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Should I idle my Octavia TDI before switching off to allow the turbo to cool?
A few months ago I purchased a Skoda Octavia L&K 2.0 TDI with which I have been very pleased. This is the first diesel that I have run and have been receiving confused messages about whether or not it is necessary to idle the engine for a period when finishing one’s journey or arriving at a filling station, which is very tiresome, or to switch off immediately. I seem to recall you advising a delay to allow the turbo oil to cool and my local garage seems to agree. However, I did enquire online to Skoda if this was necessary and they very promptly replied by telephone to say that it was perfectly alright to switch off immediately. This was further borne out by my local Skoda dealer who said that as the oil for the turbo was the engine oil and intercoolers were fitted these days, switching off straight away was ok.
Finally, when my wife and I visited our daughter in Australia recently I noted that both their vehicles were fitted with what they called turbo savers which allowed the driver to switch off, remove the ignition key, lock the doors and walk away leaving the engine running on a timer. Your views would be very much appreciated because I find waiting at the end of a journey, especially o shopping or filling station trips very irritating.
Finally, when my wife and I visited our daughter in Australia recently I noted that both their vehicles were fitted with what they called turbo savers which allowed the driver to switch off, remove the ignition key, lock the doors and walk away leaving the engine running on a timer. Your views would be very much appreciated because I find waiting at the end of a journey, especially o shopping or filling station trips very irritating.
Asked on 5 January 2013 by RD, Huntingdonshire
Answered by
Honest John
Petrol turbos are usually water cooled as well as cooled by engine oil running through their bearings. Diesel turbos usually run slightly cooler and are usually cooled only by the oil running through their bearings. Turbos need to be idled before switching off when they are red hot otherwise the oil in the bearings instantly carbonises, as can oil in the feed pipes to the turbo. A turbo will become red hot when racing a car, during a long ascent or when towing. They can also get very hot running at steady speed on the motorway. So use your common sense. Let it idle for 15 - 30 seconds before switching off at a motorway service area. Let it idle for a lot longer after a long ascent or after towing or after racing. But normally low speed running at the end of a journey will be sufficient, say in the few miles through a town between a motorway and your house.
Tags:
diesels
turbo engines
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