What is a turbo

We are only going to give you a brief explanation of what a turbo is, not how they work. For more information on turbos, see our article How do turbos work.

So here we go then, What is a Turbo ?

Here is a photo of one ;

and here is another ;

Exciting eh .............. a big bit of cast metal sitting somewhere in the engine bay.

Perhaps you've never seen one, even if your car has a turbo.

They are found on both petrol and diesel engined cars, becoming more and more popular on diesels, offering better performance with good fuel economy.

For example, vehicle VW Golf TDi = Turbo Diesel injection.

So what does it do then ?

It makes your car go quicker,

that's it, believe us, that's what they do ...... magic !!

OK - the turbo on your car improves the performance/power output of the engine.
It does this by using the gases leaving the engine via the exhaust (exhaust gases) to force fresh air back into the engine.

A non-turbo engine has to suck air into it from the outside, this takes some power away from the engine.  With turbo attached, air is forced into the engine requiring less/no effort from the engine, so therefore it has more power available for turning the wheels.

If you want more info than that you will have to read our other articles.
See below for a link to them.
 

See other articles ;
How do turbos work

NOTES ;

Be warned, turbos and exhausts get very hot, red hot actually.

So be careful when working on your engine and check out how hot
your turbo / exhaust is probably getting ;