A turbocharger or injector that fails under warranty feels like an open-and-shut case. Often it isn't. When a returned unit is inspected, the cause of failure is usually outside the part itself: oil starvation, contamination, foreign objects, overspeed, or how it was fitted. Warranty covers defects in the part. It doesn't cover damage caused by something else on the engine.
Here's how to make sure that if something goes wrong, your claim stands.
How warranty claims are assessed
When a failed turbo or injector is returned, it's inspected to find out why it failed. The damage pattern usually tells the story:
| What the inspection finds | What it usually means |
| Discoloured, scored or seized shaft and bearings | Oil starvation or contaminated oil |
| Carbon packed in the bearing housing | Oil coking: hot shutdowns, long service intervals |
| Chipped or bent compressor blades | Foreign objects entering the intake |
| Damaged turbine blades | Debris from the engine |
| Cracked turbine housing, eroded wheel tips | Excessive exhaust temperature, often from tuning or overfuelling |
| Burst or fatigued compressor wheel | Overspeed: boost leaks, altitude, overboost |
| Corroded or seized injector internals | Water in the fuel |
| Scored injector valve parts, debris in the nozzle | Contaminated fuel or pump wear debris |
These are all external causes, and they're generally not covered. A genuine manufacturing defect is, and the inspection is how the two are told apart.
Fitting requirements: the guidelines that matter
Turbochargers
- Find and fix the cause of the original failure before fitting the new unit
- New oil feed line, and a clean, unrestricted drain
- Fresh oil and a new oil filter of the correct specification
- Clean intake and intercooler, with no debris left from the old turbo
- New gaskets. No liquid sealant on oil lines.
- Pre-oil the turbo and prime the oil system before starting
- Don't adjust the actuator rod or set screws unless the procedure specifically calls for it
- Calibrate electronic actuators where required
Full procedure: How to Make Your Turbo Last, section 10.
Injectors
- Clean the injector bore and seat
- New sealing washers, and new hold-down bolts where specified
- Correct torque and tightening sequence
- New high-pressure lines where the manufacturer requires them
- Enter the correction codes into the ECU
- Bleed the system properly, and check for leaks without using your hands
Full procedure: Injector Repair, Reconditioning or Replacement.
What can void or weaken a claim
- The root cause wasn't fixed, so the replacement failed in the same way
- Old oil lines reused, sealant on oil fittings, or no priming
- Wrong part for the application, or a part fitted to a modified engine without the right supporting changes
- Engine tuning that takes boost, exhaust temperature or fuelling beyond the part's design limits
- Actuators adjusted or tampered with
- Injectors fitted without correction codes, or without new sealing washers
- Contaminated fuel or water damage
- The failed part stripped, modified or repaired before being returned
- No proof of purchase or fitting
What to keep, and what to send
If you ever need to claim, these make all the difference:
- Proof of purchase (invoice)
- The workshop invoice for fitting, showing the parts replaced with it: oil lines, oil, filter, gaskets, washers
- Vehicle details: VIN, engine code, and mileage at fitting and at failure
- A fault code scan report
- Photos of the failed part as removed, plus the oil lines, intake and any damage
- The failed part itself: complete, unstripped and unmodified
Don't strip the failed part to "have a look". Once it's dismantled, the evidence that proves a defect may be lost.
DIY or professional?
Some replacements are within reach of a skilled home mechanic. Many modern systems aren't:
- Common-rail injectors need a scan tool to enter correction codes and, often, to reset adaptations.
- Electronic turbo actuators may need calibration equipment.
- Diagnosis (finding why the old part failed) takes proper tools and experience, and it's the step that protects the new part.
If you're not equipped to diagnose the root cause, fit to specification, code and calibrate, use a qualified workshop. It's cheaper than paying for the same part twice.
Your rights
In South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act gives consumers protection against goods that are defective. That protection is about defects in the product. It doesn't extend to damage caused by incorrect fitting, external engine faults or misuse. That's why the fitting requirements and paperwork above matter.
Our warranty and returns policy
Summary of the TDC Returns, Credit and Warranty Policy, effective 25 September 2026. The full policy applies.
Warranty claims
- How to claim: submit your claim through the TDC warranty portal. It guides you through all the information required.
- Don't send the part until your claim is accepted. Parts may only be returned once the portal has approved the claim.
- A copy of the original TDC invoice is required. No claim is accepted without it.
- Installation by a qualified mechanic in line with TDC and manufacturer fitment guidelines is required. Otherwise the warranty is void.
- Inspection: every claim is inspected and assessed by TDC and/or the manufacturer. Credit, repair or replacement is only issued once the claim is approved.
- Tampered or altered units void the warranty.
Contact
For returns or warranty queries, contact your TDC sales representative or call our office on 011 392 2012.
Need help?
Turbo Diesel Components supplies turbochargers, injectors and the fitting parts that go with them, including oil lines, gaskets and sealing washers. Contact our team before you fit if you're unsure about any step. A two-minute call can save a claim.