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Why You Should Never Stop Turbocharged Engines After Driving?

ByMatsumoto Naoki-December 28, 2020

With the advancement in automobile technology, small displacement turbocharged engines are becoming the norm these days. Many countries have chosen to put into action strict emission norms and fuel-economy concerns; this trend is bound to grow. For those new to the concept, almost every diesel car in the market these days comes with the feature. If you are new to knowing why one should never stop the turbocharged engines abruptly, this blog will help you understand why one should never stop these suddenly after driving.

Why You Should Never Stop Turbocharged Engines After Driving

We will let you know why stopping a turbocharged engine immediately after a long drive is a bad idea. However, let us first understand as to how does a car engine, primarily a turbocharged engine operates.

The car engines have an RPM limit of 5,000 to 7,000. On the other hand, turbocharged engines can quickly spin up to 150,000 RPM. The turbocharged engine cars without an intercooler can face temperatures as high as 150 degrees Celsius. You might not realize, but inertia keeps a turbo engine spinning even after the car owner switches off the engine. You can browse online to know the best maintenance tips for your car engine. One of the techniques to save the turbocharged engine from any damage is using idling.

1. High Speed And Exhaust

The primary reason for damage to the turbocharged engines includes a thermal shutdown, which causes complete engine failure. Presently, all mass-market vehicles come with oil-cool turboengines in which the oil dissipates heat and prevents damage to the bearings. The second issue can include heat soak from the exhaust fumes. The worst thing a car driver can do to further the damage is by shutting off the car engine suddenly after a long run.

Reasons Not To Switch Off Turbocharged Engines (Photo Source: gr8autophoto)

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2. What Is Idling?

You must understand that turbocharged engines run by exhaust gases. The hot gases and high spinning speed makes it extremely hot after a drive. High temperature causes the engine oil to burn and lose its properties. In case, you turn off the car engine suddenly, the exhaust gases remain trapped inside the charger, and it can quickly destroy the engine over time, not to forget also reduce its lifespan.

To make sure that the turbocharger engine receives complete lubrication, and is free from any harmful fumes, you would need to idle the engine before turning it off. Idling the car engine would allow both the oil and coolant to flow through the center section of the turbocharged engine. As turbocharged engines have a higher temperature, there is a lot of thermal energy. You can also choose to drive the car at a lower RPM during the last few kilometers to reduce the temperature.

As turbocharged engines have a higher temperature, there is a lot of thermal energy (Photo Source: bmw)

Summing Up

We hope that this blog provides you the necessary information about why switching off turbocharge engines suddenly after a long drive is the worst idea. Turbocharge engines provide the essential speed and torque to racing enthusiasts, all the more reason not to try switching them off suddenly. It wi

Matsumoto Naoki is senior car blogger at Car From Japan. Having background in mechanical engineering, he has a unique perspective on a lot of new car innovations. Prior to Car From Japan, Matsumoto was Mechanical Design Engineer at Yajima Plant, Subaru Corporation. His articles provide detailed DIY instructions and how-tos to help you get your new car on the road. If you want to save money and feel more confident when working on your cars, you should not ignore Matsumoto’s sharing posts. He presents driving tips and tricks for everyone through easy-following steps and mechanically but friendly writing.

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