Turbocharger (BMW 3 Series E36)

Diesel engines of BMW cars are equipped with a turbocharger. In the turbocharger, two turbine wheels are located on one shaft, placed in separate housings. The turbines are driven by useless exhaust gases. They accelerate the turbocharger turbines to 120,000 rpm. And since the rotors of the exhaust gases and fresh air are located on the same shaft, fresh air is supplied to the cylinder with the same number of revolutions.

Thanks to a good filling factor, an increase in engine power of up to 100 percent is achieved. The increase in power depends, among other things, on the pressure that is present in the engine of a passenger car, amounting to from 0.4 to 0.8 bar (for comparison, tire pressure is about 1.8 bar). When the pressure set at the factory is exceeded, the safety valve opens to release excess pressure.

Along with the increase in power, the use of a turbocharger allows for an increase in torque, which is particularly desirable from the point of view of engine flexibility.

Compared to petrol engines, diesel engines do not require a reduction in the normal compression ratio due to additional compression, so that the injected fuel is fully utilised even in the low speed range.

The turbocharger is a unit of extremely precision manufacturing. Therefore, it is recommended to entrust its repair only to a qualified specialist. As a rule, if the turbocharger is defective, it is replaced as a set.