The AET Blog – Turbo Facts

If you think having your vehicle ‘chipped’ is strictly for the performance enthusiast, then think again – ECU remapping is suitable for everyone, and can provide huge benefits to businesses running fleets of vehicles.

In this post, we explore ECU remapping and the benefits of re-flashing for economy, and outline the realistic savings businesses with fleet vehicles could expect to achieve.

Whilst we’ve already explored some of the most common causes of turbocharger damage on the blog before, like oil problems, foreign objects and over-speeding, these aren’t the only things that can cause expensive problems!

In this post, we look at how overheating and excessive exhaust gas temperatures can damage turbochargers, and the kind of damage they cause, before looking at the symptoms, and what can be done to protect your vehicle.

At one time, turbochargers on passenger vehicles were the reserve of the performance enthusiast, designed to help eek out extra power to improve acceleration and top speed – but today, things have changed completely.

With rising fuel prices and increasing concern about the environment, manufacturers have turned to the turbo to help solve the problem, in an effort to improve engine efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of driving.

In this article, we look at the principles behind turbocharging for economy, how things are changing, and what the future holds.

Customers often ask us questions about the differences between turbochargers on diesel and petrol engines, in terms of how they work, and what they are used for.

In this post, we explore the topic, looking at the principles behind turbocharging, the basic differences between diesel and petrol engines, and how this affects the design of turbochargers for each application.

Oil problems, debris, overspeeding, wear and tear…there are a number of different things that can cause a turbocharger to fail, but catching a problem early can save you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long run.

At AET, we’ve been helping customers with their turbochargers since 1974, and in this post, we explore some of the tell tale signs that your turbo might be on the way out, or in need of urgent repairs/maintenance by one of our turbocharging experts.

One common question that we often get from customers is why turbochargers perform differently depending on the time of year, temperature and weather. Generally, these customers have noticed a significant drop in performance on hot summer days when compared to cooler spring and autumn nights.

Whilst this is a common trait amongst all turbocharged vehicles, and isn’t anything to worry too much about – in this post, we take a look at why turbochargers produce less power in hot weather, and what you can do about it.

Last month on the blog, we looked at where big automotive brands get their turbochargers, and learnt that the vast majority of the big car companies actually buy in their turbos from other companies.

In this month’s post, we’re going to look at some of these specialist turbocharging companies in a little more detail, exploring the kind of turbos they make, and why they are trusted by the major automotive brands.

At AET, we’re really passionate about turbocharging – but we understand that not everyone feels the same way, and that lots of people simply aren’t interested in the technical side of motoring.

To some, cars are a necessity, designed to take them from A to B, and they have no interest in how they work, as long as they are working properly – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!

However, when things go wrong, having a little bit of knowledge can help to ensure that you get the right, cost-effective fix for your engine, and don’t have the wool pulled in front of your eyes by unscrupulous mechanics.

In this brief, introductory guide, we take a look at some of the ways you can tell whether your vehicle’s engine has a turbocharger fitted to it.

Last month, we took a brief look into the risks of purchasing poor quality turbochargers and components – and learned why it’s always better and more cost-effective in the long run to opt for high quality parts.

This month, we take a closer look at some of the key differences between quality turbochargers manufactured by reputable, specialist companies, and cheap, sup-par turbos available from some online retailers.

At AET, we know that prevention is always better than the cure, and whilst we’re always here to help when things go wrong with your turbocharger, we understand you’d rather not have to use our services!

As the title suggests, when it comes to turbocharging maintenance, oil has a big part to play.

In this guide, we take a look at the importance of oil when it comes to looking after your turbocharger, and provide some handy maintenance tips designed to prolong the life of your turbo and keep it running at tip-top condition.