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View Full Version : How long does a turbo usually last...


bNorrish
06-05-2000, 04:12 PM
I got a 86 lancer w/ turbo from my parents. It has 140,000 miles on it... is that turbo still doing anything or has it died and gone to auto heaven?
Apex
06-05-2000, 04:49 PM
Matters how well it was taken care of. They can last well over 140k if warmed/cooled down correctly, and synthetics were used and replaced in regular intervals. Luckily for you, TD05/16G's are readily available, bolt on, cheap, and VERY powerful.
bNorrish
06-05-2000, 05:33 PM
I am sorry, but what is a TD05/16G???
Apex
06-05-2000, 06:07 PM
It's an upgraded turbo made by mitsubishi. It has a max hp rating of about 360-380hp or so to the crank on a 2 liter 4.
ipr_rob
06-05-2000, 07:57 PM
If you maintain the car well, the turbo(s) should last pretty long. That means using good oil and oil filter. Avoiding overboost will also decrease engine/turbo wear.
ipr_rob
06-05-2000, 07:59 PM
If you maintain the car well, the turbo(s) should last pretty long. That means using good oil and oil filter. Avoiding overboost will also decrease engine/turbo wear.
StarvingCollegeStudent
06-06-2000, 12:37 AM
Best way to maintain a turbo is to get a blowoff valve, oil cooler, turbo timer, and synthetic oil every oil change @3000 miles max. If you do all that, the turbo will last as long as the engine.
gsx292
06-06-2000, 11:01 AM
If it's an 86, I would take it in and get the turbo checked out. It could have cracks or not out performing it's potential. I have an 95 eclipse gsx and turbo seems to lag nowadays.
bNorrish
06-06-2000, 08:45 PM
Thanks for all the info. I havn't really been following most of your suggestions, so I am guessing my turbo is no more. I hear from friends that if you have a turbo, its bad to turn your car off fast (right after you come to a stop) because it will keep spinning for a while, but no oil will be pumped to it. Any truth to this?... or are they just blowing hot air...
speedracer120
06-06-2000, 11:23 PM
You gotta cool down your turbo before turning off the car. You must.
abatardi
06-07-2000, 08:03 AM
the turbo needs a good supply of oil to it to calm down after driving. you can get a thing called a turbo cooler or a turbo timer. it's a little unit that is mounted on your dash and you can keep your engine running at idle for however many minutes you set it to after you turn it off so that the turbo chargers are supplied with oil long enough to cool down.
oksys
06-26-2000, 12:19 AM
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I have a 1987 Mazda 626 GT. It has a 2.0L engine with a turbo. At around 140,000 miles on it, the turbo went. We kept it well maintained with oil/filter changes and always trying to use the cool down period.

At 140k, I had it replaced and it ran very well until around 180k until my brother 'borrowed' the car. When I got it back from him with around 210k on it, I took it for a drive and immediately noticed that the turbo wasn't kicking in as it used to. So, somewhere in that time, the 2nd turbo went out, or just stopped producing as much boost.

I would love to replace the turbo and get that 'throw you back in your seat" effect again, but it isn't worth the money, and putting a brand new turbo on it would probably just blow the engine.
wga22
07-06-2000, 08:54 PM
What is cooling down a turbo before shutting off?
coleslaw
07-06-2000, 11:44 PM
i'm not into mod'ed cars or anything like that. i was just curious as to what exactly a turbo mechanism is... is it a flywheel with high rotational inertia? someone said that it keeps spinning after you turn your car off, so that was my guess. if anyone attempts to enlighten me, plesae remember that you are talking to an engineer and not a mechanic. http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
blxmjx
07-07-2000, 09:56 AM
Cooling down your turbo means to let your car idle after you've been driving before shutting it off. The harder you've been driving the longer you let it idle. Under normal driving I usually set my turbo timer for about 1 minute. If I've been driving my truck real hard I set it longer maybe 3-5 minutes. The turbo timer allows the vehicle to keep idling for a predetermined time with your key out of the ignition. The reason for idling the car is to allow your oil to cool down and recirculate through the turbo to prevent turbo coking which decreases the life of your turbo. Thats probably a lot more than you wanted to know, sorry.
blxmjx
07-07-2000, 10:01 AM
Coleslaw, I turbo is something that is bolted to your exhaust manifold of your vehicle. It uses the spent exhaust gases from your vehicle to spin a turbine wheel which supplies your motor with a nice amount of forced induced air. This extra amount of air when coupled with the proper amount of fuel equates to more power. The problem with this air is it is extremely hot. That is why proper intercooling is necessary to achieve desired horsepower gains. I wasn't sure I you wanted the simplistic or technical explanation so I went with simplistic.