There is much discussion here and elsewhere on the reliability (or not) of turbochargers in cars. Many people appear afraid of turbo cars because they hear horror stories about expensive turbo failure. My own observations suggest that most owners do not understand turbos and often drive in a mechanically unsympathetic way (often for both turbo and engine generally).

So, here is Cyclone Cyd’s little guide on how to care for your turbocharger. Follow this advice and you are more likely to get reliable, long life than you are expensive premature failure. It is NOT a guarantee that your turbo will last forever, just a helping hand to stack the odds in your favour.

DRIVING
# When you get in your car and start your engine, DO NOT rev it or drive off the instant it fires. Allow the engine to idle naturally for a few seconds first: 10 seconds if already warm, 20 seconds if it’s been stood 2 hours or more and 30 seconds if it’s a frosty winters morning. What I do is get in, start up, then put my seatbelt on and check mirrors, doors, radio etc etc whilst the engine idles. Keep feet off all pedals.
What this does is give the engine chance to get oil moving around all the vital parts under no load and thus minimise wear. It's especially beneficial to turbos, cams and cam chains, but also to bores and valve guides. It also gets fluid moving round the gearbox.
# When you drive off, don’t gun it down the road in first like you’re at Le Mans. Neither should you drive so gingerly the engine is labouring (with cars so quiet these days this can be hard to detect). Keep the engine in the lower portion of it’s power band using a moderate amount of throttle. Drive moderately and allow the engine to warm up for 5 miles
# If, like me, you like your turbo engine for it’s performance, then don’t be afraid to use it. As above wait for the engine (and ‘box) to thoroughly warm through first, but when you do want that power avoid ‘snappy’ throttle operation. Open (and close) the throttle progressively and smoothly. Excessive rotational acceleration is hard on the turbo shaft and it’s bearings and can shorten their life, so keep that neck-snapping response for when you really need it.
# A turbo engine gives of it’s best when it is nice and hot (on a petrol the turbo could be glowing orange). So, if you anticipate the need for a bit of overtaking ahead where you’re going to ask it to work hard, then get the engine and turbo nice and hot beforehand. If I come across a lorry on the Fosse Way for example, I’ll drop back and then catch it up with plenty of throttle in a high gear several times to warm her up. That way, when it comes time to select third and give it some clog, she’s on song and ready for it.
# If you’ve been working the engine hard (sporty driving, a heavy load, hilly country), NEVER pull up and just stop the engine. If the turbo is hot the heat soak can cause carbon build up in the oil feed pipe and shaft bearings. Allow the engine to idle for at least 30 seconds before shutting off. If it’s a petrol turbo, do so for longer. On my own car I have pulled on my drive in the dark and lifted the bonnet to see the turbo glowing bright orange. Even leaving it idling with the bonnet up this can take 10 minutes to disappear. A much better solution is to drive the last few miles moderately if you can.
# If you’re rarely a sporty driver, get it nice and warm and treat it to an “Italian tune” once a quarter or so.
# Get to know your engine by “feel”. It will usually give it’s best around the point of maximum torque rather than being reved to max power (or worse still the red line).

MAINTENANCE
Many components of a car are “fit and forget”, “sealed for life” these days (wheel bearings for example). Not so your engine and definitely not your turbo.
# Change the oil regularly. Don’t be tempted to stretch the oil change interval to 2 years or 20,000 miles. These kind of intervals are to keep service costs down for fleet operators, not extend the life of your car for 100’s of 000’s of miles. I recommend changing oil at least once per year or at 8-10,000 miles. I also recommend a flush at each change (I use Comma Flush Out which is readily available). If you like the convenience of these devices that suck oil out of the dipstick hole, then drain from the sump at least every third change.
# Buy good quality oil that meets your manufacturers specifications and grade. If you’re changing regularly, don’t get hung up on ‘long life’ oil. Keep costs down by buying in bulk, or utilise Halfords offer of 4 litre for £12 twice a year.
# If you’ve just bought it and it’s got a few ‘000 on the clock, no matter what the service book says have the oil changed within a few weeks.
# If it’s a petrol, chances are the turbo is water cooled. Do not neglect to maintain the cooling system. Change the coolant at the manufacturers recommended interval or earlier if there is any signs of loss or corrosion in the header tank. I recommend a mix of 25% coolant, 75% de-ionised water and one bottle of water wetter. The UK climate only needs 25% and the reduced glycol increases the specific heat capacity of the mix (ie the coolant’s ability to move heat away from hot areas). The water wetter has extra anti corrosion package and helps improve the specific heat capacity further. Use a proprietary cooling system cleaner if you have any reason to suspect corrosion or scale (or even just for good measure), but flush it out thoroughly with a hose.
# At least every couple of years (or if you’ve just bought it) clean the compressor side of the turbo. Use a proprietary agent. I use Wynn’s Professional Turbo Cleaner available from GSF. With the engine stopped, remove the air inlet pipe and spray into the compressor, turn the vanes by hand. Also keep the crankcase breather system clear and clean. You may have to clear some misfire codes after cleaning (I use Torque app for Android).
# Whilst you’re cleaning the turbo, also clean the throttle body. Don’t swamp it, use an old toothbrush and some cloth.
# At least once in the life of the car, remove the intercooler and clean it out. I use petrol for this. TAKE CARE. You’ll be surprised what comes out.
# Use good quality air filters. Dirt (even tiny dust particles) are the enemy of the compressor.

DIET
# Super unleaded and it’s diesel equivalent go through extra refining processes and so have less dissolved heavy compounds. This coupled with increased detergent packages help to keep the internals of your engine cleaner during their lifetime. This applies not only to the pistons and valves, but also to the turbo turbine. Using ‘Super’ can help prolong the life of this vital component. If your motor makes any extra power or economy on it too, then regard this as a bonus (some will, some won’t – my Saab does, 26hp and 22Nm to be exact)

# Forget “snake oil” additives of any description. Most are useless and this has been proved as such in several US litigation cases over the years.

Think of your turbo (and it’s host engine) like an athlete. You never see a sprinter come straight out of the changing room, race and then straight back in. Warm up, stretch, perform (race), warm down, stretch, stop. Exercise regularly and eat good food. Check condition regularly.

Treat your engine and it’s turbo like you’d treat your body (unless you’re a type 2 diabetes candidate, of course) and it will love you back.