Cooling down period for turbo on my 2011 bmw 320d?

[Jacques]

Hi all
I am the new owner of a 2011 bmw 320d and I dont think I will ever change from bmw to something else. I got my car on 25 May and there are already 7000 km on the clock. The torque on the diesel is awesome and in general the bmw gives you real driving pleasure. I received so much advise from different people saying you should let your car idle (let the turbo cooldown) after gunning it. Some of them say 30s and some of them say 1 min. Last week I took it for a test drive on the highway and averaged speeds between 200 and 240 km/h for +- 30 km. When I got to my workplace (+- 1 km from the highway) I let it idle for +- 40s and turned the ignition off. Did I let the turbo cool down for long enough? Please advise.

 

[P1000]

Cooldown will depend on how you drive. If you were gunning it at 200+, you should let it cool for at least 5 mins. You will be amazed at the temperatures these things get up to and how long they take to cool back down. You can also let it cool by driving like a granny for the last 3mins of your journey (at least 5 if you were pushing it hard)

 

[Philip Foglar]

Treat your TD good and it will treat you good in return! Think of it as a ritual, give it chance to properly warm up before making use of the fantastic torque potential, and then when nearing your destination start your cool off period already - that is, just drive light footed and allow the engine to run under off-throttle conditions as much as possible. This allows cool air to circulate through the turbo since no combustion is taking place. As far as I am concerned, this is the only real way to allow the turbo to "cool-down" - idling after stopping is more a case of allowing the turbine to spin down to a much slower rpm before shutting the engine off. These things spin at crazy rpm, especially inland at higher altitudes to compensate for the lower atmospheric pressure. Obviously you can think for yourself, weather and ambient temperature also plays a part here - more cool-down on those really hot days of course!

Anyway, hope this helps and congrats on a superb car!!! :thumbs:

 

[Jacques]

Cooldown will depend on how you drive. If you were gunning it at 200+, you should let it cool for at least 5 mins. You will be amazed at the temperatures these things get up to and how long they take to cool back down. You can also let it cool by driving like a granny for the last 3mins of your journey (at least 5 if you were pushing it hard)

Thanks alot for the advice P1000.raise: What will the extend of the damage be if I only did it this once and in future let it cooldown a bit longer?

 

[Cole]

it will be fine if you did it just once, but high speeds like 200+ definitly need a significant cooldown at least 3 minutes - 5 is best.
30 seconds are good if you been taking it easy and haven't caused the turbo to boost much for a few km's before getting to your destination.

 

[Jacques]

Treat your TD good and it will treat you good in return! Think of it as a ritual, give it chance to properly warm up before making use of the fantastic torque potential, and then when nearing your destination start your cool off period already - that is, just drive light footed and allow the engine to run under off-throttle conditions as much as possible. This allows cool air to circulate through the turbo since no combustion is taking place. As far as I am concerned, this is the only real way to allow the turbo to "cool-down" - idling after stopping is more a case of allowing the turbine to spin down to a much slower rpm before shutting the engine off. These things spin at crazy rpm, especially inland at higher altitudes to compensate for the lower atmospheric pressure. Obviously you can think for yourself, weather and ambient temperature also plays a part here - more cool-down on those really hot days of course!

Anyway, hope this helps and congrats on a superb car!!! :thumbs:

raise:Thanks alot Philip for all the info. You told me thinks I didn't know. Your info was really helpful

 

[P1000]

Thanks alot for the advice P1000.raise: What will the extend of the damage be if I only did it this once and in future let it cooldown a bit longer?

It should be fine if you treat it good forward. The real danger is oil coking on to the shaft and making the shaft thicker and thicker, and this wears out the bearings. If the bearings are gone, the seals will go very quickly resulting in turbo failure. So it is the buildup of burnt oil, layer by layer everytime you don't let it cool down properly that eventually kills it.

 

[///MOS1TED]

Over and above cooling the car down from a run arounds. I suggest changing OIL every 5000kms as compared to what is stated in the book.

BMW will not change oil unless it due for oil change.

Happy motoring.

 

[P1000]

Over and above cooling the car down from a run arounds. I suggest changing OIL every 5000kms as compared to what is stated in the book.

BMW will not change oil unless it due for oil change.

Happy motoring.

I see very little merit in that. The PO of my car has gone 25kkm+ between services on 500ppm diesel, and she is now at 280kkm on the original turbo...

 

[///MOS1TED]

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/engine-oil-the-difference-between-gasoline-and-die.html


take note of the paragraph that reads :

Your owner’s manual tells you the maximum interval you can wait between changes, but the more often you change the oil on any
vehicle, the longer the vehicle will live and the healthier it will be. That goes double for diesels because extreme heat and pressure helps to contaminate the lubricating oil more quickly.

 

[Dmonic1]

Agreed, changing oil more often is better for the engine!

apart from letting the car idle for seconds or minutes after a drive, when you own a turbo car you should adopt a different driving style, what i do after a hard drive is drive the car a bit slowely for the last few kms, this eliminates idle time alot.

