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Turbocharged Engine Advice - tips or tricks for maintenance?

edgeflyer

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So I have never owned a vehicle with a turbocharged engine, only vehicles with naturally aspirated engines. I would like to know any tips or tricks for maintenance, « do’s or don’t’s », or anything I should look out for or be aware of when the Bronco arrives?
Don't run a K&N.
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KABQ

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@West1: It would have been helpful if you posted which of the engines you're going with as they have different needs for other things.


Actually, and i'm usually one of the more obnoxious people on here, your post is great!

The only thing I'd add is to augment your general statement about oil life of turbocharged applications with some further information since we, as a community, don't know the wear characteristics for this specific engine (i'm guessing similiar to Ranger, but there are engine changes on the 2.3)

Points to add:

  • You don't know how your oil and engine is wearing unless you have a controlled environment ANDtesting.
    • This will mean planning on your first 3 oil changes using the same oil brand/line/weight plus the same filter (volume discount, stock up!)
    • There's no point in testing the oil that was in the engine upon delivery. Run that for 500 miles and do an oil change.
    • Excluding your factory oil, you're going to need to send each of those thee oil samples to Blackstone labs for independent testing as you "dial in" your oil change interval.
      • https://www.blackstone-labs.com/tests/standard-analysis/
        • Anecdotally speaking, it took 5 oil changes on my DD/short-track Evo9 to determine I could run my specific oil for approximately 8,000 miles (counting each track day as ~500 miles of those 8K) before it would chemically start to break down in wear characteristics.
  • And on the topic of oil, @KABQ is absolutely right, plan on a full synthetic motor oil. What i'll add is that zinc is a very important part of any oil used in turbocharged applications. High-zinc content oil is certainly harder to find and generally a small price premium. You'll want to be targeting specifically high-zinc oils here.

That's all I have to add that's different from what most posted.

FYI: I'm going with the 2.3 in Bronco and will have an oil catch can deliverer once I get my VIN, it will be installed before the engine hits 200 miles.
This is great advice for those like us who are willing to send out samples for analysis, but I doubt most "real life" people will do this. The down-and-dirty alternative is a magnetic drain plug (hopefully someone who has received their Bronco can comment on whether or not this is a stock component). This won't show wear on non-ferrous components like rings or crank bushings, but it can be a good indicator of abnormal wear. Expect a few particles in the first 1,500 miles, but anything significant after that is a bad sign. And clean it every time you pull it!
 

Mustang_75_99

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Also, use premium fuel. The ECU can adapt to different octane levels, but it does this by detecting knock/pre-ignition. Low octane fuel will pre-ignite, alerting the knock sensor, causing the ECU to retard timing to prevent damage. This retardation in timing protects the engine, but decreases power. Pre-ignition causes increased stress on internal components, especially the connecting rods. While the ECU can accommodate for this, the added stress exists if even for just a few cycles. If you plan on keeping your Bronco for 200k miles or beyond, these stressors can significantly decrease the life of the engine.
Great info, and I am gonna ask a question not Bronco related. I have owned an 3.5 Ecoboost F150 for about 7 years. I don’t think I changed the oil at 1k nor have I ever ran premium fuel (is there even a point now it has 67k on it)…is my truck a ticking time bomb?!
 

KABQ

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Great info, and I am gonna ask a question not Bronco related. I have owned an 3.5 Ecoboost F150 for about 7 years. I don’t think I changed the oil at 1k nor have I ever ran premium fuel (is there even a point now it has 67k on it)…is my truck a ticking time bomb?!
As I said, the ECU is designed to protect the engine. It certainly isn't a ticking tomb bomb, but depending on where you live small issues can become bigger ones. Here in Albuquerque, we're high and hot (~5600 ft with summer temps over 100). Compounding this issue is the fact that most regular unleaded here is 85 or 86 octane. These three factors have led to a number of issues in my friend's '14 F-150 EB, including the engine going into limp mode a number of times on long ascents, even without a load. His CELs were related to knock sensors and excessive intake temps. Turns out he has run regular gas for the entirety of its 100k miles, and switching to premium solved these issues almost immediately.

