I Need Some Turbo Driving Tips

**SrCain** · 08-21-2011 08:07 PM

My 2011 wrx is the first turbocharged car ive ever driven. Ive had plenty of manual transmissions. I would like to know of some tips when it comes to warming up the engine before driving hard, or cool downs, even dropping a gear feels weird to me although im assuming what im feeling is turbo lag. Any tips on how to drive a turbo better, and safer for my car would be great. Thx.

**Sinister** · 08-21-2011 08:13 PM

Pedal. Floor. Go. Fun.

**poly_poly-man** · 08-21-2011 08:42 PM

Never get into boost in the first 10minutes of driving or so (the oil won't properly lubricate things). Don't worry about cool down. Otherwise, if you want go, make sure your rpms are high (drop a gear and floor it).

As for launches, this is half AWD advice, half turbo advice - never clutch dump. Besides breaking your transmission, you'll get grip, which will bog your engine, and you'll lose a lot of speed. Instead, if you absolutely must go fast, kill your clutch. Floor it with your right, then accelerate with your left. You'll keep boost-level power, while adding load.

In general, know your power band, and you won't be surprised. To learn abotu your car more, go somewhere open, ideally a track, and starting from about 2krpm in third, floor it to redline. You'll learn a lot.

**BigDaddyRex** · 08-21-2011 08:51 PM

Turbo motors have a very different feel than NA motors, no doubt. NA motors tend to respond more immediately, while a turbo has that early "lag" feeling and then a rush of power.

On start, I think its very important to get up to operating temp before getting very far into the boost, but as far as cool down goes I don't think that is much of an issues with newer turbos.

As far as how to drive it, you need to remember that the motor is a fairly standard 2.5 until the boost comes on around 3000 rpms, and then the power comes fast. If you are rolling in low rpms, expect the car to feel less powerful, less torquey. If you want to feel the power you need to keep it in the powerband - 3000 and up. The motor in these is pretty stout, so it's OK to keep it in the powerband so you have that powr when you want/need it. Once you get used to where it is and how to stay there it will become natural enough. And for a lot of us, there is a lot of love for that feeling when the boost kicks in.

**rage-wrx** · 08-21-2011 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyRex

On start, I think its very important to get up to operating temp before getting very far into the boost, but as far as cool down goes I don't think that is much of an issues with newer turbos.

^^^ this. Operating temp would be the middle mark on your temp gauge.

**MakeItRoar** · 08-21-2011 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by rage-wrx

^^^ this. Operating temp would be the middle mark on your temp gauge.

And I've read repeatedly that it takes twice the time for the oil to warm up, so the coolant being in the middle mark is a halfway point.

**SrCain** · 08-22-2011 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by poly_poly-man

Never get into boost in the first 10minutes of driving or so (the oil won't properly lubricate things). Don't worry about cool down. Otherwise, if you want go, make sure your rpms are high (drop a gear and floor it).

As for launches, this is half AWD advice, half turbo advice - never clutch dump. Besides breaking your transmission, you'll get grip, which will bog your engine, and you'll lose a lot of speed. Instead, if you absolutely must go fast, kill your clutch. Floor it with your right, then accelerate with your left. You'll keep boost-level power, while adding load.

In general, know your power band, and you won't be surprised. To learn abotu your car more, go somewhere open, ideally a track, and starting from about 2krpm in third, floor it to redline. You'll learn a lot.

**SrCain** · 08-22-2011 08:39 AM

Ok I think I'm going to feel dumb, but here goes, what does 'kill the clutch'mean. Also, does being 'in boost' simply mean mid to high rpm?

**poly_poly-man** · 08-22-2011 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by SrCain

Ok I think I'm going to feel dumb, but here goes, what does 'kill the clutch'mean. Also, does being 'in boost' simply mean mid to high rpm?

Kill the clutch means getting pretty familiar with your mechanic and his yacht :P . Basically, if you're going to launch, you sacrifice something - speed (normal launch), the clutch (slip it like I recommend), or the drivetrain (expensive). The launch I describe (WOT, speed up by letting out the clutch relatively slowly, keeping the rpm at about 5k until you're off the clutch - feels exactly like you're accelerating with the clutch pedal) is the easiest on the expensive components of the engine, but too much of that and you won't keep your clutches for long.

"In Boost" refers to any time at which your turbo is providing positive MRP (manifold relative pressure), or Boost. The best way to tell if you're in boost is with a boost gauge, but yeah, keep it below 3.5k or so, and you'll not hit much boost if any.

**Drews** · 08-22-2011 10:23 AM

RTFM

**SrCain** · 08-22-2011 11:05 AM

Thx for the help poly poly

**Sinister** · 08-22-2011 01:22 PM

There isn't anything particularly different about driving a turbo car vs a naturally aspirated car. The only difference is where the turbo kicks in.

You should always warm an engine up before driving any car hard... (And the transmission too in my opinion... just some gentle driving so that the gears get lubed up).

And you should always let any car cool down after driving it hard... whether it's a 4wd mudder, a drag car, a minivan going over loveland pass, a truck pulling a horse trailer, or a sports car being driven spiritedly.

And the same... every manual transmission should be driven similarly... no dropping the clutch, no burning the clutch, gentle steady release with a gentle amount of throttle. Try to rev match when you're downshifting to prevent premature synchro wear. Put the clutch in when you're slamming on the brakes, or coming to a complete stop. Gentle shifting between gears... no slamming... etc.