why fit a genuine, original turbocharger?
Turboactive have been supplying new and remanufactured turbochargers for over a quarter of a century. In this time, we have supplied more remanufactured turbochargers than any other UK supplier and have a wealth of knowledge of the entire remanufacturing process from supply chain to final assembly, calibration and test. Despite years of constant improvement in product quality the reality remains that warranty rates are lower in Genuine products compared to their remanufactured or copy counterparts. Although quality and methods vary widely across suppliers, any use of reclaimed or copy components is never as good as a turbocharger were all the components are new and crucially, from the genuine, original manufacturer.
In addition to a higher quality turbocharger, a genuine, new option will not only last longer but is better calibrated, built to lower tolerances and more stringently tested to OE standards. This results in a better driving response from the vehicle, lower emissions, superior fuel consumption and better power output.
WHY RISK IT? Accept only Genuine Garrett Turbos
Independent Lab tests show as much as 40% performance gap between genuine Garrett Aftermarket Turbos and Copies.
When it’s time to replace your car’s turbocharger, don’t take risks. When your turbocharger is spinning at 300,000 rpm, and operating up to 1050 degrees Celsius, almost the same isn’t good enough.
Replacement turbos built to the original specifications of the factory-installed part they replace have significantly better performance, CO2 and NOX emissions than non-original copies.
The test of several turbocharger replacements was conducted in the United Kingdom by Millbrook Group. The study used the average of two homologated replacement turbos built to original equipment specifications (OE Fit) from Garrett brand of replacement turbos as well as a leading competitor to compare against the highest-selling third-party units in Europe, which were reverse-engineered or remanufactured without qualified turbo factory support.
The results indicate:
- Low-end torque with an engine using a copy turbocharger was decreased by 15 percent to 40 percent compared to OE Fit turbochargers.
- NOx emissions from non-OE copy turbochargers were between 8 percent and 28 percent higher than OE Fit turbochargers.
- CO2 emissions from some non-OE copy turbochargers were nearly 3 percent greater measuring between 2.0g/km and 4.5g/km higher than OE Fit turbochargers, or an emissions amount approximately equivalent to using an additional liter of fuel for every tank driven.
Garrett Motion Information on Non-Authorized Turbo Interchanges
It has been brought to our attention that some customers have been interchanging 713672 and 713673 part numbers with different Garrett part numbers or turbos from other manufacturers. We’d like to remind you that Garrett® VNT™ turbos are highly complex units, engineered and calibrated to meet the exacting performance parameters of automotive manufacturers. They deliver optimum performance and ensure high reliability. These engineering complexities cannot be compromised. Turbos within the Garrett range may look similar and turbos from other manufacturers may also resemble Garrett Motion turbo units – however, they all differ from one another in many ways. The major differences lie inside the turbos, where aerodynamics, materials and calibration are set uniquely for each application. The key differences for each turbo model include:
- Specific aerodynamic characteristics. The sizes of the inlets and outlets for both exhaust gas and air may be very different from one application to another, as could the high speed turbine and compressor wheel specifications.
- Materials. Different materials combinations are used for wheel and housing castings in order to withstand the high operational temperatures and specific running conditions of each application.
- Power and torque ratings. These are set specifically for each turbo application.
- Emissions standards. Each turbo takes into account the requirements of particular emissions standards – whether Euro II, III or IV.
- Design and performance. Each generation of VNT™ turbo is unique in being matched to specific engines and should not be interchanged. A first generation VNT™ turbo (Step 1) should not be used to replace a second generation VNT™ turbo (Step 2) and vice versa. For example 713672 is a VNT™ Step 1 and includes a nozzle assembly which holds 9 moveable vanes, whilst 713673 is a VNT™ Step 2 with a nozzle assembly holding 11 moveable vanes. However, externally these turbos appear almost identical! Any attempt at using the wrong turbo replacement model – whether a different Garrett part number or non genuine product- could lead to potentially serious problems, such as:
- Increased fuel consumption.
- Increased regulated exhaust emissions – violation of national emissions regulations.
