Okay how many of you people actually know that before ever shutting your car off that you should let idle for about 30 secs b4 shutting it off? This is obviously a bad thing and could actually mess up the life of your car... I have friends w/ turbos in their cars but they like to shut it off prematurely and after getting on them about it they just shrugged it off like it didnt matter. Who knows the actual reason why this is a bad thing. I tried to explain to them that it had a lot to do with pressure and backspin but what goes on, really?

 

You can buy something called a turbo timer. APEXi sells a nice one that's real small, a bit bigger than the size of a jump drive in thickness I think and slightly longer. Not exactly sure about the reasons why but I'm looking it up right now for my own personal info, if no one elses posts what I find I will.


*Edit - This is what I found on google*
What's a Turbo Timer?
A turbo timer is a device that allows your turbocharged car to idle for a specified period of time before shutting the engine off.
Why use a Turbo Timer?
The shafts on most turbochargers spin in excess of 50,000 RPM and generate lots of heat. To keep your turbocharger's heat under control, most are cooled by circulating oil or water (coolant) around the shaft. The turbocharger's shaft is free to rotate at will and there is no way to stop the shaft from spinning after shutting the engine off. To dissipate and stabilze the heat in the turbocharger, most manufacturers recommend that a car be idled for a period of time after moderate to hard driving to allow the oil/water to take heat out of the turbocharger.

Failure to reduce the temperature of the turbo could result in the oil around the shaft "coking". Coking is basically the baking of oil, turning it into a hard substance that could plug your oil lines and cause oil "starvation", preventing proper cooling of your turbocharger and reducing it's operating lifespan.

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

 

thats only after floggin it. Owners manual says wait to shut er' off after "spitirted driving" ir Racing and having a temp readout of 200+ Degrees. Synthetic oils are very good at resisting "COOKING". [:-]

 

spirited driving doesn't necessarily mean racing. just pushing it hard on the highway is considered sprited driving. basically if you're boosting let the turbo cool for a minute or two before shutting down.

 

You know what Im saying tho PoundsSquareInchChick.

 

I just let it cool until the EGT reads 1000 degrees, the turbo timer is nnice for those who dont want to wait. Letting it cool simply allows the exhaust side to cool and minimize oil coaking, especially on the turbo berings and the temps are high and the oil thin. Like PSIchick said synthetics really help here.

 

That all sounds right, but you won't cook/destroy your engine, just the turbo. If you don't mind replacing the turbo sooner than later, don't worry about it. In past threads there was talk of a self syphoning system on the srt turbo, so take it easy the last few miles of driving and don't use the boost and you should be fine.

 

........................ i do...........................

 

Blasting the heater will bring temps down fairly quickly too. if you can stand the heat.

 

The use of a good synthetic oil like Mobil 1 also helps to prevent the oil coking problem. A good way to judge when to shut down after a spirited run is to simply watch your temp gauge, wait for it to climb and peak, then the fan kicks on and the coolant cycles and when the temperature on the gauge drops and the fan kicks off it is at it's coolest and that is when you should shut it off. If you cannot hear the fan or tell when it kicks off, then just watch your temp gauge for the temperature to drop and when it stops going down you can shut it off. Or if you want to spend the money you can get a turbo timer to do it for you.