Your Thoughts on the After-run Pump...

[Bimmerchop]

I currently have the after-run pump modification on my car to circulate coolant for up to ten minutes after shutting it off, you can see it here....

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng59.shtml

Would this be sufficient enough to help with the turbos, or do you guys still think a turbo timer would be necessary?

[mholme]

My opinion-turbo timers are a waste of money. Audi has had after run systems on turbo cars for over 20 years. I would recommend making sure it's not leaking and doing the lower temp switch mod, but other than that, normal cool down procedure while driving works fine.

[fourings06]

turbo timers prolong turbo life, regardless of what everyone else says. The reason noone gets them is because they all blow their turbos up before they even get to the point where they would need that extra life that a timer has provided... But a turbo timer will keep your turbo lubricated upon cooldown, instead of letting it burn off that extra lube oil. The whole point of having a turbo timer, is that you do not want to make any boost for a few minutes before turning your car off... its easy to not make boost when your not in the car. It is a minor upgrade that most people frown upon, but if you want to take as good care of your turbos as you can, without having to remember to not make boost and allow for a proper turbo cooldown, then don't let others sway your opinion. I am going to get one when I put my k04's in, mount it where the cup holder was.

EDIT: Coolant circulating after the car is off does not benefit the turbos, even if it does benefit many other aspects. a turbo timer will benefit the turbos themselves.

[mholme]

If you can't remember to cool your car down before exiting...

And the after run coolant circulation DOES cool the turbos, oil is a lubricant. The after run system on most audis I'm pretty sure also runs the fans at low-high speed, depending on the under hood temps, at least they have always on mine.

Love your avatar.

[ThirdStrike]

EDIT: Coolant circulating after the car is off does not benefit the turbos, even if it does benefit many other aspects. a turbo timer will benefit the turbos themselves.

lol really? explain that...
i agree a turbo timer will help but the secondary pump helps the turbos as well.

[fourings06]

lol really? explain that...
i agree a turbo timer will help but the secondary pump helps the turbos as well.

what I said warrants no explanation lol, you explain sir.

[gaspeedracer]

how would circulating coolant help the turbos if the k03's are oil-cooled?

[mholme]

how would circulating coolant help the turbos if the k03's are oil-cooled?

Your turbos have oil and water fittings. The main purpose of coolant is to cool. The main purpose of oil is to lubricate.

[S4_NE]

how would circulating coolant help the turbos if the k03's are oil-cooled?

KO3's are oil lube and coolant cooled just like a K04,
All turbo's ( that i kno wabout) have oil for a lube, cooling can be coolant base or air cooled not oil cooled, please corect me if I am wrong on here guys

[gaspeedracer]

roger that. thinking of aircraft engines again

[SilverSurferS4]

ehh.. Long story short...

turbo timer will help turbo life... so will the after run coolant pump to an extent.....

turbo timer will allow the engine to keep running at idle.. so the oil in the turbos will keep circulating and will cool down to a lower oil temp before the engine shuts down.... this is much more beneficial then the after run coolant pump... whats better turning you car off with oil in the turbos being 300 degrees or 225 degrees????? the main reason our turbos blow besides being chipped.. is cause by improper cool down and the oil "bakes" itself into the seals and eventually it throws everything off balance and you blow turbos..

The after run pumps does work well for some... but it doesnt keep the oil circulating!! and thats essential to reduce k03/k04 turbo failures since our turbos are not ball bearing...

By the way guys... oil lubricates and also cools.. so for those of you who think oil doesnt cool... think of why we have an oil cooler... oil that gets hot via combustion gets sent to the oil cooler and then back into the oil pan.....

heres a quote "Engine oil is responsible for a large percentage of the cooling that takes place within your engine"

[S4_NE]

roger that. thinking of aircraft engines again

no problem man

[fourings06]

but are the turbos actually affected in the after run process? I thought that cooling of the turbos was based on a different/higher temperature sensor.

[SilverSurferS4]

but are the turbos actually affected in the after run process? I thought that cooling of the turbos was based on a different/higher temperature sensor.

For those of us whos after run pump actually works... then yes the turbos are affected.. the after run pump will keep the coolant circulating through out the engine and turbos... and it will cool it down to an extent... but it doesnt have a dramatic affect on the actual oil temp in the turbos then a turbo timer would.... keep in mind the after run coolant temp will only come on after the coolant has reached a certain temp... even with the lower temp sensor installed on my car, i can rarely get it up to that temp for the after run pump to come on.....

