Turbo maintainance - care?

Daff_Duck

Daff_Duck

Daff_Duck

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Hope you can settle a difference of opinion within the office here.

Is it good preventative maint at the end of your journey to leave the car to idle for a few minutes before switching off - thus allowing the turbo to spin down.

OR can you just switch it off as soon as you get to your destination?

It has been stated in the office that a lot of turbo issues are to do with incorrect maint in that the turbo spins at high speed and to just the engine off is not a good thing and can lead to issues further down the road.

My question to them is if that is the case what about the "start stop" that has been adopted in most cars, surely that plays havoc with the turbo?

I would appreciate your perspective :D
 
I just make sure the car has warmed up before using any sort of power. I don't do any kind of 'cool down' when I complete a trip.
 
I drive off boost for the last few miles of a journey or wait 30 seconds or so if I have not had time to do so.

I can't imagine stop start is good for longevity for anything that is used on startup - with modern engineering (although I guess cost cutting might battle against the engineering) I'm not sure just how much of an effect it has in the long-term though.
 
I don't think normal use is going to be an issue as you will inevitably do at least a minute or so of off boost driving as you approach your destination and park up. With stop start, again you are unlikely to go from heavy boost to switching off without a bit of time in between.
 
Dont cane it when its cold, after motorway driving or a good thrash give it a minute to tick over when you pull up.

Also with stop start (in the mini anyway) you have to make a very definate choice to use it as to make it work you have to come to a halt and sit with the car in neutral clutch disengaged and your foot on the brake, which is the incorrect way to be sat at a junction or traffic light, or in traffic.
So I wouldnt worry about it as most of the time you will be sat, in gear, handbrake on (the correct way) most of the time.
 
Turbos are always spinning as long as the engine is running, just make sure not to turn off the engine a few seconds after using full power and you will be fine.
 
You should also replace your oil regularly.

I tend to warm down for the last mile or so then turn straight off.
 
sigma said:
Irony?

If I've come to a stop after being on boost I'll wait a while before turning it off. For example, when pulling into a petrol station.

Not quite sure where the irony in that is?
Click to expand...

If you drove slower for the last 5 miles that would be your 30 seconds you wait sitting there for your turbo to "cool down" after hooning it.

As for turbo maintenance, just drive it normally and turn it off as you normally would. Don't thrash the ass off it then turn it off straight away as this could cause longevity problems, if you drive the car and let air get through the radiator/intercooler/turbo then it will cool a lot better than idling.
 
Hm, never rev the ass off the engine/turbo until the oil is hot!

Never come off 100% boost and just switch the engine off..ill drive around the block or down hill in 4th gear at 30-40mph with the heater blowing and this can help reduce the temps.

Basics really.
 
Berger said:
If you drove slower for the last 5 miles that would be your 30 seconds you wait sitting there for your turbo to "cool down" after hooning it.
Click to expand...

I can't predict the future! I can't always predict that there are petrol stations within 5 miles of wherever I am in the country.

Also, I guess you missed the part where I wrote:

sigma said:
I drive off boost for the last few miles of a journey
Click to expand...
 
Daff_Duck said:
My question to them is if that is the case what about the "start stop" that has been adopted in most cars, surely that plays havoc with the turbo?

I would appreciate your perspective :D
Click to expand...

Not really, urban crawl where start stop is frequent isnt quite the same thermal loading. Most start stop systems will have a small pump that continues coolant flow within the block to maintain heat availblility for the cabin heater.
 
The main issue with turbos and cooldown is that if you are driving on boost, the turbo is a lot hotter than it would be if you were running off boost. If you turn the car off the oil (which acts as coolant and lubricant) stops flowing and the oil can bake onto bearing surfaces reducing their efficiency, which might lead to premature bearing wear.

By idling or running off boost for a few miles at the end of your journey (better) you can cool the turbo more effectively and reduce any build up on the bearing surfaces. I used to deal with mine by letting it idle while I opened my garage door, and also drove it off boost for the last mile of the journey.

Whether this makes much of a difference is debatable, but I would rather not take any chances. It is just as important to use good oil designed for use in Turbo cars, as some additives can also bake onto turbo bearing surfaces.
 
I never let it boost till the oil temp (not water temp) is above 75degrees or so and then i'll drive off boost for the last mile or so which generally happens on most journeys naturally. Otherwise i'll let it idle for 30 seconds to a minute if say i've pulled into a service station off the motorway.

I'm sure the lack of education with turbo cars causes a lot of the diesel engine issues that are oh so common nowadays.
 
Given my car(s) have an oil pump that continues to run after the car is switched off, no I don't bother with a cool down routine bar driving a little less vigorously toward the end of a journey.
 
sigma said:
I can't predict the future! I can't always predict that there are petrol stations within 5 miles of wherever I am in the country.

Also, I guess you missed the part where I wrote:
Click to expand...

Dunno, I plan my journeys so know when I will fill the car up. :confused:
 
always make a point to drop off boost for the last few minutes before switching off or idling for a couple of minutes to let the oil flow.

250k miles on the Vectra diesel on its original turbo and counting :)
 
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