Ironically, high octane fuel is actually harder to combust, preventing pre-ignition. In high temps and heavy loads, the heads can get hot enough for fuel to ignite just from compression before the spark plugs fire. High altitude contributes to this through decreased air density, causing less effectiveness of the intercooler and radiator, hence my buddy's high intake temps and knocking.

TL;DR - higher octane is always a good thing for boosted engines, especially when high, hot, and heavy. It hurts a little at the pump each time, but will hurt less in the long run.
 

DrewBronc21

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@Rick Astley - only 500 miles with the factory oil?! Why? Are you planning on the Panda Motorworks Catch Can?

How does one let the turbos “cool down”? Low RPMs for the last several miles? I’m generally gonna get out of the truck as soon as I park.
probably not necessary to “cool down“ a modern water cooled turbo engine, especially if you’re not revving it out and immediately shutting down which almost nobody would ever do unless they live on a race track or at the top of a steep mountain.
 

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This. Let them warm up at start up, let them cool down before shutting off the engine.
Disable the Auto Start Stop.
Let the engine cool down for 30 seconds at idle before shutting it off. Longer if run hard.
Let the engine reach operating temperature before pushing it.
Use a good oil and change more often than you would for a NA engine.
Change you air filter more often than a NA engine. The Turbo spins at 150,000 rpm.
A grain of sand can be destructive.
 
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NC_Pinz

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I see folks say it but no one is saying much about how to let your turbo(s) cool down. Below is what I do based more on diesel turbos...Cummins in my Dodge Ram and the OM617 in our family's W123 Mercedes.

Around town driving, I don't do much for cooling turbos down. If you have been only surface streets, low-ish RPM, with no big boost situations, I let it idle for a minute and shut down. For highway driving with higher speed and more sustained heat, I give the turbos time to cool down. When I get off the highway and pull in for fuel or a parking spot, I let the engine idle for several minutes. When traveling with the family, I hold off on gathering my things and putting phones away, etc. to help delay shutting down the engine. If the family is with me, I let them go in first while I drag my feet. Nothing hard and fast, but longer is better.

What you're doing is letting the heat of the exhaust get lower (lower RPM means exhaust is cooler meaning turbo starts lowering its temp). You are also allowing oil to flow through turbo bearings taking away heat. For water cooled turbos, you are giving the coolant time to remove heat as well. My diesel turbos weren't water cooled so I didn't have this aspect to take into account.

There are engine idle timers that do all this for you, but I don't know if they are available for the Broncos. These allow you to lock the doors and leave the vehicle and it will shut down after a predetermined time.
 

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Make sure that you select the right wax for your turbo... Otherwise agree with Jsullivan!!!!

With regards to idle time for the turbos, I haven't had much issue with the 3.5 and needing to idle it before shutdown, even after 20 hours of non-stop driving. As long as you are not pushing it 100% right before shutting down, the water cooling should be taking care of the center section.

I did pull the turbos after 230k miles on my gen 1 3.5 Ecoboost (because I had a spare set of center sections), honestly, they looked perfect... I was just changing the exhaust manifolds and figured it was preventative maintenance at 230k to swap them as well... Total waste of money, but I have a spare set of 3.5 turbos... I wonder if those center sections will fit a 2.7??? LOL.
 

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probably not necessary to “cool down“ a modern water cooled turbo engine, especially if you’re not revving it out and immediately shutting down which almost nobody would ever do unless they live on a race track or at the top of a steep mountain.
I do live up a mile+ long incline. I’ll keep an eye on turbos for that stretch from now on.
Disable the Auto Start Stop.
Let the engine cool down for 30 seconds at idle before shutting it off. Longer if run hard.
Let the engine reach operating temperature before pushing it.
Use a good oil and change more often than you would for a NA engine.
Change you air filter more often than a NA engine. The Turbo spins at 150,000 rpm.
A grain of sand can be destructive.
That explains why ASS (ha - never realized that acronym) doesn’t engage until fully warmed up operating temps.

I feel this truck is smarter than most of us.
 

