 years on a 2001 VW turbo diesel with no issues. Have a NA car that replaced it with similar power, but it's less enjoyable to drive and worse economy (though, gas vs diesel is unfair). Went from an NA truck to a turbo van (Ford Ecoboost), holy smokes does that van have WAY more hauling/towing guts with better fuel economy.
Turbos are proven reliable so long as you're not a complete moron and drive the vehicles right (mostly, just allowing the darn thing to cool off after pushing it hard, and knowing not to push it so hard that it eats itself) and don't do "mods" that cause the things to fail early. Too many benefits to turbos to ignore them.
You do not have to worry about the modern turbos like you did the old ones. You cannot hurt the modern ones easily today.
reading these comments shows me that the many people still think that manufacturers just build an engine and go "what the hell, just bolt a turbo on it!"
They aren't less reliable and really don't require anymore maintenance(I really cant think of anymore maintenance Ive had to do simply because it was a turbo motor). Ive got 194k miles on my 03 WRX and I can guarantee you Ive spent way less on non-maintenance repairs than a lot of NA Subaru owners have(especially 98-06 owners with the 2.5 motor). Like any other car, as long as you follow your maintenance intervals, the car should last a long time.
that being said, I don't really have a preference. Ive got an LL Bean Outback with 3.0 6cyl in it and really like that engine(just don't like the 5EAT that's paired with it)
Even without problems, I assume you are following Subaru directives to change the synthetic every 3500 miles on turbos. There's an expense I don't miss now that my XT is someone else's car. I loved my Subie, and may at some point buy another, but from timing belts to turbos, to oil changes, to banjo bolts, head gaskets, etc. it was more expensive on maintenance than my NA F150.
Even without problems, I assume you are following Subaru directives to change the synthetic every 3500 miles on turbos. There's an expense I don't miss now that my XT is someone else's car. I loved my Subie, and may at some point buy another, but from timing belts to turbos, to oil changes, to banjo bolts, head gaskets, etc. it was more expensive on maintenance than my NA F150.
Its important to know the reason why the turbo failed because you may fit a new or refurbished turbo that could fail through an underlying fault. Below are some of the main reasons for turbos to fail:
Cracks and Poor Seals. A turbo uses forced gases to push back into the cylinders and if there is a crack or faulty seal, some of that gas will be lost. Pipes leading to the turbo often crack overtime and is fairly common.
Old Age or Heavy Use. As with any other car component, everything has a life span and the turbocharger is no exception. If you have driven over 100,000 miles on the factory turbo and suffering turbo problems, it probably needs replacing.
Poor Oil Quality Forming Carbon Deposits. The oil should be changed at every service and as regularly as possible using the best synthetic motor oil where possible. Lack of oil changes can result in a build up of carbon deposits entering the turbocharger.
Objects Entering the Turbo. Dust, stones, leaves and other small objects can find there way into the turbo via the compressor or turbine inlets. This will cause damage to the blades inside the turbo and eventually wear down the turbo until it breaks.
Not Letting the Turbo Cool Down. After a long drive or aggressive driving, you should never switch the engine straight off. Always let the engine idle for a minute or so. Otherwise the turbo will be deprived of fresh oil as its spooling down. Overtime this will cause unwanted stress to the turbocharger.
I prefer NA over turbo. Less to break, easier to fix. Small engines with turbo tend to run at high RPM and pretty hot as well. Thus, the entire engine is more abused and more likely to have problems. I also prefer V8 engines (or V12). They run smoother and generally have more low end torque. There are of course exceptions to all of these things.
Even without problems, I assume you are following Subaru directives to change the synthetic every 3500 miles on turbos. There's an expense I don't miss now that my XT is someone else's car. I loved my Subie, and may at some point buy another, but from timing belts to turbos, to oil changes, to banjo bolts, head gaskets, etc. it was more expensive on maintenance than my NA F150.
nope, every 5k miles here. Also, if you had to do headgaskets on your turbo Subaru, you were just unlucky. The turbo motors, even the old ones, did not have the widespread HG failures that some of the generations of the NA 2.5 motors did. And most turbo Subarus dont experience premature turbo failure, just some of the earlier 2.5 turbo motors(which was easily remedied by removing the banjo bolt filter). And yeah, I do like having the timing chain on my H6 over the belt on my WRX but Ive done two timing belt changes for a grand total of about $1k, and that includes parts. Kind of a drop in the bucket over 194k miles and 15 years.
Not Letting the Turbo Cool Down. After a long drive or aggressive driving, you should never switch the engine straight off. Always let the engine idle for a minute or so. Otherwise the turbo will be deprived of fresh oil as its spooling down. Overtime this will cause unwanted stress to the turbocharger.
this isnt really valid on most turbo cars now. Heck, this is from FHI way back in 2002(when the WRX first hit the US market).
"2002MY WRX TURBO COOL DOWN PROCEDURE
FHI's position regarding this is that it is not necessary to perform a "cool down/idling" procedure, as was recommended with past turbo models. Our current 2.0L turbo engine has a far greater cooling capacity and, coupled with technology advances, makes this practice no longer necessary. This explains why information about cool down is not included in the 2002MY Impreza Owner's Manual.
The heat contained in the turbo charger will begin to vaporize the coolant at the turbo charger after the engine is stopped. This hot vapor will then enter the coolant reservoir tank which is the highest point of the coolant system. At the same time the vapor exits the turbo charger, coolant supplied from the right bank cylinder head flows into the turbo. This action cools the turbo charger down. This process will continue until the vaporizing action in the turbo charger has stopped or cooled down."
this isnt really valid on most turbo cars now. Heck, this is from FHI way back in 2002(when the WRX first hit the US market).
"2002MY WRX TURBO COOL DOWN PROCEDURE
FHI's position regarding this is that it is not necessary to perform a "cool down/idling" procedure, as was recommended with past turbo models. Our current 2.0L turbo engine has a far greater cooling capacity and, coupled with technology advances, makes this practice no longer necessary. This explains why information about cool down is not included in the 2002MY Impreza Owner's Manual.
The heat contained in the turbo charger will begin to vaporize the coolant at the turbo charger after the engine is stopped. This hot vapor will then enter the coolant reservoir tank which is the highest point of the coolant system. At the same time the vapor exits the turbo charger, coolant supplied from the right bank cylinder head flows into the turbo. This action cools the turbo charger down. This process will continue until the vaporizing action in the turbo charger has stopped or cooled down."
My 2017 VW circulates oil through the turbo after the engine is shut down... But not coolant. After driving hard I do let it idle for about 30 seconds but I wonder if I should really be doing that every time I drive
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