Basic tips to maintaining a healthy turbo.

Oil is the life blood of your turbo.  It helps cool and lubricate your turbo and its bearings.  With out proper lubrication a turbo will overheat and seize.

With that in mind, here are some basic tips to maintaining a healthy turbo.

1.)  Use only synthetic oil.    

It is recommended to use only synthetic oil in a turbo application because synthetic oils are better at resisting thermal breakdown then non-synthetic oil, and we all know that turbos run at extremely high temperatures.

2.) Change your oil every 2,500-3,000 miles.

When run through an extremely hot turbo, oil breaks down and becomes dirty very fast.  It is very important to change your oil every 3,000 miles.

3.) Check you oil level often.

You want to check your oil at least once a week.  Due to various, strenuous conditions of positive manifold pressure and excess heat caused by a turbo you want to check your oil levels at least once a week. 

3.) Let your oil cool down before you shut off your car.

It is very important to let your car idle for an extended period of time after driving. (The amount of time really depends on how hard you drive the car). This allows the turbo and ultimately your oil to cool down which prevents coking of your turbo bearings and oil lines. 

4.) Make sure you oil in the turbo before starting the car after an oil change.

It is important to make sure that the turbo bearings are lubricated before you start your car after an oil change, to do this, pull your ecu fuse and crank your car until your oil pressure light turns off.  This will ensure the turbo has oil in it before you start the car. 

Follow these 4 simple steps and your turbo will thank you in the morning.