Only1Buck

I am considering the purchase of a 97 TT with under 10,000 miles one of the sites that I was on that gave tips about things to look for in a TT purchase referenced the fact that if the car was not allowed to cool down properly before being shut off there could be a problem with the intercooler. Would anyone be able to elaborate/clarify this...thank you in advance

viperbob

There could be problems with the turbos by shutting down and not letting them cool, but not the intercooler. A way to spot a problem with a turbo is that oil will leak out of the turbo and through the turbo tubes and into the intercooler. I think this is what the other site meant.

Good luck on the acquisition. They are great cars.....

Anir

Bob,

Is it a bad sign to find even a little bit of oil in the intercooler? I've noticed some in mine.

Only1Buck

Viperbob,

How long would you typically allow for the cool down before shutting the car off?

Jeff 993TT

There should be a little bit of oil in the intercooler, only a thin coating. It's inevitable. If you find something like 1/4 or 1/2 cup, then something is wrong.

Only1Buck, letting the car cool down, about 2 minutes is fine. If you haven't checked out this site yet, do so. http://www.993tt.com Lots of great buying tips/advice/etc.

viperbob

As Jeff said, there will be a thin coating. If you take it apart and it starts dripping oil all over, then there is a problem.

And 2 minutes is the prescribed wait time for shutting off the car...

Anir

Jeff and Bob,

I've only seen a thin coating. Thank you for the input.

ca993twin

My understanding is that the turbos should be allowed to cool AFTER they've been used hard. For example, if on the track, you should allow about two minutes of idle in the pits to let them cool. In normal commute conditions, the cool-down isn't required.

I always make it a point to spool my car up to full boost at full revs at least once in my commute, after the car is fully warmed up. I do this well before shutting the car down, so no cool-off is required. My car has 56,000 miles, and runs perfectly. Good luck.

Rick in Portland

If you have been running hot and heavy on the track, it's best to let your car cool down for a lot longer than just a couple of minutes. I usually open up the tail lid and let it idle for at least 5-10 minutes.

Rick
www.993tt.com

Jeff 993TT

If you are running hard at the track, I'd suggest doing the high speed fan trick. There's no active air cooling when you are sitting still on the paddock. The fan switch pushes air through the air coolers and cools the oil temp pretty quickly.

Rick in Portland

The engine certainly does cool down with both oil cooler fans running while idling in the paddock. I walk away from the car to get a coke, and when I return the oil temp gauge is always back down to about the 7:00-7:30 position.

Also, by opening the lid, it allows all of the hot, trapped air to escape from the engine compartment

Rick
www.993tt.com