How Long Do You Run Your Turbo Timer For?

[mitchy_]

after having a 'discussion' with a friend, one seems to think having a timer running for a good 3 minutes is needed after a hard/long drive, whereas the other says ~30-59 seconds is fine.

i personally think that the drive through suburban streets to my house, and then 30-59 seconds is enough time to stop the turbo dieing from coking.

it's not like you (well me anyway, dont know about anyone else) thrash your car right up to the driveway, rip up the handbrake, and get out..

nor after a long country drive/cruise, etc.. you dont thrash it all the way home.

please elaborate as to what choice you made, and why.

cheers.

[tiesto]

i think 30seconds to 1minute is fine, because i know myself when im getting close to home im always off boost for a few good km near my house..

[Crimpage]

I use the auto timer, but sometimes I think it should run longer than what is on the timer. If I have been giving it a bit, I look at the oil temp to guage an idea of how long it should stay on for...

Under 90 deg then what is on the timer is fine.

Just over 90, I run for about a minute

95 +.. up to about 3 minutes

Im not sure if this is a good way to guage timing length as I have no idea where the oil temp guage is before / after the turbo, but I would assume the turbo would heat the oil quite a bit, so going off oil temp should be ok to do...

[tridentt150v]

I use the exhaust temp gauge, if I've only been doing 50-60km/h for the last five minutes or so I don't use the timer at all.

Usually the exhaust temp is around 300-400 degrees, and using the turbo timer doesn't see it fall any further anyway, your just wasting your time.

When you are driving 'on the turbo' exhaust temp can go to 700-900 degrees.

[wonkynutz]

I've got one that was in the car when I bought it but I don't use it. Most of the time it's just an annoyance,as well as uselessly burning juice,creating smog and wearing things out a bit faster. If the car has been driven with enthusiasm I just drive off boost for the last few k's or let it idle down a bit if I think it needs it.

The reason I'm comfortable doing this is because when I had my last Skyline a few years ago I asked Lee from Advanced Imports in Auckland what he thought of this as that car didn't have a timer fitted. He said it was fine as long as you have a bit of mechanical sympathy. Since he knows a hell of a lot more about Skylines than I do I took his word for it.

On the other hand doing it this way means the onus is on you not to stuff up so if you're worried do what you like. Better safe than sorry.

[blind_elk]

The only TT I use is inside my head - the drive determines how long I either slow down before I get there, or how long I let the engine idle before I turn off the engine.

On a highway cruise, you generally aren't on boost, so a TT is wasting petrol. Around suburban streets, you shouldn't be on boost so much that you need the TT. Just drive sensibly (off-boost) for the last km before your destination, and you'll be fine.

When DJR ran the Sierras in Group A, they would simply do a "slow" lap of the track before pulling into the garage and just turn off the engine.

[HRthirtyone]

I think some people may be a bit confused - what you dont want is to stop your engine when your exhaust temps are high because it will stop the oil pumping and the oil will burn in your turbo and in turn turn into a sort of sludge and cause problems. Some people have said that its not like you exactly boost your car the whole way to the drive and then quickly turn it off! I would tend to agree...

As your getting close to home just drive off boost and let the high airflow vs low rpm cool things down while your still in motion. Then you wont need to idle for long, as exhaust temps off boost are a lot lower, and the water temps are only cooled down with airflow! all the other fluid temps should come down as well with this approach.

i have always done this, and when pulling turbos off after a few years, and frequent oil changes, i have never seen the negative effects of not using a turbo timer.

there just a gimmick for street cars, and an excuse for another canary.

[Bl4cK32]

none. Complete waste of petrol and unsafe.

edit / for street cars

Edited October 29, 2006 by Bl4cK32

[wonkynutz]

none. Complete waste of petrol and unsafe.

To clarify the safety point,the reason timers are illegal in some states is because if you have an accident and there's fuel everywhere you will not be able to kill the engine/electrics quickly. This is a valid point.

[(B1) MR_fanny]

im sure if you have an accident it will cut just like any other car that is unless u decide to pull your hand brake up just before impact...lol. thats what the hand brake safety switch is for i guess. i used to run it 50secs then i got sick of it idling for so long so i put it down to 30 just enough time for it to shut off and the alarm to auto arm.

[MBS206]

Depends where I've been.

Think about how hard your turbo is spinning, at 2800RPM down the freeway at 100km/h in 5th gear.

When you hit full boost, at around 2800RPM (For me) the wastegate opens, dumping HEAPS of the exhaust AWAY from the turbo. Hence, it's not spinning as quick as it can be.

Now, take the car off boost (Down the freeway) and ALL of the gasses are pumping through the turbo, spinning it so damn fast. Just the spinning there creates heat.

