Turbo timers

Check with your insurance company first ! So companies don't like them. Why dont you just idle the car for 10-15 sec before you turn the motor off or reverse up your driveway ? lot cheaper than a timer.

I got an ARB one, about $130 from what I can remember, 10-15 seconds pshaw, idle for a minute or so and it seems like an eternity, better to leave the timer to do it. If you drive more than 30 mins at highway speeds its worth using otherwise theres no value. Also if you have a little stop start at traffic lights then that'll do the same as the timer. Horses for courses I reckon. good luck

Andrew, I used to fit a lot of turbo timers in the country to turbo diesel Patrols. I think they were a brand called Bogart, we probably fitted around twenty or so and never had any problems with them. Having said that, do you need one? The timers I fitted were generally to Farmers Patrols, the utes were often used to tow boom sprays weighing between 2-4 tonne's, the others for some other form of heavy towing. This makes the turbo very hot (glowing) and without a cooldown period, the oil lubricating the turbo after shutdown gets cooked and there goes your seals and bearings! Unless you are towing or sand work, like the other guys said, you may not need one! If it were me I would probably prefer to have an exhaust pyrometer (temp gauge), then you can monitor the exhaust temp all the time to know if you have to idle for a couple to let things cool, these have the added advantage of being able to detect the early stages of engine problems as the exhaust temp rises before the water temp does! Many turbo tractors have these!
Hope this helps........................col

Hi Andrew,

I like turbo timers (and I don't sell them, OK). Turbo-chargers run with extremely high temperature exhaust gasses running through them - 700 C or higher in some cases. The centre bearing of the turbo-charger is cooled and lubricated with engine oil, and AFAIK, most engine oils, even synthetics, deteriorate (i.e. burn) above about 130 - 140 C. If you are driving on the highway at 100 -110 km/h and pull straight into a servo, your EGT [Exhaust Gas Temperature] could well have been 400 C + before pulling in and still well over 300 C as your pull-up at the pumps. And the whole of the cast iron exhaust turbine housing will be at this temperature. Turning the engine off at this point subjects the now stationary oil in the turbo bearing to extreme temperatures and it 'cooks'.

Our Discovery had an ARB turbo-timer installed when we bought it second-hand and, while I have no connection to ARB, it's been an excellent unit. It has adjustable settings of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes and an override Stop button.

Since having an EGT gauge [and yes, I now sell these] , I've seen the sort of temps still in the turbo after a highway run and I'm very pleased I have a turbo-timer that lets me get out, lock the car and go into the roadhouse for a coffee while the engine idles down for 3 or 4 minutes until the turbo bearing is cool. [and yes, when we've been continuing on, we have had lots of strange looks from other customers and console operators while we sit in our Disco for 3 or 4 minutes at the pumps before turning-off the engine and filling up - hey, it my engine, OK]

If you are electronically inclined, you can buy and assemble very good quality turbo timer kits from Dick Smith, Jaycar, Altronics etc. If not, you're probably better off buying a fitted device from ARB or similar. If you are somewhere in between, I'd be happy to construct a 'kit' timer for you, that you install.

I find by the time that you park, unload the people out of the car, you can turn it off without an issue. Same whenyou get home, unpack the car, and shut it down.. theres better things to spend $100 on.

having said that I have a TTimer, but got it off ebay $30.. couldnt turn it down :)

To fit, remove the plastic off steering column, plug in 2 wires, cable tie the main unit up out of way, screw plastic back on, and drive away.

goodday truckster
you make these things sound so simple as a sparkie i dont have to many problems but theres some out there would say remove plastic ????????????
lol
steve
no work today or easy net access ( im sick)

steve

A turbo timer is cheaper than a turbo. I have them fitted to our trucks & the Patrol, it's cheap insurance. In 20 yrs of business only lost 1 turbo & thats because the strap that holds the 2 halves together broke.

I''m on my second "Silicone Chip" kit turbo timer, you can buy them from Jaycar, Dicksmith, Altronics etc etc. Cost less than $50 and you build if yourself with a soldering iron. I had one in my old Rocky, and I put another one in my Surf, faultless things, works with my alarm and central locking and I have modified it with auto and overide switches so I can use it for warming the car up or leaving pets in with the air con on while you pop in the shops etc. IT also has a temp sensor you can put on your exause manifold that will make it only run when the engine is hot, good for when moving the car out the drive way etc.