How Do You Know When The Turbo Is On
Submitted: Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:06
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deserter
Seen lots of posts about when you should idle down the turbo. General comment is that if you come from the expressway then travel through suburbia at 60k for 5 or 10 minutes then the turbo will not have been operating and thus will have cooled.
My question is - how can you tell when its been operating and when it is no longer ??
Reply By: Dunaruna - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:31
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:31
You 'feel' the kick or hear the whistle. Bottom line, light throttle at 60KPH for 10 minutes is
well and truly enough to cool it down.
You could always fit a pyrometer to monitor the exhaust temps.
AnswerID:
327293
Reply By: Hairs & Fysh (NSW) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:35
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:35
Hey dude,
My understanding is a turbo is always working.
Sometimes harder than others.
It uses the exhaust waste to drive the turbine, therefor it is always working.
If I've been towing the horse float up a range and needed to stop I would let it idle for awhile, probably change the setting to 4 odd minutes before shutdown.
Have a read
Here
But, yes driving through suburbia would be enough to bring temps back down.
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327294
Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:40
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:40
Just buy a $70 timer and set it for 90 secs and forget it.
Much cheaper then $15k for a new motor.
It is however illegal in queensland to leave a car with a motor running after vacating it.
Cops too busy doing other things to worry I think
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Follow Up By: Hairs & Fysh (NSW) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:47
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 18:47
Graham, I've forgotten how many times I've got out and left it running and someone runs up to me to say' hey you've left you motor running' I turn around and say "what?"
By then it has shut down.
Love the look on their face :))
FollowupID:
594486
Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 19:50
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 19:50
Yeah me to ,When they do I just usually point at it and say "Down fido" and it usually turns off about then. Strange look!!!!!!!!!!!
:-))))))))))))
FollowupID:
594498
Reply By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 20:17
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 20:17
deserter if you have been pulling hard to the turn off point then you should let it idle for a minute. If noot and you have just driven up a drive way the exhaust systems should have cooled down enough to turn the key off.
One of the worst situations is with a manual engine labouring up a
hill with a caravan or on a
sand dune and have the engine stall. The oil circulation systems are a lot better than they used to be, but it is important to keep the coolant / lubricant oil circulating so it doesn't run dry or allow it to concentrate heat on the turbine wheel. Restart the engine as quickly as you can and let it come to an idle.
Good but not essential to install a boost gauge and a pyrometer to judge exhaust gas temperatures. The boost gauge will tell you when it is on boost.
Expressway driving and then driving into the city streets would allow the cooling you ask. Be still spinning though, but way below normal operating revs and temperatures.
AnswerID:
327306
Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 21:08
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 21:08
"One of the worst situations is with a manual engine labouring up a
hill with a caravan or on a
sand dune and have the engine stall. The oil circulation systems are a lot better than they used to be, but it is important to keep the coolant / lubricant oil circulating so it doesn't run dry or allow it to concentrate heat on the turbine wheel. Restart the engine as quickly as you can and let it come to an idle."
The damage will probably have been done before you can restart. The problem is not so much the turbo being hot. The problem is the turbo running down without oil pressure. The reason that I have been given for letting an engine idle before switching off is to allow the turbo to spool down so it is running at minimum revs before switching off. When the motor dies so does the oil pressure and the oil feed to the turbo. Turbos run at over 20,000 RPM and if you do not let them spool down then they can still be running fast when the oil feed has ceased. They need a good oil pressure to stop the spinning shaft laying in a dry bearing.
PeterD
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594521
Follow Up By: Off-track - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:41
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:41
IMHO I dont think that is much of an issue as the turbo is running down. The main issue is the coking of oil inside the very hot turbo. The oil effectively burns onto the surface. Over time this can lead to turbo failure.
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 21:42
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 21:42
It sounds like a noisy Pom, It keep on whining :-)
AnswerID:
327327
Reply By: 93 Navara - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:45
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:45
Put a pyro on instead of timer. I turn
mine off at 150, post turbo. (Some say 200) Sure you have to sit turn the vehicle off manually, but you also have the benefit of knowing your not pushing the vehicle too hard up that
hill with the van on the back
AnswerID:
327337
Follow Up By: 93 Navara - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:46
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 22:46
ps I used to let
mine idle for up to a minute when I pulled into my drive. As its an easy drive into my place soon found the temperature was 150m anyway and can just turn off. Happens a bit when your just in and about in the suburbs.
FollowupID:
594554
Reply By: deserter - Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 06:57
Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 06:57
Yes I have read posts where owners talk about 'hearing' the turbo whistle. These new Prados are so damn quite you struggle to even hear the motor !!!
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