Gajm (VIC) replied:

Willie, I got the Cd's in the mail, thanks very much mate. I didn't want to a specific post about them to say thanks, as there was a moron wrecking the forum , plus I figured it would get deleted and you may not even see it.
As far as the cd's go, I have to agree with you. I can't for the life of me see how they would be good for their advertised use,..." Fishing, hunting, 4wd, bushwalking, prospecting" the quality is just too low, the best you can see is major highways and roads.
So thanks again, they aren't much use to me either, cause I can't find anything except a few major towns on them. So I am passing them on to a mate and see if they'd be any good to him, failing that the missus reckons they would like them at school.

Thanks again for sending them my way....and I can see how you'd be PI55ED you payed $$ for them.

Member - Jeff M (WA) replied:

Personally I can't see any difference between the 100 and the 80 as far as requiring a Turbo Timer (maybe I'm wrong).
I would have one anyway, regardless.
I use the Silicon Chip/Altronics/Jaycar kit and it's brilliant. Simple, Flexiable, cheap and works a treat, even with Alarms and Imboilisors.

D-Jack replied:

Just idle your engine for a couple of minutes if its been under load. If you've cruised into town at 60km/h for the last 2 minutes don't bother. Save your bickies for something better.

(P.s I've got one, never really need it. Always sits switched off and I don't want to leave the car idling by itself in case someone thinks they can swipe it)

Been a post on turbo timers in the last month or so. Heaps of really good opinions and information suggesting its not really necessary with late model Turbos.

D-Jack

Russ replied:

Willie,
I posted the same question probably back in Oct. Here are the responses.

Andrew, I used to fit a lot of turbo timers in the country to turbo diesel Patrols. I think they were a brand called Bogart, we probably fitted around twenty or so and never had any problems with them. Having said that, do you need one? The timers I fitted were generally to Farmers Patrols, the utes were often used to tow boom sprays weighing between 2-4 tonne's, the others for some other form of heavy towing. This makes the turbo very hot (glowing) and without a cooldown period, the oil lubricating the turbo after shutdown gets cooked and there goes your seals and bearings! Unless you are towing or sand work, like the other guys said, you may not need one! If it were me I would probably prefer to have an exhaust pyrometer (temp gauge), then you can monitor the exhaust temp all the time to know if you have to idle for a couple to let things cool, these have the added advantage of being able to detect the early stages of engine problems as the exhaust temp rises before the water temp does! Many turbo tractors have these!
Hope this helps........................col

I like turbo timers (and I don't sell them, OK). Turbo-chargers run with extremely high temperature exhaust gasses running through them - 700 C or higher in some cases. The centre bearing of the turbo-charger is cooled and lubricated with engine oil, and AFAIK, most engine oils, even synthetics, deteriorate (i.e. burn) above about 130 - 140 C. If you are driving on the highway at 100 -110 km/h and pull straight into a servo, your EGT [Exhaust Gas Temperature] could well have been 400 C + before pulling in and still well over 300 C as your pull-up at the pumps. And the whole of the cast iron exhaust turbine housing will be at this temperature. Turning the engine off at this point subjects the now stationary oil in the turbo bearing to extreme temperatures and it 'cooks'.

Our Discovery had an ARB turbo-timer installed when we bought it second-hand and, while I have no connection to ARB, it's been an excellent unit. It has adjustable settings of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes and an override Stop button.

Since having an EGT gauge [and yes, I now sell these] , I've seen the sort of temps still in the turbo after a highway run and I'm very pleased I have a turbo-timer that lets me get out, lock the car and go into the roadhouse for a coffee while the engine idles down for 3 or 4 minutes until the turbo bearing is cool. [and yes, when we've been continuing on, we have had lots of strange looks from other customers and console operators while we sit in our Disco for 3 or 4 minutes at the pumps before turning-off the engine and filling up - hey, it my engine, OK]

If you are electronically inclined, you can buy and assemble very good quality turbo timer kits from Dick Smith, Jaycar, Altronics etc. If not, you're probably better off buying a fitted device from ARB or similar. If you are somewhere in between, I'd be happy to construct a 'kit' timer for you, that you install.
Thermoguard Instruments

I heard somewhere that as the turbo on the 100 t/d is oil cooled (not air cooled) a timer is not required.

Russ, the owners manual states the following:
normal city driving: idling time not necessary.
High speed driving about 80 km/h: idling time about 20 seconds.
High speed driving about 100km/h: idling time about 1 minute.
Steep mountain slopes or continued driving above 100km/h: idling time about 2 minutes.

If you are really worried, fit a pyrometer, and turn the engine off when exhaust temps hit 150. That's all I do. In QLD, turbo timers are illegal as it is also illegal to leave your car running when hoofing it into the shops, or getting some cash out!

I would recommend not fitting it as the quality of the Toyota handbrake is questionable after any bit of dirt gets near it so most of the time you will need to sit in the vehicle and have your foot on the brake anyway. In most cases by taking it easy for the last km or so it should be right to shut down when you stop.

Russ,
A note of caution on the turbo-timer. I have an LC 100 TD 2002 auto, (great vehicle) and had a turbo-timer fitted. My dealer advised me some time later that Tojo had been having trouble with the electronics with a number of these vehicles with turbo-timers fitted. Advice is that you stand a chance of spiking computer components as the electrics surge when the timer switches off (a little more technical than that, but that's the gist of it). They have replaced the dash on a number of vehicles, including mine, because a component has burned out. In my case, the res tank fuel gauge went fut. Tojo now says fitting a turbo-timer is a no-go, so your warranty may be effected. My turbo-timer is now sitting on my work bench, and I have to say I haven't missed it at all. After a while, leaving the motor running for a short while just becomes routine.

Regards
Russ