It is no secret to most truck owners that when major parts fail, they are expensive to fix. For some people, it is easy to have the cash on hand to fix an essential part like their Duramax turbo, but this is not a cheap item to fix, even if you take care of the repairs yourself.
The Average Duramax Turbo Replacement Cost is $3,250. The labor cost is $1,000 to $1,500 and the parts would cost about $2,100. Costs can vary per state and region for labor charges and for the parts themselves and you might have to pay expensive shipping costs to get parts delivered to you if you are going to take care of the repair yourself.
If you want to learn more about the costs related to a Duramax Turbo Replacement, read on!
Can I Fix This Problem Myself and What Will I Pay for An Expert?
This is a common question and you might be able to do the work yourself if you have the mechanical skill to diagnose and break down the engine parts that are connected to the turbocharger. This would mean that your overall cost would be reduced to about $2,000 to $2,500 for the parts.
It is important to note that this is a major component of the engine, so you will need some know-how to access and remove it and then replace it with the new turbocharger. The labor charges are so high for this replacement process because this is a time-intensive job that requires skill and attention to detail.
Most experts will tell you that the diagnosis and testing that needs to be done to identify this issue as well as the processes that are needed to finalize the job and make sure that the part is working correctly and the engine is running right are often outside of the skill level of most vehicle owners.
This is not as simple a job as replacing a filter or changing the oil, and you should be aware that incorrect diagnosis and repair processes can lead to permanent damage to your engine.
If you are going to choose to have someone else work on this replacement for you, these are some estimated costs for the job:
| Vehicle | Labor Cost | Parts Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet 2016 Silverado | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Chevrolet 2019 Silverado 3500 | $1,000 | $1500-$2,000 |
| Chevrolet 2010 Silverado | $1,000 | $1,200-1,750 |
How Long Will It Take to Replace a Turbocharger in a Duramax?
If you are facing this kind of repair, you should expect to pay technicians to spend 10-12 hours on the job. There are a lot of parts that need to be removed and this is not an easy location to access for every part of the process.
Many people struggle with the oil feed and drain lines that are connected to the turbocharger and the bolts and other attachments can be tough to tighten down properly unless parts are placed perfectly.
Many experts will tell you that the 8 hours or so of labor charge are well worth it to pay for rather than taking on this task for yourself.
Depending on the reason for the turbocharger failure, you might not have to pay for the full time that is put into the job at the dealer and you will be saving yourself the hassle of taking a day or two to do this job yourself.
The number of additional issues that are found at the time of the teardown to access the turbocharger can add to your labor charges.
How do I Know that my Turbocharger Needs to be Replaced?
This is often a fairly easy problem to diagnose as the effects of a poorly performing turbocharger are almost immediately felt when you are driving your truck. Common signs of a turbocharger that needs to be replaced are:
Black Smoke
This is because the turbocharger needs oil from the engine to run at high speed. When the oil seal has broken, blue-black smoke will be created and will billow out of the exhaust of your truck.
Rattling or Scraping
These sounds can be related to bearings that have failed in the turbines and it can be fairly loud. You will not miss this noise if your turbocharger is beginning to fail.
Wastegate Rattle
This sound is symptomatic of the wastegate failing and it will be heard only at certain RPM ranges. This is an easily diagnosable sound that will immediately point to this kind of failure.
All of these issues can lead to reduced power and performance as well as rough idle and poor fuel economy. This problem will become immediately obvious when towing with the truck or if you are trying to climb a grade at speed.
You should always attend to this kind of problem right away to prevent damage to other essential engine parts. A neglected turbocharger can lead to a damaged catalytic converter and other issues.
How Often Should a Turbocharger Need to be Replaced?
This is a tough question as the use of your truck can greatly influence the answer. For many truck owners, their vehicle is not hauling heavy loads or making long road trips on a regular basis. For trucks that are used more heavily, the answer to this question might be much less than for a light use truck that is being used as a daily driver.
On average, your turbocharger should last 100,000 to 130,000 miles. This is more than enough for those who are driving their truck lightly, but for trucks that get used for tough jobs and have to tow heavy weight frequently, this might be a high estimate for the lifespan of a factory turbocharger.
Altitude and other variables can affect the lifespan of this part as well, and your area might offer up challenges to the health of your turbocharger that will not be experienced in other areas of the country.
What is a Turbocharger Assembly?
This is the part of the engine that forces additional air into naturally aspirated engines to allow them to gain greater power. This part essentially works like a turbine to pull more air into the cylinders so that your engine can make more power, have better fuel efficiency, or improved acceleration. For large vehicles like trucks, this set of parts makes the truck much nicer to drive and more effective at handling large loads of heavyweight.
Can I Drive my Duramax With a Bad Turbocharger?
This is a question that is commonly asked due to the expense and time commitment that is required to fix this issue. The answer is that you really should not drive your truck any longer than necessary once this problem has become known to you. There are many other necessary engine parts that can be damaged by driving with a bad turbo and your engine will also experience very poor performance while the bad part is attached to it.
Your catalytic converter or the engine itself could be clogged due to particulate matter that is being forced into the engine and you could have issues with oil consumption that is so high that the engine will run out of oil. Engine failure is a very big risk when driving with a damaged or failed turbocharger and you should make sure that you do not take this risk unless you have no choice at all.
In some cases, your truck will not even start or idle when you have a turbocharger issue. This might eliminate the question at all, but if your truck is still starting and idling, it is wise to take it to be looked at right away or park it until you can fix the issue yourself. It is not worth driving your truck with a damaged turbocharger for a whole variety of reasons.
- Duramax Glow Plugs Cost
- Duramax Water Pump Cost
- Twin Turbo Installation Cost
- Car Turbo Installation Cost
Fixing a Turbocharger is a Time-Intensive Job
Always remember that no matter whether you pay for labor on your turbocharger replacement or you take on the job yourself, you will find that the cost is indicative of the effort that is required to make the replacement a success. This is not a small repair or replacement process and you will often find that paying the labor costs to have professional take care of the replacement is the best way to handle this need.
Being able to be sure that your turbocharger is repaired correctly and that you will be able to get back on the road without issues is a big benefit of paying the $1,000 to $1,500 in labor. Peace of mind is often far more valuable than the cost of the labor for this repair and you will be sure that any other issues that might be related to the failed turbocharger have been diagnosed and attended to as well during this replacement process.
Make sure that you think about the time, effort, and stress of trying to take on this repair yourself, and make sure that you consider paying for a professional or a dealership to take care of this replacement process.