What is a turbo timer for?

[johnfett]

looking at a turbo setup and someone mention this to save the engine from heat soak, sorry I don't get it all just yet.

Can someone explain what a turbo timer is for and why I would need one?

[I<3flippyheadlights]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+a+turbo+timer%3F

[—RuckkehrMiata—]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+a+turbo+timer%3F

Perhaps, but a wikipedia description comes with no experience or personal knowledge.

[— kung fu jesus —]

A turbo timer is an electronic add on that will continue to run your car after you switch off the key and leave it. They are programmable. Some are set to shut the car off after X amount of time (what ever you set it to). Others are a little more fancy and monitor how long the car ran, it's temperature, etc. and shut off the car when you leave it after it reaches the pre-determined 'cool zone'.

What they do is allow the oil and coolant to cool while idling so they don't 'coke' or burn while sitting in the turbo's oil/coolant galleys. With a sleeve bearing type turbo it can be a useful feature, but for water-cooled turbos, it really isn't necessary. An extra heat exchanger for the oil helps a lot.

Heat management is a key concern to address for a turbo Miata. It has a small grill opening and gets heat-soaked easily, even in stock form. Some people will vent the hood for this, add different fans/temperature switch, and add heat shielding among other items to help with this.

Turbo timers can be a bit annoying, though. You always have to remember to leave the car in neutral before you leave, or you stall the engine, defeating the purpose.

[johnfett]

Perhaps, but a wikipedia description comes with no experience or personal knowledge.

Thank you! Ruckkehr !! Maybe I should have phrased my question better?

I am looking for personal experience for guys that have been running a turbo on their Miata. If I wanted to look elsewhere I would have, asking the guys on THIS forum as everyone seems knowledgeable and friendly.

[JLBMX5]

That draws up a question for me. If you have a timer and you get out of your car while its still running would the timer activate the alarm and lock the doors when it shuts off the motor ?

[— kung fu jesus —]

Don't know. I'm sure the alarm wouldn't like it.

[— kung fu jesus —]

John, the other question for you, because you have an '01...I don't know if turbo timers work with the factory immobilizer system in that car. I would think once your remove the key, the immobilizer will step in and cut the engine. Turbo timers are kind of an old technology and I don't see them too often anymore.

[johnfett]

A turbo timer is an electronic add on that will continue to run your car after you switch off the key and leave it. They are programmable. Some are set to shut the car off after X amount of time (what ever you set it to). Others are a little more fancy and monitor how long the car ran, it's temperature, etc. and shut off the car when you leave it after it reaches the pre-determined 'cool zone'.

What they do is allow the oil and coolant to cool while idling so they don't 'coke' or burn while sitting in the turbo's oil/coolant galleys. With a sleeve bearing type turbo it can be a useful feature, but for water-cooled turbos, it really isn't necessary. An extra heat exchanger for the oil helps a lot.

Heat management is a key concern to address for a turbo Miata. It has a small grill opening and gets heat-soaked easily, even in stock form. Some people will vent the hood for this, add different fans/temperature switch, and add heat shielding among other items to help with this.

Turbo timers can be a bit annoying, though. You always have to remember to leave the car in neutral before you leave, or you stall the engine, defeating the purpose.

Thanks kung fu jesus !!! Have you had a turbo miata? Is it necessary to have a turbo timer? Or can I just let the car sit and idle at low RPMs for a few minutes before I shut it off??

[johnfett]

John, the other question for you, because you have an '01...I don't know if turbo timers work with the factory immobilizer system in that car. I would think once your remove the key, the immobilizer will step in and cut the engine. Turbo timers are kind of an old technology and I don't see them too often anymore.

ah good to know!! I will have more questions im sure!! thanks again!

[— kung fu jesus —]

Thanks kung fu jesus !!! Have you had a turbo miata? Is it necessary to have a turbo timer? Or can I just let the car sit and idle at low RPMs for a few minutes before I shut it off??

Yes, I ran two different turbo systems on my '92. I had one (turbo timer) on my original Greddy turbo, but that was an old-school sleeve bearing turbo (no coolant lines to it, just an oil line). I tried one for a while, but I kept stalling it and it made me nervous to leave the car running while not around it. I used to do exactly what you asked too, just sit there for a minute or two to let it cool off. Again, it can be inconvenient if you are in a hurry at your destination.

ah good to know!! I will have more questions im sure!! thanks again!

Most modern turbos, like Garrett, Holset, IHI, etc. have both coolant and oil lines running to the CRHA (central rotating housing assembly...I may have that wrong) or "guts" of the turbo. They use ball bearings instead of sleeves and have a much higher longevity. Sleeve bearing turbos can be cheaper, easier to rebuild, but they are a bit antiquated. Most are ball bearing-type now anyways.

I think if I still had a turbo system, the only times I would be concerned about letting the car idle to cool may be after a track session or instance where I ran the car extremely hard.

[—Martin—]

I had an FM turbo system on a previous Miata. It was a water-cooled ball bearing turbo. I just drove easy (no or low boost) for the last mile or so before my destination to let things cool down. That seems to work well enough for my car.

[— kung fu jesus —]

Yeah, Sharpie had some ridiculous high mileage on his FM turbo before he had to replace it...150k miles IIRC, maybe more.

[—RotorNutFD3S—]

Like KFJ the newer ball bearing turbos are much better equipped to handle the heat. For daily driving the rule of thumb is to stay out of boost for the last minute or two of your drive and then you're ok to shut down right when you stop.

Coolant does flow through the turbo while the engine is running, but the coolant section of the turbo does the most work right after the engine is shut off, utilizing the thermal siphoning effect. You can actually hear the coolant cycling through the turbo after the car has been shut down, that is as long as the CHRA has been clocked properly before installation.

Turbo timers were a big deal back when sleeve bearing turbos and conventional oil was the norm. Now with BB turbos and synthetic oils (which don't break down as easily) they're not really needed anymore.

[— fwdtamiya —]

I just drove easy (no or low boost) for the last mile or so before my destination to let things cool down. That seems to work well enough for my car.

This is what I did as well, when I didn't want to waste gas or thought idling would be less effective because there would be no air flowing through the bay, cooling everything down.

It can sometimes be annoying to have people running after you to tell you that you left your car on, then trying to explain that it will turn itself off, then having to explain why I didn't just turn it off myself.