A question we often get asked is "Do I need to let my vehicle cool down". In this article we answer the question and give you the supporting evidence on why we make our suggestion!
The answer is YES! We suggest at LEAST 2 minutes of idle-down every time you stop.
This accomplishes two things. First, many turbochargers are water-cooled, but if not, even cooler exhaust temperatures (idle temps are around 400 degrees) will provide a cooling effect to your turbo which is likely in the 1200 degree range. Turbochargers are also fed oil for lubrication (in most cases that is shared with the engine sump). Once you've shut your motor off, the oil pump is no longer running. The oil that is presently in the charger will be heated to a point of coking (read more here: Link to Exxon article about coking).
Second, it is critical for belt-life, to allow your vehicle to idle down. Modern UTV CVT's (clutches) have air-movement engineered into the design. Allowing your vehicle to idle-down will allow the clutch sheaves to cool, which prevents baking of the belt. You can easily watch this with a belt temperature gauge. If you don't properly idle-down, your belt temps will continue to rise after shutdown, easily reaching 250+ degrees F.
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