Are Turbos Hard on Oil?

[TiGeo]

Thread '2018 tuned/tracked VW Golf Sportwagen 118K/9.6K OCI HPL Euro 5W-40 - 3 track days/7 autoX' https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...i-hpl-euro-5w-40-3-track-days-7-autox.400462/

 

[Japanese]

Another turbo oil. Not sure how old is it. A lady sells it on FB Market place 9 qts for $40.
"Specially formulated for classic cars."

 

[Lawnman23]

Another turbo oil. Not sure how old is it. A lady sells it on FB Market place 9 qts for $40.
"Specially formulated for classic cars."

View attachment 329937

I still have a partial quart of this leftover from when I changed the oil in my Tuff Torq hydrostatic unit on my lawnmower, ~15 some years ago.

It has held up well in that application...

 

[Chief2025]

This thread brings back memories of when turbo timers were a big deal, especially for the guys with WRXs and Lancer Evolutions. For the folks who haven't heard of a turbo timer, it's a device that keeps the car running for a few minutes after you've parked it to keep oil circulating through the turbo until it cools to avoid "coking".

Anybody hear of coking issues these days? Turbos certainly aren't running any cooler, but I'm under the impression that modern oils resist it better.

Almost all modern turbos keep the coolant flowing through the turbo after the engine is shut off.
Either with an electric pump or a thermodynamic siphon.

Keeping them cooler....not as great as a turbo timer but pretty good.

 

[GI_GRIFF]

Seems like a silly question, but I figured I'd ask anyways. We just picked up a used 2018 Chevrolet Equinox with 91k miles from a dealer. 1.5l Turbo LYX. Oil was freshly changed when we bought it....no signs of sludge from what I could see through the oil filler. Runs great. No complaints.

I just did the 1st oil change this past weekend at 1k miles to get the unknown dealer commodity stuff out of there and put in some Valvoline Restore and Protect to clean up any deposits. Unknown maintenance but I figured a few OCI's of Valvoline Restore and Protect wouldn't hurt.

When we bought it the oil was brand new looking. After 1k miles it had darkened significantly on the dip stick and when i drained it it looked very dark, like it was due for an oil change. The other thing I was surprised at was how HOT the oil was!!! I normally take my vehicles for a short drive to get the oil good and warm/hot before changing.

This oil was super hot! I could barely turn the drain bolt by hand it was that hot. Surprised me a bit actually.

So that brings me to my question. Are turbo engines harder on oil than non-turbo engines? If so, what in the oil tends to wear down fastest? Does it shear faster than non-turbo'd engines? Does the oil oxidize faster? Anything else I'm not aware of? Just looking for some education. Thanks!

**EDIT** I should mention we don't drive the car aggressively but my wife does A LOT of short trips and idling. So for that, we fall in the severe maintenance category. I drive it to work once per week on the highway (45 miles each way) for the fun of it.

Are Turbos Hard on Oil? Actually, it is heat that can be hard on oil, and turbos run hot.​

 

[tired]

Are Turbos Hard on Oil? Actually, it is heat that can be hard on oil, and turbos run hot.​

No need to shout!

 

[rumcapital23]

are turbos hard on oil?

first answer that popped into my head:
does my wife make my life harder?

 

[cryptolyme]

it's harder than no turbo