3 REASONS TO COOL DOWN A TURBO






#1 According to EVO: The newer Can Am X3 and Polaris Pro XP utilize both oil and water cooling for their respective turbochargers. This is a superior method keeping turbo heat in check. Upon engine shutdown, both vehicles still have the issue of residual heat flowing into the turbocharger. However, unlike oil only cooled turbos, water cooled turbochargers have a convective cooling loop built into the system so water will continue to circulate through the turbo even with the engine off. This greatly reduces the need for extended idle time. Nonetheless, it is still good practice to idle down any engine briefly after a hard run. Additionally, the clutch enjoys some cool down period as well so it’s good for the engine, turbo and CVT belt system.
You can keep turbo heat away from other components like fuel lines or the passenger compartment with a heat blanket. This is a product EVP recommends.

# 2 The guys at Boondockers tell us: If you shut your turbocharged vehicle off after high-demand driving, there is a chance of the oil coking, causing the oil to lose it’s viscosity and decrease oil life. There is also a positive effect from allowing your vehicle to idle, in that your clutches require the airflow created by the rotation of your primary clutch to cool the sheaves and belt. Shutting your vehicle off after high-demand driving will leave your clutch sheaves very hot, and will “bake” your belt. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in belt life from allowing our vehicles to idle for 2 minutes.
#3 According to Yamaha: The key is to allow the turbo and engine to cool down to its average temperature when at idle – which is a good practice for any performance engine after usage. Turbos can get extremely hot, especially after aggressive operation, and lacking a proper cool-down procedure is hard on the turbo’s internals. This is why Yamaha went with the extremely durable, reliable, and top-of-the-line Garrett GT2860RS Turbo in our GYTR kit for the YXZ1000R / SS .


How about Oil Changes?
Yamaha says, “Any time you’re making more horsepower, there will be more pressure exerted on the oil, especially in the crankshaft’s bearing journals. Pressure and contaminates like fuel from “blow-by” under hard use is what causes oil to break down. “Inspect and service the vehicle more frequently if you drive aggressively or in severe conditions such as rain, mud, sand or unusually dusty areas.” As with any turbo kit, you are making more power at most RPMs, and thus more heat, so at minimum, these Yamaha owner’s should inspect the condition of their oil more frequently. Plus, a turbo vehicle traditionally requires a high quality / full-synthetic oil.”

In vehicles with an oil-cooled turbocharger from Boondocker (or anyone), it is suggested to change your oil more often than a N/A engine.


    1. Heat and debris are the two main causes of oil breakdown. High-demand driving often results in prolonged high-heat scenarios, and that should be factored into your oil-change scheduling.
    2. More importantly, we find that turbocharged engines are driven in more high-demand applications, such as sand-duning. High-demand driving decrease oil life.