It all begins when a motorhead realizes the whining sound of a sports car is profoundly relaxing. Later, when realization hits, and you ask yourself what makes it go Whooshhh!!! Well it’s one of the two things, a turbo charger or a supercharger. Despite being functionally different, both make a car go faster. Let’s break it down in simple terms.
How Does It Work?
Both turbo & superchargers work on the basic principle of compressing the air and pumping it to the engine. This helps engines achieve greater efficiency and power through a smaller displacement engine. Now I wonder why every other crossover SUV these days is 1500cc turbocharged.
A turbocharger uses exhaust gases to spin its rotors, pushing fresh air back into the engine. It seems like a self-sustaining way to reclaim power from wasted exhaust, which it almost is….almost! Here’s the catch. When you floor the pedal, combustion builds up exhaust pressure, which then spools the turbo. That’s when the famous turbo lag kicks in.
A supercharger, on the other hand, uses the engine’s own RPM to compress the air through a pulley mechanism. Yes, drawing engine power to fuel more power and that’s one of the reasons why you find it more on the bulkier engines. Raw, instant power is something turbo engines can’t achieve without additional mods.
Does It Affect Fuel Efficiency?
Simple answer to that is both of these mechanisms increase air proportion to the engine during combustion while modestly affecting the fuel economy.
The effect is even less noticeable in daily driving as turbo & superchargers only get activated after a certain RPM levels. It’s rare that you need a turbo to assist the engine when driving under city limits.
Are Turbocharged Engines Durable?
One question that might strike you someday when going back home, how last will these engines last? Well not as long as the naturally aspirated one but that doesn’t mean they aren’t durable. If taken proper care, machines can last a lifetime. These high compression engines need high octane fuel, correct engine oil and lots of cool air especially if they don’t have an intercooler.
In Pakistan, you need to put in Hi-octane or RON 97+ in most of the turbo charged engines or be ready for the engine knocking. Engine oil is only guaranteed to be correct at the authorized retailers.
The hot climate for more than half of the year will make your engine work harder to maintain efficiency. Though it won’t affect daily driving but try not to push the machine beyond limits in scorching heat or something will definitely blow up.
Final Verdict
Hope this helped you understand how both work and what sets them apart. Share your thoughts about this writeup in the comments below and stay tuned for exciting content at Positive Pakistan!
