The vehicles that we see on the road today have been built with small turbocharged engines under the hood. These small engines have been the jewel in the eye of the automotive industry because they happen to be offered to us with the idea that they will be both efficient and powerful to give you the best of both worlds. The fact is, these engines aren’t able to offer you both at the same time and depending upon how they are tuned and how they perform.
Keeping the Knock Out of Your Engine
Compared to a naturally aspirated engine, there’s a lot more pressure in the combustion chamber of a turbocharged engine. When enough of this pressure builds up, the air-fuel mixture could ignite on its own without the aid of the spark plug which causes the engine to knock. This could eventually destroy the engine. Engines that have a turbocharger are programmed to prevent the knocking from happening by injecting more fuel in the cylinder, which lowers the temperature to prevent this ignition from taking place, but it also means more fuel is being used in the process.
More Efficiency is Easy to See
If you want to have the power offered of a V6 engine in one that only has four-cylinders, it’s possible with a turbocharged model. There are significant benefits to driving a vehicle with a turbocharged engine including lighter weight, an increase in power, fewer moving parts, and less friction. All these things also add up to a greater level of fuel mileage when a naturally aspirated engine that’s larger is compared to a smaller turbocharged engine. The trouble is, you might have a hard time reaching the advertised fuel mileage numbers when you drive.
The Load Curve Makes All the Difference
You can come close to the fuel mileage numbers offered by the manufacturer of the turbocharged engine in your vehicle by driving at extremely low load levels at all times. This is a perfect scenario and one in which you’re likely to realize very quickly you won’t be able to maintain. Imagine the load increase when you push hard on the accelerator and need to get up to speed on the highway or are moving from a stop. Because of the variable driving conditions and loads you’ll put on your engine, you’re not likely going to maintain the ideal driving loads to meet the fuel numbers of the manufacturer.
Still a Better Choice
If the small turbocharged engines can’t give us better fuel mileage and better power numbers, why do we want them under the hood? The fact is, these engines do offer both, and it’s simply very difficult to maintain the load that’s ideal and tested by the factory. You’re going to have a fuel efficient drive in a car that has a small turbocharged engine and be able to enjoy the fun of a smaller engine giving you the power you normally expect in a vehicle with a larger engine, but you won’t always have both at the same time.
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