Hey everyone... I'm gonna be installing my turbo kit this coming weekend and I have a few questions for those who own or have owned an aftermarket turbocharged vehicle.

My questions are:

• How long to let car warm up before driving off
• Recommended time setting for turbo timer
• If its -30 degrees out (celsius), is it safe to drive
• Oil change intervals
• Proper maintenance
• Grade and brand of synthetic oil to use

I have figured out a few things, but I'm new to turbo'd cars so I'd like to be prepared and not do something I shouldn't that can shorten the life of the turbo or my engine.

 

How long to let car warm up before driving off
you can drive off right away unless it is -20 outside just stay out of boost and take it easy until the temp gauge light goes off.

Recommended time setting for turbo timer
I`d say about 2 mins is fine. It is probably overkill for most situations but if you beat the piss out of the car and then stop somewhere really soon after 2 mins is what you need to cool everything off

If its -30 degrees out (celsius), is it safe to drive
Let the car warm up for about 5-7 mins and then drive off normally.

Oil change intervals
I`d say do them every 3000-4000kms so the oil is always fresh.

Proper maintenance
Look under your hood from time to time and insure that all bolts seem tight, no oil deposits are forming and nothing seems to be rubbing against something else.

Grade and brand of synthetic oil to use
I`m not sure for this one but you can go lighter weight in the summer, heavier in the winter.

 

My buddy has an srt-4 he always lets his car run for at least 10 minutes when he turns it on for the first time of the day. After that it is usually only a couple minutes all depends on season in the winter he lets it start up longer. He changes the oil every 3k miles with mobile 1 synthetic It gets pretty cold here in WI and I can't say there has ever been a day were his car wouldn't run or he was afraid to run it when it was cold.

That is all I can tell you but that is an srt-4 too which is a built in turbo stock so might be a litttle different for your bolt on.

 

Hey ET.

Thanks for the info..! Much appreciated

Any chance you can give me a hand this Sunday with the install? Looks like I may be installing solo this weekend..

I'm gonna start the emanage wiring on Friday night and remove the front bumper etc. in preparation for the rest of the install..

I hope to have everything mounted and installed by late saturday night.. I want to have someone more mechanically inclined around when I am ready to start priming the oil lines and getting ready to turn the motor over.. I hope to do that on Sunday.. I know u are busy on Saturday, but would you still be available on the Sunday?

Lemme know.. if not its cool.. I can wait til Monday for my friend to get back from Minneapolis..

 

please take pics and do a diy type write up for this.

i am very interested in this, and am currently leaning towards a supercharger over turbo for ease of install (among other things)

thanks!

 

regular suggested warm up is to drive lightly avoiding boost until the temp light goes off.

i had a wrx w/ sti turbo in it before this that i rally-crossed (higher rpms due to drifting on the dirt). the way any typical turbo system is set up nowadays, much of what you are worrying about are non issues. i put a TT in, and the first thing i noticed was, " damn, is this really neccessary? i can't set my alarm until the engine stops, how long should i set this?" the reply was that if you are not spirited-driving, and you have at least 2 minutes of normal driving after spirited driving, the turbo has PLENTY of time to cool off. if you drive as fast as you can through a course, get to the end, slow as fast as possible, then run out of your car, you should be concerned, otherwise, don't worry. my TT was then only used at races.

if its -30C out, your turbo isn't the only thing you need to warm up, your going to want to warm up the whole engine, so let it run till it's up to temp.

in our case, do not follow the maintenance minder, per se. technically, the MM is not a set interval, it evaluates the oil's viscosity to determine how it is working. i would think it would be safe to set a certain percent above normal maintenance, like at 30%)

proper maintenance for a modern turbo would be to check the tubing for the oil lines for wear, checking for leaks at 30K, etc. NEVER allow the intake to suck up water, checking the pump for proper circulation.

the viscosity should be appropriate for your climate. the turbo will increase the temp, but an upgraded oil cooler is definately suggested if not already purchased. A thin oil such as a straight 10W or even a 20W oil designed for cold weather use would probably not provide adequate lubrication for hot weather, high speed driving. Likewise, a thicker high temperature oil such as SAE 30 or 40 would probably become so stiff at sub-zero temperatures the engine might not crank fast enough to start.

other things to consider are (as you stated) the emanage. make sure you try to also have it tuned by someone reputable, as every car is different. the 91+ octane is another req.

hope this helps.

 

If you need any extra help i might be available on sunday
I've been looking at getting the t1r kit too and wouldn't mind seeing how everything is put together
Kinda know what i'm doing, put together a turbo kit for my crx and installed it in my garage
PM me!

 

Lol you and I did the same thing man

Adam call me on Saturday and I`ll come down and help on Sunday.

thx

Etienne

 

YeeFit, if at all possible a DIY would be appreciated by many!

Good luck with the install

My friend Kelsey(Kelsodeez)recently installed his T1R Turbo, and DANG does his car pull hard! You will love it

 

DIY's are awesome but they slow you down quite a bit in the installation process unless you have someone taking all the pics and doing nothing else

We really wanted to do a DIY for Justin's fit when we did the KWSC install but our hands were dirty and it would have slowed us down

 

Agreed.. I'm not sure I will be able to do a DIY, I can ask my Fiance to take pics, but I've only got 2.5 days to get this done.. and since it is our only car I don't really have an option come monday.. or atleast I don't want to have to go there.. heh..

 

What you do for your car now. But keep a better eye on the fluids, and don't drive like an asshole.

 

ha ha! priceless.

someone mentioned their buddy going through this big shabangabang for their srt4; my understanding is that if a car comes with a stock turbo, you treat it like any other stock car, because it has been engineered for the average person to maintain and operate.

the nitpicky stuff we are discussing here is necessary because its an aftermarket part.

 

<P>What should I be worried about in terms of life for my engine when I go turbo? Other than engine oil, cooling after driving, etc? </P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>I'm sort of worried about the transmission, and any other things related to the motor. lol </P>

 

You don't really need a turbo timer to cool down. If you drive out of boost for the last minute AND OR idle for 30 seconds to a minute you will be Ok. Sitting at a near by red light or 4-way intersection just before your destination is idle time.
I used to use a timer that had an "auto" timer feature that would set the idle time according to how I was driving.

This cool down period is so your oil temps can lower and stabilize to prevent oil "cocking" and sludge build up. This has a great impact on the life of the turbo.
I have never installed a turbo timer on a car with an alarm system so I can't help you out with that one. When I get my turbo kit I don't plan on using a turbo timer.

As for the oil, I would try a 5w30 or a 10w30 fully Synthetic Oil but nothing heavier. Why synthetic?
Synthetic oil holds up better to extreme heat. Mobile One fully synthetic (not extended life), Redline (not the race formula), and Eneos are all good oils. Mobil One is the most commonly available next to Redline. Choosing a good oil filter is just as important!
Change your oil religiously and keep up with coolant system maintenance as well.

Warm up period? Turbo or not, you should never beat up on your engine when it is cold.


I hope this helps. Happy spooling!