Ford says you can afFORD their fuel-savers

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American turbocharged cars in the 80's

A lot of American cars were using turbochargers in the late 70's and early 80's. They burned themselves up regularly and cost a ton of money to replace. The problem was, American car companies decided to use cheap turbochargers with no prolonged forced lubrication. So after you switched off the engine, the turbocharger kept spinning at extremely high RPMs with zero lubrication for a long time. After enough cycles of turning off the engine, they would seize up and it was time to call a tow truck to get the turbocharger replaced again. Those cars were the ultimate expensive lemons. Most owners I knew eventually had the mechanics take the turbo off completely and ended up driving an underpowered Frankenstein car.

Planes have used turbochargers forever. On planes, the turbochargers are dependable. The difference? On a plane, as long as the turbocharger is turning, the oil pump is still lubricating it. I'm assuming European cars were designed this way, as well. Unless I knew for certain that these new American turbochargers were designed this way, I would never again buy one. There are enough middle-aged folks out there who remember the turbocharger fiasco that Ford will need to reassure buyers that their turbo design is different this time around.

Posted by: BillDem   Posted on: 07/15/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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