Question 1

My Sorento D4HB CRDi is blowing blue smoke — is it the turbo?

Accepted Answer

Blue smoke on a CRDi diesel almost always points at the turbocharger seal. The Garrett GTB1749V VNT fitted to the D4HB 2.2 in the Sorento XM and UM (and the Carnival) is a known weak point — the VNT vanes carbon up, the bearing wears, and engine oil ends up in the intake. Other symptoms include loss of boost above 3,000 rpm, whining noise, and oil pooling in the intercooler pipe. We supply tested used D4HB turbos and reconditioned units with a new core assembly.

Question 2

How much does a Kia turbocharger cost in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Used Kia turbos range from R3,500 for a small IHI RHF3 (D4FB 1.6 CRDi from a Soul) up to R14,500 for a Garrett GTB1749V VNT (D4HB 2.2 from a Sorento). The most common units are the K2700 / K2500 Garrett GT1749V at R5,500–R8,500, the 1.6 T-GDI BorgWarner KP35 from the Sportage and Cerato at R6,500–R10,500, and the Theta II 2.0T BorgWarner K03 from the Optima GT and Cerato Koup at R7,500–R12,500. Reconditioned units carry roughly a 60–80% premium over used.

Question 3

Used turbo vs reconditioned — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

A used turbo is pulled from a low-mileage donor, checked for shaft play (axial and radial), and supplied as-is. A reconditioned turbo replaces the entire core assembly (CHRA — Centre Housing Rotating Assembly) with a new shaft, bearings, seals and turbine wheel, while keeping the original cast-iron housings. For a D4HB 2.2 CRDi worth R250,000+ as a Sorento, the reconditioned option is the smarter spend — used turbos from the same engine family often have the same vane-stick problem you are trying to fix.

Question 4

Can I just swap the turbo or do I need to do the head too?

Accepted Answer

If the turbo failed gradually (boost loss, blue smoke, whining) and the engine still runs without misfire, a turbo-only swap is fine — but you must clean the intercooler and intake manifold of any oil residue, or the new turbo will eat its own oil too. If the turbo failed catastrophically (compressor wheel shrapnel went down the intake), expect a head + turbo pair replacement at minimum — the broken pieces have damaged exhaust valves and possibly bent intake valves.

Question 5

Do you stock turbos for petrol Kias too, or only CRDi diesels?

Accepted Answer

Both. CRDi diesel turbos are higher volume because every D4HB / D4HA / D4CB / D4FB / D4FE Kia has a turbo as standard. On petrol we stock the BorgWarner KP35 for the 1.6 T-GDI (G4FJ) in the Sportage QL, Cerato and Cerato Koup Turbo, and the BorgWarner K03 for the 2.0T Theta II (G4KH) in the Optima GT and Cerato Koup. For older Sportage KM and Carens diesels we carry Mitsubishi TD04 units.

Question 6

How quickly can you ship a turbo to Cape Town or Johannesburg?

Accepted Answer

Turbos ship from our Durban yard in a heavy-walled cardboard box with the housings strapped to a foam core. Cape Town and Johannesburg arrive in 3–5 working days, Bloemfontein and Polokwane in 2–3 days, and same-day courier is available across Durban and the greater eThekwini area. We also export to Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Call 031 943 9999 for a turbo quote within the hour.

Turbocharger / Code	Fits Models	Price Range
Garrett GTB1749V VNT (D4HB 2.2)	Sorento XM/UM, Carnival, Grand Sedona	R8,500 – R14,500
Garrett GT1749V VNT (D4CB 2.5)	K2700, K2500 one-tonner	R5,500 – R9,500
BorgWarner KP35 T-GDI (G4FJ 1.6)	Sportage 1.6 T-GDi, Cerato, Cerato Koup Turbo	R6,500 – R10,500
BorgWarner K03 Theta II T (G4KH 2.0T)	Optima GT, Cerato Koup Turbo	R7,500 – R12,500
Mitsubishi TD04 (D4EA 2.0 CRDi)	Sportage KM, Carens (older CRDi)	R4,500 – R7,500
IHI RHF3 (D4FB 1.6 CRDi)	Soul, Sportage SL 1.6 CRDi, Carens	R3,500 – R6,500
Garrett GT1544V (D4FE 1.5/1.6 CRDi)	Seltos, Sonet, Soul (later CRDi)	R4,500 – R7,500
Reconditioned Core (CHRA only)	D4HB, D4CB, D4FB, KP35 — fits to original housings	R3,500 – R6,500

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