To Turbo Time or Not to Turbo Time

[1995-tsi-awd]

I plan on putting a b16g on my stock block with E85 and getting it professionally tuned on Evo 8 ECU (all support mods), going to run the coolant lines, do I need a TT?

This is not my daily driver and I will probably abuse her.

 

[dsmcurse]

I run the Apexi just for the battery voltage gauge. Its also nice to start your car in the morning and set your timer for ten minutes and when your car shuts off you know its warmed up and time to head to work or whatever.

 

[pansaias]

Although debatable, especially since our cars have water cooled turbos, turbo timing your car is never bad, but people say that its not necessary.
Now do you have to go out and buy a turbo timer? Not really, I usually sit in my car reviewing my logs after driving anyways so that's enough time to cool off. Just make sure you leave five minutes earlier everywhere you go.
You may also just cruise for the last five minutes of driving so you can cool your turbo down.

 

[Joethefallen23]

Absolutely unnecessary in a water cooled turbo. If you're honestly that concerned, take it easy for the last few miles to your destination. An idling engine, with an already extremely hot engine bay, is going to do little in the way of allowing a turbo to cool vs a steady off/light throttle cruise prior to stopping. Fresh air cycles in vs an idling engine with the main rad fan.

Turbo timers are honestly a thing of the past. 90% of the people that have them don't even have a need for them. Those that could even slightly benefit from one, will likely just idle down at the track anyway.

 

[josh408]

I run the Apexi just for the battery voltage gauge. Its also nice to start your car in the morning and set your timer for ten minutes and when your car shuts off you know its warmed up and time to head to work or whatever.

This is exactly what I do with a greddy TT. But my turbo isn't water cooled anymore. That's what I have it.

 

[Talon96fwd]

Am to lazy to sit In my car for a extra 5 to 10 mintues for my pte 5857 journal bearing turbo to cool down. I have a greddy turbo timer problem sloved!!!!!!

 

[Dsmkauai]

Even though the turbo is water cooled its still pretty darn hot. Giving the oil a chance to cool and then the car idle down for a minute isn't a bad idea at all. I probably wouldn't bother if I was running the stock t-25 but anything better i would definitely take the extra precaution and use a turbo timer. I mean you really should warm up and idle down any kind of motor. So having one with a extra component (turbo) that could be damaged by super hot oil and ruin it, for the cost and the little effort for install its worth it.

 

[sleepertalon]

Its always good to turbo time any boosted engine regardless of how its cooled.

 

[Talon96fwd]

Used turbo timers normanlly cost 30 bucks well that's what I paid.. GOOD LUCK

 

[1995-tsi-awd]

So I am looking on Ebay and these things are going for $10-20 bucks NEW! really? (some are from Hong Kong or China New in box) Doesn't really bother me because they are probably all made over there

I'd pay $20 so I don't have to sit in my car. Time is precious.

 

[Dsmkauai]

I have the eBay apexi turbo timer. Works fine and has for years, but there is a a/f meter that they say you can hook up to display. Don't even bother atleast for mine it didn't work right and never really displayed anything but 14.7 . But like I said everything else works great timer is preset to my setting and I can see battery voltage displayed on little gauge which is nice.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

How accurate is the apexi bat votage though? I swear mine isnt reading the same in link? Erything hooked up normal except the o2. I also never had any idea what te "3in1" settings were?

I run oil cooled holset so i TT for 60 seconds

 

[Dsmkauai]

When looking at link as it logs and the apexi tt they match perfect, atleast mine does. Lol

 

[LandoAWD]

Pointless.

 

[LandSpeed-DSM]

I run a turbo timer on all my turbo setups. There's really no reason not to. If I haven't been getting on it and don't feel it needs to turn on, a quick button press before turning the key de-activates it. No more difficult than turning off the radio.

 

[LandoAWD]

There's really no reason not to.

Apart from introducing a point of failure directly tied to the ignition system? Know your audience.

 

[1995-tsi-awd]

More about potential failures please. I have heard it's simply a luxury item.

More importantly, with coolant lines still attached do you need to let the car cool after driving hard?

If the car needs to cool down I'm probably going TT.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Nawwwww not if it's wired to the e break. Comon....

 

[WES_393]

If your running coolant lines there's absolutely no reason to use a turbo timer.

Even with a purely oil cooled turbo, you can avoid coking issues by simply letting the turbo cool before shutdown. For most of us, there's a 5-10 minute cruise through a residential area before shutdown which is more than enough to cool the turbo.

 

[LandSpeed-DSM]

Apart from introducing a point of failure directly tied to the ignition system? Know your audience.

This is true.

My start-up and shut down procedures are already 6 steps (1 in emergency).

Besides my center console has the Blitz DIN tray that holds my EBC module and my Timer.

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[isantop]

The theory behind letting the turbo cool down has very little to do with letting the oil cool, and more with keeping water flowing through the turbo keeping the oil cool in the first place. DSMs don't have super high idle oil pressure, so idling isn't going to push that much oil through the turbo.

Idling to keep water circulating is unnecessary because the water will move around due to convection as the car cools anyway, even if it's been shut off. You will be perfectly fine just making sure turning the car off is the last thing you do before you get out. Park, close windows/sunroof, turn off the radio and fan, then turn off the engine and go.

 

[91mitsuman]

Like said before save the mone. Just a cruise around the block or finish listening to the the e'er song that's playing before shutting the car off.

 

[clipto]

Only run a turbo timer if you have a oil cooled turbo a coolant cooled one doesnt really need one at all hence why there is not one from the factory. They made it setup like this for daily driving. Now if for some reason you cant wait 10 sec after you do a pull and have to shut off the car instantly ONLY after you like boosted the crap out of it then you can get one. But honestly you wont need one not on your setup. If you get one it probably just be there so u can say hey guys my car is a ghost running while no one in it...

 

[dsmcurse]

Only run a turbo timer if you have a oil cooled turbo a coolant cooled one doesnt really need one at all hence why there is not one from the factory. They made it setup like this for daily driving. Now if for some reason you cant wait 10 sec after you do a pull and have to shut off the car instantly ONLY after you like boosted the crap out of it then you can get one. But honestly you wont need one not on your setup. If you get one it probably just be there so u can say hey guys my car is a ghost running while no one in it...

why does the factory owners manual in my glove box talk about 30 second idle downtime before shutting engine off?

 

[Ghost_92TSi]

why does the factory owners manual in my glove box talk about 30 second idle downtime before shutting engine off?

Yea has it on my sun visor as well!