Just bought a new Holden Colorado with a 3 litre turbo diesel. They don't come with a turbo timer yet you can buy a plug and play one as an after market part.
Are they necessary and what do they actually do?????
Derek
Turbo Timer - Are They Necessary
Just bought a new Holden Colorado with a 3 litre turbo diesel. They don't come with a turbo timer yet you can buy a plug and play one as an after market part.
Are they necessary and what do they actually do?????
Derek
Basically they allow fresh clean oil through the turbo before it turns off.
They also bypass the immoboliser (spelling) which therefore voids your insurance too.
Just don't hammer it for the last 5 minutes of your drive and you will be fine.
Or if you have been working it hard (soft sand etc.) just let it idle for a few of minutes before switching it off.
Agree with the posts above, if you think about your engine you don't need one.
When scooting down the highway then pulling in for fuel etc, let the motor idle for a bit to allow the turbo to cool.
If towing heavy, then let the motor idle a bit to let it cool.
Same dicipline should also be used with air cooled engines (mower, chainsaw, blower, etc).
Once you understand it you end up letting all your equipment cool a bit before shutting it down and it does the equipment a world of good to cool properly.
Darren
If your towing. Stop and pop your bonnet after a run at night time.
A turbo timer is designed to allow the engine to run for a specified ( often variable) time to allow oil to circulate to allow the bearings in the turbo to cool after being run at operating speed. These turbo bearings run at high temperatures compared to the normal engine bearings. If the bearings dont cool with oil being circulated around them then they can fail prematurely. They are a common feature on trucks. They are genearally not necessay on cars. Regardless if you call your 4WD a "truck" or not its still a passenger car.
My Toyota Turbo Diesel V8 has the following in the operating manual re this.
At 60KMH 0 time is required before the engine can be safely shut down.
At 80KMH 20 seconds of idle is required before the engine can be safely shut down.
At 100KMH 60 seconds of idle is needed before the engine can be safely shut down.
If you think about how you drive then it is rare that you need to conciously idle the engine. A fast stop on the freeway for say a flat tyre is the sort of event when you should idle the engine a little before shutting it down.
There are safeety issues re using turbo timers as the engine is operating when the driver has often departed the vehicle, the problems magnify with a manual gearbox as you are then dependant on the hand brake unless you stay with the vehilce. Imagine how annoying that would be for a quick stop at the shops etc.
The after market industry promotes them. The vast majority of vehilces dont have them.
HTH's
Lateral Line
Agree'd, not really needed.
Giday Derek,
I agree with all the above.
at the very most a EGT guage will tell you the story..... Ben will know what I am on about.
These new fangled turbo motors are good, IMO and the Colorado, running the Isuzu is tops. That is one of the main reasons I bought my Colorado.
120,000k's so far......... 2 years and 7 months old. I tow 2 ton of boat around the traps, highway, beach etc... all good.
I think you'll find you have made a good choice of vehicle. And they will tow a Campertrailer easily.
Cheers Phill
Kingfisher Painting Solutions:- Domestic and Commercial.
For further information, contact details, quotes or advice - Click Here
Im going to disagree with everyone to a point. If its a stock 4x4, exhaust it (dump pipe back). That gets rid of alot of excess heat and helps. The only scenario I have seen for a stock T/D where the timer is needed, is when its been hard slogged up the beach, bush or towing (basically any extra load). And lets face it. Thats what 4x4ing is. A turbo timer is not anoying. Its a reminder. When I shut my truck down and remove the key, I have to press the over ride button to actually shut the engine down. Reminds me of what ive just done and how hard Ive worked it. Bearings in a turbo are crutial to keep well looked after, as they are the failing point.
I mean, the last time I did this was on the week end. Take a look.
"My weekend story.
Just got back from a few days up the beach. Due to some lazy heads, we missed low tide when heading upto double island on sat morning (my 80, mates V8 78 series, and a stock pajero). High tide is fine, just slow going. Only worry was the paj. Cut through to the inside of the island and headed for the tip for some well deserved R&R. Fallen trees and some rocks forcing you take the deeper water option (Maybe waste deep). Mate in the 78 says no thanks to the saltwater and some remark to not paying 5K for his truck (just a dig at me), reply was truck is only as good as the driver. Headed back through the tracks and turned upto the point. The only hard bit before this was some rocks we had to hope across. But there was 2 sections where the sand bank had eroded to a vert wall and waves crashing against it (waves maybe reaching the sill if swamped). Not to be a prude I just counted the waves and powered through easy. Looked in the rear veiw and the paj had gone aswell. So the 78 was now sure to follow. This was to be the other trucks undoing.
