A turbo timer: (as I understand it)
An electronic device which keeps your car running after you turn off the key
for a programmed amount of time. This can be a set time that you put in, or
it can calculate the time from your engine RPMs for the last 30 or so
minutes of your driving.
The goal is to allow the engine temp (or Turbo temp) to come back down to
normal.
The danger is turning off the turbo while still hot (or glowing) and cooking
the oil that is in the turbo.
This will quickly degrade your oil and eventually destroy the turbo.
However, in the WRX and I assume the STi is a built in thermal siphon
system.
In other words a "cold" water reservoir mounted vertically higher than the
turbo, so when you turn off the engine and the turbo is still hot, the water
in it heats up, rises into that reservoir and draws in cool water down from
it. Ideally cooling off the turbo and not frying the turbo. So this in
theory, this eliminates the need for a turbo timer, or you can just let the
engine cool down after driving. I mean unless you are on the turbo hard for
a long time or the 5 minutes right before you kill the engine, I don't think
you will have a problem. However if you really want to be careful with your
Suby then get one.
As for warm up in cold climates, I let my WRX warm up for a minute or two.
Or till the light tapping noise inherent in most boxer engines goes away
some. It is quite a obvious change. Then it only takes like 4 or 5 minutes
of light driving to warm up to normal.
Hope that helps.
Ed
