I recommend it. As already stated, it reduces the heat sink that occurs when you shut down and the fans will come on, circulating some air through the radiator and under the hood.
Also, you might want to do a search of Steve Ciriani's site. As I recall he addresses problems with the turbo timers and stock alarm systems. In my case it was a pretty easy fix.

 

Thanks for all the help guys.
I think I will try to cool down the car with an easy drive before I park, but when I don;t have time I will have this.

 

They're useless if you're just going to let the car idle.

I use mine to:

1. Warm up the car in the morning. Set the timer for 5 mins and go back inside to finish getting ready.

2. Run the fans after shutdown.

Letting the car idle for a few minutes after you've been driving using the turbos won't help them out. Like was previously stated, drive the last 5 minutes to your destination without boosting. That way you have COOL air going into the turbos. Stagnant air at idle won't help you out.

 

Yep. The time to cool the car off is while it is still moving. Parked don't pull any air through the car, except for the radiator.

The intent of the turbo timer is to cool the oil and yet you're sitting there parked with a running engine and no air going through the oil coolers...

There are uses for turbo timers, but extending the life of the motor/turbos is not one of them IMO.

 

Another problem with a turbo timer is parking on an incline. If you use a turbo timer, you have to leave the car in neutral (manual tranny). If you are parked on a slope, the car should be in gear for safety. You can't do that with a turbo timer.

 

DamonB:
I have always respected your advise and opinions,....BUT that last statement just ain't right. The engine stays idleing (in park) because IT IS pulling air (oxygen). You can't get a spark to the plugs without oxygen. Granted, it may not be the coolest air flow available as compared to when the vehicle is moving, but it's pulling air nonetheless. Hence...the turbo's are receving air flow even at idle, which flows through the IC and into the throttle body going to the UIM, so fourth, so on.? Agree?

 

Air flow through the intake verses through the radiator are two completely different things. If the radiator isn't getting any cool air, the coolant isn't getting any cooler. So you are just circulating hot coolant around your car and then adding more heat as you have no air flow into to engine bay while idling.

Letting the car idle to cool is not what you want to do. The idea of a turbo timer is to allow the turbos to cool so that there is no coking. Since our turbos are water cooled, there isn't a problem of oil coking on our cars:

http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/TurboTimers.html

Keep in mind it's called a "Turbo Timer" to help the turbos, not the rest of the car.

 

Thanks. Understood and well taken! Based on normal driving conditions and after a good drive.........
Q). What is the average RISE in coolant temp while idleing in park for 60 seconds before shut down??

Q). What is the average DECREASE in turbo temp when idleing in park for 60 seconds before shut down?

 

I don't use one. Personally I think it's extra clutter in the car that is not really needed. I usually just sit in my car for 15 seconds or so before I shut it down. Longer if necessary and if I was just normal driving I don't even worry about it.

-Destin

 

I really have no idea. The point is just that if your goal is to cool the water and oil before you shut the car down, the best way to go about it is to spend the last few minutes of your journey driving without hitting boost. I just aways drive the last few blocks home without hammering on the car; this gives the temps a chance to stabilize as the car is moving through the air without being driven hard.

 

IMO, 60 seconds isn't going to do squat for either one of those. I don't know of anyone taking temps of the turbos, but as I said coking is not an issue with water cooled turbos.

 

I use the turbo timer to just run the fans after I shut the engine down.

* shut the engine off (and TT)
* turn key back on and turn on TT
* turn key off again (but power stays on due to TT)
* press AC button so the radiator fans run constantly
* fans will shut of when TT counts to zero

This way there's airflow in the engine bay and through the radiator but the engine's not running.

 

You guys dont get it... A TURBO TIMER IS NOT FOR COOLING ANYTHNG... its just to keep the oil flowing until the turbos have wound down... if you shut the oil pressure off and your turbos are still flying, then the localized temps and friction increase, thereby decreasing turbo life... once again the intent of the turbo timer is just to keep oil pressure up until the turbos have been slowed down or stopped...

 

Well as long as you don't screech into the parking lot and slam on the brakes and instantly shut the engine down, the turbos ARE slowed down or stopped.

And if you do screech into the parking lot and slam on the brakes and instantly shut the engine down you're doing more harm than a turbo timer idleing the motor for a couple minutes is going to prevent.

 

And at what RPM's are the turbos going at? Answer that and you know that the turbos arent wound down even after a semi-brisk ride. When you are driving with grandma, you have the option of turning the TT off.

 

its also nice to have if you have 2 cars. when your trying to move the 7 and park your daliy ****, its nice not having to shut the 7 off, b/c it will flood if you just start it up, and move it and shut it back off. i also get lots of strange looks from people when i walk away from a running car.

 

I use the timer in both my turbo cars. I figure whats it gonna hurt and if it helps its the among best 100 bucks or so that I could spend. Plus I love when people hear my Greddy catback and Bonez hiflo and as you are walking away they say "hey your car is still running". I wanna say "hmmmm, what makes you think that--really? Then I can pretend I am doing some David Blaine trick when the car turns off as I am entering my destination.

 

So you're telling me that while a car sits and idles on a turbo timer the turbos are stopped, but a car idleing without a turbo timer in fact has turbos that are spinning? You lost me.

The turbos don't spool for minutes at a time after driving hard. A couple blocks at neighborhood speeds is much more than adequate to ensure the turbos are not spinning at high rpm.

 

Yep, that and the fact that there is no air flowing through the oil cooler while sitting either.

 

Well the facts are there... no need to beat this to death, as Im sure it has been time and time again on the net... simple as this, get a TT or be self conscious of caring for your baby day in and day out... for me I have better things to worry about.

 

I have a question. What TT's would you guys reccommend for having ease of use and also ease to install?

THanks

 

I can't believe that people argue that TT's are useful.


I guess I would too if I dished out 100 bucks for one.

 

I'm new to the forum and haven't seen all the arguments against the TT's. I'll research it more, but nothing in this post (so far) has convinced me to take it out. BTW, the car came with one, I never spent money on it.

 

JDMrx7, I **** $100 into this car a week (average 5K in mods and repairs per year),so if enough people (with opinions that I respect) feel it is a worthwhile (namely Dave Barninger) investment, I am going with it. Unfortunately $100 is nothing. Jesus, with this car, if I pick it up at KDR and my bill is under $2000, I think "what a bargain."