Hey people,

Just last night after modifying my intake a little (added 30cm flex pipe between pod filter and MAF sensor) this is irrelevant but I'm just saying what happened. So I take it for a spin, car feels good and everything seemed normal. I open the hood up to find the turbo glowing red. I did not thrash the car, I simply gave it a few hard pulls to see how the intake will go.

I have done some search and for a turbo to glow red without much thrashing, I'm looking at a bad cat or 02 sensor, can someone please confirm?

PS: As far as I know the turbo could have always glowed as yesterday was probably the only time I opened the hood after some hard pulls at night. My car lately has terrible mileage and the car at times at acceleration chokes, it stalls occasionally and never starts the first time in mornings but the second time.

 

My turbo glows after even one or two pulls at 16+psi, but it's not like super glowing just a little red. I think it's mostly normal, just remember to probably cool down your car after a hard run so your oil/coolant won't boil in that glowing turbo

 

I always wondered why they don't use copper alloys for turbos.

Im no expert, but I do know for a fact copper is more conductive than lets say an aluminum alloy. Copper is more expensive than aluminum, I know, but imagine having a turbo with a copper housing. Wouldn't that help draw the heat away quicker? Another thought ... why don't they mount heatsink fins on turbos? I remember back in high school when I went to Aviation we used to work on various aircraft motors and even the old radials had aluminum alloy heatsink fins on the cylinders.

I know a turbo and a cylinder are two different things, but theoretically, would a copper turbo housing that has heatsink fins dissipate heat faster than a plain aluminum alloy housing?

 

Copper is a lot softer on average than aluminum. Also, aluminum is lighter, because it is less dense. Less dense means better thermodynamics for heat transfer/exchange. And copper is way more expensive than aluminum lol. But if your turbo is really really glowing, you could have a airflow restriction problem, or it could be a fuel problem. There was another member on here that was having problems with his turbo glowing super-red, changed out his fuel filter, and all was well. The car was starving for fuel and the turbo was overworking itself. When was the last time you changed your fuel filter?

 

Well I agree that copper is softer, it is more expensive, but the heat exchange is far better with chopper. For example, I work on PC's at a shop. Even when the heatsink is aluminum, the base plate is usually chopper. Why? Better heat transfer. Gold has an even better heat transfer but it is very expensive and very soft.

 

Some misinformation going on here... let me start with these 2 sites:
Metals - Melting Temperatures
Thermal Conductivity of Metals

Copper has a lower melting point than the iron alloys used in turbochargers. Also copper is a very ductile material, and malleable, and for the weight has relatively low strength. Turbochargers need to remain strong when they are hot enough to glow red.

Why not heat-sink a turbocharger? It's already being cooled by coolant and oil (in many, if not most, cars).

Gold is not a better conductor of heat or electricity than copper. BUT, gold doesn't tarnish/corrode like copper, therefore it makes a great plating for copper. Silver on the other hand is a better conductor of heat and electricity than copper, but it tarnishes.

To the OP: start with replacing your pre-cat O2 sensor. It shouldn't cost more than $80.

 

Normal for the manifold to get red hot. Was it the hot side or the cold side of the turbo that was glowing?

 

Small turbo + slight thrashing = things are going to get hot.

You'll probably only see the turbo glow at night, during the day if you were to do the same thrashing you wouldn't see it.

Its absolutely normal for the manifold and exhaust housing to glow. The gases being forced through the exhaust are moving at a high velocity. This higher velocity often heats things up faster which is why the exhaust parts glow much more easily on turbocharged cars than N/A cars.

Always give the turbo a chance to cool down after sprinted driving so you don't cook your oil and seals.

Jason

 

This was my turbo after a mountain run thrashing...ended up warping the coolant flange from the heat.

 

I get all this but I'm definitely thinking a bad cat, the car honestly has got worse since a made this post, any gear other than 1st I can feel back pressure from exhaust and the car pops (not back fire) it feels like its been pulled in the opposite direction as I drive.

Not sure if this is relevant but just last night I left the car to idle for about 30 minutes with 80km left on tank, when I got back in car it was on 0 and car was still running, I have no idea whats going on but they say a bad cat will cause terrible mileage.

I will run this current tank till it runs out of fuel so I can be sure the mileage of the car has dropped significantly due to possibly a bad cat.