Turbo Timers...the dangers!!!
 

Hi all,

I'm very new to the forum (just registered) and am wanting to buy a classic scooby wrx or wrx/sti. I thought it might be wise to learn a bit about them first so i know what i'm buying!

Someone told me that if you have a turbo timer installed, it makes it easier for the scum-bag thieves on the street to hot-wire the car! How true is this?

Cheers

The biggest danger by far is that you will completely waste your money if you buy one. Impreza Turbo's are water cooled, and due to the natural convection of water, your turbo will still have water moving around it after switch off. If you add to this a couple of mile cool down (off boost) before you hit your destination then the turbo will be suitably cooled anyway :thumb:
Another thing to be aware of is that many insurance companies don't like them :eek:

Because it may be easier to get the car started. So yes, AFAIK it can make it easier to hot wire a car having all the wires required easy to get at.

But as Brun says, don't bother and just drive off boost for the last few miles of your journey.

turbotimers are useful when motorway driving as when you pull off at the services :norty: , you may have not been off boost for the last few miles and so to aid the general cooling down before switching, the turbotimer can gauge how long you need to idle.

Apart from that instance, common sense and what brun said

Turbo timers are definetely not cool when you've booted the car then realise you need a re-fill and have to wait next to the pump for 5 mins for the engine to stop...:brickwall

... at which point you press the button on the front of the turbo timer to manually turn off the timer and thus the engine...

or you can roll a fag, which equates to the required time, especially if its windy lol

hmmm...didn't work with my mates, but then again I wouldn't fit the pieces of cr@p in mine :nono::thumb:

lol..that is a possibility

What makes a turbo timer easyer 2 hot wire, if its wired into an adaptable CAT 1 :-IE Clifford alarm?

If you are boosting on the motorway then you are accelerating - as most people tend to sit at a consatnt 70 or whatever then a cool down isn't required at the services as you haven't been boosting :thumb:

I've no idea.

My WRX has a turbo timer - and it does come on with the ignition switch, but you can't start the car without the imobiliser being deactivated. So I can't see how it can pose any more of a risk of being hotwired? The wires are easy enough to get at anyway.

wouldnt waist ur money mate , just drive easy for a few mins before u stop .

At the end of the day it's down to personal prefrence, I believe leaving the engine on tickover for a minute or so will cool the turbo and rest all the internals before shutdown. This is what a lot of manufacturers of Turbo's say too. I guess they make Turbo timers for a reason?? Especially the likes of HKS and GREDDY well known perfomance parts manufacturers who make these units. But what do they know??????

Yep - not all turbos are water cooled :thumb:

[QUOTE=Brun;7871477]Yep - not all turbos are water cooled :thumb:[/

Most of the time my coolant temp is around 90c, oil temp about the same??
Coolant isn't exactly cool when the engine is shut down and no coolant circulating unless you have an additional water pump that runs on after ignition switch off? :wonder:

Have a look at post 2 closer :thumb:

Okay, so i can see the reason for turbo timers...they are an idiots guide to looking after a turbocharged engine...lol!

Most scoobys i've seen advertised, or looked at, have got turbo timers on them so they seem to be quite popular, but i think i can do without one. If i go into boost then i'll do as has been said and take is easy for the last couple of miles or sit for a couple of minutes and let it cool down a bit before switching off!

Thanks for the replies....your a helpful bunch aint ya! :thumb:

If you was to run a vehilce upto temp coolant and oil and had suitable equipment to read the sensors of the engine Measured Value Blocks you would clearly see aftr engine shut down the coolant temperature would raise before dropping, I have seen this on many occasions and on various vehicles. Unless the coolant is going through the Rad and vehicle is moving or coolant fan is on the coolant won't cool it's self, This is why many manufacturers fit aux electric water pumps to there engines that stay running for around 10 mins after the engine has shut down. :thumb:

basicly there's nothing wrong with Turbo timers, if a few rules are adhered to

1. fitted correctly
2. set timer properly
3.used properly.

Been using mine now for 5 years, and never had a problem, used with my Clifford 650 concept.

There is a lot of scare mongery on this thread. its up to you whether you want to use /install one yourself.

hope this helps.

Couldn't agree more. :luxhello:

Ditto. Very useful, if you're lazy/ in a rush/ can't be assed to look like a (insert expletive) sitting in your car while it cools down.... :norty:
Oh, and you can warm up the car when it's freezing, without worrying if someone will nick it. So "Ner".:freak3:

Correct

Best idea mate, they may be slightly usefull, but they are in no way, essential, I just leave the motor running while I shut the gates or take the baby out or something.

Like a badly installed CAT1 - if a gimp wired it in, it makes for an easier time to by-pass the immobilser.

Usual location is the ignition switch wires under the steering column. If the splices are made after the connector, then it can be just a case of plugging in another ignition switch and away you go.

Cheers for your replies girls and boys.

I have got to find myself a scooby first though...lol. If it has one already fitted, as so many seem to, then i'm not gonna mess with it trying to remove it as i'll probably do more damage than good until i've learned how they are wired up and so on. If i find one without, then great.

It is proving a task to find a good one though when i'm only looking to spend £2500...feeble budget i know, but i'm poor at the minute!

You'll be even poorer when you start finding out how much fuel you will use:lol1: .

if you're a bit poor at the mo why not wait a few more months to save a bit more money and expand your choice.

yep probably right there, but i'm driving a modded V6 Vectra at the minute and i seem to visit the fueling pumps several times a week, so i guess it wouldn't make that much difference. I should really hang on until i have a better bank balance, your right, but i have wanted a scooby for a long time now and cant be arsed to wait any longer...lol

Without being too cynical, they do like to make a profit these businesses.

I Had a turbo timer on my first WRX. I must admit I thought it was cool at first but didn't miss it at all on my second WRX. Not required at all as you can just take it easy before you reach your destination. Besides, so what if you turn the engine off with a red hot turbo every now and again, I bet it makes little difference at all.