what should I set my turbo time to?

[abstrakt]

Hey I have a turbo timer in my car and I am not sure what setting to put it on.. Can anybody help me out?

[Tokay444]

Is the car stock?

[abstrakt]

Yea its stock

[-cj-]

Mine is set to 60 seconds. If I run the car hard, I will idle it for a few minutes myself before letting the turbo timer kick in...

[abstrakt]

well mine is set to 30 seconds right now do you think i should set it up to 1 min?

[-cj-]

30 seconds is probably fine... Technically I don't even think you need to worry about these turbos going since they're water cooled.

I find that 1 minute is a decent all around number, in case I pop off the highway somewhere and turn off the car.

[SKYMP3]

Mine is set to 1 min as well. For short drive, I just disable it after 20 sec.

[Tokay444]

The stock ecu doesn't run egts hot enough to need to worry about a turbo timer at all.

[abstrakt]

okay well then i guess i will leave it at 30 seconds and if i go on a long run i will just let it runn a lil more befroe i let the timer do its job

[Tokay444]

If it really needed it, it probably would have come with one from the factory. The tune is so mild and the the fact it's a water cooled turbo, means you don't even need one until you get into heavy mods.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

If it really needed it, it probably would have come with one from the factory. The tune is so mild and the the fact it's a water cooled turbo, means you don't even need one until you get into heavy mods.

You mean like the boost gauge that is also missing from the gen1 MS3? Seems like a pretty big and important factory ommission in a boosted car.

It is good habit to let the turbo spool/cool down for 30-60 seconds after driving the car, watercooled or not. It won't do any harm to err on the side of cautious in this case.

[Elusivellama]

Yeah, I idle for at least 30 seconds after a short city drive, and at least 1 min after coming off the highway and coming to a stop. *shrug* just a bit of gas and time, who cares... this way I can walk away from the car with peace of mind.

[Tokay444]

Won't hurt no. And as for the boost gauge, I don't have a problem without one. I think they only added it to the later model for the fanbois. It's not as if boost is adjustable on a stock platform. So no, a boost gauge isn't important either.

[Elusivellama]

It's funny... I like my boost gauge so that I can know when I'm NOT using any boost, although I'm sure a real instrument cluster would be better.

Also, did you know you can actually turn the boost gauge off? The manual even tells you how to do it.

[abstrakt]

Won't hurt no. And as for the boost gauge, I don't have a problem without one. I think they only added it to the later model for the fanbois. It's not as if boost is adjustable on a stock platform. So no, a boost gauge isn't important either.

also when the first gens were made mazda said that there was no need for a boost gauge because the computer controled the boost and they didnt want the drive to be distracted lol

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Won't hurt no. And as for the boost gauge, I don't have a problem without one. I think they only added it to the later model for the fanbois. It's not as if boost is adjustable on a stock platform. So no, a boost gauge isn't important either.

Not important? If I have a boost leak and something is wrong with my turbo, turbo inlet, seals or somthing in the BPV and breather lines, I wouldn't exactly call the boost gauge unimportant. In a boosted car, a boost gauge is fundamentally required IMO. I had a very minor problem this summer and the only way I was aware of it was because of what I felt while driving and the funky readings on my boost gauge. The CEL didn't come on for a very, very long time and then only told me I was running lean at idle.


also when the first gens were made mazda said that there was no need for a boost gauge because the computer controled the boost and they didnt want the drive to be distracted lol

And then of course they added one immediately in the redesign... What else were they going to say? That they omitted a boost gauge in the old gen out of cost cutting, oversight and sheer stupidity? Not likely.

[Tokay444]

Do have any idea how may cars out there don't even have tachs? I'd say a tach is far more important than boost gauge. You said it yourself. Your car felt funny. If my car felt funny, I'd have a pretty good idea where to start looking without a boost gauge.

[Tokay444]

I'd far rather know my oil pressure as opposed to my boost pressure. There's far more damage to be done before you know you have low oil pressure than with a boost leak.

[abstrakt]

dont get me wrong i am all for a boost gauge but thats what i read in some of the reviews about the ms3 lol

[Tokay444]

It's a nice option. But it's not a necessity.

