Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 00:06:48 -0500
Reply-To: John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Subject: Re: turbocharger: how to destroy it
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>or you can do what i do, and everyone w/ a turbo charged car should do - i
let
>the car idle for at least 2 minutes prior to shutdown...to cool down the
>turbo.
Not knocking this advice but the best thing for turbo reliability from a
mechanic friend who has over 250k on his '83 Quattro Coupe (and this has a
shimmed wastegate spring, is daily driven hard, and doesn't get nearly 2
minutes on shutdown, he is second owner but maintained the car from new)
original engine and turbo, change the oil every 3000 with a quality product,
change the AIR FILTER every 15000 miles. One guys opinion but he is a 25
year factory trained VW/Audi mechanic. He recieved training in Germany when
the Audi turbos first came out and an engineer kept beating it in their
heads to keep the air filters clean, apparently less particles in the oil,
longer the bearings will last, due to the heat and speed the turbo bearings
of course much more crapped upon than anything in the engine.
The post oilers and whatnot are very nice but just plain common sense
maintainence goes a long long way. I've seen Jetta turbo diesels with over
200k on the origional engine and turbo, I've also seen the turbo die 2 times
in 150k on the same mill in a Quantum I once bought for parts. And I've
never seen an elusive 5 cyl turbo diesel but I don't doubt their longetivity
if maintained. Worth mentioning that means a quality diesel oil in a
diesel, like Shell Rotella T or the like, never a 10W40. I think people
should realize the turbo as a commercial failure was largely due to the
American public's perception and driving style, and the fact there was no
need. Mom bought her diesel rabbit in '78, few years after the scare,
everyone thought another was coming. By the early 80's nobody figured it
would happen again, every diesel in the market dissapeared I think except
for the MBZ for a few years. Hell in '85 in WV when I started driving it
was damn hard to find fuel for the car except at truck stops.
John
janderson@iolinc.net
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