[mholme]

ehh.. Long story short...

turbo timer will help turbo life... so will the after run coolant pump to an extent.....

turbo timer will allow the engine to keep running at idle.. so the oil in the turbos will keep circulating and will cool down to a lower oil temp before the engine shuts down.... this is much more beneficial then the after run coolant pump... whats better turning you car off with oil in the turbos being 300 degrees or 225 degrees????? the main reason our turbos blow besides being chipped.. is cause by improper cool down and the oil "bakes" itself into the seals and eventually it throws everything off balance and you blow turbos..

The after run pumps does work well for some... but it doesnt keep the oil circulating!! and thats essential to reduce k03/k04 turbo failures since our turbos are not ball bearing...

By the way guys... oil lubricates and also cools.. so for those of you who think oil doesnt cool... think of why we have an oil cooler... oil that gets hot via combustion gets sent to the oil cooler and then back into the oil pan.....

heres a quote "Engine oil is responsible for a large percentage of the cooling that takes place within your engine"

I don't think anyone is doubting that a turbo timer will help keep the car on and oil circulating...but so will just cooling down the car on the way to your destination. You can't take 30 seconds to a minute to treat the car with care and cool it down properly, then you don't deserve it in my opinion.

And yes, of course oil cools, but it's main purpose is as a lubricant.

[Evilevo]

umm, my afterrun pump turns on everytime i turn the car off.

[ThirdStrike]

but are the turbos actually affected in the after run process? I thought that cooling of the turbos was based on a different/higher temperature sensor.

i think youre missing the point.. as earlier stated the turbos on our cars are WATER cooled. therefore after-circulating water will continue to cool a hot snail down. however (again earlier stated) the hot oil will just cook the turbo if left sitting inside of it after hard runs. so both aux pump and turbo timer helps. /redundant post

[Rated S]

You can't take 30 seconds to a minute to treat the car with care and cool it down properly, then you don't deserve it in my opinion.

There are times where I can't afford to wait 1 minute to let my car cool down... I guess I don't deserve my car.

[ThirdStrike]

your avatar [still] makes my head hurt

[zmw]

that's a pretty conceited view to take... if a 100$ turbo timer will do the job for you, why do you need to cool the car. Personally, I bought an alarm with a built in turbo timer that interacts with the remote start system, and use it nearly every time i am done driving, i DO properly cool the car down, i just don't do it with me sitting in the car.

It's important to realize that you don't have to make boost to spin the turbos, and turbos need to STOP spinning to STOP creating heat, the turbos obviously spin when they are not at maximum vacuum.... To me it's a no brainer, a turbo timer is a CHEAP Warranty unless you want to hang out and sit in your car for 2-3 minutes every time you are getting on it...

saying things like "If you can't cool the car you don't deserve it" is just plain stupid.... we have the technology and resource to cool the car automatically, don't tell someone they are stupid for wanting to work smarter not harder.

-Z

[mholme]

There are times where I can't afford to wait 1 minute to let my car cool down... I guess I don't deserve my car.

It's an opinion, that's all, no need to be so black and white about it. But give me an example when 30 seconds is going to make or break your daily routine. And I'm seriously asking so please don't think I'm being a smartass.

[MacDaddy]

waste of money, you can adjust your driving habits for free instead.

what you don't want to do is shut off your engine when your turbos are spooled up, or in the process of un spooling, a turbo timer lets you not worry about that, or you can drive nicley for the last portion of your journey or wait 30-seconds to audi's recommended 2 minuets depending on how you were driving, the first method works best because it saves gas.
as far as cooling, the cars after run fan will do a better job than leaving your car idling.

[mholme]

saying things like "If you can't cool the car you don't deserve it" is just plain stupid.... we have the technology and resource to cool the car automatically, don't tell someone they are stupid for wanting to work smarter not harder.

-Z

Again...it's just an opinion, and I exaggerate for effect...

The OP asked for opinions on the value of a turbo timer. I'm just giving my opinion. 30 seconds is a commercial.

So now other things I don't like about a turbo timer:

Your car is running without you in it. If I'm a theif, that's the one I'm going to try to steal. I'm sure the timer has security features built in, but the rock going through your window doesn't know that. Neither does the screwdriver through your lock.

You have to leave your car in neutral and rely on the emergency brake to keep your 3400lbs car in place(obviously this only applies to manuals). I've had 4 audis over the years and 4 broken e-brake systems at some point.

