How Does a Turbocharger Work
“Thank you for providing us with the direct-port nitrous injection, 4-core intercoolers, ball-bearing turbos, and titanium valve springs.”
There was a time when the V8 reigned supreme. When “There’s no replacement for displacement!” was affixed to every chromed-out muscle car’s bumper. As Bob Dylan once said, though, “The times, they are a-changin’” and in the automotive world, that change brings turbochargers.
A turbocharger is a system that helps an engine produce more power and torque through forced induction. Essentially, a turbo sucks in air, chills it, and then force-feeds the engine more air than what it would get through its standard intake. The end result is a lot more “Whee!”
Yet, turbochargers can be mysterious and their inner workings can seem impregnable to fully understand. They don’t have to be. With The Drive’s crack informational team by your side, we’ll get you from squinting at your engine and wrongly pointing to the starter to overnight parts from Japan … or Austria.
Ready? Steady? Go!
