bonkers

I know how to drive thank you - I have licences in the US and the UK, been driving for thirteen years, no accidents, no tickets - what I'm still learning how to do is use a Turbo properly. (Never owned or even driven a turbocharged car before a couple of months ago)

If you actually have some constructive feedback, I'd be happy to hear it..

MOG_22

Bonkers, can you elaborate on what happened? I'm trying to get an understanding on what happened. Were you waiting to get out of a parking lot from a stop and when the turbo spool you lost all power? Or was it off the line and you lost power?

bonkers

Engine was cool 'cos I'd been in IKEA for a while. (Meatballs to eat and cute girls to look at )

I was stationary, checking the traffic - nothing 'cept a small truck about to turn out a bit uproad from me, so I started turning out of the parking lot onto the road.

Realized I didn't have as much time as I thought and reflexively floored it.

Car slowed to a crawl.

Turbo must've been spooling up because this lasted a good five seconds or more before I realized I was going nowhere and the tach was almost to redline - bout 6500rpm - and upshifted to 2nd, at which point I got power back and shot down the street.

Maybe it was because I literally floored the gas pedal? Like I said it was reflex, I hadn't intended to even kick the Turbo in.

Car is a stock '03 WRX - no tuning, no mods.

Turbo hasn't seemed quite the same since then but I don't know if that's me getting used to it, the engine settling in or an actual problem. I still get boost, just not the lurching, pushed back in your seat feeling I had at first, so I figure its just me being used to it.

BlingBlingBlue

I'd guess a cold engine would be the reason. Your car was not up to proper operating temperature. I owned a '79 Saab turbo that would behave like this. Before the engine got some heat in it, I would have to drive extremely gently. If I gave it too much gas it would sputter, the turbo would make a louder than usual noise, but the boost guage would not register much boost. It was a much higher mileage vehicle, but the behavior was similar.

It is even more important to gently warm up a turbo charged vehicle than a normally aspirated one. Metal changes shape, the turbo housing has hot exhaust gases going through it, therefore it needs to be in a range of normal operating temperature before the compressor can spin at the insanely high rpm's at which it is designed to spin. Furthermore, the oil needs to be at operating temperature in order to provide the turbo charger with proper lubrication.

The original question was regarding the reliability of turbo charged cars. Modern turbo cars can last a very long time if properly cared for. Part of properly caring for the car is warm up, cool down and timely oil changes.

bonkers

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that but it makes a lot of sense.

Thanks Bling.

Note to self: Eat meatballs, watch girls and remember to warm up engine before using turbo.

Kelzwrx

hey i have a wrx turbo ive been told that mine can do up to 20 psi but is only running on 16psi help???

WRXNEFX82

To push 20 psi on stock internals is dangerous. If you are in the 390 hp range get at least forged pistons n arp head studs to be on the safe side. I spun a bearing and if u dont have the avcs line and oil feed line upgraded you can possibly blow your turbo.

Shayhan27

iTrader: (4)

I LOVE DA NOOOOBZ!!!!! Welcome to I-club.

oaklandish_WRX

iTrader: (10)

necromancers, whattaya gonna do?

WRXNEFX82

Wheres a good place to get a tune?

wrx_sti_turbo

Sounds like you dropped the clutch to quick and tc took over

wrx_sti_turbo

I'm running 20psi on my sti with stock internals and it's been fine, the stock bpv is rated to 20reliably and obviously I'm not boosting at 20psi daily, all said and done I know an sti can handle more than a wrx