Getting more power from the car engine is the dream of every manufacturer and driver. The advancement in technology has led us to the invention of a turbo system. They are becoming popular in both manual and automatic transmissions.
Can Automatic Cars Have Turbo? Automatic cars have a turbo that boosts power by adding more air into their combustion chamber. Check the transmission and torque converter of the vehicle before installing it. It can increase horsepower from 70 to 180 HP. It makes the engine fuel-efficient by decreasing fuel consumption but increases engine wear and tear due to extra strain on all components. You will need a compressor, turbine, intercooler, and fuel system to make a non-turbo car turbocharged.
A car with a turbo is far better than a vehicle with a simple combustible engine system. Although, it can also add complexity to the system of automobiles. You have to be careful when deciding which system to pick before buying a vehicle.
How does a turbo work in automatic cars?
An automatic car can use this system to get more power from the engine. It works on an induction process to produce high horsepower.
The vehicle’s engine work on the principle of combustion to generate energy to run the wheels. A burning mixture of air and fuel produces combustion.
More air is required to maintain an adequate oxygen supply to produce high horsepower. It pushes more air into the combustion chamber to burn the fuel.
As a result, more oxygen is available to mix up with the oil. This, in turn, produces high combustion to produce energy. You can use the power to accelerate the vehicle.
This device uses the exhaust system to push more air into the system. It has a turbine attached to the engine.
The exhaust flow spins the turbine that, in turn, compresses the compressor.
The compressor pumps more air into the combustion chamber. This air mixes up with fuel to produce more energy to rotate the wheels.
What automatic cars have turbo?
Usually, all automatic cars can have this system to produce more horsepower to run at high speeds. However, some automobiles are not intended to use turbo to get extra energy.
Using a high-power induction system in such cars will cause damage to the engine and other parts. Therefore, certain conditions are to be fulfilled before installing the system in automobiles.
Some manufacturers offer a vehicle with built-in power boost systems. In such cars, all parts and systems are coherent with this device. So they can handle the extra power generated by the system.
But some vehicles can not withstand the extra energy. So you have to see the specification of all the parts before installing the system.
Some automatic transmission systems are not manufactured to handle the extra power. Check the type of vehicle transmission to know if it is compatible with the turbo.
The torque converter of some vehicles is not strong enough to handle the extra power. Cars having such torque converters should not have them.
Some engines also have limited capacity to handle high horsepower. Check the specification of the turbo and torque converter to decide the compatibility with the power-boosting system.
Here is a list of all the automatic cars with a power-boosting system.
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Ford Fiesta ST
- Hyundai Veloster
- Nissan Altima
- Volkswagen golf GTI
How much power does a turbo add to the engine?
There is no doubt that it can increase power by many folds. You can accelerate the car to high MPH within seconds.
But getting an exact figure of generated power is difficult. It depends upon the type of power-boosting system and the components of the car. Both can have an impact on the amount of generated horsepower.
On average, a single turbo system can increase the power from 40 to 50%. In terms of horsepower, it can deliver 70 to 180 HP to a car.
You should also upgrade the whole system to get the maximum boost from the system. In addition, you can upgrade the filtration system to get a more powerful boost.
Upgrading the torque converter and exhaust system can also increase the amount of generated energy.
It is because the compressor cannot compress the air at high pressure. As a result, maximum air is not provided in the required chambers to produce a big explosion.
Can turbo make the engine fuel efficient?
Yes, it can make the car’s engine fuel efficient by minimizing the workload on the combustion system. The system compresses air at high pressure to deliver a stream of air into the chamber.
So less fuel is required to intake the air in the system. It also uses the gases of the exhaust system to transfer into the combustion chamber. So less oil is burnt to intake the air from the outside.
The power-boosting system also reduces the size of the engine and reduces the consumption of fuel.
Lightweight automobiles burn less fuel than heavy-weight vehicles. So all these factors help in optimizing fuel economy.
But there is another side of the story. Some vehicles complain about the consumption of more fuel with this device.
It is not due to the boosting system, but the design and aerodynamics of the cars are the main culprits. The drivers’ driving habits are the reason for not getting enough boost from it.
Can turbo make the car engine wear out faster?
Usually, a turbo is added to decrease the workload of the engine. But low-quality power-boosting systems can make them wear out quickly.
They enhance the combustion by forcing more air into the chamber. High explosions produce more heat inside by burning more fuel. Prolonged exposure to hot and thin oil can increase the normal wear and tear of the powerhouse.
High temperatures can cause damage to the internal components of the automobile. The burning of fuel creates high pressure inside the chamber.
It puts a strain on the engine components. The components also have to do more work to burn the oil and air mixture.
The high workload and build temperature can cause the engine to wear out fast. It can even shorten the lifespan of the powerhouse.
Improper handling and care of the combustion chamber valves and pistons can also make them faulty. As a result, the turbocharged engine requires the same maintenance as other non-aspirated motors.
Things to consider before driving a turbocharged car
You should consider these things to get the best experience of driving a turbocharged automobile. It reduces wear and tear and increases the lifespan of the device.
Let the oil warm up in the vehicle before starting to drive. All the components and turbo need an adequate amount of oil for lubrication.
In an idle car, the cold oil is settled in the pan. It takes some time to heat up and lubricate all the parts.
Starting the vehicle immediately after igniting the engine will harm the power-boosting system. In an automatic car, try to drive at a steady speed to warm up the oil, then start moving at high speed.
After stopping the vehicle, do not turn off the engine immediately. Let the fuel cool down completely.
Otherwise, the hot oil will cause deterioration of the other parts. It also causes the production of some carbonized compounds in the fuel. It will lower the quality of the burning fuel.
Try to use high-octane fuel in turbocharged cars. Lower octane fuels are of inferior quality and negatively impact the system’s performance. Avoid speeding up the vehicle beyond the limits of this device.
Can you install a turbo in a no-turbo car?
Installing it in a non-turbo car is a complicated procedure. First, you must upgrade the whole system to install this power-boosting device.
Before installing it upgrade the oil injectors and filters to maintain a fuel supply. You also have to upgrade the exhaust system to install it.
You will need the following components to make a non-aspirated car turbocharged. A high-quality compressor is crucial to compress the exhaust gases to force recycled gases into the chamber.
Choose a small-size compressor that spins fast at low rpm. It is beneficial as compared to the large one.
The turbine delivers the required energy to spin the compressor wheel. It should be strong enough to provide adequate energy to the compressor.
The intercooler is required to cool down the combustion chamber. In addition, the recycling of waste gases produces heat in the system.
The intercooler helps in cooling down the engine and other parts.
You need to upgrade the fuel pipes and waste valves.
The fuel system is required to deliver more fuel through the injector to the combustion chamber.
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