Turbocharger

[Qutaderic]

This may be of information for all of you driving common rail turbo diesels. I've just had the turbo replaced in my Kia Sorento and it's only done 145,000 ks.
Several years ago unknowingly I dinged the intercooler. It's mounted underneath the radiator. Then about nine months ago I noticed a slight oil smear on it. When I asked at the dealership, where I get it serviced, they told me that the seals in the turbo do allow a small amount of oil to weep out. At the last service, 135,000 ks, they told me that the intercooler was leaking and, although not urgent, needed replacement. When I checked, the underside of the bash plate was covered in oil. My main concern was not the intercooler but the fact that the oil leak in the turbo was significantly worse. There was also a noticeable drop in the oil level.
I took it to a local diesel specialist who said that,"" these small Taiwanese turbos only last between 150.000 and 200,000 ks"". I bit the bullet and chose to have it replaced rather than have it fail when we were in the middle of nowhere. When I picked it up I asked what state the turbo was in and was told that it was worn but they had seen a lot worse. I assumed that I had spent my money prematurely, but the difference in performance was markedly improved. It had more low down power and other slight noises had disappeared.
The cost was $2500, however my quote from the dealership was $4000 https://mechanicfaq.com/turbos-for-6-7-cummins/. In fact their parts cost was $300 more than the total that I paid.
It certainly pays to shop around.