Capt._Chaos
May 21st, 2006, 09:41
.......That you should NEVER (except in a serious emergency situation) immediately shut off any engine equipped with a turbocharger after driving?
Truth be known, when driving at highway speeds (or taking the RPMs up while running through the gears on city streets), the turbo can be heard "winding up"- and it is often spinning as fast as (or beyond) 180,000 RPMs!
It takes a turbo impeller about 10 minutes to slow down after spinning at those RPMs, and if you shut the engine off too early you will cut of the oil supply to the impeller shaft bearing (causing it to spin without any lubrication). This is a leading cause of turbocharger failures.
It's best to let the engine idle for at least 5 minutes once the vehicle is parked before shutting it off (unless you were just idling the truck around the yard). Going easy on the throttle while looking for a parking spot will help too- "gunning it" just before shutdown is one of the worst things you can do.
Most every diesel engine (except in APUs, some generators, & reefer units), and some gasoline engines in sports cars (like in some Subaru WRXs and a Dodge Neon SRT, for example) are equipped with turbochargers, and they should all be given the same care in shutting them down properly.
If I'm not mistaken, Banks makes a device known as a "turbo timer" that will let the engine idle for a set (adjustable) time once the ignition key is turned off- this device would be great for those who do multiple drops & pickups throughout their day. :)
Truth be known, when driving at highway speeds (or taking the RPMs up while running through the gears on city streets), the turbo can be heard "winding up"- and it is often spinning as fast as (or beyond) 180,000 RPMs!
It takes a turbo impeller about 10 minutes to slow down after spinning at those RPMs, and if you shut the engine off too early you will cut of the oil supply to the impeller shaft bearing (causing it to spin without any lubrication). This is a leading cause of turbocharger failures.
It's best to let the engine idle for at least 5 minutes once the vehicle is parked before shutting it off (unless you were just idling the truck around the yard). Going easy on the throttle while looking for a parking spot will help too- "gunning it" just before shutdown is one of the worst things you can do.
Most every diesel engine (except in APUs, some generators, & reefer units), and some gasoline engines in sports cars (like in some Subaru WRXs and a Dodge Neon SRT, for example) are equipped with turbochargers, and they should all be given the same care in shutting them down properly.
If I'm not mistaken, Banks makes a device known as a "turbo timer" that will let the engine idle for a set (adjustable) time once the ignition key is turned off- this device would be great for those who do multiple drops & pickups throughout their day. :)