Unless you are more knowledgeable regarding cars than most people, you probably have never heard of a wastegate in a turbo system. Any vehicle with a turbocharged engine has a wastegate. This small but important component regulates the operation of the turbocharger and ensures it doesn’t provide too much or too little boost.

Any turbocharger system is fairly complex, and can develop issues over time. Our team of local auto pros has worked with many turbocharged vehicles over the years, and on many occasions we can quickly diagnose an issue, explain it to the customer, and provide a complete repair or replacement when necessary.

In this article, we will discuss various issues which can impact the wastegate on the Acura RDX and what you might experience if your RDX’s wastegate is having issues. Read on to learn more about this important component of your car’s drivetrain, and how we can help if you are experiencing issues.

About a Wastegate

A turbocharger works by injecting the engine with compressed air, providing more power. This compressed air is created when engine exhaust is forced into the turbo itself, causing the turbine to spin. The speed of this spinning turbine must be regulated. Too much spin and the turbine can become erratic or out of control, and too little spin means the engine won’t get the boost it needs. The regulation of turbine speed comes down to the wastegate. A wastegate opens to allow exhaust air to escape when the turbine is being fed too much, and it closes to force more exhaust into the turbo when the vehicle needs more power.

Wastegate Stuck Open

As you can imagine after reading the previous section, the issues with the wastegate itself come into play when it is having trouble opening or closing, or is stuck open or closed altogether. When the wastegate is open too often, your RDX’s engine will struggle to produce adequate power, especially when accelerating. You might also notice a decrease in fuel economy because the engine is trying to compensate for the lack of boost. The prolonged strain on the engine can also cause parts to wear faster and for the issue to spread to other components of the drivetrain.

Wastegate Stuck Closed

When the wastegate has the opposite problem and the wastegate is stuck closed, excess exhaust can’t escape and the turbine will force too much air into the engine and spin too fast. This is known as overboosting. When this happens, the vehicle might shudder, and acceleration can be inconsistent. Overboosting can quickly lead to engine damage outside of the turbocharger, so if you suspect this is the case, have your RDX checked out as soon as possible.

Correcting the Issue

There are many components which regulate the function of the wastegate, including solenoids, actuators, and valves. When we work with an RDX with turbo issues, we check each component and discover the root cause of the problem. While we can often repair the issue, sometimes a faulty wastegate can warrant a full turbocharger replacement.

If your RDX is experiencing these issues, please contact us today and one of our friendly, expert technicians can help.