In our blog series on turbocharger failures, we look at some of the most common failure diagnoses in each part. Turbo problems include blockages and obstructions, the symptoms, causes, consequences and work required of which we will discuss in this first section.

In this blog our specialists will discuss turbocharger defects clogging and blocking. Because do you actually know what the signs of a clogged air filter are? Or a blocked intake manifold? We explain this in simple terms for you and give advice on how to recognise, solve and prevent it.

Blockages

The category of 'blockages' includes many different types of diagnosis and they can also be recognised in different ways. Symptoms are different, but the solutions are often the same. This involves cleaning or replacing a specific part. These components include the air filter, catalytic converter, particulate filter, exhaust, crankcase ventilation of the engine block and the oil supply pipe (return).

But how can you recognise these clogging defects on your turbo? We have created an overview for you in the figure below.

Blockages

Soiling in certain parts can be a cause of blockages, possibly resulting in a defective turbo. Blockages can occur in parts such as the compressor, the intake manifold and the air line between them. In the case of blocked turbo parts, our specialists can offer solutions such as cleaning and/or replacing the parts to get the turbo working optimally again.

As with the blockages we offer you a summary of the symptoms of these defects.

Preventing blockages and obstructions

Clogs and blockages are often caused by poor or insufficient maintenance and/or lubrication, which can lead to leaks, increased oil pressure, engine block damage and other problems. With high temperatures and heavy loads, on time replacement of parts and proper lubrication are very important to ensure continued proper working.

An example of a common problem is a clogged air filter, which does not pump enough air into the cylinder or allows dirt particles to get into certain parts. This can lead to a broken or damaged turbo and/or engine block. Air filters should therefore be replaced in good time.

Also, the higher emission requirements and the 100 km/h speed limit on motorways must be taken into account. This causes accelerated soiling of engines and intake manifolds. This particularly applies to petrol engines with direct injection, where no fuel flows through the intake manifold/intake channel and this cleaning is no longer of use.

We recommend that you contact our product specialists if you notice any of the above symptoms or problems. MasterTurbo will be pleased to help you with answers and advice regarding all your turbo problems, while in our overhaul workshop we have all the necessary tools to check, overhaul and repair your turbo.

The abovementioned defects, symptoms, causes and solutions can be found in our troubleshooting table. You can obviously also send an e-mail to our specialists for advice on problems with your turbo.

In the second part of this series you will learn more about the symptoms, causes, consequences and required work for leaks.