Question about smoking...

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2008 TR Mazdaspeed 3
Why do our car's turbos start smoking? I'm really concerned about this because it's a really expensive fix when not under warranty and I want to go with a full catless 3 inch TBE in the future. I know it happens to people that have upgraded exhaust components and even more so when catless. Is this because the little K04 needs some backpressure to function right? But some people's seals go bad when stock or near stock! Why is this? I just don't understand why we have the whole "smoking turbo" phenomenon. Could someone shed some light on this for me?
 
With all respect, and please don't get upset with me, but there are tons of threads here on this subject. The issues are multiple, the possible causes multiple, and the suggested fixes multiple. I would have to almost write a book to try to answer your question.

So, please consider doing a little research with the search function and then return with maybe a follow up question or two.

I have some ideas about why some people get "smoke" under certain circumstances and why others do not.

I can say that if you are going to go with a setup like mine (catless DP/RP), then you will increase your chances of smoking under certain conditions. MS3 is the fifth high boost turbo car I've owned (three SAAB's and a Volvo before this). Every one was modded by me with aftermarket ECU whith higher boost and catless big DP/RP exhaust systems. Every one before ran Garrett turbos, so it can't just be a problem with our Hitachi-Warner K04. The Garrett's however, were jounal shaft design, like our K04, rather than the newer ball bearing Garretts. Every one of them has some degree of "smoke" under certain conditions. I believe it comes with the territory and that there is a lot of needless alarm about this issue and a lot of unnecessary warranty claims.

Read the treads and come back with your more specific questions. I'll be glad to give you my view of the issue and I'm sure there will be others who will either disagree or have different approaches.
 
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Why do our car's turbos start smoking?

because you touch yourself at night


but fyi i have no mods and after 22,000 miles i have no smoke, while some have done mods and smoked after a few thousand miles.

also take into consideration how many members are on this and other mazdaspeed forums, how many out of those have smoking turbos, and then how many MS3s are driving around all over the earth. unless you find out how many smoking turbos there actually are out of every built MS3 you can't really rely on a forum to give you the odds of something happening to your car. and there's no recall on the turbo because of smoking issue so it can't be that common.
 
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