 

[Clownshoe]

Measure cooling periods from the time of last boost. So be mindful and take your time in the suburb/ parking lots. I have a start up (just as important as cooling down) procedure. Start the engine as soon as getting in. Then get your ducks in a row like seatbelt, stowing the phone, programing the satnav.The turbo will most likely only get decent oil once the engine pressure is up, thia takes 15 secs with my Jeep that has a oil pressure guage, then it is cold aswell.

Cool down should be reverse. Get phone, wallet, undo seatbelt, faff about then shutdown. Get into a routine.

Hooing it down to Durban and pulling into a onestop, and ignition off as soon as you hit the pump will kill a turbo. P1000 is spot on with the cooked oil bit... it will also inhibit proper lubrication down the line.

Oil changes... if the manual says you can go 10000 on an oil change with 50ppm... that is sufficient. Quicker oil changes will increase the life of an engine, but you will get down to a piont where you will just be wasting money. This will depend on how you drive an engine. If you look after it, recomended will be good. We do 5000km oil changes on the mine. That is a diesel that eats dust and dodgy diesel for all its like... we have not lost an engine through wear and tear... some are on 200000km and never seen a tar road since they were delivered. Oil is designed to withstand the tempratures and conditions in a normal engine.

Factors that will degrade oil are: diesel in the oil (overfueling), overheating.

I personally change the oil and do a full service on any car I have just got... you never know...

If you are new to diesels, there is no use overreving one. The power is down at the bottom of the rev range.

 

[Twinz]

Congrats on the new baby...and where are those pix :thumbs:

Give it chance to properly warm up before making use of the fantastic torque potential, and then when nearing your destination start your cool off period already - that is, just drive light footed and allow the engine to run under off-throttle conditions as much as possible.

I am in full agreement. This is my ritual too living with three turbo cars. No need to idle vehicle at start up or shutdown...philip articulated it perfectly.

But my big however is with my 335...it performs best when i cold start the car in the morning and leave it to idle untill the rev needle settles...it takes a 1minute or so but the car will love you for it for the rest of the day...on cooling down there is no need to idle and then shut off but taking it easy on the throttle & rpms before reaching your journey is good for the longevity of the beast:idea:

 

[KING_RSA]

I never knew this. Read about cooling down periods which I let the car idle for about a minute. I have a heavy foot when driving. I often run my car 200+ on the freeways. Fortunately, from the offramp to my house is a stop start urban 7km journey, so im sure this is enought time for the car to cool down.

Thanks for all the advise guys. Will be more careful from now on

 

[drugekull]

Its stange this I just got my new 320d last week and this is something that always bothered me should I let it cool down when I stop or even run it in a bit before I start driving it hard.

I asked the sales guy and he says no on these new generation turbos you don't have to do that anymore they take care of themselves

Well maybe not the best person to ask this but if that is BMW's stance on this and they offer you a 5 year 100000 km motorplan on the car would it not be right

I must read through the manual and see what it says

I agree with driving it a bit slowly when just before you get home to stop any heat build up but to idle it for a minute or even 5 minutes before you switch off is a bit inconvienient to say the least. Never mind risky if you stopped anywhere with your car idling now days opens you up to hijacking.

Let me do a bit more research on this and see what I can find

I remember that there used to be and aftermarket systems installed in turbo cars that would circulate the oil for a while after the car had been switched off so that there would be no build up in the turbo I wonder if something like this has been installed in the Turbo BMW's

To just leave it up to the normal user of the car and give such a comprehensive warrentee would not be a good idea.

 

[KING_RSA]

Does the turbo work all the time on the car or only when you drive it hard.

When I drive it work, I don't race, it changes around 2500rmp, sometimes even lower. Don't stamp on the accelerator, so no major accelerations. Is the turbo working in this situation:thinking:

 

[P1000]

Does the turbo work all the time on the car or only when you drive it hard.

When I drive it work, I don't race, it changes around 2500rmp, sometimes even lower. Don't stamp on the accelerator, so no major accelerations. Is the turbo working in this situation:thinking:

You will be surprised how much the turbo's work. These engines are very pap when they aren't forced.

 

[KING_RSA]

You will be surprised how much the turbo's work. These engines are very pap when they aren't forced.

Well then will have to try to cool down on the hard driving :thumbdo:

 

[drugekull]

Hi Guys

Sorry a bit off the subject but I have been searching around my 320d and does it have an electronic oil level checker or not

tell you the truth I have not opened the bonet yet so I have not checked for a Dipstick

A dipstick is quite foregn to me now since for the last 5 years I have been driving a 323i which has an electronic one.

I also looked at the instrument cluster on startup and there is no oil light that I can see

Whats going on does BMW want me to get stuck somewhere wihout oil

 

[XMAX]

on start up every morning I allow the car to idle until the idle settles then i set off driving decently until the car is warmed up. I still drive it decently but know that if i wanted to, i could gun it.

on shut down, i follow the a similar shut down procedure as Clownshoe.


The important thing to note is that these cars have warranties when new. So gunning it for the first 100 000km may seem ok cos you have a warranty, but afterwards youre gonna find yourself in deep kak cos you didnt love your car the way its meant to be loved.


The diesels are awesome machines, and car last foreve if taken care of.