A mechanic told the main myths about turbo cars

In today’s market, cars with turbocharged engines have become very popular. These engines have many advantages such as high fuel efficiency with significant power. However, despite this, turbocharged engines are still not well-liked in Russia. In an interview with the naavtotrasse.ru portal, one of the motorists explained the reasons for this, debunking the most common myths about turbo engines.

Turbocharged engines have become very popular in Russia.

The first thing that scares some motorists away from cars with turbo engines is doubts about the engine’s reliability. In the past, such concerns were valid because engines were less advanced and problems occurred more frequently. However, modern engines are made from high quality materials and, with timely maintenance, operate reliably for the manufacturer’s stated lifespan.

Another common problem is so-called turbo sloshing, which is a decrease in power in a certain rpm range. This problem did exist in the past, but it has been eliminated in modern turbo engines. Now, turbocharged engines deliver the advertised performance across the entire rev range, which has a positive effect on vehicle dynamics.

There’s a myth about turbocharged engines having higher fuel consumption. This statement mainly concerns engines with a volume of more than 2.0 liters. Most other turbo engines, on the contrary, show lower fuel consumption than atmospheric engines. At high rpm, fuel consumption does increase, but is still lower than its atmospheric counterpart.

Fuel consumption does increase at high rpm, but is still lower than its atmospheric counterpart.

Many people believe that turbo engines are more expensive to maintain. Indeed, repairing and replacing components such as the turbocharger can be costly. However, these costs can be avoided if the engine is operated correctly and serviced regularly.

Finally, you should pay attention to using higher octane fuel. There is a myth that turbocharged engines can’t be fueled with regular gasoline. In fact, it has more to do with the compression ratio requiring high octane fuel to prevent detonation. AI-95 gasoline is fine for most modern turbo engines (if we’re talking about a gasoline engine, of course), which may also be recommended for some atmospheric engines, depending on the manufacturer.