A turbocharger typically helps a car get better gas mileage because a smaller engine can be used to get the same amount of performance. Expect a turbocharged engine to be about 8% -10% more fuel efficient that the same engine that is not turbo equipped.

The objective is to make the maximum use of the high pressure and temperature which exist in the cylinder at the moment of exhaust valve or port opening, even at the expense of creating highly unsteady flow through the turbine.

A turbocharger is a forced induction system. It compresses air flowing into the engine. The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine squeeze about 50 percent more air into each cylinder. The turbine spins at up to 150,000 rotations per minute (RPM), which is faster than most engines can go.

The turbo is powered by exhaust. Press gas pedal, exhaust is generated, turbo starts to spin, more air and fuel is pushed into the engine, power increases. This starts to happen right off idle and you can feel it when starting from a stop. Press the pedal and a second or two later you feel the turbo kick in.

Turbo engines tend to have more problems in many cars, although there are turbocharged engines that are reliable. A turbocharged engine has more components than a naturally-aspirated (non-turbo) motor. A turbocharger itself is not uncommon to fail. The more parts, the more can go wrong.

between 100,000 and 150,000 miles

Can you drive with blown turbo? The longer you drive your car with a blown turbo, the more damage the engine will have and therefore the more costly it will be to repair. The longer the blown turbo is left without repair, the more damage can be caused to the car’s engine.

Heat stored in the turbine housing and exhaust manifold “soaks back” into the center section of the turbocharger after shutdown. If water is not plumbed correctly, this intense heat can potentially destroy the bearing system and the oil-sealing piston rings behind the turbine wheel.

If it’s the turbo, you’ll be fine. If it’s the filter, I’d put a tube on there to extend it out of direct rain or water splashes. Although it probably won’t get too wet while driving because of the airflow and pressure zones on the hood, sitting at a light or something the filter could get soaked.

When the turbo is sucking air it takes less to pull it through, but water would take more to pull it into the turbo. This would cause the turbine to slow down suddenly, putting stress on some of the parts. Its kind of like putting you hand over the back of you hair dryer, you can hear it slow down.