GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I read on one of the tickers at the bottom of the screen during this mornings news broadcast that the domestic auto makers are going to start offering smaller turbo-charged engines to help with the power versus fuel economy issue. It is about damn time!! I have been saying that for years now. A turbo-charged V6 instead of a V8 would have the same power, but get the fuel economy closer to a V6. Thanks a lot 10 minutes later.

While I agree, the reason you don't see more is realiability. You see, turbos are much harder on the engine oil and most people do not take care of their engines as they should.

Quote, originally posted by NovaResource2 »While I agree, the reason you don't see more is realiability. You see, turbos are much harder on the engine oil and most people do not take care of their engines as they should.From a service department employee, that last statement is sooo true.

not to mention the higher octane gas you need...

The Big 3 switched some of their cars from larger displacement V8's to turbo 4's and 6's in the late 70's and early 80's. Most of them were a disaster. The Buick Grand National and GNX being glaring exceptions, of course!

And don't forget the GMC Syclone/Typhoon...........

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »From a service department employee, that last statement is sooo true.They need to build all turbo cars with turbo-timers so the idiots who buy them don't shut off the car right away and freeze the bearings..I was under the impression that's why turbo's failed so much in the old days, the bearings would lock up too easily. (Don't take my word for that, though..only what I heard)

I read somewhere that older turbos used the oil sumps for their oil supply, and if you didn't change the oil right (allow the turbo to get oil when you refilled or something like that), then when you started up the car, the turbo didn't have oil and burnt up. Also, motor oils were of a lesser quality, and a thing called "turbo coking" happened. THis is when the car wasn't idled for a short time (about a minute or so) before shutdown and allowed the oil to cake up on the inlet nozzle, effectively cutting off oil supply. Some units now have their own self-contained lubrication and don't have these problems.