New car

[dkemppai]

Oh, it's a big problem, but I have decided not to "worry about" it because it's a foul component of the system we live within. If you figure out a way to correct the problem, please spread the word.

As much as I hate to say this, we need regulation of that industry. The only way to get that is to have enough people aware of the issue, willing force the issue with policy makers. My problem with not "worrying about it", is I have A LOT of years left*.

At the rate we're going we'll be a single vehicle family by the time we retire. Maintenance will be impossible. Even my 10 year old tractor has a check engine code (low battery) that cannot be reset without calling the dealer, or hauling it there (100+ miles!). So I just ignore the light. That sort of stuff needs to be illegal!

*Note, I sound a lot older than I am! lol.

 

[extropic]

As much as I hate to say this, we need regulation of that industry. The only way to get that is to have enough people aware of the issue, willing force the issue with policy makers. My problem with not "worrying about it", is I have A LOT of years left*.

At the rate we're going we'll be a single vehicle family by the time we retire. Maintenance will be impossible. Even my 10 year old tractor has a check engine code (low battery) that cannot be reset without calling the dealer, or hauling it there (100+ miles!). So I just ignore the light. That sort of stuff needs to be illegal!

*Note, I sound a lot older than I am! lol.

I agree with you sentiment and wish you the best of luck in your quest. Any further discussion of the issue can't help but be political and worse.

 

[m1kemex]

Modern small turbo's run at 200K RPM or higher. Components are stressed near to the maximum of the materials in the turbo.
Oil feed failures and other failures are relatively common. Turbo's are STUPID expensive to replace. If the turbo outright fails, it usually throws metal into the engine, meaning a complete engine failure also. On top of that, there is a lot of extra pressure piping for the intake, etc. Many of the modern cars put the turbos down near the road. Where we live there are issues with corrosion due to excessive road salt use 50% of the year.

True, but it's not really that common for a turbo to catastrophically fail. Keep in mind that turbo is relatively new on gasoline engines, but almost all diesels use them. And I'm not aware of diesel engines to be known as unreliable.

The bottom line, is there is a A LOT of extra hardware for a few extra horsepower. For a daily driver, a naturally aspirated car is just fine. For my wife and kids, less horsepower is better...

That's fair. But it's not the extra power, it's the efficiency. A smaller engine has lower thermal losses. Back when I had my MK4 Golf, with 2.0 cast iron head engine, I didn't have reliability issues, but it "drank" fuel like an alcoholic in an open bar. It took several miles just to reach the operating temperature. I don't think I got even half of the mileage of my current one.

Any way you put it, if you use your car a lot, a turbo engine pays for itself, even if it fails.

 

[dkemppai]

Any further discussion of the issue can't help but be political and worse.

Agreed. (But, I sill like to gripe... )

 

[Larry$]

Why not?

Added complexity! When the engine is shut off the turbo keeps spinning but the oil pressure drops to zero. Or does the turbo have it's own lubrication system? I've run a lot of heavy equipment with turbos. The instructions for engine shut down included letting the engine idle for a few minutes so the turbo slows and won't be damaged by a lose of oil pressure.
Luckily the Honda allows the engine off at stop lights etc. to be cancelled or the turbo would be subject to a loss of oil pressure every time you stop.
Do the gasoline engines have a system to maintain oil pressure until the turbo spins down, when the engine is shut off?

 

[m1kemex]

Added complexity!

Indeed. But gasoline engines aren't exactly simple to begin with...

When the engine is shut off the turbo keeps spinning but the oil pressure drops to zero.

Not the modern ones.

Or does the turbo have it's own lubrication system?

Yes. On engines that are specifically designed as turbo from the ground up, there are electric pumps for both oil and water that are activated independent of the engine's crankshaft.

I've run a lot of heavy equipment with turbos. The instructions for engine shut down included letting the engine idle for a few minutes so the turbo slows and won't be damaged by a lose of oil pressure.

That was true with older engines where the turbo was an after-thought component.

Do the gasoline engines have a system to maintain oil pressure until the turbo spins down, when the engine is shut off?

The modern ones do. Keep in mind that they are installing turbo engines on consumer goods. They know people doesn't have a clue about such technicalities and just took measures so the engine doesn't get damaged under normal use.

It's still a good practice to let the engine cool off a little but not really necessary. If anything, it saves the battery from working extra hours...