How's going all, proud to say I'm a proud new owner of my own HHR SS. I was just think about a possible sticky thread for, "turbo maintenance and tips". I have never owned my own turbo car and know that they have some specific needs that need to be meet in order to operate properly . So any pro's on the matter I would really appreciate it if you could chime in, and help out me and anyone else that could use help on the matter. Thanks

Suggestions
-Oil type
-When to change oil, by cars in dash info or set miles i.e. 2500 or 4500?
-Allowed cool down period, is it necessary if the car will only be shut down for a certain amount of time, i.e. 5 minutes compared to 8 hours?
-Any other advice


Happy 4TH

-Allowed cool down period, is it necessary if the car will only be shut down for a certain amount of time, i.e. 5 minutes compared to 8 hours?


Turbos get hot... and so after spirited driving, it's a good idea to idle the car for a few minutes (2-3) to allow the turbo to cool down while the oil is still cycling through the system. If you turn off hte engine while a turbo is ultra-hot, the oil inside the unit can boil into a gunky coke (not the soft drink, nor the drug) substance. That's not what you want in your tubo.

arent these turbos water cooled as well? XXL's advice is sound though, always a good idea to let the car's oil circulate on start up and cool down a bit before shutting it off.

arent these turbos water cooled as well?

I haven't actually bothered to peek under the hood yet (too busy with work, move, etc., since I got the car :( ), but I doubt it. I'm not aware of any turbo that uses water cooling. Most turbos are either self-contained oil-cooled or recirculating oil cooled. I'd expect that water just couldn't hold up to the heat.

I had one that had water and oil, obviously not mixed together. It took water into the housing via a small hose running from the water outlet.

I had one that had water and oil, obviously not mixed together. It took water into the housing via a small hose running from the water outlet.

Now that I think about it, you're right... the Mitsu 16g has a water inlet on it. Duh. I suck.

yeah, i pulled a turbo off a '89 LeBaron at a local junkyard a while back (hair-brained remote mount turbo thoughts for my Camaro...long since abandoned lol) and it was water and oil cooled.

Right on, any recommendations on oil to use?

Your KO4 Turbo is watercooled. It's pretty much standard these days on turbos.

The factory recommends 5w30 Mobil 1. Any of the name-brand synthetics are up to the task, but I'd stay away from the second-tier stuff...we've seen issues with oil coking with some of those brands. In any case, make sure what you choose meets the specs called out in your owner's manual.

[QUOTE=EcoBoost;285748]Your KO4 Turbo is watercooled. It's pretty much standard these days on turbos.

So a cool down period would still be necessary correct or no cool down?

We use these methods:


In regular driving, no cool down needed.

If you were JUST on the throttle hard, do not just come to a stop and turn the key off. Let the turbo speed stabilize and some of the temperature in it dissipate...idling for 30 seconds or so is all it takes.

If you've been beating the car mercilessly, such as canyon-carving, track days or autocross, let it run a few minutes before you shut her down. You can even do this on a 'cool-down' lap...so long as you've been driving at cruising-type conditions for a minute or three, it has the same effect as letting her idle. Fact is, it's even a little better than idling, for the somewhat higher RPM helps move coolant and air through the turbo and engine more effectively, as well as air moving across the radiator and intercooler assist in the objective.


Even non-turbo cars benefit from #3...it's very sensible to let your engine and driveline stabilize a bit after severe use. Race cars take cool-down laps for this very reason ;)

Sweet, well much appreciated. Thanks for all the input.

This will be a great thread for me, since I will be a turbo newbie. ;)

Welcome to the Boosted Club :D

Would you also recommend letting it "warm up"? Letting the vacuum settle down around 20?

Would you also recommend letting it "warm up"? Letting the vacuum settle down around 20?
Warm-ups are always a good idea before applying heavy loads. Lubrication flows better, and all components in the engine are at the correct 'size' when warm. Thermal expansion as the engine achieves operating temperature changes many subtle aspects of the engine, from ultimate bearing size to actual clamp loads on critical areas like head gaskets.

For these reasons, it's never prudent to run any engine hard before it's at full operating temperature. It's good for the driveline too!

Man tons of great info. I've noticed that when the car starts up it usually idles at 1.5k RPM then goes down to about 1k. Do I need to wait for the car to idle down or can I just start it and go??

I wait till the vacuum gets to 15-20 in Hg.

Thanks ya I figured out what they finally were talking about in regards to the 20. Is there any regular maintenance that needs to be taken for just the turbo? Or is the only maintenance just proper oil changes and warm up and cool down procedures?

Man tons of great info. I've noticed that when the car starts up it usually idles at 1.5k RPM then goes down to about 1k. Do I need to wait for the car to idle down or can I just start it and go??
You can just go. The best bet is to just be gentle with her until she warms up.

Good thread! I bought an SS last week and it is my first turbo as well.

JIm

We use these methods:


In regular driving, no cool down needed.

If you were JUST on the throttle hard, do not just come to a stop and turn the key off. Let the turbo speed stabilize and some of the temperature in it dissipate...idling for 30 seconds or so is all it takes.

If you've been beating the car mercilessly, such as canyon-carving, track days or autocross, let it run a few minutes before you shut her down. You can even do this on a 'cool-down' lap...so long as you've been driving at cruising-type conditions for a minute or three, it has the same effect as letting her idle. Fact is, it's even a little better than idling, for the somewhat higher RPM helps move coolant and air through the turbo and engine more effectively, as well as air moving across the radiator and intercooler assist in the objective.


Even non-turbo cars benefit from #3...it's very sensible to let your engine and driveline stabilize a bit after severe use. Race cars take cool-down laps for this very reason ;)

Warm-ups are always a good idea before applying heavy loads. Lubrication flows better, and all components in the engine are at the correct 'size' when warm. Thermal expansion as the engine achieves operating temperature changes many subtle aspects of the engine, from ultimate bearing size to actual clamp loads on critical areas like head gaskets.

For these reasons, it's never prudent to run any engine hard before it's at full operating temperature. It's good for the driveline too!

You can just go. The best bet is to just be gentle with her until she warms up.


1st Turbo here too. Thanks for the tips :bow:

And my first turbo as well... will be subscribing to this thread.