From all the gossip I've been reading, these seem like a good idea. Does anyone know makes/models/prices to be compatible with the Cobra Alarm Immobiliser? and experiences with them.......Cheers.

I reckon most people don't fit them for a variety of reasons:

1. Security - I wouldn't feel comfortable walking away leaving my engine running. Would definitely atracct attention of the unwanted kind.

2. Compatibility with your alarm. Probably very difficult and expensive to get it working.

3. It doens't know how hard you have been driving your car. It will leave it running for the specified period (eg 1 minute) regardless of how hard you have been driving. After track/heavy road use, you might want to leave it for about 5 minutes before switching off the engine.

4. Expense. Why not save yourself the money, and judge yourelf the amount of cooling down time you need (most journey's it's less than 1 minute or nothing at all!) Buy a decent set of speakers, driving lamps or better brake pads which you will get some value from.

Okay, the one on Anders 22B allows you to override the default by dialing in how long (so I have seen). Certainly with a Clifford Concept 50 you just take one of the feeds from the 50 into the timer. I spoke to a techie at Clifford and they reckon around 1-2 hours to fit.

Where abouts do you fit them?

My "95" WRX already came with a turbo timer fitted. It works extremely well and by pressing the button on the front you can slect 5,4,3,2,1 or no timer function. The timer is connected to the ignition circuit under the dash and is then stuck with double sided onto the trim just beneath and to the right of the steering wheel - with the wires going up behind the dash and not being seen.
When I bought the car I had a GT Alarms CAT 1 alarm/immobliser fitted by a company in Shrewsbury who regularly fit these to WRXs and EVO 5s.
Even after the alarm was fitted the turbo timer still works BUT you cannot lock the car and arm the alarm until the engine stops. This sounds like a big disadvantage of having the timer but at least I can sit in or stand near the car while it cools down for the right time. You will be surprised how long even 1 minute seems to last when on the timer and I suggest without this most owners would underestimate how long they have been idling the car for!!!!!!

I have a turbo timer which I can set upto 5 minutes.
It works in conjunction with my alarm.

I love the car so much it is not a chore to linger and watch the puzzled people stare at it running.
Unless I was in a hurry in the first place and then it is invaluable!

Re security and turbo timers - do people consider them a real security risk or is it just the uneasy feeling of leaving your car running that is the problem?

This is why I ask - Steering wheel is still locked as soon as the key is removed and if that is broken a theif will only get 1-5 mins down the road till the engine stops and the immobiliser is activated anyway.

The only issue for me would be, does the timer make it easier to hot wire the car? Although I think if someone is proffesional enough to do this ... turbo timer or not - alarm or not the car is still going to be gone. http://bbs.sidc.co.uk/frown.gif

Happy thoughts

Jon

HKS do a Turbo timer for about £150, it has 15 preset times up to 3 mins. at 30 sec intervals and you can specify other times up to 9 mins. It also displays your total engine running time in hours, for oil changes etc.The car cannot be driven away as there is a safety feature built in through the handbrake.

I would agree with John S. The only reason for a timer is to give the oil sufficient time to cool the turbo bearings before the engine is stopped.

This as we know is only necessary when you have been driving hard so probably 95% of the time it's not prctical.

With a good quality fully synthetic oil, this will go a long way to stop the oil frying. In all the years of having turbo charged cars I've never had a turbo failure and have done well in excess of 125,000 with several of my cars.

On my Cosworth and GT4 the turbos were water cooled as well, can't see this is the case on my WRX.

Spend your money on more worthy upgrades.

You can always give the car 30 seconds or so after hard driving or with a bit of forethough, back off half a mile or so from destination so as not to spend time sitting around.

Fit a boost gauge, you will be suprised how little the turbo is used under 3500 revs

Doesn't it say in the highway code that it illegal to leave a car running whilst not behing the wheel ????

Isn't it better to drive the car VERY gently at the last three or five minutes of the journey than leaving it in idle at the end? Furthermore it is generally recommended that when the car is pushed very much (i.e. in a track) it is then cooled down gradually whilst it is moving. (to allow the breaks and engine oil to gradually cool down)