WHY VGT TURBO’S FAIL—AND HOW YOU CAN PREVENT IT

With the ability to vary the flow of exhaust gasses across the turbine wheel, variable geometry turbochargers (VGT’s) get us as close as possible to having the best of both worlds. At low rpm, restriction in the exhaust side (i.e. drive side) of the turbo is increased, effectively making the VGT act like a much smaller turbo. At high rpm, all restriction is removed and you get the impression that a much larger turbo is feeding the engine. Throughout the rpm band and no matter the vehicle’s speed, response is quick and crisp. Simply put, a VGT provides the ultimate in drivability—and it all but revolutionized the out-of-the-box performance of today’s diesel pickups