Or any production turbo car. It would be cheep enough to be economicley viable wouldn\'t it? And it would save turbos and thus increase reliabuility.
So why dont manufacturers do it?
Discuss....:D
well i have seen a few arguements about whether turbo timers are a good idea or not. Im not sure where the threads are on here but i know its been discussed a few times, at the end of the day its better for your engine to cool down while you are still driving takikng it easy for the last few mins of your journey, otherwise if you park up and leave the engine running with the turbo timer, the engine will start getting hotter as its stood still.
Because 99% of people buying a very expensive, very fast coupe would take care of it from day one, and always treat it kindly. It\'s only once they get onto the 3rd or 4th owner that respect for the cars mechanicals can become a little hazy... :Giggle
(Thats not meant as a pop btw)
:wave
As the turbos are water cooled, there is no need for a timer.
I agree with the theory that leaving the car running is actually worse for it, rather than good.
Well, for a start, it\'s illegal to leave a car running unattended on a public highway in the uk.
Secondly, I would have thought most people who bought one would be a tad nonplussed by the car running after they got out. (You have to remember tyhat from new, they weren\'t solely bought by enthusiasts ;))
As for the water cooled argument - it\'s one that will run and run i reckon. The heat transfer in the waterways does help, but not as much as air flowing over the turbo housing and oil circulating through the core does when the car is moving/running.
add to the fact that a car with a turbo timer built in would be much harder to insure as a number of insurance companies do not like turbo timers because of the perceived increase in risk of theft
The cooling down of the turbo isn\'t the actual problem it\'s the cooling of the oil itself, the turbo timer is surpost too help cool the oil slowly so it doesn\'t congeal in the oil feed and return and stop the turbo getting oil next time it is used. Modern oil synthetic or non-synthetic doesn\'t do this.
No to mention if you leave an rx7 running when it is still it does nothing but get hotter and hotter.
So would everyone agree that its better just to drive slow for the last 15 or so mins of your journey?
Because my RX7 manual says after a long or particularaly hard drive its good to let the engine idle for 30 seconds or so.
.... Now im more confused than when this thread began! Lol! :rolleyes:
Surely you are looking to preserve the life of the bearings? These are going to be sat at incredible temperatures whilst running, so to avoid warping you need to allow them to cool down at a progressive rate. The oil is the best way of doing this but at idle there is little pressure to get the oil flowing around the system.
It wouldn\'t take 15 minutes, but just no need to drive the car as hard as possible for the last couple of minutes, there will be oil flowing around the turbo, but without the load on the engine there will be less boost and less heat build up. Same can be said about the brakes too.
all you need to do is be sensible, let the engine warm up before drivin it hard and take it easy for the last few mins of your journey, see i have no choice as the estate i live in has speed bumps so i have to go slow for a few mins to start with and when i get home :Thumbsup!
Just a thought
(please don\'t shoot me down in flames if I am wrong) But on the aircraft I work on that use big piston engines and really big turbo chargers, we have sensitive instruments in the ****pit that tell us the temperature of the exhaust gasses entering the turbo and also instruments that tell us the temperature of the turbo itself. and after the aircraft has been flown or had a prolong run up on the ground we have to let the engine idle for three minuets to get the turbo temp right down (probably takes longer due the size of the turbo) and the reason that we do it is to stop the turbo cooling down to rapidly because if it cools to fast there is a chance it could crack and fail due to the rapid expanding and contracting of the metal. Is this the same reason we use turbo timers or leave the car idling for a while? (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Will
Quote from: willanddeb;546479Just a thought
(please don\'t shoot me down in flames if I am wrong) But on the aircraft I work on that use big piston engines and really big turbo chargers, we have sensitive instruments in the ****pit that tell us the temperature of the exhaust gasses entering the turbo and also instruments that tell us the temperature of the turbo itself. and after the aircraft has been flown or had a prolong run up on the ground we have to let the engine idle for three minuets to get the turbo temp right down (probably takes longer due the size of the turbo) and the reason that we do it is to stop the turbo cooling down to rapidly because if it cools to fast there is a chance it could crack and fail due to the rapid expanding and contracting of the metal. Is this the same reason we use turbo timers or leave the car idling for a while? (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Will
Could it just be the case that there is a wash of air from the prop which could cool it down?
Quote from: willanddeb;546479Just a thought
(please don\'t shoot me down in flames if I am wrong) But on the aircraft I work on that use big piston engines and really big turbo chargers, we have sensitive instruments in the ****pit that tell us the temperature of the exhaust gasses entering the turbo and also instruments that tell us the temperature of the turbo itself. and after the aircraft has been flown or had a prolong run up on the ground we have to let the engine idle for three minuets to get the turbo temp right down (probably takes longer due the size of the turbo) and the reason that we do it is to stop the turbo cooling down to rapidly because if it cools to fast there is a chance it could crack and fail due to the rapid expanding and contracting of the metal. Is this the same reason we use turbo timers or leave the car idling for a while? (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Will
thats a very good comment! i know my egt\'s are a lot higher when im driving that when the car is sat idling. but im still a firm beleiver that the best way is to drive you car like your grandad would for the last few mins then idle for a few secs and switch off. i have a turbo timer and the only time i will use it is if im stopping at my local garage to pop in and get a drink or something. would rather let my car idle for a couple of mins than switch it off and then back on again.
Not that it really matters (and cos I am bored at the moment waiting for my potato wedges to cook)in response to David Wiltshire good thinking about the prop wash, with most aircraft if you imagine a big flat four (or sometimes eight) cylinder horizontally opposed engine the turbo is usually underneath at the bottom of the engine and the air is forced into scoops at the front of the aircraft, then its fed over the top of the cylinders and down in between them. So by the time the air from the prop has reached them its already been warmed up so has little cooling affect on them and like car turbos they will glow red when up the temp (looks really cool!!)(http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif)
I suppose it really doesn\'t matter how you decide to cool your engine be it by driving worse than your granny or using a timer just as long as you use your head and look after it you must be prolonging the life of the turbo and the other gubbins that are bolted to it (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Will
My thought was that if you leave the engine running when stationary you get horrendous heat-soak in the engine bay...thus not actually helping cool the turbo...
tbh, i usually play it both ways - drive off boost for last half mile or so and let turbo timer run for 10 secs or so, that way you get cool air passing thru the bay, oil pressure under slight load to help force it through the turbo core and then a few secs at the end to let it finish draining.
No problems so far.... :xconfused :xconfused
Hmmm - i admit that even when i had a turbo timer (came with the car) I never liked to use it...
And when I got a new alarm fitted, the fitter had a right laugh at the timer - because it bypassed the alarm system! Apparently, all a thief would have had to do was pop the top off (easy enough - it would fall off sometimes while driving) and cross the (helpfully marked) live wire, and the car would start :/
needless to say I had it ripped out with the old alarm :)