Again, my opinion. I'm not knocking anyone who gets one, I just don't think it's needed.

[zmw]

So qualifications like the below make it a much more valuable statement than saying someone doesnt' deserve it for (insert reason here)...

If I'm a thief, and I want your car - it's not gonna matter to me whether or not it's running, In fact I'd be more prone to stay away from one that is running because chances are that it has a good aftermarket alarm and will shut off the minute i touch it.

the ebrake is a valid concern, but here it's just common sense, don't park on a hill with just your ebrake to hold you. Some hills in San Fran are steep enough that even being in gear may not stop you from rolling, clearly here is not the place to utilize a turbo timer...

For me a turbo timer is useful when I am driving home in rush hour traffic and then get to let loose for 25 miles before i get to my house - I don't use the turbotimer at the airport or in parking garages or whatever - but i always did at autocross so i could get out of my car between heats and lock up all my valuable datalogging gear...

I get your points, and they are valid - but 10 grand in repair is a very valuid reason to have a 100$ turbo timer - although i would suggest combining it with a very very good after market alarm.

Again...it's just an opinion, and I exaggerate for effect...

The OP asked for opinions on the value of a turbo timer. I'm just giving my opinion. 30 seconds is a commercial.

So now other things I don't like about a turbo timer:

Your car is running without you in it. If I'm a theif, that's the one I'm going to try to steal. I'm sure the timer has security features built in, but the rock going through your window doesn't know that. Neither does the screwdriver through your lock.

You have to leave your car in neutral and rely on the emergency brake to keep your 3400lbs car in place(obviously this only applies to manuals). I've had 4 audis over the years and 4 broken e-brake systems at some point.

Again, my opinion. I'm not knocking anyone who gets one, I just don't think it's needed.

[mholme]

If I'm a thief, and I want your car - it's not gonna matter to me whether or not it's running, In fact I'd be more prone to stay away from one that is running because chances are that it has a good aftermarket alarm and will shut off the minute i touch it.

Tune in to "Jacked" on A&E. The bad guys aren't very smart. They get into a running Audi A4 without a second thought.

the ebrake is a valid concern, but here it's just common sense, don't park on a hill with just your ebrake to hold you.

In a perfect world..in a perfect world. I watched 2 cars get smacked last night from my deck while people were attempting to parallel park. Sh*t happens. I would never trust my e-brake alone to hold the car, just like I would never trust a jack to support the weight of my car.

For me a turbo timer is useful when I am driving home in rush hour traffic and then get to let loose for 25 miles before i get to my house - I don't use the turbotimer at the airport or in parking garages or whatever - but i always did at autocross so i could get out of my car between heats and lock up all my valuable datalogging gear....

I too, like to let loose a little on the commute home. But for me, I ease up and hit several red lights in the last few minutes and then just idle in the driveway and finish my song..

I get your points, and they are valid - but 10 grand in repair is a very valuid reason to have a 100$ turbo timer - although i would suggest combining it with a very very good after market alarm.

I get your points as well. And that's why I cool down my car in the manner I do every day without the timer.. Let's just agree to disagree..

[Rated S]

It's an opinion, that's all, no need to be so black and white about it. But give me an example when 30 seconds is going to make or break your daily routine. And I'm seriously asking so please don't think I'm being a smartass.

You are being black and white about stating that you don't deserve the car if you can't cool it down.
I never said I use it daily, but there are times when my family members need to be rushed to the ER (which does happen mind you) and I don't have time to worry about my turbos, so I use the TT. I don't rely on a TT, but when I'm stressing about things like that it helps me not have to deal with worrying about blowing my turbos...again.

[mholme]

You are being black and white about stating that you don't deserve the car if you can't cool it down.

And I clarified in a post earlier that I EXAGGERATE FOR EFFECT. I'm not here to argue or offend people, it's an online discussion forum, please don't take things typed to heart. Does the person who does some god awful thing to his car really deserve to be shot? No(well, sometimes)..

I never said I use it daily, but there are times when my family members need to be rushed to the ER (which does happen mind you) and I don't have time to worry about my turbos, so I use the TT. I don't rely on a TT, but when I'm stressing about things like that it helps me not have to deal with worrying about blowing my turbos...again.

Well I would hope that you're not worried about your turbos while rushing a family memeber to the hospital? I'm sure everyone at some point has neglected to cool the car down after a run, it happens. For me, a turbo timer isn't the answer. More power to whoever invests in one, but they aint gettin my money.

And I'm done.