Protecting your turbo - turning off the hybrid engine

[TacoFreak]

My dealer does a lifetime engine warranty, so I am not obsessing about the turbo, but I will still do 3-5k oil changes. I really wish that also covered the transmission.

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[Turbo2Pete]

Without reading through 7 pages - I used to install timers on the 3S-GTE's to prevent exhaust manifold cracking - that was the problem with those.... If you're concerned, just drive for a few minutes at 30 MPH, non-aggressive (stay out of boost) and you'll be fine.

 

[TacoFreak]

If you're concerned, just drive for a few minutes at 30 MPH, non-aggressive (stay out of boost) and you'll be fine.

That is what I do too, which makes me a good citizens in my neighborhood with lots of kids and three schools nearby.

 

[Kodachrome]

Having an alternative gauge like a Scangauge III or in my case the iDash Pro really helps you to know what is actually going on and I personally will not be without one on any forced induction vehicle in the steep and deep Colorado high country.

When coming home, I either take the short way or the slightly longer way home, the latter allows me to cool the engine off nicely. With the short way the last two miles being about a 7.5% grade gaining a bit over 800' feet in elevation, I have to sit and idle the truck for a bit. The turn off the steep part of the grade sees it go flat level for about a block and a half before my driveway which is not enough time at idle. The ICE part also shuts off when I am at those 25mph neighborhood speeds. So I turn into my driveway and then reverse into my parking spot and instead of putting it in park right away, I keep it in reverse with my foot on the break. It stays in idle that way and for about a minute drops the oil temps down below 210F, they routinely see 215-220 going up the grade depending on ambient and if I am in the boost more or not.

Big hill climbs, Colorado style. Went to Denver this week for a bunch of appointments. The long steep grade out of Denver up towards Evergreen is a pedal masher's wet dream. While in M5 or M6, I was keeping the rpms between 2800-4000K, boost 10psi or less, occasionally in M4 when traffic dictates. With a throttle position of about 40-50% and a reasonable load factor, the truck just rockets up the grade (OTT tune) with pedal to spare. By the top of the grade oil temps are like 235F, pretty high but not unusually so given the operating parameters on this sustained climb. Everything cools off well and quick on the downhill as one would expect.

That's if I am blasting it which I wanted to as my 1,000 to 2,000 mile break in. Now I am driving it normally and being super easy going with it and going for mileage when I don't need to punch it in a maneuver.

I would hope that in the hybrid platforms, Toyota has considered turbo cooling to prevent oil coking. But either way, I am taking the extra cooling step just to be sure.

 

[ColoradoBoo]

I don't have my Taco Hybrid, yet, but this is our 3rd Toyota Hybrid (17 Prius/21 Prius/24 Corolla hyrid) and I have learned we can tell the vehicle to start the gas engine if we tap the gas peddle when it's in park. (I do this is the morning when I start up....don't want to be on the highway when the gas engine first kicks on so this helps her to get warmed up.)
So, besides driving slower the last few miles before parking the Taco, you should be able to tap the gas peddle after parking to keep the oil flowing to the turbo by keeping the engine running.
I was going to ask about oil changes for those of you with turbos...every 6-months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first??

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