Turbo timers??? how long?

[pooski]

Just a quick question, i was hoping for some opinions on how long to set my turbo timer at. I have been given advice from 1 min to 6 mins. I also have a 3 1/2" exhaust so it is bloody loud sitting in my carport, so late at night i usually only have it going for 1 min, is this bad?

[Jimbo2000]

i'd like a definate answer also.

i genareally leave it for 1-2 minutes if i havent been boosting at all,trying to keep the boost gauge showing vacuum for the last few minutes and around 3-4 minutes after spirited driving.

I have a an auto function and even after boosting hard it usaually is sitting between 1-2 minutes, even on the freeway, so dont really trust it.

anyone elaborate on this

[Chucky]

My turbo timer is set to one minute. depending on how much i sit on boost it changes. if i'm on the freeway for more than a few minutes she goes all the way up to 5mins.

[akeenan]

i think there has been a thread about this before but it was rather a long time ago....

i think the conclusions on it went like this.

A. why do you need a turbo timer just dont drive your car hard for the last 2 minutes of your trip eg: off boost and you can turn the car straight off.

2. Why do you need a turbo timer just sit in the car for around a minute.

3. When you have been driving the car hard leave it going for around 1.5-2 minutes

4. just for normal driving eg: on boost now and again not driving hard 30 seconds if that...

i might be wrong but those are what i remember.

i personally leave mine on for 50 seconds , but when driving hard anything from 2 minutes to 1.30.

[46n2]

When driving (really) hard my HKS timer wants 3-3:30 to cool down the turbo; but regular driving it wants somewhere up to 1 minute generally. Before I had it in i'd always leave it for 2 - 3 minutes.

So to give my opinion, I'd leave it at 1:30, and if you've given it stick, leave it going for 3.

46n2

[Guest RedLineGTR]

2min max should be good enough to get the oil circultating into all the important parts.

But the best way to make sure everything last longer. Is do a cooling down drive around a couple of streets for a couple of minutes or near close to the end of your drive take it easy. This is the best way to do it. The engine oil has time to reach cooler temperatures the exhuast cools down so does the turbo, radiator coolant..under the bonnet temps go down as well. Then let the turbo timer run for like 30sec or 1min at most to make sure. Thats all thats needed and u wont be leaving your car idling when its not good for it for more than 5min for no decent reason.

This is what i usally do. If i go for a fang and it a cold night and i just wanna get home. dont have time to cool down..after parking the car i let it run for a couple of minutes and leave the bonnet open for that duration. Also while it is up give a bit of a listen to the engine to make sure no funy noises are being made for no reason, do make sure everything is in good nice. Alot of things u cant hear when the bonnet is closed. Cheers Rob

[sumfatchin]

if its a hot day (like today) should u let it run a little longer???

[Guest RedLineGTR]

All items need to be cooled down...Breaks,Transmission,engine,turbo..etc...which not always happends when idling your car. Just Give your car time too cool down a little drive off boost around a couple of streets...it also comes down to general maintenence. Make sure engine oil is replaced at proper intervals. Radiator coolant is decent and gets flushed and well maintained (this is what pretty much keeps the engine cool).

What i do.

Warming up- About 1min The oil pressure starts going down about 1-2mm from the point that i reached at a cold start. then i drive it around a couple of streets to get the temp abit up..before i get onto the main roads. Keep boost off untill in the oil pressure and temp are normal.

For after i fang around. Drive around a couple of streets off boost or down some hills while in like 3rd to get vacume high so the engine is sucking in air (which i see with the radiator coolant getting much lower in temp) seems to be the engine is cooling itself down abit in that process..just abit of a drive around. then get home collect my things from the car check my mobile. Open the door get out of the car and switch off car.Close door. 1 minute is usally plenty. Not even 30sec after a nice cool down.

my 2 cents. This is how i do it and what i have noticed when doing certain things..

[Ronin]

I have mine set:

Normal driving = 1 minute

Hard driving = 3 minutes

[skyliner33wa]

Originally posted by Ronin

I have mine set:

Normal driving = 1 minute

Hard driving = 3 minutes

I do exactly the same, i have a pivot turbo timer that came with the car, that has the option of 1, 3, or off, so normal driving, i switch it to 1, hard driving, I switch to 3.

[whistla]

Most effective way of cooling is to continue driving clamly before u stop for a few minutes

Underbonnet temps rise considerably if your just stationary for awhile

Having said that, i tend to just roll clutch in towards my house with off boost driving before hand

Just bare in mind that there are other factors that will damage the turbo more regardless of how long u "cool your turbo down"

Regular oil changes is a god sent for those little bearings

[riggaP]

If you up the boost, should it be left for longer than a car running standard boost??

[JimX]

I used to leave my turbo timer set at the default time whenever I got home (it varies, whether due to detecting how hard I've been driving it or a fault ) but I then realised that if I just drive off-boost for the last km or 2, then reverse down my driveway, open the door, park in the garage (which takes about 1 minute) then I don't need a timer at all - it's already effectively gotten at least 2 minutes of cooling down.

If I've been thrashing it a bit I will leave the turbo timer on for a minute after I park it then shut off with remote, or if I'm real lazy just let the timer go until it times out (which goes up to 3 minutes I think).

I never leave the car unattended with the turbo timer running anymore. I don't think it'd really be any easier to steal, but it would mean that a thief could get in and ram my car into things for the hell of it and write it off. Or get 1-2km away before the engine cut out which would still screw me up bigtime because it could be anywhere.

[R33man]

After normal driving I take it easy for about 5 min before I get to my destination. When I get there I usually sit for 20 - 30 seconds and switch off. After spirited driving I let the turbo timer run, which is set for 2 min. My timer is connected to my alarm so I can turn the alarm on with the timer still going.

[Jimbo2000]

jimx i think if the timer is running and the handbrake is released it will shut itself down.

with most of the new (not that new though) timers

[JimX]

Yeah it depends on the timer. Mine is dumb-as, you can drive up the street with it on, but you still have to contend with the steering lock It's no real effort for me to not bother using it though, by the time I find a parking spot in a parking station it can be up to 5 minutes already anyway, so I just switch off as soon as I park.

[Jimbo2000]

fair enough

[YBSLO4]

Ya all fooling yaselves... turbo timers where created to allow the oil in teh turbo around the bearings to cool a little before then engine is shtu off to keep it flowing and prevent crud developing as a result of boiling oil. The simple fact that oil nowdays haveboiling points well above what the engine could ever get to make turbo timers a waste of petrol really, they may allow the engine or turbo to cool a little but lets face it over 2 or so minutes whats it gunna really do?? And idle can actually make a car hotter anyway cos no air is flowing over the engine and radiator.

[wrxhoon]

in normal driving little or no boost u dont need to cool the turbo but if u r driving hard for long periods of time u should cool it down iddle speed is fine as it circulates the oil in the turbo to bring it to normal oil temp like 130 - 150 , if u shut down after long hard driving the turbo could be like 200 + so the oil will cook thats when u stuff u r turbo .

i always cool it down a few seconds ( 30 or so ) after driving on little or no boost and up to 3 minutes after long hard driving on full boost .

[YBSLO4]

As i said if you read it... buy a new synthetic oil and you wont be able to boil it, the boiling point of these oils is far greater than the heat a street driven car can get to so it wont happen, only positive of a timer would be to allow everything in general to cool down so it doesn't warp and suffer heat stress in general.