Generally, when I drive, I don't even come on boost (When heading down the shops, to a friends, to visit people etc) but I still sit normally for 30seconds. If I've been on the freeway, and just gotten off freeway (I live about 800 metres from the freeway) I will generally sit for a minute or two.

If I've been boosting. It depends under what circumstances (The odd hit through 1st/2nd, or whether I'm taking on some twisties constantly on and off boost)

But, generally, I'm a minimum of 30 seconds. When I stick it in the garage after driving locally, I'll kill it straight away though (As it generally takes me 30seconds to pull up, unlock garage, get back in car, plus the amount of time that I'm slowly cruising (2nd/3rd gear, 10-20km/h up the back lane))

[BAMR33]

I don't have one as they are illegal in QLD, if I have been boosting it I drive around block, as sitting in the driveway stopped only increases temps due to no airflow. But after that I ussually do let it sit for 30seconds for everything to level out.

Modern oils are designed not to burn even at extreme temps, turbo timers are out dated devices.

[Busky2k]

Where is the "turbo timers are rice/wank/poof" option?

If you are driving normally, just switch the car off.

[Munkyb0y]

i just pull up in my driveway, leave the car running while i get out and open the garage door, pull in and switch the car off. that's about 30 seconds worth of idle. otherwise i set it to 30 secs. if i have been sitting in traffic, or driving very conservatively, i dont bother with the timer at all.

usually 30 seconds will do it. 3 mins is excessive.

[lingeringsoul]

30-59seconds driving on streets

5-10 minuutes after a 7-8 laps on the track

[justin911]

my little 'nissan skyline owners manual' rekons

- normal city driving - not necesary

- high speed driving 80km/hr - 20 secs

- high speed driving 100km/hr - 60 secs

- steep mountain slopes or continued driving above 100km/hr - 120 secs

I always have to wait like 30 secs to get into my garage, so i dont bother with one. also on mine when you set the car alarm while the timer is running, the alarm or the immobiliser (i forget which) doesnt work properly... Plus lets face it, people think your retarded when you walk away and your car is still running

[700HP-GTR33]

I put it in auto....close the door and switch the alarm on while it is running.

In Auto mode it is always over 3 minutes when I get to my regular locations.

When you are at a set of lights for a while and look at the time it is always under 1 minute.

It is in my opinion always safer to run in auto.....................................

[Faid]

well i set my timer to 3 mins, i mostly use my car for my drive to work, and when i drive to work its 5am, and i have a clear freeway to push the engine to its limits. when i get at work my egt is bout 450 deg. and ive cheked it, after 3 mins of idling it drops nicley not to drop any more, so 3 min it is. does suck fuel, but hey not many people over here have them, so ya kinda get the looks when you walk from your car and it shuts off on its own :D

[siksII]

once i get near home i drive slowly and then shut the car straight off, turbo timers are annoying wank items and mine is permanently switched off.

[discopotato03]

Zip Zero Zilch . Effective water cooling is your turbos best friend . The thermal mass of the centre section in most peoples turbos is quite small , provided you can get its water coolant supply to thermosyphon properly when the engine is shut down you should not have oil cooking issues .

Ball bearing centre sections have an easier time because the balls and races are hardened steel and the surface contact area is much less than bush / plate bearing turbos . A properly designed turbo water cooling system does not allow the cartridge to get hot enough to fry the oil in its bearings . I have a diagram on another PC that I'll post up later time permitting .

A while back I put an uncharacteristically long speil on one board about how I rigged up water cooling to a GT28RS on an FJ20 , when I mentioned that you could easily hear water boiling in its jacket (turbo) after shut down people there had hysterics . I could not make them understand that it was set to allow the steam bubbles to travel up the water outlet pipe into the heads highest point , just inside of the thermostat , out the top hose to the radiators top tank and via the rad cap to the overflow tank . It only did this for the 1-2 minutes that was needed for the coolant to drop the turbos cooling jacket (basically bearing housing) temperature below 100 deg C . The turbos water inlet was plumbed into the blocks coolant drain bung hole which is often the lowest part of the engines cooling system . Cooler water is denser and heavier than warmer water so it made sense to get water from this point . It thermosyphoned perfectly and worked automatically .

There are going to be times when an engine has to be shut down pronto to save it from some terminal problem ie major oil / coolant / fuel leak and its instances like these that an effective turbo water cooling system saves its bacon . As Corky Bell said manufacturers fit them because Joe average wood duck refuses to use good oil (and change it often) and demands to be able to exit his mobile kelvinator (which afterall is just another house hold appliance in his eyes) post haste . Waiting around for the pesky hair dryer to compose itself is for squares man .

The turbo timer is a marketing tool to separate you from your money . The water cooling system is used to prevent the turbos centre section from getting hot enough to be a reliability issue . Manufacturers have to put warranty on their cars so reliability is important .

Cheers A .