What kind of turbo timer???

[neox.286]

you see, what sceraxn is saying is the basic conclusion I had come to too...?

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

So sceraxn is suggesting just to shut the car off like any normal car after driving? I'm tryin to make sure I get this mentality right.

 

[neox.286]

no hes not

hes saying that you should let the car sit for about 30-60 seconds to let the oil run on the turbo as it spools down after a spirited run, then shut off

but the logic of running the car for 5-10 minutes after a long run to avoid heat is backwards, because youll heat soak all your engine parts rather than cool them

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

Agreed. Okay, so the TT is just a helpful tool to let the engine cool down within that last minute that you may not possibly sit and wait.

I can't imagine it being that bad for your engine if you didn't always let it cool down -always-..

 

[neox.286]

its only meant to prolong the life of the turbo....the more the turbine shaft is lubricated while moving the better

if you just cut off the motor then the turbine shaft is still spinning, but all the oil drains quicker than it can spin down (after a spirited run), which is where the turbo timer comes into play

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

So a little 30 second wait in the car is definitely helpful for the life of the turbo.

 

[crossbow]

In a water cooled turbo, the water will continue to circulate after the vehicle has been shut off, through a process known as thermal siphon.

"Water-cooling of turbocharger bearing housings has been widely used to enhance bearing durability. It is designed to remove heat from the center housing after the engine is shut down. This is accomplished because a thermal siphon is set up in the center housing. As heat from the turbine housing and exhaust manifold soaks into the center housing, the water is vaporized and rises, drawing in cooler water. This continues until there is insufficient heat to cause the process to continue."

Whether your engine is running or not, the coolant is still flowing through the turbo. (Cooling the turbo, and preventing turbo turds)

As said before, in an ONLY OIL COOLED turbo, one can definitely see the argument to continue running the car for a short while after the cars been shutoff.

I'd still recommend running the car for a few minutes after a track session though, regardless of the type of engine, (usually with the fans on full blast if you have a fan controller).

If you still don't get the point...water cooled turbo + street application = don't need turbo timer. Water cooled turbo + track application = don't need a turbo timer (just let it run).

Note the key word (need). You can still get a turbo timer! It's not going to hurt the car, its just not really going to benefit it. Cool conversation piece though!

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

And the MS3's turbo is water cooled?

 

[crossbow]

Yup. Water/oil cooled turbo's are pretty much standard now.

 

[neox.286]

I see what your saying, but your not getting my point

its not for cooling the turbo, its so the turbine shaft is lubricated by oil while is spins down after a spirited run

 

[Darkhorse]

Turbotimers were originally recommended when turbo's were only oil cooled. The MS3 uses an oil/water cooled turbo. A turbotimer is unnecessary for this application, though it can't hurt (except in wasting a miniscule amount of gas).

I think in this day and age, turbotimers are used as conversational pieces more then anything else.

"Hey your car is still on..."

"Thats cause I got a turbo and I be ballin!"

lol x2.

 

[neox.286]

again, we arent talking about using them for cooling the turbo...

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

We're talking about letting things cool down for the sake of preventing oil build up. Right?

 

[neox.286]

*sigh*

yes, and no
as was stated, which is correct, in older non-water cooled turbos that was the purpose of the turbo timer

HOWEVER that is not needed for that purpose in the newer water cooled turbos

but to just dismiss that it is not needed anymore due to that one reason is not correct....the reason that I'm saying the turbo timer is good to have in even the water cooled turbos is to keep oil running through the motor and lubricating the turbine shaft as it spools down after a spirited run


the turbines spool up to speeds in excess of 32,000 rpms (for some reason in my head I am thinking its up closer to 120,000 rpms, but I cant recall where that number comes from so for the sake of arguemental purposes here Ill just stick with the first number that I recalled)....after a spirited run that turbine doesn't just suddenly stop....it is constantly spinning and thusly needs to be lubricated while its spinning

when you turn off the car the oil stops flowing through the turbo, but after a spirited run the turbine doesnt stop spinning right away....the reason you wait about 30-60 seconds after you shut off the car (and the reason that mazda states you should always do that after a spirited run) is so the oil will be properly lubricating the turbine shaft during that spool-down process

no, you dont need to run the turbo timer for 5-10 minutes after a sprited or long run

yes, 30-60 seconds is always a good idea and will help prolong the lifetime of the turbochargers bearings....its not necessary, but then again neither is any of the other modifications that people do to their cars...it is simply one of those mods for peace of mind to benefit the car....for a lot of people, they have a spirited drive because they are in a rush to get somewhere and dont have time to wait for it to spool down

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

Okay cool, thanks for clearin it up.

I'm wondering how the turbo is water cooled? Is there a reservoir somewhere or something? i'm completly new to turbos so I apologize for my lack of knowledge.

 

[neox.286]

when they say 'water' they mean the antifreeze/coolant/radiator-fluid/etc...

the turbo has a fitting in it that taps into one of the coolant lines

btw: edited my above post for errors....I have really bad grammar today haha

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

Okay I get it.

Well technically, after driving slow for the last couple minutes of your ride, that light throttle input in your neighborhood could constitute as those 60 seconds or so that you'd sit just idling (if you were using very low throttle input through the neighborhood)?

 

[neox.286]

basically yea, what we are talking about is after -spirited- driving runs....for just cruising around its not really gonna be as much of an issue

thats why the turbo timer is nice though....it does it every time for you automatically without you having to wait around....it CERTAINLY can't hurt to do it after every run, but if you dont wanna bother with the turbo timer then no it is not necessary at all....its just good to wait a bit after a spirited run

personally, for me, I baby my car as much as I can....even if it isn't necessary, but it will do more good than harm, I will do it....some of us are just a little excessive like that =P

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

So I was talking with my buddy who has an 08 STI. He was mentioning that he never really lets his STI cool off unless he's really been runnin super hard. Their turbo's are water/oil cooled as well. His mentality is, there is no need to let it cool. If there was, then there would be alot of other older, unknowing Subaru owners who have severly screwed up turbos.

 

[neox.286]

yes, thats what we have been saying

its only really needed after hard runs, and even then not for multiple minutes at a time