I was told by a repair shop guy in Ohio (not an Audi dealer) that you should always let a turbocharged engine like the 1.8 used in Audi A4s idle for at least 30 - 45 seconds before switching it off. That way, he claimed, oil will get to the turbo while it spins down from high speed. Any thought, confirmations?
Youll find the owners manual usually says this.
It's not much of a concern if you've been driving gently, but it's definitley wise after a long, fast run to let the engine idle, apparently to reduce the risk of cooking the oil in the turbo.
Given the absence of an after-run pump for the 1.8Ts the recommendation is to use the door ajar alarm as an indicator. When you open the door the door chimes for 60 seconds and then shuts off.
When stopped after a fast drive when the turbo has been working, open the door and let the engine idle until the chime stops. that is a good indication of sufficient time for cool down.
TonyJ
98.5 1.8TQM APRChris Bartram wrote:
Obliged for the tips.
Is this a US only thing? No chime on a UK model.
Probably. It may be able to set it on / off with the VAG software.
As long as you're not pulling directly into your driveway from the Interstate, you'll be fine. I suspect that most of us have at least a few minutes of slow driving while getting into our neighborhoods, so that would do it as well. It's not so much the idling, it's the 'not using the turbo' prior to shut-off that is important.
Dan D '04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6 Central NJ USA
I appreciate the context in these responses. I can see where a problem might lie in zooming off the interstate/turnpike to quickly gas up. Having just had a turbo replaced due to an "oil sludge" problem, (Audi covered it via extended warranty) I will tend to err on the side of caution in the foreseeable future.
Robin Nelson '01 A4TQ
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