- Reduced performance
- Increased exhaust gas temperatures – leading to potential damage to the turbo ( housing cracking and wheel damage) and the engine
- Conflict with the engine management system (ECU) if changing a turbo designed for non DPF engines with one designed for DPF engines (or vice versa)
- Violation of national laws in terms of part homologation
We perform quality tests – so you don’t have to
In order to assess the quality of the non-original copied turbochargers, we examined two different units in our research laboratory and tested them according to our strict standards. The results have serious implications: turbine casings and compressor wheels showed serious defects in material quality, finishing and design, meaning that many tests had to be cut short in the initial stages, for example due to bearing damage
- The turbine casing is not designed for high exhaust temperatures. This means that unfiltered exhaust fumes can escape and penetrate into the passenger
- The turbine wheel is made of low-grade materials. If the wheel breaks and the turbine casing does not withstand the impact, this can cause severe damage to the vehicle and serious, even fatal injuries. compartment – a risk for the health.
- The bearing system is obviously designed incorrectly, which means that the turbocharger will have a short useful life.
Beware of Counterfeits of Mitsubishi Turbocharger
MHI values and would like to thank its customers who purchase Mitsubishi Turbochargers and products incorporating them. It has come to the attention of MHI that counterfeit turbochargers made to look like they were manufactured by MHI, which is not the case, are being circulated in China and other countries. These counterfeits are not genuine MHI products, are not covered by MHI's warranties and have not been made subject to MHI's strict quality control, so for the safety of our customers, we ask that you please purchase genuine MHI products. Please understand that MHI cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any accident or breakdown resulting from the use of counterfeit third party products or their malfunctions. Please also understand that we cannot exchange counterfeits for genuine MHI products, nor can we repair or otherwise service such non-genuine third party products. We advise you to check the authenticity of any MHI turbochargers that are not purchased through your local MHI dealer. If you are in any doubt as to whether an turbocharger branded or sold as Mitsubishi turbocharger is a genuine Mitsubishi turbocharger supported by the MHI group, please contact your local MHI dealer. We look forward to your continued use of genuine MHI products.
The hidden costs of non-genuine
CASE STUDY Mercedes sprinter V6 diesel engine
Original Equipment Suppliers (OES) such as Garrett, Mitsubishi, Borgwarner, Continental, IHI and BMTS spend extraordinary amounts of time, effort and money developing turbocharger technology to improve engine efficiencies in fuel economy and power, most importantly the drive to reduce exhaust emissions to meet the ever-stricter legal requirements; tested, and enforced in the UK MOT tests and their international equivalents Reliability is built in, the conditions the turbocharger must work under are harsh with temperatures of 1000OC regularly exceeded in the turbine housing of a petrol and over 800OC in and around the VNT nozzle ring and turbine housing. Peripheral speeds of the compressor and turbine wheels when at full boost are up to 1,900kph, for these reasons only the highest quality materials are used The pictures opposite are of a reasonable quality, copy nozzle ring fitted to a remanufactured turbo which was fitted on a Mercedes sprinter The vehicle in question was a blue light ambulance The sprinter ambulances have a 3ltr V6 diesel engine with full auto gearbox, gross weight is 5.5t including crew and patient Most of the time these vehicles are driven with the maximum demand put onto the engine and its components, the nozzle ring in the pictures lasted less than 24 hours before the vanes started to warp, blister and stick, resulting in engine limp mode – the materials were not good enough and could not withstand the temperatures involved in the application. This was a regular occurrence across multiple vehicles. As well as the nozzle ring failures compressor wheel failures were also common, the compressor wheels explode due to the high duty cycle the turbo was exposed to eventually leading to the wheel losing its elasticity, cracking, and shattering
You may, along with many other people think your vehicle isn’t driven like this so it won’t affect you, however, the point is, when low quality materials are used to copy components, the life of that component in general is greatly reduced, usually the premature failure happens at the most inconvenient time, resulting in maximum stress, additional cost in another replacement turbo, a second lot of labour, oils and filters, this all adds up, suddenly the small cost saving you thought you’d made buying the copy/reman turbo, over the slightly more expensive but higher quality OE reman or OE new unit has long since been surpassed Buy cheap buy twice where a turbo is concerned, couldn’t be more accurate due to the ‘normal’ harsh conditions the turbo is exposed to every time the engine is started and driven, this is where even more hidden costs of buying a ‘cheap’ remanufactured or even worse ‘copy/pirate’ turbocharger The average remanufactured turbocharger will still have installed its original compressor wheel, turbine shaft/wheel assembly, bearing housing, nozzle ring, actuator etc, if these are all original, it will perform pretty well as it did originally, however, if all or any of the components such as, compressor wheel, turbine shaft/wheel assembly, nozzle ring and most important of all the actuator have been changed for copy/pirate parts the performance will have been compromised
