Frequently asked questions

It depends on your platform (PX/PX2/PX3 Ranger, UA Everest, UP/UR BT-50) and what you're chasing, whether it's towing response or maximum power. Check the fitment guide on each product page, or message us your rego/model and we'll confirm the right unit.

Both. Our reconditioning service strips, inspects and rebalances your existing turbo with new bearings, seals and wheels where needed, bringing it back to factory or improved spec.

Custom builds are currently running a short extra lead time while we commission new equipment. Message our Facebook page before ordering and we'll give you a current estimate.

It can affect cover for related driveline and engine components under Australian Consumer Law's "reasonable modification" provisions. We can talk through what we've seen with your specific dealer network.

Yes! Its been a long road and an even deeper rabbit hole but these days, we have one of the best turbocharger re-manufacturing facilities in Perth. For our performance ranges, we are taking genuine Garrett products straight out of the box to ensure our base quality is as high as possible before we have even started creating our turbochargers.

The reason our turbocharger products don't have our brand name cast into them, is that process is done during casting and is not something that happens inside Australia. Generally speaking the products with brand names cast into them are overseas copies bought in quantity and they are either imported as a finished "upgrade" product or imported in pieces and assembled here.

The reason we laser etch our products is because we are working with genuine units and usually we remove the manufacturers serial number tag, machine the surface flat if required, and then machine our brand name onto the housing to signify it is now our product, and has been upgraded and improved by our own hands in house.

There isnt really a "better" one in most cases, for us its about, what do you require and what are you trying to achieve from your build. There is a lot of information on the individual product pages so we suggest to start there, but otherwise here is a run down on how we see fit what turbocharger upgrade to recommend.

Our Stage1 is a great all rounder delivering a huge increase of power with the right tuner (yes, quality in this area is equally important) Starting from a genuine Garrett unit, our Stage1 is an extremely cost effective upgrade vs the Garrett Powermax upgrade or a non modified Garrett original unit. Its perfect for mild to moderate power increases, setups retaining the dpf and for a super-boost in power and torque for any heaving towing loads. It is not recommended to use our Stage1 turbocharger with upgraded injectors or upgraded injector nozzles.

Our Stage2 turbocharger upgrade starts from the same original, genuine Garrett core and receives even further work to handle anything you can throw at it including more boost than the original map sensor can even read! Its also possible to use our Stage2 product in ANY situation you would also throw a Stage1 unit in and just knowing that it'll handle it with extra headroom, OR chasing maximum power possible including upgraded injector setups.

This one is much easier to answer than you think. The Garrett Powermax has the same size compressor wheel as standard, it just features revised geometry and billet material for the compressor wheel rather than the standard cast wheel. Also, and likely the biggest negative for an "upgrade" is that they do not warranty this product with boost levels increased over factory settings. Yeh exactly, then what's the point?!

Our turbochargers come with much larger wheels, in point milled billet material (which is a level up than the Powermax's regular flank milled billet) AND we warranty our upgraded turbochargers running increased boost pressures over standard levels. You want an upgrade to deliver, well, upgraded performance right?

The easiest decision of all in our opinion is the warranty in itself is worth the mere $100-200 more our HOA Stage1 turbocharger costs, and our Stage2 turbocharger is in a league of its own and the Powermax doesn't stand a chance in the slightest.

By using specialist software and tooling we are able to unlock extra horsepower and torque for sharper throttle response and much better pulling power. Most cars these days can also benefit from transmission tuning also by redefining the shift points and altering torque converter lock up clutch tables and pressures.

Definitely, we have plenty of customers who start with a tune on their stock or lightly modified vehicle first, then might add a turbo, cooling or intercooler upgrades later and then come back for a retune.

Yes, dyno slots are booked directly through our Kelmscott workshop. Reach out via Facebook messenger or the contact form to lock in a time.

Depending on vehicle setup and customer expectations, hardware modifications etc, this answer varies a lot. We have a tuning page dedicated to individual vehicles and tune results from our in-house dyno based on multiple configurations of different vehicle types, can be seen here.

Most parts we sell, including hoses, OEM replacement parts, and cooling components, are DIY-friendly. Turbo swaps and tuning are best done at our Kelmscott workshop for calibration accuracy.

No. Unfortunately we have a strict 'no customer supplied parts' policy; this is due to not being able to supply a warranty on these parts, and becoming a liability risk as insurance can refuse to cover us in such cases.

The parts that we use, and have had manufactured, are tried and tested over thousands of vehicles. There is no better way to go about starting a build than using a correctly tested and developed setup of known working parts, rather than a random assortment of the cheapest parts found on the internet from companies than have not varied performance let alone fitment, nor do they work with all the other companies selling parts to confirm they all work together. If you're unsure, send our Facebook page a message.

Yes, we ship nationally (and in some cases, internationally) from our Kelmscott, WA workshop. All parts and products are boxed and packaged accordingly and tracking details are supplied via email.

You'll get a tracking link by email once your order ships. Log in to My Account to see order status any time.

Yes, select local pickup at checkout and we'll message you when your order's ready at Unit 2, 31 Owen Road, Kelmscott.

Warranty terms vary by product and whether it's fitted in-house, by one of our dealers, or self-installed. Parts come with a 12 month/20 000km warranty, however each warranty case is assessed individually with some parts having the requirement of being returned to base for assessment and investigation.

