PT Turbo Guides

Diesel Diagnostics

Diagnosing turbocharger and diesel engine problems: smoke, codes, shaft play, boost leaks.

How a Failed EGR Kills Your Turbocharger: Symptoms & What to Replace First
Diesel Diagnostics

How a Failed EGR Kills Your Turbocharger: Symptoms & What to Replace First

Understanding how a failed EGR kills your turbocharger starts with one simple fact: the two systems share the same exhaust stream, and when the EGR valve…

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Turbo Oil Starvation: Causes, Damage Patterns & How to Prevent It
Diesel Diagnostics

Turbo Oil Starvation: Causes, Damage Patterns & How to Prevent It

Turbo Oil Starvation is the single most destructive failure mode a turbocharger can face, and it kills more center housing rotating assemblies (CHRAs) than compressor surge,…

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Turbine Wheel Damage from Foreign Object Ingestion: Diagnosis & Next Steps
Diesel Diagnostics

Turbine Wheel Damage from Foreign Object Ingestion: Diagnosis & Next Steps

Turbine wheel damage from foreign object ingestion is one of the most common catastrophic failures we see come across the bench at PT Turbo, and it…

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Compressor Wheel Damage: What It Looks Like, What Causes It & What to Do
Diesel Diagnostics

Compressor Wheel Damage: What It Looks Like, What Causes It & What to Do

Compressor Wheel Damage is one of the most common reasons a turbocharger lands on our bench, and it is almost always a symptom of a bigger…

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Turbocharger Shaft Play: How Much Is Too Much? Measurement & Replacement Guide
Diesel Diagnostics

Turbocharger Shaft Play: How Much Is Too Much? Measurement & Replacement Guide

Turbocharger Shaft Play is one of the first things any experienced diesel mechanic checks when a turbo starts making noise, smoking, or losing boost. That little…

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Boost Leak Test: How to Find and Fix Boost Leaks on Diesel Trucks
Diesel Diagnostics

Boost Leak Test: How to Find and Fix Boost Leaks on Diesel Trucks

A Boost Leak Test is the fastest way to find where your diesel engine is losing pressurized air before it ever reaches the cylinders, and skipping…

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Diesel Engine Low Power: Is It the Turbocharger? Complete Diagnosis Guide
Diesel Diagnostics

Diesel Engine Low Power: Is It the Turbocharger? Complete Diagnosis Guide

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…

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Turbo Surge vs Compressor Surge: What It Is and How to Fix It
Diesel Diagnostics

Turbo Surge vs Compressor Surge: What It Is and How to Fix It

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…

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Turbo Whine vs Normal Turbo Noise: How to Tell if Your Turbocharger Is Failing
Diesel Diagnostics

Turbo Whine vs Normal Turbo Noise: How to Tell if Your Turbocharger Is Failing

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…

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Blue Smoke from Diesel Engine: Turbocharger Oil Seal Failure Diagnosis
Diesel Diagnostics

Blue Smoke from Diesel Engine: Turbocharger Oil Seal Failure Diagnosis

Blue Smoke from Diesel Engine exhaust is one of the clearest warning signs that oil is getting where it shouldn’t, and on a turbocharged diesel the…

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P003A Turbocharger Boost Control Code: Diagnosis Guide for Cummins & Duramax
Diesel Diagnostics

P003A Turbocharger Boost Control Code: Diagnosis Guide for Cummins & Duramax

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…

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P0046 Turbocharger Boost Control Circuit Range/Performance: What It Means & How to Fix It
Diesel Diagnostics

P0046 Turbocharger Boost Control Circuit Range/Performance: What It Means & How to Fix It

If your diagnostic scanner just pulled a P0046 Turbocharger Boost Control Circuit Range/Performance code, the ECM has found a problem in the circuit it uses to…

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