A turbo timer is strictly an accessory, though it will help lengthen the
life of the turbocharger. One of the worst things for a turbo is to shut it off while it
is hot. A turbo timer simply works in reverse to an ignition kill. If the the
timer is on, it detects the key being removed from the ignition and then keeps the
ignition circuit closed so the engine continues to run, with the key removed. The
engine will continue to run until the timer reaches zero from whatever the set time was
(10sec.-10min.). Certainly, you can do this yourself by letting the car run, but
with a turbo timer, you can lock the car and leave while it idles and shuts off without
you having to baby sit it.
What this does is to allow the turbocharger to slowly be cooled by oil (and water if so equipped) before shutting down. If the turbo is shut down while it is still hot, there is a chance that the bearings will seize. Consistent hot shut downs can wear the bearings and may also bend the wheel shaft. For less than $90, a timer is good peace of mind.
The connection is rather simple. If you've ever installed a head unit this is just as easy. The connector on the back of the timer has several wires on it. Since GReddy does not make a harness for the 2G Probes, the connector must be cut off to access the wires. The four wires that we are most concerned with are BLACK, RED, BLUE (or WHITE), and GREEN.
The RED wire goes to the constant +12V
power source (at the ignition)
The BLUE or WHITE wire goes to the ignition
wire.
The GREEN wire goes to ACC (Accessory).
The BLACK wire goes to ground.
Easy enough, it is just a matter of finding the wires to connect them to. These are located under the dash and run from the steering column. Please note that these color codes are for the 2G PGTs only. MX-6/626s have different wiring and colors!
Color Code | Function | Turbo Timer Wire |
BLACK with Light BLUE | Constant +12V | RED |
BLACK with PINK | Ignition | BLUE or WHITE |
Light BLUE with YELLOW | Accessory | GREEN |
Chassis Ground | Ground | BLACK |
Mounting the unit is a matter of locating an ergonomically efficient spot.
I simply double-face taped mine to the top of the storage pocket. Once I add
the GReddy PRofec boost controller, I will make a nice face plate to hold both units.
The GReddy timer has two preset times that you can set to whatever you like. I have P-1 set for 1 minute for the average driving shut down and P-2 set for 3 minutes for the more spirited driving conditions. You can still set the time on the fly should you choose to.