Message us on Facebook or email sales@houseofautomotive.com.au with your order number and photos of the issue, and we'll take it from there.

Head to Trade Login in the main menu and submit your business details for review. Approved accounts get trade pricing and priority support.

We're always open to conversations with workshops and 4WD retailers. Check Find a Dealer or contact us directly to discuss stocking our range.

The EGR cooler on the 3.2L P5AT five-cylinder diesel (PX Ranger and BT-50) is a well-known weak point. Internal cracking lets coolant leak into the exhaust and intake side, which can show up as white smoke, coolant loss, or a rough idle. If this happens while driving it can lead to extreme engine overheating, and because the coolant often leaves the system so fast, the temperature gauge can skip straight past "hot" and drop from normal to cold, since there's no coolant left in the system for it to actually measure. This can trick a driver into continuing to drive, which leads to serious engine damage and even engine seizure.

Ford has previously offered extended warranty support for EGR cooler failures on the 3.2L Ranger outside the standard factory warranty period. Coverage and eligibility can vary and are handled directly through Ford, so if you think this applies to you, it's best to check current terms with your Ford dealer directly.

Yes. Staying on top of your cooling system, coolant condition, hose condition, and having the EGR valve and cooler checked during regular servicing, goes a long way toward catching a problem early rather than dealing with a failure on the road. If you're already noticing symptoms, message us on Facebook and we can talk through the best options for your specific vehicle.

The most common complaints are a blocked or clogged DPF from short trips and low-speed city driving that never lets the filter reach regeneration temperature, or the vehicle itself not being driven long enough to reach a hot enough coolant temperature. Otherwise, issues can stem from sensors failing and reporting false DPF system information to the PCM, which stops the PCM entering a regen mode, or excessive soot levels from split intercooler hoses, which is a super common issue.

A fully functioning system, with all sensors reporting correct information and all other aspects of the engine running well, such as hoses and the fuel system, means the DPF can go on to living a long and happy life without the need for immediate removal.

No, absolutely not, and it's been proven multiple times, we can easily achieve 50+ rwhp dyno tested gains with the DPF still in place and active. Ultimately, if your aim is to achieve the maximum power possible with upgraded injector nozzles, retaining the DPF becomes troublesome, as they do not like the increased level of soot from upgraded injectors.

Yes, it is possible to remove or reduce reliance on the AdBlue (SCR) system. These systems on these models are a common source of expensive, ongoing problems, including sensor faults, false fluid readings, dash warnings that can put the vehicle into limp mode or a no-start countdown, and the famous AdBlue heater pot that plenty of owners have already had replaced once, only for it to play up again a short number of years later. This is strictly for off-road use only.

These modifications are intended strictly for off-road use only and are not compliant for registered road use. If you're unsure what applies to your situation, message our Facebook page and we can talk you through it.

Unfortunately, our incoming phone lines are switched off on purpose, and our voicemail directs customers to contact us via our Facebook business page or by email. This is done for a few reasons.

A lot of the calls we receive are requests to speak with Michael or a mechanic about a technical issue, and many of these calls come from customers who aren't even in Perth and aren't able to bring the vehicle in for repairs, diagnostics, or tuning. This puts serious strain on our ability to get through the week's work when key staff are pulled away from repairing vehicles for hours at a time, sometimes just for a chat.

We have multiple staff members available to help online, and we reply quickly most of the time. It's also far more convenient for us to have conversations recorded, so we can hand your enquiry, quote, or booking request between staff members and pick up exactly where you left off, rather than relying on memory while juggling many jobs at once.

Please keep in mind, even though we prefer online only communication, we are not a live chat service, and replies can sometimes take 24-48 hours depending on what your message involves. We're an extremely busy workshop, and every method of contact keeps us stretched for time. Occasionally (rarely) an enquiry can slip through the cracks.

If you feel your message has been missed after 24-48 hours, please feel free to send a polite follow up and we'll be happy to help. What doesn't help is coming into the workshop to complain a couple of hours after messaging, sending a "......???" message, or contacting us through multiple channels (email, Facebook, and the website contact form) all within a couple of minutes of each other. Yes, this happens more often than you'd think!

We completely understand if that's important to you in choosing who repairs your vehicle. However, this is our policy, and our contact method isn't changing in the near future. We wish you all the best in finding a workshop that can answer the phone at any moment of the day.

We're always happy to have longer conversations with customers who are serious about bringing their vehicle to us for repairs, diagnostics, or a full build, but this time needs to be organised in advance.

We can't take these longer enquiries at any moment of the day, since it usually means pulling a staff member away from important work, whether that's stopping a vehicle mid-dyno run, halfway through assembling a turbocharger, or while they're concentrating on replying to other customer enquiries.

If your vehicle is currently with another mechanic or repairer and they're having trouble diagnosing or fixing it, we're not able to assist with that beyond helping you book it in with us for diagnosis and repair. We're not trainers or educators, and we're not available for long brainstorming sessions about a vehicle that's already at another workshop.

As you can imagine, given the sheer volume of these enquiries we receive, it's just not possible to put staff time into answering this type of request and remain a functioning business. We really do wish we could help every customer across Australia with their technical issues, but the reality is we're a business, and we need to focus our time on customer enquiries and repairing vehicles here in our Perth workshop.

We'll let you know this as politely as possible if we receive an enquiry like this, and we don't want to offend anyone with that response, but as a business, we have to.