[Mty Mous]

My 2 cents on this topic is that if you're driving the car hard, ease up the last couple of kms before you get to your destination ... this will help cool down the turbo quite a bit and so once you get to your destination you can shut-er down after about 30secs or so. Back when I had my Z32 Twin Turbo I used to just let it idle for the length of 1 full song before shut'n er down.

As for the boost gauge debate, I honestly believe you need oil pressure, boost and oil temp gauges in a boosted car. But that being said, if you have a boost leak cause of a faulty BOV or somewhere along the piping, the boost gauge won't really help you all that much cause the turbo will keep trying to makeup for the boost leak by overboosting itself and maintaining its target boost setting. So you really gotta get to know your car and you'll know when it just isn't running right even if all the gauges show things as being normal.

My buddy killed his Disco Potato last summer due to a boost leak and the turbo trying to maintain 18psi by spinning much faster than was safe.

[dentinger]

As for the boost gauge debate, I honestly believe you need oil pressure, boost and oil temp gauges in a boosted car. But that being said, if you have a boost leak cause of a faulty BOV or somewhere along the piping, the boost gauge won't really help you all that much cause the turbo will keep trying to makeup for the boost leak by overboosting itself and maintaining its target boost setting. So you really gotta get to know your car and you'll know when it just isn't running right even if all the gauges show things as being normal.


a boost gauge will definetly help with this.
my cars idles at 20 in hg of vacuum. (-20 psi of boost)
when i see it's idling at 10 in hg, i know something's up.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

a boost gauge will definetly help with this.
my cars idles at 20 in hg of vacuum. (-20 psi of boost)
when i see it's idling at 10 in hg, i know something's up.

-20 inches of mercury (inHg) is approx -9.8 pounds per square inch (psi)

[-cj-]

I use the -20 - -21 psi while idling rule as a quick indicator, but it doesn't necessarily mean everything is good and healthy. If you have a FMIC and you cannot hold high boost in 5th or 6th (after 3k rpm), then you have a leak. It's possible to have a healthy -20 psi idle and still have trouble holding boost in high gears. (This only applies if you don't run through the gears. IE: Cruising in 5th and you stomp on it... again, don't do this unless you are over 3k RPM.)

(Off topic, sorry)

Edit: Heh, caveman data logging FTW.

[Tokay444]

Cj, I think you were helping me out in my noob thread on msf...

[007]

The Mazda's user manual does recommend to let the car idle for about 30 secs before shutting it down.
So, your pick, you wait for 30 secs or you get a Turbo Timer.

As for the Boost gauge, it's needed if you tune your car. Else, it is really a personal perference.

[Fobio]

where do you guys drive that you need a turbo timer? arizona...high noon in the summer? delivering pizza? =) unlike some turbo's ours is oil-cooled, like most modern applications. unless you are caning it for 15min straight (about 10 hot laps) and decide to skid into your driveway/garage Homer Simpson style and turn it off, I doubt you'll ever need a turbo timer...

it takes me about 2 mintues to park my car in the underground garage getting home, and I have over 300m to drive at 40km/h before parking at work...

so yeah...personal preference. an EGT gauge would be more useful...but that's another thread.

[n00bMeiSter]

Not to threadjack but; since I don't own a boosted car, and have never driven a boosted car. What is a boost timer and what does it do?

[Tokay444]

It's called a turbo timer and it keeps the car running for a preset time after the key has been removed and the door locked "to cool down" the turbo, but on a stock tune with a water/oil cooled turbo, it isn't needed. On an old air cooled 911 porsche turbo on the other hand...

[007]

Well, I do benifit the use of my timer when spending a day at the track doing nine 20 minute sessions at WOT.

I can park the car, leave on neutral, exit, and let the car run on the timer while going to the racer's briefing sessions.

But I agree, not that needed for granny driving.



where do you guys drive that you need a turbo timer? arizona...high noon in the summer? delivering pizza? =) unlike some turbo's ours is oil-cooled, like most modern applications. unless you are caning it for 15min straight (about 10 hot laps) and decide to skid into your driveway/garage Homer Simpson style and turn it off, I doubt you'll ever need a turbo timer...

it takes me about 2 mintues to park my car in the underground garage getting home, and I have over 300m to drive at 40km/h before parking at work...

so yeah...personal preference. an EGT gauge would be more useful...but that's another thread.