Rick Astley

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This is great advice for those like us who are willing to send out samples for analysis, but I doubt most "real life" people will do this. The down-and-dirty alternative is a magnetic drain plug (hopefully someone who has received their Bronco can comment on whether or not this is a stock component). This won't show wear on non-ferrous components like rings or crank bushings, but it can be a good indicator of abnormal wear. Expect a few particles in the first 1,500 miles, but anything significant after that is a bad sign. And clean it every time you pull it!
FWIW: Magnetic drain plug is not standard on Ranger. I would assume the same for Bronco. But the bolt is unnecessarily long, causing you to drop it in the oil pan every.single.time....

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/factory-oil-drain-plug.7075/page-2
 

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From my experience, oil coking is a thing of the past now that turbochargers are water-cooled. Coolant likes to circulate, even after the engine is shut off, and helps with the heat in turbos after shutdown. Plus modern oils are designed for turbocharged engines now, as opposed to the sludge we were using in the decades before when coking was actually a widespread issue.

However, oil still deteriorates, and it gets dirty. It's the dirt that gets in the oil that I worry about. Filters do a great job of getting the big stuff, but it's almost impossible to effectively trap the particulate matter that's gets in the oil from blowby. That is the reason, even with modern synthetics, that I run 5k mile oil changes. And it's not even my turbos, pistons, etc. that I'm worried about, it's the timing chain and the plastic guides. Timing chains HATE dirty oil, and it's one of the biggest reasons why they stretch. Every carmaker has issues with timing chains, even Honda and Ford.

Modern turbo engines are designed to be as dummy-proof as possible. No, you don't need a catch can. No, you don't HAVE to use premium fuel. No, you don't have to let the turbo cool down after normal driving. Drive it normally, give it the occasional Italian tune-up, and maintain it normally. You'll be fine.
 
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So I have never owned a vehicle with a turbocharged engine, only vehicles with naturally aspirated engines. I would like to know any tips or tricks for maintenance, « do’s or don’t’s », or anything I should look out for or be aware of when the Bronco arrives?




 

JT58Bronc

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I had a few turbos and never had any problems at all. Number one thing is to change your oil often. "Often" may vary between people. My opinion is 4K between changes. My 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 with a 2.3L turbo I changed it at around 3500 miles and the oil was always pretty dirty.
 

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Turbos get incredibly hot, and oil can "coke" inside the turbo, essentially stickifying the guts. Use full synthetic oil and change it regularly (more frequently than called for). I would not recommend no more than 4-5k miles. 9k mile synthetic oils exist, but don't approach that with a turbo engine.

Also, use premium fuel. The ECU can adapt to different octane levels, but it does this by detecting knock/pre-ignition. Low octane fuel will pre-ignite, alerting the knock sensor, causing the ECU to retard timing to prevent damage. This retardation in timing protects the engine, but decreases power. Pre-ignition causes increased stress on internal components, especially the connecting rods. While the ECU can accommodate for this, the added stress exists if even for just a few cycles. If you plan on keeping your Bronco for 200k miles or beyond, these stressors can significantly decrease the life of the engine.

I've been following this site for months, but this is my first post here. I've been incredibly reluctant to post anything because this community tends to absolutely destroy new posters. I have my flame suit on, and expect the worst. I am an aircraft mechanic by trade, but I'm sure shitposters will disagree with whatever I say, like they've done with so many others. My goal is simply to offer advice on something I'm actually qualified to answer.
Great info, and thanks. What is your opinion on running mid-grade? That’s 89 octane where I live. As much as I drive, the price diff between regular 87 and premium 91 is about $80-$90/month. Does mid grade make a difference v regular?
 

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I've had several turbo engines including the 2.3L Mustang (judge if you like) and my 2.3L Ranger. I put an oil catch can on the Mustang and the Ford Performance tune which required premium gas as it was tuned for 93 octane or higher. My Ranger only gets 87. I straight up stick with the owner's manual recommendations for fuel choice and oil changes and have not had a problem at all. Using higher octane than what the manual calls for won't yield higher power output. Maybe you want to run non-ethanol, but not me.

I do, however, agree that you want your engine to be at the proper operating temperature before you get your foot into it.
have you selected a catch can for the Bronco?
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