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How does a blow off valve work, is it a must-have for KIA Stinger?

You might have heard a certain wheezing sound coming from some turbo engines. Do you ever wonder where it comes from? This ‘whooshing’ sound comes from the blow off valve or BOV in short. A blow off valve is not made for this purpose alone – the sound is only an add-on. If you’ve got a classic Kia Stinger on your hands, it is a good idea to get it equipped with these blow off valves. Every car enthusiast knows that these BOVs are necessary for a turbocharged engine. But why is it so? Here is all you need to know about blow off valves and why they will prove to be a good addition to your KIA stinger turbo engine.

 

Figure 1 Radial Flow Turbocharger

 

What is a blow off valve?

A blow off valve is pressure relieving mechanism mounted on the intake tract of a turbo engine. It helps in reducing the buildup of excessive pressure inside, by venting it out in the atmosphere. When the throttle of an engine is suddenly closed, the turbo engine does not stop spinning instantly. This produces a wave of pressure that travels back to the turbocharger; since it does not have anywhere else to go. This wave of compressed air damages the turbine, turbocharger, and the whole turbo system in general. This also causes the turbocharger to start spinning slowly the next time you hit a turbo boost – something that causes turbo lag.

 

How does a blow off valve work?

Without going into much of the technical mumbo jumbo, let us try to explain how a BOV works.

The wave of compressed pressure that travels back to the turbocharger is known as compressor surge. The BOV relieves this pressure by re-routing it to move to the atmosphere, instead of building up in the turbo engine. A BOV is typically installed between the turbocharger compressor discharge and the throttle body.

When the engine is at rest

BOV uses a stainless spring inside its upper portion to keep the piston closed when the turbo is not in use.

Figure 2 A typical Turbo Engine

 

At low boost

 At low boost, the throttle is slightly more open but the BOV remains closed, considering the correct configuration of springs is installed in your turbo engine.

At high boost

The valve remains fully closed during this time, due to the boost pressure acting on it.

When throttle is closed

When the throttle is closed, there is excessive pressure buildup on top of the piston. This pressure can be damaging for the turbo engine and needs to be removed. This surge pressure can be relieved by two methods

  • The compressed air causing this pressure is re-circulated back into the intake, where it can be reused. The BOVs using this method are known as re-circulating BOVs
  • The second and the most common method of relieving this pressure is by releasing it into the atmosphere instead of being reused. This gives us the vented/atmospheric BOVs.

In addition to a BOV, you might have heard about wastegate. Here is how they are different from each other.

 

Blow off valve vs Wastegate

Wastegate

Blow off valve

Definition

A valve using a spring that regulates the boost pressure in a turbo engine.

 

A pressure relieving valve that emits excessive surge pressure into the atmosphere.

 

How they work

Works by allowing the exhaust flow to bypass the turbine and regulating manifold pressure

Works by venting

 the surge pressure into the atmosphere.

Where are they located

Located external to the turbocharger.

 

Located on the intake side of the turbocharger

 

What are they used for

Diverts the boost pressure to maintain it within an optimum range.

 

Stops the flow of compressed air into the engine

 

Cost

A Kia stinger comes with a preinstalled wastegate. Repair can cost anywhere from $50-200.

For a Kia Stinger, range anywhere from $200 to $600

 

 

 

Why you should buy a BOV for your KIA stinger

It increases your turbo’s life

Several researches have shown that the blow off valve increases your turbo engine’s life. This is because the pressure surge (that BOVs help in reducing) is bad for engine’s bearings. A BOV willincrease the longevity of your turbo engine by removing the excessive pressure. It prevents mechanical damage to the intercooler and other parts of your engine.

Another problem that can be resolved via using a BOV is the turbo lag. The turbo lag occurs when there is a delay between mashing of the throttle and that surge of torque you feel from a turbocharged engine. Using the right BOV for your Kia stinger such as this one will make your life much easier.

 

The hissing sound is sure to turn some heads

Every turbocharged engine makes a certain hissing sound. And we are here for it! The adrenaline surge you get from that scintillating sound is unparalleled. This sound is associated with the sudden surge of boost in your car and it is loved by car enthusiasts all across the globe.

However, if you are hearing some very loud unnatural sounds from your turbo engine, it can spell danger for your car. This usually occurs when a low-quality or fake BOV is installed that does not work properly. The primary problem associated with these low-quality BOVs is that they start leaking and have several manufacturing faults.

 

If you want a foolproof, genuine blow off valve, then we suggest you get this ADD W1 Blow Off Valve. This is a tested BOV that works like a charm for every Kia Stinger (Model 2018 & above).

Adjusted with a CNC machined all-aluminum design, this blow off valve for stinger is all you need to enhance your turbocharger’s performance. This blow-off valve comes with a blow off valve kit that packs a premium ADD W1 adapter as well that will allow suitable fitting of a BOV into your Kia Stinger. Customized according to the specifications of Kia Stinger, this blow off valve ticks all of your requirements, and will prove to be a good addition to your turbo system.

 

stinger blow off valve