Are Turbo Timers still a thing?

[fzracer484]

So 20 years ago when I was first getting into cars, it was very common for turbo cars to run a turbo timer. Do new turbo designs have better cooling and oiling than that of those 20 years ago? (I"m sure they do...) but, Is it still seen as bad practice to shut down a turbo engine quickly after spirited trail or road driving? For those that aren't sure, turbo timers were basically a way to keep the car running for 5 minutes or so after you shut it off to allow the oils in the turbo to recirculate and cool before sitting and baking and sludging up, the opposite of warming a car up in the winter....

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[Blksn955.o]

I believe the ecoboost engines have a pump that runs after the engine is off to cool it after shutdown. I know i hear something under the newer ones like the 17 escape we own.

so in short yes

 

[DLJohnson]

I totally forgot this was a thing. Was considering installing one in my '91 Toyota MR2 before I decided to sell. Miss that car sometimes.

 

[mutz]

https://www.f150forum.com/f70/ecoboost-turbo-timer-106103/#post1008613

With the water cooled turbos, turbo timers don't seem to be a thing anymore.

 

[Raptor911]

But bigger intercoolers and blow-off-valves are still a thing. I run a bigger IC in my Raptor.

 

[Laminar]

I believe the ecoboost engines have a pump that runs after the engine is off to cool it after shutdown. I know i hear something under the newer ones like the 17 escape we own.

so in short yes

In short, no.

The 1.0 EcoBoost has an auxiliary electric coolant pump that can circulate coolant after shutdown, as does the 1.5L on the Escape. The 2.3 and 2.7 on the Bronco do not have this system.

The old turbo timers would keep the engine running at idle for a while after shutdown, in order to circulate oil through what was likely an oil-cooled turbo.

All of the EcoBoosts have water-cooling on their turbos. Ford designed the coolant system such that even after engine shutdown, as the coolant in the turbos heats up, the heat carries it away from the turbos and draws in fresh coolant to continue cooling even after shutdown.

“During normal turbo operation, the turbo receives most of its bearing cooling through oil,” said Keith Plagens, turbo system engineer. “After shut down, the problems with turbos in the past were you would get coking in the center bearing. Oil would collect in the bearings, the heat soaks in and the oil would start to coke on the side and foul the bearing. Water cooling – used in the EcoBoost engine – eliminates that worry.”

The new EcoBoost V-6 uses two Honeywell GT15 water-cooled turbos.

“The EcoBoost engine uses passive thermal siphoning for water cooling,” Plagens explains. “During normal engine operation, the engine’s water pump cycles coolant through the center bearing. After engine shutdown renders the water pump inactive, the coolant flow reverses. Coolant heats up and flows away from the turbocharger water jacket, pulling fresh, cool coolant in behind. This highly effective coolant process is completely silent to the driver, continuing to protect the turbocharger.”

http://ophelia.sdsu.edu:8080/ford/0...pr-redhot-torture2658-new-ecoboost-29657.html

 

[ATX Madridista]

But bigger intercoolers and blow-off-valves are still a thing. I run a bigger IC in my Raptor.

YESSSSS!!! I was so hoping blow off valves were a thing in trucks. I had one in my '98 Eclipse GST in High School and loved it haha. Any videos?

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I believe the ecoboost engines have a pump that runs after the engine is off to cool it after shutdown. I know i hear something under the newer ones like the 17 escape we own.

I've never heard anything running after shutdown of my 2014 Ecoboost Escape in 85,000 miles.

I must not be driving it hard enough.

 

[Rednek]

If the vehicle has start stop tech,it will have a aux coolant pump as well as aux fluid pump in the 10r80 trans.

 

[BennyBronco69]

I had one on my 02 WRX lol

Forgot all about them being a thing.

Was probably pointless then.

 

[Raptor911]

Unlike the old days, blow-off valves are plug and play these days especially for Ford vehicles. No need to run vacuum lines to your valve. I am 100% sure the Bronco will be the same.

F150 2.7 and 3.5 below

YESSSSS!!! I was so hoping blow off valves were a thing in trucks. I had one in my '98 Eclipse GST in High School and loved it haha. Any videos?

 

[miked47]

I worked at a Ford dealership in the late 80s and I seem to remember a bulletin from Ford concerning the Thunderbird Turbo Coupes. If the engine was shut off while the turbo was spinning, the oil could “coke” and eventually seize the turbo. I think ford recommended letting the engine idle for a minute before turning the engine off.

 

[MikeD]

I had a turbo timer on my Starion back in the early 90’s in high school. My wife has a BMW 550 and we never let the turbos cool down and doesn’t say anything in the manual about it.

 

[CoolTech]

I worked at a Ford dealership in the late 80s and I seem to remember a bulletin from Ford concerning the Thunderbird Turbo Coupes. If the engine was shut off while the turbo was spinning, the oil could “coke” and eventually seize the turbo. I think ford recommended letting the engine idle for a minute before turning the engine off.

Yes, as others have said, largely advice from yesteryear when turbos had only the oil on the bearing to cool them. The oil flow stops when the engine shuts off and then there's no more oil on this hot bearing which, if just run hard, might be increasing in temperature before it starts to cool from shut-down.

Today's turbo engines incorporate water jackets around the bearing in addition to the oil. This works exceedingly well to help extract heat from the bearing. Coolant will stop flowing as well with engine shutdown but the temps at the bearding are typically much more reasonable.

So the improvements are better turbos (with water-cooled bearings) and better oils that prevent coking. Nevertheless, even in my 2018 F350 (6.7 Turbodiesel) owners manual, there are recommendations to let the engine idle for x minutes if you are shutting down after having worked the engine a lot. (Note: The turbo is ALWAYS spinning when the engine is on and what you are trying to do is to let the engine return to steady-state temperatures before shutting down.)

 

[Drex]

I had a turbo timer on my Starion back in the early 90’s in high school. My wife has a BMW 550 and we never let the turbos cool down and doesn’t say anything in the manual about it.

The 4.4 will run a pump after shutdown to cool them. If you don't really drive it a lot, it beats up the battery really badly. That is why they keep recommending you replace the battery ever other oil change. You might want to consider either driving it most every day or get a trickle charger on it to avoid ruining a battery with a deep discharge.

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