When to let your turbos idle and cool off.
 

Ok, well now that winter has come, my drive to work barely even let's the thermostat open up. My commute to work is 2.2 miles, and by the time I'm pulling in the driveway the water temp needle is a hair above the C. I usually shift at 3,500 and do not get into hard boost going to and from work.

Last summer I would make myself late for work sitting in my car letting it idle for 3 or 4 minutes to cool down some, which I really don't mind, but is it really neccessary in my situation now that the hottest it gets down here is 41 degrees?

Unless you have been running the turbos hard for several minutes (i.e. a 30 minute session on a road course), there is no real need to sit there and let them idle.

^^ Agreed, from what I've read here, letting your tubos 'cool down' is not necessary. I understand the concept is to let them gradually cool down... but what would cool down faster... A) a turbo in a engine bay with a running engine... B) a turbo in an engine bay with the engine not running

I think the concept is more that the oil doesn't cool down too fast and get caked in to the oil feed and return lines. This would be caused by viscosity breakdown or whatever.

Usually, my friends and I let the car idle for a minute or two if we were hitting full boost on both turbos withen a couple of minutes of getting home, just to let the oil cycle through before shutting down.

Yeah, I guess I didn't mention that ^^. The theory of letting the car cool down only applies if you were going hard right before you park. If you've drive a couple of minutes in a 'normal' manor you'll be fine to just shut off.

Just drive your car easy for the last few minutes before reaching your destination, and then shut it off when you arrive. Letting the car sit at idle only makes everything hotter.

I usually only let it cool down when its been driven hard. But usually im shifting at 3k and I don't think you need to idle if you are driving normal.

I you're parking in a safe place, like your garage, open the hood for a 1/2 hour or so when you park to let heat out of the engine bay. That helps everything cool down quicker - keeps the rubber parts from baking in the heat, etc.

Dave

Agreed with all the above.

If i get on it several times during a single trip, i would idle the car for a minute upon arrival, then pop the hood for a couple minutes after i shut the car off. Especially in the summertime cause heatsoak is a nightmare during that time.

My commute is like yours. About 2 miles exact and recently, my temp hits about 140F when i get to my job. Sometimes i rev it a few times to get the thermostat to open but sometimes im like f it, im sure the heatsoak itself will open up the thermostat lol

why not buy a turbo timer? mine is set for a minute 30 secs. i just get out shut the car off lock it and it runs and shuts itself off after 130 they are cheap and make more cool gadgets for the interior. lol

Personally I wouldn't spend the money on a turbo timer when all I have to do is sit in the car and wait a measley 2 minutes at the most..

Turbo-Timers
 

Search for turbo-timer posts - most of them relate to problems CAUSED by them, not how well they work...

Dave

yea but 2 minutes everytime u drive it adds up and up. i dont like to pull up to a place to eat and tell the girl hey lets set here for a couple minutes and enjoy the exaust.lol it just alot easier. and mine came with the car. wasnt hooked up but i hooked it up and it was alot easier. but u have to disingage the auto unlock system if u have it. mine did

If it already came with one,fine..My girl hates to wait in the car everytime,but you know what I say??Get over it! :fawk:

yea but cant u get them for under 100 bucks. man that well worth me not having to hear my girl bitch. but i think i would have bought it anyway cause i had it for a few months before i installed it. and i like it alot better.

or you could just drive normal for the last 2 minutes of your destination.

Too many paranoid people own RX-7s.

Agreed. Much better than leaving it running, generating more heat to cook the solenoids and hoses after shutting it off.

I use a fan mod to leave the fans running for 10 minutes after shutdown - I've found that this drops underhood temps considerably. Opening the hood works even better to allow the hot air to escape.

Nah, for the complications, mishaps, and cost of a turbo timer, i rather just sit in the car a minute or 2 and let it idle.

I believe turbo timers are for lazy people IMHO.

THERE IS NO REASON TO LET THE CAR IDLE FOR A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER STREET DRIVING. NONE. All you are doing is heatsoaking the whole engine bay, you aren't cooling anything off.

I wish this thread would have been started a month ago..When I bought my car,all I heard from guys with turbocharged cars was "make sure you let it idle after driving blah blah blah"..And so I did..I guess now I know better!

second that.

I have a turbo timer...and it's great for one thing; telling me system voltage.

2.2 miles??? buy a bicycle :)

I have a turbo timer and it's so annoying, I don't know how many times I have stopped the car taken out the keys and then had to release the handbrake(to shut the timer off) and then put the handbreak back on. It doesn't sound like much but it gets annoying as hell. Thinking of removing it.

Turbo timers are for fools, and kids that don't know any better.