Why use a Turbo Timer?
The shafts on most turbochargers spin in excess of 50,000 RPM and generate lots of heat. To keep your turbocharger’s heat under control, most are cooled by circulating oil or water (coolant) around the shaft. The turbocharger’s shaft is free to rotate at will and there is no way to stop the shaft from spinning after shutting the engine off. To dissipate and stabilze the heat in the turbocharger, most manufacturers recommend that a car be idled for a period of time after moderate to hard driving to allow the oil/water to take heat out of the turbocharger. Failure to reduce the temperature of the turbo could result in the oil around the shaft “coking”. Coking is basically the baking of oil, turning it into a hard substance that could plug your oil lines and cause oil “starvation”, preventing proper cooling of your turbocharger and reducing it’s operating lifespan.
