The Trainer #159: Increased Engine Efficiency Through Forced Induction

April 23, 2025

Turbocharging and supercharging are not only about higher engine output. It's mostly about tailpipe emissions. Understanding how they work is the key to diagnostic success!

Brandon Steckler

Welcome back to another episode of The Trainer with master diagnostician and Motor Age Technical Editor, Brandon Steckler! In this episode Brandon discusses how forced induction systems are leveraged on today’s internal combustion engines, why they exist, and (equally as important) how to go about troubleshooting them when driveability faults begin to surface.

As the ever-tightening noose of emissions standards prevails, the internal combustion engine that exists today has seen some major improvements over the last two decades, and with good reason. The corporate average fuel economy (C.A.F.E standards) set an initial bar of 52.5 MPGs by this year. To accomplish goals that aggressively meant a major change to how engines are constructed and how they breathe, meaning their displacement.

Vehicle configurations that traditionally call for a large-bore V8 engine can get by just fine with average-sized V6s or even L4 configurations. But how is that accomplished and why? By increasing the engines’ volumetric efficiency or force feeding the engine. Forced induction systems allow the engine to pump more air than it could through natural aspiration. And when more air is pumped more fuel can be delivered which means more torque and horsepower can be extracted from these tinier powerplants.

But why do the manufacturers go through such trouble? The answer is they are forced to. The C.A.F.E. standard demands better fuel economy and with the more stringent tailpipe emissions standards set forth, not only must the manufactures reduce the production of harmful hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. They now must more-stringently manage carbon dioxide.

Traditionally, the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) is looked to as an indicator of an engine’s combustion efficiency. However, studies have shown that CO2 contributes to global warming by blanketing the earth. And the only way to eliminate its production is by either reducing the intensity of the combustion event or eliminating it altogether. By extracting more out of smaller powerplants, the forced induction systems of today can be found on nearly every internal combustion engine powerplant in consumer vehicles out there.

Stick with Brandon and learn more about how this is accomplished on today’s vehicle, on this episode of The Trainer!

LINK TO ARTICLE MENTIONED IN VIDEO:

"Volumetric Efficiency of Turbocharged Engines," by Scott Shotton

https://www.fenderbender.com/running-a-shop/operations/article/33029212/volumetric-efficiency-of-turbocharged-engines

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About the Author

Brandon Steckler | Technical Editor | Motor Age

Brandon began his career in Northampton County Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was a student of GM’s Automotive Service Educational program. In 2001, he graduated top of his class and earned the GM Leadership award for his efforts. He later began working as a technician at a Saturn dealership in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he quickly attained Master Technician status. He later transitioned to working with Hondas, where he aggressively worked to attain another Master Technician status.

Always having a passion for a full understanding of system/component functionality, he rapidly earned a reputation for deciphering strange failures at an efficient pace and became known as an information specialist among the staff and peers at the dealership. In search of new challenges, he transitioned away from the dealership and to the independent world, where he specialized in diagnostics and driveability.

Today, he is an instructor with both Carquest Technical Institute and Worldpac Training Institute. Along with beta testing for Automotive Test Solutions, he develops curriculum/submits case studies for educational purposes. Through Steckler Automotive Technical Services, LLC., Brandon also provides telephone and live technical support, as well as private training, for technicians all across the world.

Brandon holds ASE certifications A1-A9 as well as C1 (Service Consultant). He is certified as an Advanced Level Specialist in L1 (Advanced Engine Performance), L2 (Advanced Diesel Engine Performance), L3 (Hybrid/EV Specialist), L4 (ADAS) and xEV-Level 2 (Technician electrical safety).

He contributes weekly to Facebook automotive chat groups, has authored several books and classes, and truly enjoys traveling across the globe to help other technicians attain a level of understanding that will serve them well throughout their careers.