Chill out pics... Sun was sooo hot, you couldnt even put your hand out of the shade without feeling it burning. So like real men, we just hid in the shade and drank.
PS, votes are in. Barwork stays as it (no hoop).
The million $$$ veiw.
After having a fish a bit later I drove from the waters edge back up to the dunes with 3 mates sitting on the back and 1 hanging off the side. They had knocked a few off by this stage and said theres a bloke chasing after us waving his hands in the air and yelling. I just laughed and ignored it. Then they said he has a police uniform on. I knew they where full of it by this stage. But after stopping back uptop. There was a bloke with no shirt on flagging us down. Another mate and me decided to drive up and see what he wanted. The discussion in the truck on the way up was "If this bloke is going out of his way to have a go at me about people sittin on the back, Im going to lay him out cold in the sand". Far from it. He was told there was a big cruiser down the beach that could help. This is the aftermath...
This was in their group the recovery truck. This 80, a 2x4 and a 4x4 ute.
The story behind this was a bit scary. He decided to let his wife drive the 4x4 on the beach for the first time (so not her fault really at all). They also had 4 kids in the back. She miss timed the waves at high tide on this section, and got scared as the waves approached the truck, so she turned away and up the dunes at speed and rolled it. Ended up upside down with windows busted out and waves coming through the car. Everyone in the other trucks jumped in and got the kids out and noone was hurt. Man power got it back on its wheels. But the time away from the truck. Some dirty barsted had stolen his new snatchy, kids hats and sunnies and maybe other bits from the over turned truck. They where nice enough to leave a dodgy broken snatchy in its place. The engine had locked, and the thing was full of water. No insurance. Rods, surfboards, new roof rack all totalled.
I was asked nicely if I could tow it out of the dunes and back accross the ferry the next morning, which I agreed to. Now those with 4 kids can imagine the amount of gear. Got there in the morning to find the truck being used as a trailer and some item being loaded via the front windsheild
Got to the chewed up cutting and a few speed bump thrown in. Spooled the turbo and dug deep and got it through reasonably easy. Through huge roosters into air and forgot old mate had no windscreen, who was by this stage no doubt showered in sand. All in a weekends work. But sadly now no springs for me. Custom clutch has just made it up a few runs on the list. AND BIGGER BLOODY TURBO"
After doing all this and keeping my egt's in check, I knew I had worked her hard. But, was a bit tired and pulled into the servo and shut her down. The turbo timer caught me and reminded me. Flicked her to 3 minutes and went in and got a coffee and some breakfast.
This is how quick a turbo glows white/red hot at full revs. Not even under load. About 8 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlJJiTs-mvU
Thats why I say. Tow something at night time, stop and look at your turbo. And just remember that the oil passing through this is also feed straight back into your sump. Do you need a timer, EGT gauge and boost gauge - no. But for the money it is great insurance.... An audio alarmed boost or egt gauge will save your engine and about $10k. Just ask any 3 litre nissan drivers.
Thanks everyone for advice.
Holden have given me a 5 year warranty so will stick to standard and if anything goes wrong leave it to them. There is nothing in the manual about it. I guess if it was that essential they would put it in considering the cost of under $200. I will however take your collective advice about waiting to shut down after a hard run.
Phil, campertrailer has gone and now looking for a caravan. Old age and creature comforts, you know what it's like.
BenDover, i doubt I will ever drive a 4x4 the way you do
Derek
I think you'll find towing a caravan means you will.
Sorry guys but I'm with Ben on this too.
When I fitted my schwitzer the injector specialist who advised me on kits etc made it clear that based on his diesel experience, repairs, rebuilds etc I would be well served to fit a timer and an oil cooler both of which were subsequently fitted before the turbo went on one saturday morning.
No dramas since (touching wood) but cheap insurance for a 4.2 TD GQ that is going to be kept for years and years.
I may never have needed the timer or the cooler, but mine never turns off with out 1, 3 or 5 min cool down depending what I've been doing and how hot the motor / turbo is.
To each his own but cooking bearings etc , not keen so one less thing to worry about.
Cheers
Chimo
What could go wrong.......................
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
