Diesel Engine Low Power is one of the most common complaints that rolls into our shop, and the turbocharger is often blamed first, sometimes wrongly. After 45+ years of building and diagnosing turbos at PT Turbo, we can tell you that a weak-feeling engine can come from a dozen different places. The trick is knowing
Diesel Engine Low Power: Is It the Turbocharger? Complete Diagnosis Guide Read More »
Understanding Turbo Surge vs Compressor Surge is one of the most common points of confusion we hear at PT Turbo, and getting it wrong can cost you a compressor wheel, a set of bearings, or an entire cartridge. The two terms get used interchangeably, but they describe the same underlying physics from different angles. If
Turbo Surge vs Compressor Surge: What It Is and How to Fix It Read More »
Understanding Turbo Whine vs Normal Turbo Noise is one of the most valuable diagnostic skills a diesel owner or mechanic can have, because the difference between a healthy spooling turbo and a failing one is often just a subtle change in pitch that most people ignore until the bearings let go. At PT Turbo, we
Turbo Whine vs Normal Turbo Noise: How to Tell if Your Turbocharger Is Failing Read More »
Blue Smoke from Diesel Engine exhaust is one of the clearest warning signs that oil is getting where it shouldn’t, and nine times out of ten on a turbocharged diesel it points straight back to the turbo. Unlike black smoke (unburned fuel) or white smoke (coolant or raw fuel), blue-gray smoke means engine oil is
Blue Smoke from Diesel Engine: Turbocharger Oil Seal Failure Diagnosis Read More »
The P003A Turbocharger VGT Actuator Code is one of the most common diagnostic trouble codes we see roll through the shop on late-model Cummins and Duramax diesels, and it almost always points to the same underlying problem: the variable geometry turbocharger vanes are no longer moving through their full commanded range. Left unaddressed, it kills
P003A Turbocharger VGT Actuator Code: Diagnosis Guide for Cummins & Duramax Read More »
If your diagnostic scanner just pulled a P0046 Turbocharger Vane Position Sensor Circuit code, your turbo’s variable geometry system is telling you something is wrong with how it’s reporting boost control back to the ECM. This is one of the more misunderstood turbo codes out there, and chasing the wrong part can cost you a
P0046 Turbocharger Vane Position Sensor Circuit: What It Means & How to Fix It Read More »
The P0234 Turbocharger Overboost Code is your engine control module telling you the turbo is producing more boost pressure than the system is programmed to allow. On a diesel, that is not a minor warning light. Overboost puts real stress on pistons, head gaskets, and the turbo itself, and left alone it can turn a
P0234 Turbocharger Overboost Code: Causes, Diagnosis & Fix Read More »
The P0299 Turbocharger Underboost Code is one of the most common and most misunderstood fault codes we see roll through the shop, and if you drive or wrench on a modern diesel long enough, you will meet it. It means the engine control module (ECM) commanded a certain amount of boost pressure and the turbo
P0299 Turbocharger Underboost Code: Complete Diagnosis Guide for Diesel Trucks Read More »
This BorgWarner Schwitzer Turbocharger Guide exists because decades of mergers, rebrands, and cross-referenced part numbers have left even seasoned mechanics guessing which turbo actually bolts to their engine. Schwitzer, KKK, and 3K all live under the BorgWarner umbrella now, and the naming conventions overlap in ways that cause ordering mistakes and downtime. At PT Turbo,
BorgWarner Schwitzer Turbocharger Guide: S-Series, K-Series & KKK Reference Read More »
This Garrett Turbocharger Complete Guide breaks down every major product family Garrett has built for diesel and performance applications, from the workhorse GT series to the modern G-Series billet wheels, so you can spec the right unit the first time. At PT Turbo, we have been rebuilding and supplying Garrett turbos for more than 45
Garrett Turbocharger Complete Guide: GT, GTB, GTX & G-Series Reference Read More »
