How exactly should the throttle be applied?
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 57
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From: Norfolk
Vehicle: 2001 Tib
How exactly should the throttle be applied?
There's an ongoing fight between me and a friend of mine about this :
He says that, for a turbocharger to "live" longer, the driver should either apply the throttle very gently so that the turbo doesn't kick in at all ( or at least doesn't develop much boost ), OR he should floor it and not change gear until after 6000rpm ! What he means is that if I want to accelerate harder than usual I should let the revs go high before I lift off, I should use more than, say, 70% of the rev range insted of doing this --> 1st gear/80%throttle/4k --> 2nd gear/80%throttle/4k --> 3rd gear/90%throttle/4,5k etc. He even gets upset sometimes when I do it!
He knows more about cars than I do but using common sense I say : How can this be true? Do turbo manufacturers really want me to never drive like a normal person and always go for broke so that my charger can have a longer lifespan? How can doing this - 1st/4k, 2nd/4k, 3rd/4k - be so bad for the turbo that I should avoid it and always change up at 6k instead? What do I do when my grandmother is in the car, give her a stroke? Is this what car manufacturers all around the world have in mind when they are giving new turbocharged vehicles to the market?
I hope I made it clear what it is I'm talking about
He says that, for a turbocharger to "live" longer, the driver should either apply the throttle very gently so that the turbo doesn't kick in at all ( or at least doesn't develop much boost ), OR he should floor it and not change gear until after 6000rpm ! What he means is that if I want to accelerate harder than usual I should let the revs go high before I lift off, I should use more than, say, 70% of the rev range insted of doing this --> 1st gear/80%throttle/4k --> 2nd gear/80%throttle/4k --> 3rd gear/90%throttle/4,5k etc. He even gets upset sometimes when I do it!
He knows more about cars than I do but using common sense I say : How can this be true? Do turbo manufacturers really want me to never drive like a normal person and always go for broke so that my charger can have a longer lifespan? How can doing this - 1st/4k, 2nd/4k, 3rd/4k - be so bad for the turbo that I should avoid it and always change up at 6k instead? What do I do when my grandmother is in the car, give her a stroke? Is this what car manufacturers all around the world have in mind when they are giving new turbocharged vehicles to the market?
I hope I made it clear what it is I'm talking about
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From: ɯooɹpǝq ɹnoʎ
Vehicle: ǝdnoɔ sısǝuǝƃ
the shifting has more to do with the transmission than the turbo. I think the guy is full of sh*t. How does he anticipate the death of a turbocharger ("for a turbocharge to 'live' longer")?
Also, the size of the turbo really depends on the ability to build boost at various RPMs. For example, to drive the Genesis Coupe 2.0T and not have the factory turbo spool would mean not exceeding ~2,300 RPM. I fully expect my turbo to spool every time I press the accelerator and I'm sure Hyundai fully expects the turbo to last at least as long as it's 100,000 mile warranty.
Also, the size of the turbo really depends on the ability to build boost at various RPMs. For example, to drive the Genesis Coupe 2.0T and not have the factory turbo spool would mean not exceeding ~2,300 RPM. I fully expect my turbo to spool every time I press the accelerator and I'm sure Hyundai fully expects the turbo to last at least as long as it's 100,000 mile warranty.
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Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
Cars are for driving. Turbos are for driving faster. Drive your car. At some point every single part of your car will wear out no matter how you drive. The turbo is one of the lowest-friction moving parts in the whole thing. If you want it to live a long, happy life, make sure it is fed an appropriate amount of oil and/or coolant as applicable, and use a turbo timer.
Worrying about your driving style to save the useful life of a turbocharger is like worrying about taking pictures because you will wear out your camera: silly.
Worrying about your driving style to save the useful life of a turbocharger is like worrying about taking pictures because you will wear out your camera: silly.