My car share buddy has just had his Mazda 6 turbo replaced, I'm wandering is it better for a Diesel Turbo to leave the engine running, when dropping someone off for example ? He (still ) does not believe me when I suggest to leave it running..
mr p gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
Doesn't matter if it's diesel or petrol - any turbo will thank you for letting it cool down a bit before switching off.
With modern (modern? Well, the last 20yrs or more...) water-cooled turbos, though, it's much less necessary than it was in the early days when they were cooled by oil alone. All you really need to do is not thrape the living arse off the thing and immediately switch off.
I suspect the turbo in his Mazda was probably replaced for reasons other than having been "cooked" - modern turbos are bloody complex, with the vanes varying in angle to minimise lag and maximise throttle response, and - especially in diesels, with all the soot in the exhaust (before you get to the particulate filter, remember), they can easily clog up.
using good quality fuel and having regular oil changes using the right oil is more important than ever. It is never worth turning off an engine for less than a few minutes unless the car is unattended.
Obviously, I was referring to the vast majority of conventional vehicles. I was thinking more of starter wear and the initial rev up that most vehicles do, obviously hybrids such as the prius stop and start themselves as they need, however the prius at least does not have a normal starter or even a conventional cycle engine, it also keeps itself warm using a thermos flask (don't laugh, they do) and of course is designed for those exact purposes.
Wheras BMW & VW just bolt it onto the standard engine. Starter wear's the only real issue, & unless something else is faulty that should be negligible on a warm engine. Why rev it up when you start it?
There is no reason to leave the engine running on any turbo car. What you must do is allow 30s at idle if driving like a lunatic, or slightly longer after a super high speed motorway run. The turbo stays spinning for a while so it's best to have oil circulating around the bearings whilst it slows down. You often need to leave it for longer on a petrol turbo engine due to the higher speeds the turbo runs at. If you're looking for someone to back you up, I doubt you will find anyone if they know about diesel engines.
What would you class as good quality fuel and how would you say what was good quality. A modern Vauxhall turbo diesel can happily run off Kerosene or heating oil as it is bought to avoid duty. This causes no harm to thousands of lease cars! Using different brands of diesel available to the public will not be noticable. Using red diesel or bio diesel can ruin the engine, fuel pump, seals and god knows what else as it's not meant for a car engine. Biodiesel is misleading, there is no real standard, similar to people running a car from used vegetable oil. Regular servicing is important. Oil change and filter change very important more frequently on a diesel turbo.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Appollo" saying something like:
Utter s**te. 28second kerosene will shag the pump in short order. Gas oil (marked diesel as heating oil) is ok, but is usually pretty manky. Many farmers combine the heating oil and diesel tank with that in mind.
Utter s**te. There is a standard and most commercial producers stick to it. Backyard Biodiesel is a different story, but it's never caused me any problems in the thousands of litres I've made /used of it, because I take reasonable care when making it.
Want to demonstrate your abysmal ignorance any more?
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